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Thierran glanced up curiously from the glass of wine he was pouring.
“Not enough,” Ash muttered, and I rolled my eyes. “Kolis offered her a bullshit deal, and she had to offer him one in return.”
Attes’s gaze flicked to me. “And what was that deal exactly?”
“That he had to abdicate the throne and agree not to seek vengeance,” I said. “Then he could live out the rest of his existence.”
Attes stared at me.
Unease slithered down my spine as I gripped the tail of my braid. I glanced at Ash. The eather had stilled in his eyes as he gave me a small nod. I took a deep breath. “We want to do everything we can to prevent as much bloodshed as possible. And I don’t believe Kolis wants an all-out war. A part of him understands that there are…bigger issues at hand than what he believes he’s entitled to.” I met Attes’s gaze. “Like the Ancients.”
A muscle ticked in Attes’s jaw. “When we spoke while you were still in Dalos, I told you I wanted to prevent the kind of war Kolis would wage.”
I felt Ash’s attention turn to me as I nodded. “I remember.”
“That is partly why. So, I agree with doing whatever we can to lessen the bloodshed. But then what?” Attes pressed. “What if Kolis refuses your offer? Because what Nyktos was able to tell me didn’t go past meeting with the other Primals,” he finished.
“The plan is to force him to accept a version of the deal I offered. One in which we keep him alive until we can take the embers from him and place them in Nyktos.”
Understanding dawned. “The Star.” His jaw hardened. “But that’s currently in use.”
“I know,” I said, once more uncomfortable with the idea of Sotoria being trapped in The Star. It bothered me as much as forcing her to be reborn did. “That leaves us with only one option. Just like the Ancients, Kolis needs to be subdued.”
“And you think he will willingly allow that?” Attes asked, glancing at Ash.
“No,” Ash answered, and the other Primal’s gaze returned to me.
“I don’t either. I know there will be a fight, but I want that to be a decision the Primals who support us are involved in,” I said. “And I want them all to agree that we ca
“I see what you’re attempting.” Attes pursed his lips. “You want some level of accord while knowing there will also be some level of war. That’s not impossible, but it is extremely difficult to achieve.” His stare rose. “And there’s still much to be decided.”
There was.
“I’m also about to give you another thing to consider,” Attes said. “As highly unlikely as it is, what if Kolis accepts the deal you offered? That is much like an oath, Seraphena. Breaking it would have consequences.”
“I know.” I took another deeper breath, knowing I had to own up to what I’d done. “It wouldn’t be what any of us wants, but I had to offer something. And if he does accept it? I will…” Bile gathered in the back of my throat. “I will honor it because my hatred of him and my need for vengeance ca
A wistfulness filled Attes’s gaze. “You sounded so much like Eythos just then.” He shook his head. “When the Ancients created the Primals, they did so to protect the collective—all living beings—from themselves. That was our role. We were to be protectors. Guardians of men, gods, and all that is in between. And we were, for a time.” Attes’s gaze returned to the blue skies above. “I do not believe it was all emotions that changed it—changed us. I believe it was hatred, jealousy, and apathy.” His gaze lifted to mine. “Vengeance and retribution.”
“And that started with Kolis,” Ash stated.
Attes nodded. “And it’s a damn shame. Like my brother, he wasn’t always like this. I know it’s hard to believe, but neither he nor Kolis were like this before.”
“I believe you,” I said, feeling Ash’s stare. “I saw glimpses of who he was.”
Attes nodded slowly. “Your father believed Kolis could be saved.”
“And look what that got him.” Ash’s fingers stilled.
“I know,” Attes replied. “You’re not your father. Neither are you,” he said to me. “If Kolis accepts the deal and then breaks it, neither of you will give him another chance—or keep giving him chances. You will not falter like Eythos did.” He sighed. “Either way, I do not believe that any of the Primals who will potentially ally with us would fault you for attempting to make peace. Sacrifices should always be made for that. Our emotions and lives should never be greater than the collective.”
Some of the tension eased from my muscles. “That is a relief.”
Attes gave me a faint smile that didn’t reveal a dimple. “As I said, I doubt Kolis will accept the deal, but it does change things.”
I tensed. “Like what?”
“He didn’t accept or reject the deal, right? Neither did you?”
“Correct.” Ash frowned. “We have a little less than a month to make a decision.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Attes thrust a hand through his sandy hair. “We’ve now entered an eirini.”
“Fuck,” Ash spat, turning sideways.
Rhain leaned forward. “We haven’t entered into a truce, so how can there be an eirini?”
“But you did when neither deal was rejected or accepted,” Attes explained, tension bracketing the corners of his mouth. “I assume the Fate who oversaw the meeting didn’t remind you of the eirini?”
