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)
We find out later that that later was right before Sera came to the Shadowlands, and it’s because of a vision he had of what would happen if he fell in love with Sera and then lost her.
Nyktos had barely finished his Culling when his father made the deal that affected the Mierel bloodline—which Eythos told Nyktos about before he died, though he never explained why he did it. It didn’t impact Nyktos then because he was not yet the Primal of Death. But when Kolis murdered Eythos after switching roles with him, all his father’s power and responsibilities transferred to Nyktos.
When Phanos, the Primal of the Sky, Sea, Earth, and Wind destroys Phythe over a perceived snub, Saion and Rhahar flee the Triton Isles. Unfortunately, defection from one’s Court is considered an offense often punishable by death. Nyktos intervenes on their behalf, meeting with them while in captivity and touching each of their shoulders. The next day during court, he informs Phanos that the Primal cannot punish gods who no longer belong to him and tells Phanos they belong to him now. You see, he took possession of their souls when he touched them, making them his and no longer a part of the Triton Isles, thus allowing them to leave as they both wished. After, they become incredibly loyal to Nyktos and part of his inner circle.
Acting as the Primal of Death and knowing that he is now responsible for the deal made with Roderick Mierel, Nyktos checks on Seraphena occasionally, curious about her. He witnesses her at her lake and finds it soothing.
He actually started checking on her as a child. He saw her collecting rocks, swimming in her lake, doing other things. And all of that started because of a dream he had on the day she was born, showing him what could happen in the future.
During his earlier days as the Primal of Death, Kolis used to make him come to him in Dalos, whereupon Nyktos would have to pretend that he didn’t hate his uncle with every fiber of his being and convince Kolis that he was loyal to him. In reality, Nyktos never accepted his way of life and had been looking for a way to destroy his uncle or entomb him since he Ascended. Seeing how Kolis treated his favorites only reinforced the loathing Nyktos felt for his kin. And being forced to do things like rip out a godling’s heart for daring not to bow properly to Kolis, or feed until he killed, only increased his hatred.
Before the mortals started losing faith, he used to be summoned to the mortal realm often. He would sometimes grant the petitioner’s request to take the life of another if they were evil and deserved it. Other times, he killed the summoner if the request was for profit or a petty slight. As time went on, he visited the mortal realm less and less.
Until he was summoned to accept Sera as his Consort.
He’d already had Ector and Lathan watching her once she turned seventeen—before he was forced to take Lathan’s life. But when the Priests summon him to Lasania to claim Seraphena and honor the deal her ancestor made, he arrives at the castle with a rumble, extinguishing all candles before sending the flames surging toward the ceiling. As the air splits, eather pours out, and he appears, surrounded by churning shadows. He senses Seraphena’s feelings and whispers to her that he has no need of a Consort before extinguishing the candles again with a whoosh and disappearing with another rumble. When the candles flame anew, he’s gone. He says he was never summoned again, even though Sera was led to believe he had been.
The next time Nyktos sees Sera in person, she’s older, and he is in the mortal realm—something he still doesn’t do often. Posing as Ash, he sees her trailing the same gods he has been keeping an eye on and grabs her before she rushes in. She fights and rails at him, which does little but greatly amuse him. He questions her about what she was planning and tells her that him jumping in to save her interfered with his plans. He also makes her aware that he doesn’t have a single decent bone in his body.
Sera attacks him, and he pins her between him and the wall, realizing who she is in the process. He promises her that the three gods will pay for what they’ve done. When he senses Taric, Madis, and Cressa returning, he tells Sera to wrap her legs around him and kiss him as a way to hide in plain sight. She gets feisty and bites him. He kisses the hell out of her and bites her back, sucking blood from her finger. After, he clarifies that he wasn’t pretending to enjoy the kiss and admits that maybe he has one decent bone in his body.