Born of Blood and Ash

Anger grew within me. “Let me guess, he didn’t believe himself responsible.”

“You’d be correct,” he replied. “We learned that Kolis was considering taking Reaver— demanding that Ash sever the bond with the youngling. Kolis felt as if he was owed.”

My lips parted. “Oh, gods.”

“When Halayna learned about it, she was enraged. Reaver had become a son to us. We knew what happened to the younglings in Kolis’s Court. They never survived past their first full shift or adolescence. Neither Ash nor we would allow that to happen. Relations were tense in the years that followed.” The ridges along his shoulders became more pronounced. “At that time, Kolis had three fully grown female draken. He sent them, likely believing they would be safe, along with Davon and two others,” he said, speaking of the draken who shared his blood. “They were there to take Reaver, and it…it did not end well. In a way, we were sending a message back to Kolis. That he wasn’t just fucking with his nephew. He was now fucking with us.”

I had a feeling I knew where this was going. “He used the female draken almost like a shield.”

“He did, and he was wrong for doing so. None of us cared who or what they were. Not when it came to Reaver. Halayna took out two of the females. The third—she was Davon’s mate and the youngest of Kolis’s draken—was Taliaya.” Faint lines appeared at the corners of his eyes. “Davon created a path for her escape. My mate wasn’t having that. Halayna went after her, catching up while they were over the Lassa Sea.” Nektas was quiet for several moments. “If Halayna had time to cool down, if there weren’t years of pain and loss at the hands of Kolis, she likely wouldn’t have done what she did. She ripped Taliaya’s throat out over the sea, sending her to a watery grave along with…”

I closed my eyes.

“Along with the child she carried within her,” he said, his voice low. “We knew the moment Taliaya showed that she was pregnant. We could smell it. We couldn’t believe Kolis sent her or that Davon allowed it, but then again, Davon, as much as he was a fucker, could do nothing but obey Kolis’s orders.” Nektas’s gaze found mine. “Once Halayna returned and calmed, she was horrified by what she had done. Less than a year later, we learned she was with child.”

I didn’t know what to say, only because I knew how Halayna felt. Kolis had put everything into motion with his selfish, insane actions, but like me, Halayna had reacted in rage and pain, leaving devastation behind. I knew exactly how she felt.

“What she did to Taliaya and her unborn youngling haunted her. Stayed with her up until her death. The many nights that I held her as our daughter grew inside her and even after, telling her that she was worthy of our gift, were i

My heart was heavy. “Did she…?”

“Did she ever come to believe that?” he finished what I could not ask. “Halayna learned to separate the two. It wasn’t easy, but she did come to realize that what she had done had nothing to do with our child, and I’m so…”

Hearing the rawness in his voice, I reached over and placed my hand on his arm.

“I’m so damn grateful she did.” His eyes were like glittering blue diamonds. “Because she was able to enjoy what time she had with her daughter, and because of that, it has allowed me to do the same—to remain who I was, even after I lost her.”

I leaned over, resting my head on his shoulder. “Is that why Davon was such an asshole?”

He chuckled roughly. “Davon was always one, but he worsened after his mate’s death. Whatever good he had in him was gone.”

I sat there for a few moments. “Was that really why Halayna was targeted by Kolis?”

“It was.” He reached over with his other hand and cupped the back of my head. “Reaver doesn’t know any of this.”

I squeezed his arm. “He never needs to know.”

“Halayna never stopped thinking about what she did. I’m sure it lessened as time passed, but it was with her every day. She still hungered for life and joy, and in the short time she had with Jadis, she was an amazing mother,” he said quietly. “Just as you will be, Sera.”

I pressed my lips together to stop their trembling.

“You will be as fierce and protective as she was,” he said, his voice unwavering. “It doesn’t matter what you have gone through in your past, nor does anything you have done to others or yourself. You will do just as my Halayna did. You will ensure you will be a good mother because you have control over that. Because you will love them that fiercely.” He tipped my head back, and his eyes locked with mine. “And you will have both Ash and me to make sure you never forget that.”

Kye, the Healer, was nervous when he first arrived, and I felt so incredibly bad for him as he went through a cursory exam.

Some of it was because he was handling the well-being of the true Primal of Life and the health of the children of a Primal of Death, but that wasn’t the only reason.

There was also the oldest draken, who lingered on the balcony outside the bedchamber, a silent and watchful guardian who held the Healer’s stare as he left the chamber. And then there was my husband, who for some reason, returned to the bedchamber as a man who really, really had a problem with another male being within two feet of me.

