Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Kolis comes in wearing his crown, leading a timid-looking goddess. He introduces her as Ione and says she’s from Keella’s Court. He then adds that the goddess is unique. She can see into others’ thoughts and uncover truths, lies, and all that is needed.
Uh-oh.
Kolis tells Sera it won’t take long, that Ione will be quick and efficient. He orders Sera to sit, and she feels Sotoria rise, filling her with anger and fear. Kolis says she seems nervous, and she says it’s because a god did this to her before, and it hurt.
Callum fills Kolis in about Taric. Kolis asks Sera if Taric found her, and she says it was him, Cressa, and Madis, then asks him why he had Taric searching for the embers if he already knew where they were. He tells her that he ordered Taric to look for his graeca.
Kolis asks Sera if the other gods fed from her, and she says only Taric did. He then asks if the god told her what he saw, and Sera says he didn’t have a chance to say anything before he died.
Ione tells Sera that what she’s about to do doesn’t have to hurt. She adds that it will be uncomfortable and likely make her tired and headachy. Sera says she can’t do it, and Kolis compels her, telling Ione to be quick.
Ione kneels and explains that she needs to take Sera’s blood. When the goddess realizes Sera can’t respond, she lifts Sera’s hand, sees the imprint, then looks into her eyes. Kolis asks what’s wrong, and Ione tells him it’s nothing before lowering that hand and picking up Sera’s other one. She bites her wrist, and Sera feels a sting travel through her until she feels scratching at her mind.
Visions flash, and Sera shakes on the inside. Tears threaten. She is in terrible pain and worries that Ash can feel it, even in stasis. The embers inside her swell, and Sera pushes with her mind, snapping Ione’s head back and sliding her across the shadowstone floor.
Callum calls what she did inappropriate, and Kolis demands to know what Ione saw. The goddess says the embers in Sera are strong, and he says he already knows that much. He asks if Sera is his graeca, and Ione tells him she carries the one called Sotoria. That she is her.
Sera freezes, realizing the goddess lied. Kolis asks her more questions, and she gives more half-truths. Sera realizes that Ione is lying about basically everything and wonders why.
Kolis gets all emotional, and Callum says it has to be a lie. Ione tells him she doesn’t lie and has no reason to. Sera realizes what a huge risk this is for the goddess.
They discuss how Sera doesn’t look like Sotoria, and Ione tries to explain it away. She then tells Kolis she’s glad he found his graeca, and Sera almost chokes on her water.
The goddess asks Kolis if he requires anything more of her, and he thanks her for her assistance. When she turns to leave, she addresses Sera as Consort. Kolis interjects, saying the coronation was neither recognized nor approved.
Sickened, Sera realizes that nobody can contest Kolis’s claim. Callum continues to argue, but Kolis brushes him off. When Sera snaps that she was always telling the truth, Kolis says he sees that now and dismisses Callum. He approaches her, telling her she looks more like Sotoria when she smiles. When Sera asks about Nyktos and Kolis honoring their deal, he gets angry and bites her.
Agony seizes Sera, and Sotoria screams within her. The embers swell, and Sera fights for control. She tries to employ her breathing techniques to regain calm and pictures Ash in her mind, distancing herself from the present.
Kolis finally loosens his hold, and Sera jumps to her feet. She realizes he found his release while feeding and is disgusted. He apologizes, saying he shamed both himself and her. He lost control. Sera can’t help her fight or flight response, and he insists it’ll never happen again. He begs her to say something, and all she can say is that she needs a bath.
As she bathes, she thinks over everything that happened. The violation. And hates that she feels weak over what happened.
After breakfast the next day, the silver hawk flies in again and becomes Attes. He calls her his Queen, then manifests clothes again. Sera tells him how jealous she is. He apologizes for not returning sooner but says he has news. Then he notices her bite wound. It clearly upsets him, but she tells him she’s okay. He doesn’t believe her, but she insists.
Attes tells Sera that Nyktos is being awakened from stasis and assumes she’s made progress with her plans. She tells him Kolis promised to release Nyktos and says she needs to make sure he doesn’t have a reason to go back on that word and find a loophole.