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)
His head tilted. “More like I figured it was time to settle some old scores on my way up.”
Ward grunted something under his breath and crossed his arms. I eyed the oneirou. What had Ash said? He’d called Thierran an opportunist. A low laugh left me.
The oneirou’s violet eyes glittered with amusement. “You’re wounded.” He paused. “And you smell of Death.”
“Thanks,” I murmured. “Kolis was here.”
“That’s who did this?” He looked over the side of the mountain and his jaw tensed. “He finally almost succeeded.”
“In what?” I noticed the snow had slowed.
“Eradicating the oneirou.” He sheathed his sword. “I am the last.”
Gods. The weight of that was almost too much to bear as it stacked on top of all the other losses. “I’m sorry.”
Thierran’s gaze met mine. There was nothing to be gained from his expression. “Thank you,” he said finally, bowing his head.
Kyn tucked tail and ran, Aurelia said through the notam, each word laced with disgust. Even left his wounded draken here.
The draken.
I sucked in a shrill breath when images of the falling draken filled my mind. “Lotho had how many draken?”
“Ten, I believe,” Thierran answered.
There were only two now. I shuddered.
Aurelia lowered her head when Attes appeared. He looked as bad as I felt. The armor across his chest was dented, fresh blood coursed down his arms, and his leather pants were charred in several places.
“Where the fuck is Kolis?” he growled.
“Likely gone to ground.” I sheathed the bone dagger. “Ward here snuck up on him and nearly decapitated him.”
“Wouldn’t have been able to do it if he hadn’t been so focused on you,” Ward replied.
Attes’s gaze shot to mine, and I looked away. He reached out and ran his palm over Aurelia’s scaled jaw. “Come on.” He came to my side, and Aurelia took off, rising into the sky. “Let’s get you home before any other asshole decides to show up.”
I nodded but then turned to the oneirou. “Are you coming back?”
“Eventually. No need to rush now that Embris is no more.” A grin appeared, curving the straight lines of his scars. “Can’t say I am even remotely upset about that.”
“We can agree on that,” Ward said gruffly, and my chest hollowed. He bowed his head toward me. “If you will excuse me, I would like to check on Penellaphe.”
“Thank you again,” I said, weariness settling in. And now that the adrenaline was gone, I could feel the cracks in my restraint starting to form.
Ward waved my gratitude off, walking away. Attes folded an arm around my waist and told Thierran, “Stay out of trouble.”
The oneirou smiled in a way that told me he planned to use this time to settle more scores. I wanted to laugh again.
Attes shadowstepped us back to the House of Haides, and as the mist around us faded, I saw familiar faces in the palace’s foyer. Solemn expressions. Worried eyes.
It was Rhain who stepped forward. “Sera?”
“Where is Nyktos?” Attes demanded.
“He’s still at the Pillars,” Rhain said, his gaze fixed on me. “Rhahar joined him to help. There’s been…”
There had been even more souls passing through the Pillars.
Because of me.
Because of Kolis.
A tremor coursed through me.
“I’ll have fresh water sent to your chambers,” Aios said, drawing away from a shockingly quiet Bele. “We’ll get you cleaned up.”
I said nothing, just started to go with Attes and Rhain as they led me toward the stairs. Some distant part of my brain clicked back on, and I remembered what the events of tonight actually meant. I needed to keep it together. For just a little bit longer.
“Are the Shadowlands secured?” I asked, barely recognizing my voice.
“Yes,” Lailah answered. “Soldiers are on the Rise surrounding Lethe and the palace since this…this began.”
“Has Theon been notified to watch for any movement?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Good.” I pressed my hand to my lower stomach, my mind racing. “We…should send someone to Mount Lotho,” I said, truly having no idea how much Holland would intervene if there was another attack. “There are only two draken remaining. Penellaphe’s Court will be vulnerable until she awakens.”
Lailah’s inhale was swift. “Only two?”
“Kolis,” I said, and that was all I could say about that.
“I’m already on it,” Attes assured me. “Aurelia will send Elias and several of my most trusted guards.”
“Sera.” Saion moved into my line of sight. “What are the orders if we see ships entering the Lassa Sea?”
I met his stare, but all I saw were the people of Lotho leaping to their deaths. “If they do not swear allegiance to the true Queen and King, destroy them.”
“Are you sure?” Attes asked.
“I think she was pretty clear,” Bele growled, eather pooling in her eyes.
Rhain turned to me. “There will be no turning back if that is what we do.”
“We are already past that point, and that was before Kolis had my family slaughtered,” I hissed, and Bele gasped. The shock radiating through each of their faces told me they hadn’t learned about that yet. Energy ramped up inside me. “We were already past that point. I just didn’t see it until now.”