Total pages in book: 362
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
That wasn’t the only thing.
There was no hint of golden life in him now—no flecks of gold in his eyes or beneath his skin. Instead, there were slivers of deep, dark red in his silver eyes and churning slowly beneath his flesh. He even wore the true shade of death. Crimson.
The color of blood.
Kolis smiled down at me with one of those well-practiced, fake smiles that never ceased to make my skin crawl.
I didn’t flinch, but I could feel his touch. I didn’t wince, but I could feel the scrape of his fangs against my throat. I didn’t move an inch, but I could feel his arms around me, his embrace too tight. At that very moment, I knew exactly what I felt. It wasn’t nothing. It was a ruinous everything. I had to check myself again. I had to shut all of it down. No fear. No panic. No fury. And I did. I pushed it all down until I felt nothing but a simmering rage.
Until I could return his smile. “You look like shit,” I said. “I’m guessing I woke you too early from stasis.” My smile, just as skilled and fake as his, grew. “My apologies.”
Behind me, the Ancient cursed under his breath, and the atrium went utterly silent.
Kolis’s smile faltered. “And yet, you look extraordinarily well.” His gaze moved to those kneeling. “Leave.”
The Ascended and the various gods hurried from the space. The guards in the atrium and the hall, the draken, and Callum remained.
“You, too,” Kolis said to the guards, then the draken. “Go.”
Diaval grumbled as he rose. “And here I thought I would have some entertainment today.”
As the heavy curtains along the back wall behind the dais swung shut, Sax followed the alabaster draken, his gaze briefly meeting mine before he quietly left. Then, it was just Callum, the Ancient, this fucker, and me.
Kolis turned his back on me, though. He slowly walked to the throne and lowered himself into the seat, his hands settling on the arms of the chair.
Silence stretched as the seconds ticked by, and for some damn reason, an image of him flashed in my mind when he lay sprawled on the floor with a look of…relief in his features.
Remembering that caused my stomach to clench and my non-existent patience to rear its head. “You wanted to talk,” I said. “I’m here. So, talk.”
Callum hissed. “Do not speak to the King—”
Kolis raised his hand, silencing the Revenant in an instant. And, gods, I wished I had that ability when it came to Callum.
“I did summon you here.” Strands of blond hair fell against his jaw as he tilted his head. I didn’t think the Primal had blinked once since he’d walked in. “You shouldn’t have Ascended.”
I said nothing.
“Which means you lied about Nyktos’s kardia.”
“I told the truth about his kardia,” I said.
“And you continue to lie even now?” A half-grin appeared. It lacked the effort of making it look even somewhat real. “He risked dooming the realms to Ascend you. Only one in love would do such a thing, and one cannot be in love without a kardia, unless…” His chest rose with a sharp breath as his regard shifted to the Ancient. “Mates of the heart. Interesting.”
Pettiness was the next to rear its head. I wanted to throw it in his face but speaking about something so beautiful and using it against someone like Kolis felt wrong. As if it would taint Ash and me. “I don’t think that’s what you wanted to discuss.”
“No. It isn’t.” His fingers tightened around the arm of the throne as his focus returned to me. He fell silent again.
My hands fisted at my sides. “I assume you summoned me here so you can demand that I denounce any claim to the Throne of the Gods and pledge allegiance to you.”
Kolis chuckled softly, the sound making my skin crawl. “I imagined you would demand something similar of me, except asking for me to return to my rightful place in the Shadowlands.”
I said nothing because we did not even remotely plan to allow that.
“I have no intention of doing that,” Kolis continued.
Catching the smile on Callum’s face, I said, “Not a part of me is surprised to hear that.”
“Then where does that leave us, Seraphena?” Kolis asked. “At war?”
My heart kicked against my chest as the Ancient stiffened beside me. “You don’t want war.”
Kolis was quiet yet again. Too quiet.
My heart started pounding faster. “Because you know what can happen if it comes to that.” I jerked my chin at Aydun. “There will be no winners.”
“Not necessarily true,” he replied. “As long as the embers of life and death remain, there will be balance.”
“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.