“No, he did not.” My fingers moved fast around the tail of my braid.
“Fucking Fates,” Thierran muttered, pouring what had to be at least his second glass of wine. Maybe his third. “There are rules during an eirini.”
The hair on the back of my neck rose as Ash cursed again. “For example, neither party is allowed to attempt to sway the other Primals and their Courts to raise arms against the other, which means Kolis didn’t order Kyn to use his Dogs of War.”
Attes’s upper lip curled. “Knowing my brother, he likely believed he could either capture or wound Nyktos, thus gaining Kolis’s approval.”
“I should’ve thought about that possibility.” Ash dragged a hand down his face.
“But an eirini has rarely been needed,” Attes said. “It’s understandable that it would be forgotten. It didn’t even cross my mind until Lailah mentioned the deal.”
“Yeah, but it’s more than just not being able to sway the other Primals.” A muscle ticked in Ash’s jaw. “The eirini mostly applies to the one who was first offered a deal.”
Attes nodded, and Saion shook his head. “Meaning you can’t do shit, while the same doesn’t apply to Kolis.”
My mouth dropped open. “That…that’s bullshit!” Eather hummed through me.
“Yeah, well, if you ask the Fates, I’m sure they’ll say it’s to keep the balance by ensuring that any deal is made in good faith,” Thierran said, sitting down.
I started to pace. “And I’m betting Kolis was fully aware of this.”
“I’m sure he was,” Attes said. “There’s even a chance he hoped that neither of you knew about the eirini. If you were to proceed with your plan to meet with the Primals, there would be consequences. And knowing the Fates, it would be something really fucked up.”
I walked toward the dais, needing space. How could Aydun forget to mention this? Better yet, why hadn’t the vadentia warned me? It had to be because it didn’t work when it came to my actions. “So, what are we supposed to do? Sit around and do nothing?”
Attes turned. “You can do anything that does not involve calling Primals to arms.” He paused. “And you ca
“Of course,” I spat, stopping at the dais. “Haven’t we already broken the eirini? By involving you?”
“No, because I pledged allegiance to you before the eirini,” Attes answered. “The rule doesn’t apply to me.”
“What about him?” I nodded at Thierran.
“You asked nothing of me.” Thierran propped his boots on the bench in front of him. “I invited myself along.” He took a drink. “And I’ve never been what one would consider loyal to Kolis. And he knows that.”
“How have you managed to stay alive with Kolis knowing that?” I questioned.
“Because he knows if he tries to come at me, I’ll do worse to him,” Thierran stated, eather burning behind his eyes.
I raised my brows. “Worse than death?”
He smiled. “I’ll take his dreams.”
Air whooshed out of my lungs as I held Thierran’s stare. I suspected that was worse than death because Kolis likely only dreamed of one person.
Sotoria.
“Real convenient of Aydun to fail to mention any of this,” Ash gritted out. “Considering how understandable it is that an eirini would be forgotten.”
“Yeah.” I leaned against the dais and let my head fall back. Why did it almost always feel like the Fates were actively screwing us over? It didn’t make sense. Aydun wanted me to avoid war, but why didn’t he ensure I knew the rules? “Shit.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Attes began.
I laughed.
“It’s really not,” he insisted as Ash approached the dais. “You just ca
“He’s right.” Ash stopped in front of me, taking my hands. “We can still proceed with figuring out how to entomb Kolis.”
“There’s really only one option for that,” Attes said, sitting on one of the benches opposite Rhain. “You will definitely need the bones of an Ancient.”
“We know,” I said.
“And we also know we need more than just that,” Ash said, turning as he slid between me and the dais. He looped his arms around my waist. “But regarding the bones, Kolis has most—but not all—of the stash.”
“He does,” Rhain said, squinting.
“Most of it was in the Carcers,” Attes said. “I doubt it still is.”
“Damn it.” I closed my eyes. “When I destroyed the prison Ash was being held in, I likely destroyed all the Ancient bones there, too.”
“We wouldn’t need a lot, right?” Saion set his glass on one of the stone benches. “Enough to make chains and probably some spikes.”
“As you said, Kolis has most of it. But not all. The Primals who’ve stayed in his favor have bone weapons. I have a spear. So does Kyn. And I know he has at least one chain. I’m betting Veses has some, too. Maybe even Embris.”
“Are you suggesting we just go to their Courts and take it?”
Attes met my stare from where he sat. “If it comes to that, yes.”
My stomach dipped as I started to respond, but the sudden throb of an arriving Primal snapped my attention to the doors. The feeling was intense, meaning the Primal was close. Too close—
“Son of a bitch,” Ash growled, and Attes shot to his feet.
“No,” rasped Attes. “He can’t be this fucking idiotic.”