Born of Blood and Ash

“Wow.” And here I thought my mother was a bad Queen. “Do I even want to know how bad the cesspool that is Veses’ Court is?”

“Veses rules like Embris one day and Phanos the next,” Ash said. “Her Court is as bad as Hanan’s was.”

Bele sighed.

“No pockets of…goodness?” I asked. “How is that possible?”

“All who had an ounce of morality in them are here.” Rhain shook his head. “The same with Kyn’s Court. Those who disagreed either joined Attes or came here.”

“So, you’re telling me that all those who remain in Veses’ and Kyn’s Courts are…what? A lost cause?” I took in the somber expressions. “Seriously?”

“I wouldn’t say they are a complete loss,” Ash stated. “Perhaps some can be reached, but when Kolis first took the embers, switching places with my father, it disturbed the balance. Death ruled over life, and life ruled over death. All Primal power has a good and a bad side to it. And with all the Primals being weakened, it made it far easier for them to succumb to the poisonous sides of their natures,” he reminded me. “And then that poison spread to those who served them and the mortals they interacted with. Most of them are not who they once were or were born into a society that embraces that toxicity.”

“I get that. I do. It’s not really their fault, and blah, blah bullshit. Whatever.” Frustration joined the anger as Bele widened her eyes. “We basically only have two Courts that appear to have any sense of a greater good. Then we have one Primal who really doesn’t seem to care about his Court, as long as it doesn’t cause him trouble. Another who rules so strictly the entire Court has a bedtime and punishment for not adhering to such is—”

“Sometimes death,” Rhahar filled in.

Good fucking gods. “Another Court is pretty much a giant adult party with a dash of murderous tendencies, and two more are just complete garbage fires—”

“Don’t forget my Court,” Bele interrupted. “I have about a hundred good ones in Sirta.”

“My apologies.”

Bele smiled and flicked her wrist. “Accepted.”

“So, we have two decent Courts and one really underperforming Court,” I corrected. Bele’s eyes narrowed as I turned to Ash. “That leaves me with just one question.”

“I truly ca

“Why are we even bothering with these Courts and not just seizing them?”

“Now, that is the Sera I was expecting,” Bele said, and Saion nodded in agreement.

“After seizing them, what would we do?” Ash countered, lowering his glass.

“Put someone else in charge? Like one of them,” I suggested, gesturing at those around the table.

“Uh,” Lailah started.

Ash held up a hand. “I don’t think the Primals who rule over those Courts would take too kindly to that. They would fight back. We might have to kill them.”

“Then I could Ascend another god to take their place,” I countered.

Rhain’s gaze sharpened on me. “Or you could take the Court as your own. The Primal of Life can take a Court. And with the energy going to you, it would lessen the impact of there being no Primal to rule.”

I started to ask how that was even done, but with a tingle in the skin behind my ear, the knowledge came in a flash of images. I frowned slightly. Taking another Court required no ceremonies or words. All I had to do after draining the Primal was take their eather into me before it released. Not that I was complaining. It was just…the process was frighteningly simple.

“But not even Kolis did that,” Rhain added after a moment.

Ash looked over at him.

“Technically,” he corrected. “But having a Primal of Life that just takes on the Primal influence of other Courts doesn’t sound like something you would want to do.”

It wasn’t.

“Not only that, but it is unlikely we could defeat those Courts and Kolis with Attes, Keella, and one really underperforming Court,” Ash pointed out. “Not only do we need as much support as we can get, but you also want things to be different. Would that be any different?”

“No.” I sighed. “I wasn’t being serious.”

Ash’s head tilted as he took a drink.

“Okay.” I rolled my eyes. “I was only being fifty percent serious.”

His lips twitched as he placed his glass on the table. “So, are we in agreement? Summon the Primals?”

Murmurs of approval rose around the table, and I nearly slumped in my chair with relief.

“Then what comes next?” Bele asked.

“I think you will enjoy this answer.” I met Bele’s stare. “We remove Kolis from the throne.”

“Violently?”

“Is there any other option?” Ash replied.

“No.” Bele smiled in a way I should’ve found disturbing but didn’t.

“Exactly how will that be done?” Theon followed up.

“We entomb him,” Ash said.

“That won’t be easy,” Rhain stated.

“We know.” I idly petted Reaver’s head. “But there has to be a way. After all, the Ancients have been entombed for thousands of years.”

Rhahar choked on what he was drinking. “Come again?”

Well, apparently that was something else they weren’t aware of. “Not all the Ancients entered Arcadia or were killed. Some could only be put into the ground. That is why there must be balance—why there must always be life and death.” I then explained what Kolis had been doing with the Chosen—turning them into the Ascended. “That has been working, but I know that at least Kyn was worried it wouldn’t continue to do so. And if balance is not kept, the Ancients will wake.”

