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Someone cursed.
“And that is when he spoke of killing all those who wouldn’t bow to him, correct?” Ash stated, and I nodded. “Then he changed his mind when he believed you were Sotoria. Because he knew that, no matter what, removing those embers from you and then Ascending you would come at a risk. This other side of him only showed itself when he believed you were Sotoria.”
“He did things that didn’t align with his seeing-all-the-Primals-burn ideology before he was convinced I was Sotoria,” I insisted.
Ash eyed me over the rim of his glass. “For example?”
“For example, he stated clearly that he didn’t want a war. That was why he didn’t attack the Shadowlands’ forces. He knew that doing so would escalate the situation.”
“And you believed him?” Saion demanded, all amusement gone from his tone.
“I didn’t. Not at first. But when Kyn wanted to level the Shadowlands to make an example out of this Court, Kolis denied him.” I looked around the table. “And again, that was before he believed I was Sotoria. He had no reason not to allow Kyn to do as he pleased other than knowing what would come of it.”
“And he had no reason not to kill me, let alone release me,” Rhain stated, and my heart felt like it hit the floor. “But she was able to convince him that killing me—someone loyal to the Primal they served—wouldn’t inspire loyalty to him in others. It was a straw-man argument, but one Kolis was willing to accept.”
I relaxed. A little.
“I’m still not over the fact that Kolis released you.” Saion looked at Rhain. “Don’t get me wrong, we all thought you were gone, and we’re fucking ecstatic that we were wrong, but none of us expected that.”
Rhahar nodded. “I have to hear this straw-man argument of yours.”
My relief vanished as Ash’s jaw flexed. His stare was on the open doors as he took a drink, his lips peeling back.
Did he…did he know? About the deal? What Kolis had asked for? If so, he would think it meant more—
I couldn’t think about that right now. Drawing my gaze from Ash, I cleared my throat. “I don’t think it was such a straw-man argument. He agreed because he knew killing Rhain would further escalate tensions,” I lied smoothly. “And when I challenged him about what he said before regarding killing the other Primals, Kolis admitted that he wouldn’t start a war he couldn’t win or one that would leave the realms a mess. But he still pla
“No,” Ash growled, streaks of eather piercing his eyes. “He will not.”
“And that means he’s not going to Ascend to that.”
“I see what you’re saying about Kolis,” Ash said, “but I think we see different end results.”
“How so?”
“You see him being more cautious, possibly more reserved in his actions. And perhaps even reasonable since he seemed to understand that he couldn’t win a war without rising as the Primal of Life and Death.” His fingers returned to their soft tapping, drawing a sleepy Jadis’s attention. “But I see a far more unpredictable Kolis. One who is on the verge of losing what power he has and won’t be as careful about when and where he strikes.”