I was lying on my back, my hands resting on the bed beside me, my fingers thrumming idly. My vest had been removed, and my shirt was folded up to allow the Healer to push lightly on my lower stomach.

Ash watched the Healer’s fingers as if he expected them to turn into daggers.

“I’m just checking the positioning of the uterus,” Kye explained, his voice steady as he pressed around my pelvic bone. “Usually, this is done along with an internal exam—”

Ash’s eyes narrowed, and a blast of cold air radiated off him. I scowled at him as Kye’s light, yellowish-brown fingers trembled slightly.

“But that seems u

A low growl came from where Ash stood to our left.

“Nyktos,” I hissed.

“It’s okay.” Kye patted my hand and looked over his shoulder at Ash. “He’s just being protective.”

“More like a jerk,” I muttered.

Ash raised a brow at me.

Kye chuckled. “I have read that when a Primal is expecting, it can stir their nota and cause, well, a primal response.”

“To a Healer simply trying to do an exam to ensure that everything is fine?” I challenged, eyeing Ash.

“To anyone and anything that could be even remotely perceived as a threat, especially other males,” Kye clarified, and I rolled my eyes. “The draken are the same, as are the ceeren. It is, one would say, a primitive instinct that is difficult to control.”

“Perhaps you should go stand on the balcony with Nektas since you can’t control your primitive instinct, then,” I suggested.

“Not happening,” Ash growled.

“Then stop snarling and making it feel ice-cold in here,” I snapped back.

Crossing his arms, Ash said nothing. He would not make that promise.

I sighed, refocusing on the Healer. “I’m sorry. You were saying?”

A small grin appeared. “Have you experienced any breast tenderness?” he asked.

“A little bit today and on and off,” I said. “Nothing too bad.”

“Good,” he replied, sitting down on the chair that had been moved close to the bed. “It’s common, as well as seeing an increase in their size as the pregnancy continues.”

Ash’s brows rose slightly, and a half-grin appeared.

I shook my head. “What about the nausea?”

“Mortals tend to see a lessening in that toward the end of the first trimester. Gods aren’t much different, though it tends to last a few weeks to a month longer.” He glanced at the bound pad of paper he’d pulled from the satchel earlier and laid on the bed. “From what I have read, it is roughly the same for Primals.”

“That is good news, then,” I said.

Kye nodded. “You can sit up now if you’d like.”

I sat up, crossing my legs at the ankles. Ash immediately sat behind me, looping an arm around my waist. I was irritated with how he was behaving, but I still leaned into him.

“From what I can tell, everything seems fine,” he said. “Your heart rate is normal for a Primal, as is your blood pressure.”

I still had no idea how he was able to figure out the pressure by pushing on my pulse and watching me closely, but I would have to take his word for that.

“Now, in terms of what to expect. I want to be upfront with both of you,” he began. “It has been over two centuries since a Primal has been with child, and unfortunately, any who may have cared for your mother, Nyktos, are no longer with us. What I know is from notes found while serving in Kithreia and from what I found in the city athenaeum. I believe there is more to be found at Mount Lotho. I would like to go there as soon as possible.”

“I…I’m not sure if that is wise right now,” I said and felt Ash gearing up to argue.

“I’m aware of what is going on and understand the risks,” Kye said. “Discovering what I can is worth it.”

“You may leave whenever you wish to do so,” Ash said, and my lips pursed. “We will make sure you are well guarded.”

I relaxed a little upon hearing that.

“Thank you.” Kye bowed his head at Ash.

“What can you tell us now?” he asked.

“From what I know, the first and second trimester of pregnancy for a Primal is not that much different than that of a god. It is different for a mortal, but that is neither here nor there,” he said, resting his elbows on his bent knees. “It is the third trimester when things tend to get…tricky.”

“What do you mean?” Ash stiffened behind me.

“As the babe—or in your case, babes—grow in size, they take more nutrition and blood from the mother, as well as eather. In fact, the essence will serve the needs of the babe first before the mother. That starts at conception but will become more so as the pregnancy progresses.”

Ash’s arm tightened around my waist. “Is that why her bruises still haven’t healed completely?”

The Healer nodded. “With you having two to care for, it will take much more from you, leaving you weakened and unable to recover as quickly as you normally would. That is the biggest threat as you enter the third trimester, and I ca

I could feel Ash’s heart pounding faster against my back as I pressed my lips together.