Blood drained from Rhain’s face as he sat—or collapsed—back into his chair.

“Do I want to know what would happen then?” Bele said.

“They would finish what they started when the Primals rose against them. Kolis would be the least of everyone’s worries,” I said, keeping my hand on the curve of Reaver’s neck. “Either way, we need to discover how the Ancients were entombed. What worked for them will work on Kolis.”

“Keella is the eldest Primal after Kolis.” Ash drew his fingers over his chin. “We plan to speak with her.”

“So, we entomb Kolis. For what? Thousands of years?” Rhain asked.

“That will ensure the balance is kept,” I said. It finally hit me that could mean we didn’t need to use Sotoria’s soul. Hope sparked. “Nyktos will continue as a Primal of Death, and I as the Primal of Life.”

A crease formed between Ash’s brows. “Or until Sotoria can be used. Her soul could be released once Kolis is safely entombed. And then once she is old enough…” Ash sent those around the table an icy smile. “Then Kolis will be no more.”

Theon smiled tightly. “Now that I like the sound of.”

My gaze lowered to Reaver’s as several cheers of agreement rose. I couldn’t blame them for wanting a future that included a dead Kolis. None of them knew Sotoria. They didn’t know what she had already been through. I looked up, finding Rhain’s gaze on me.

I shifted in my chair and refocused, returning to stroking Reaver’s neck. “So, how do we go about summoning the Primals?” I asked. “I assume it isn’t as easy as sending them a missive.”

“No, it is not.” Ash refilled my glass. “You, as the true Primal of Life, can issue the summons simply by willing it.”

My lips parted at the memory of the painful, reddish-black symbol that had appeared on Ash’s palm when Kolis had summoned us. “I don’t think hurting them is a wise way to start off.”

“It doesn’t have to be painful. What Kolis did was an ability provided by the true embers of death. It’s a death mark,” Ash explained. “But I agree. Forcing them to answer is something Kolis would do. Luckily, there is Attes.”

I raised a brow at that. “Luckily, you say?”

Ash smirked. “Yes. Just this once. He could prove useful and contact the other Primals.”

Attes had already proven himself useful, but I wisely kept that to myself.

Jadis had seemed to grow bored with Bele once the Primal ceased throwing her dagger. She rose now, stretching with a little squeak of a yawn.

Either sharing in Ash’s dislike of the Primal or still harboring distrust toward him, Rhain’s tone was cold as he asked, “And if Attes decides that he’d rather not be useful?”

Ash leaned back, resting the ankle of one long leg on the knee of the other as Jadis’s claws scraped against the table when she crawled forward. “I will convince him that it would be in his best interest to be very useful.”

“Wait.” My hand halted on the back of Reaver’s neck. “As in you’ll go speak with Attes?”

A lock of hair lay against his jaw as he tilted his head. “That would be the plan.”

“I don’t know if that’s wise,” I pointed out, leaning forward to catch Jadis before she fell right off the table.

Reaver lifted his head, eyeing the little one as she mewled, wanting to be on the floor. For his benefit, I placed her on my other side.

“That is exactly why I’m best suited to speak with him,” Ash countered as Jadis immediately scrambled under my chair, causing Reaver to shuffle back. “I’m the last person he wants to piss off.”

I wasn’t so sure about the plan as I tried to keep an eye on the two draken. Jadis had grabbed one of Reaver’s legs—thankfully with a hand and not her mouth. “The last thing we need is you hauling off and punching him.”

“I think that is the very first thing needed.” Ash gave a shadowy smile that frosted his eyes. “Besides, he has it coming and knows it.”

“That isn’t going to help us,” I said, relieved to see Jadis plop down beside Reaver…or half on top of him. She managed to get her head on his back, causing him to peer up at me with resigned exasperation. Poor guy.

“She’s being logical again,” Bele stated. “I’m not sure how I feel about it.”

I shot her an arch look, feeling the awareness of…another draken. But it was different this time. Stronger. In my mind, I saw Nektas. I shook my head, refocusing. “You sound like I normally run around being illogical.”

“Well,” she drawled, her silver eyes dancing with amusement as a large shadow fell over the balcony.

Sending Bele one more look of warning, I focused on Ash. “Then I will go with you.”

“Now, that wouldn’t be wise,” Ash replied, sipping from his glass. “You will remain here.”

His tone and demand stoked my temper like it always did. “You want to know what’s not wise?”

“I’m sure I can guess.” His gaze flicked to me. “You were about to say me making demands of you is unwise.”

“Since you know that, why do you think it’s more unwise for me to go to Attes than you—who wants to skin him alive?”

Bele’s lip curled up on one side. “Thank the Fates, I feel like something very illogical is about to occur—”