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)
Attes confirms that he knows about the deal she made to free Rhain and asks if she made a similar deal to free Nyktos.
Sera calls Kyn a dick. Attes agrees but says he wasn’t always like that. He tells her about how the Primals deal with their long lives and what happens if they don’t rest or go to Arcadia.
Sera asks how Kyn will respond to Nyktos taking his rightful place as the King of Gods, and Attes says he hopes he will respond wisely. Then he asks if she’s okay, shocking her.
She says she is, and he begrudgingly accepts and then turns into his hawk to leave.
Later, Callum waits in the chamber wearing black, which almost disturbs Sera more than his white does. She realizes it’s been at least a day since Attes visited, and Sera worries Kolis has changed his mind. However, she reminds herself that he can’t because he made a deal.
Callum tells Sera he doesn’t believe her, and she asks him about what. He says he doesn’t believe she’s open to loving Kolis as she said and thinks she will try to escape the first chance she gets.
She tells him she doesn’t care what he thinks and calls him insignificant. He says she should care because Kolis will find out. He insists again that she’s not Sotoria, and she asks him why he’s so sure. He tells her it’s partly her appearance, and Sera realizes he must be old if he knew Sotoria before. She asks him. He says he’s old but didn’t know her.
What he really means is that he didn’t know Sera…
Callum points out that Kolis cares about her, and she insinuates Callum is worried she will replace him in Kolis’s life. He says he’s concerned about the destruction of the realms due to a charlatan.
He insists Kolis is trying to save the realms, and Sera can only stare. He amends that he was, but is now more concerned if his great love is returning to him.
Sera clarifies what’s going on and asks at what point between becoming a Primal who’s never existed and killing all who refuse to bow to him would he save the realms. Callum says that life must be created. No matter what.
Sera asks if that’s what Kolis is doing with the Chosen, and Callum waves her off, saying it doesn’t matter.
She disagrees.
He says she’s trying to change the subject—she is. He then says that Kolis has personal reasons for wanting to be the Primal of Life and Death/Blood and Bone. He tells her it’ll be bad when Kolis discovers the truth, and she shrugs it off, saying she’s been validated, and has had her truth confirmed.
Callum says Ione lied.
Sera worries about Ione if Kolis ever discovers she lied. Sera tells Callum he must be delusional if he thinks a god would risk Kolis’s wrath.
He basically calls her a whore again, and she has to hold herself back. Still, she asks him if he remembers what she promised him. He sasses, and she details how his death will be the thing of nightmares.
The embers take control and conjure a storm. It takes Callum by surprise, but he remains composed. Kolis walks in and asks them why they always look like they’re about to go at each other’s throats. Sera tells Kolis that Callum still doesn’t believe that she’s Sotoria. Kolis tells her the Rev is in denial, then drops a bomb.
Callum is Sotoria’s younger brother.
The news makes Sera choke, and she can barely get her words of disbelief out. It sinks in that he’s telling the truth, and she wonders about the overabundance of terrible brothers in the realms. She bickers with the Revenant, and Kolis comments on their fighting reminding him of how he used to quarrel with his brother, then going on to tell her how she had two siblings: an older sister and Callum, the younger brother.
Kolis tells Sera how he went to Sotoria’s family when she left him—he means when she died while running from him—and apologized. He tells her the parents were frightened and cowered. Only Callum remained unafraid. He tells her that they talked, and Callum shared details about Sotoria, saying she was strong and fierce and always looked out for him.
Kolis continues, saying he—Callum—grieved her death and felt responsible. When Sera asks why he would feel that way, Kolis tells her that Callum was supposed to be with Sotoria but was instead screwing the baker’s daughter.
Sera asks how Callum became a Revenant, and Kolis tells her how Callum used a small knife to cut his throat. He tells Sera how he held them both as they died, adding that he couldn’t allow him to perish, so Death gave life.
She asks for clarification, wondering if Revenants are demis. Kolis tells her they’re not and then adds that they’ll discuss it more when there aren’t more pressing matters to attend to. Kolis tells Callum to go on ahead.