Born of Blood and Ash

“But a war will disturb those who have gone to ground.” I looked at Aydun for him to back me up, but the Ancient was frustratingly quiet.

“Perhaps.” Kolis shifted on the throne. A moment passed, then another. The muscle by his temple ticked. “You do look like her.”

I went rigid.

Wistfulness flashed across his features, causing my skin to crawl. “I can see parts of her in you, even now.”

“But she is not her, Your Majesty,” Callum interjected.

“I know.” The skin over the knuckles of his left hand thi

I showed nothing, even as unease festered.

“That’s what my brother did, right? He placed her soul with the embers into your bloodline? But I imagine he intended for you to be reborn as Sotoria. That didn’t happen. But her soul was in you.”

“Her soul is where you ca

My lie was smooth enough that Callum stepped back, bumping into the dais.

Kolis’s chin lowered as the shards of red grew in his eyes. “You took the Star diamond. I imagine my brother’s soul was released, and that is where you have placed hers.”

Fuck.

“We released Eythos’s soul and then destroyed The Star.” My thoughts raced. I had no idea if the diamond could be destroyed, but I remembered how it had been created. “Nektas did.”

“Lies.” Kolis laughed. “If you weren’t clever enough to discover the importance of The Star, my nephew is. You have her soul in that diamond.”

Fuck.

I could see I wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise. Which meant that any protection I may have gotten from Kolis believing that Sotoria was still inside me was gone.

Kolis’s grip on the throne’s gold arms eased. “I brought you here to make a deal, Seraphena.”