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)
He tells everyone that his uncle has not summoned him yet, though he expects it to happen soon, and he can only delay the inevitable, not refuse the command.
Nyktos asks Holland about the Revenants and learns they’re not the only mockery of life Kolis has managed to create. There’s also the Craven—which he realizes is what Andreia Joanis turned into.
He tries to tell Sera that she didn’t kill her stepfather by way of fate, and explains that while the Arae are cosmic cleaners, their balancing of rules only applies to mortals, not gods. Therefore, there should be no innocent-death fallout from her Ascension of Bele.
As discussions continue, Nyktos clarifies for Sera that a Primal of Life and Death isn’t meant to exist. He says that such a being would be unstoppable and able to destroy realms in the same breath they create new ones.
He tells them that Kolis wants to rule over both realms, and Nyktos imagines his uncle’s creations are meant to aid him in his bid to take over Lasania and the other kingdoms and make mortals subservient to him.
Holland reveals to Sera that Nyktos can’t save her as he is now. When she doesn’t understand, Nyktos tells her that he made sure love was a weakness nobody could ever exploit and had the Primal Maia remove his kardia. He can care about others, but love can no longer sway him.
Discussions return to how to keep Kolis—or anyone else—from snatching Sera out of the Shadowlands, and Penellaphe tells them about a charm. Nyktos is surprised to learn about it.
After thanking Penellaphe for everything she’s done, the goddess leads him away to speak to him privately, but he keeps a close eye on Sera while he talks to the goddess.
Once Penellaphe and Holland leave, Nyktos asks Sera what she’s thinking. He felt her go from anger to sadness to sorrow. He tells her it’s hard not to read her emotions since she projects a lot. She asks him about his kardia, and he’s evasive about when he had it removed—telling her it doesn’t matter. He says that only Maia and Nektas know what he did. He then fesses up to how badly it hurt and reveals that he almost lost consciousness. If he had, he says he would have gone into stasis. But then he explains a bit more about why he did it: he didn’t want to endanger anyone because of how he felt. And he believes he actually cares more because he can’t love. Caring for others is more important to him than loving someone.
Nyktos tells Sera she needs to stay hidden. No one will think her being his Consort and the power they felt is a coincidence, especially if they meet her and feel the eather inside her. If they do, they’ll definitely question what she is.
Nyktos confesses that her original plan annoyed him but that’s not why he’s mad now. What enrages him is that she doesn’t value her life at all, and hasn’t since the moment they met. He tells her that him saying such a thing isn’t meant to be an insult, it’s just an observation. He then goes on to tell her that her safety is worth everything—even the Shadowlands, and stresses that he means it with every part of his being.
Nyktos is such a softie, despite how tough and powerful he is.
When he tells her the embers are too important to risk her, he sees the hurt on her face and realizes she was likely offended that he mentioned the embers and not her. Before he can say anything, though, Rhahar interrupts and tells him there’s a problem at the Pillars.
He assures Sera they’ll finish their conversation later.
After hearing about the entombed gods swarming the woods, Nyktos heads deep into them with Rhahar and Saion to round them up.
Sera gets hurt. In his Primal form, Nyktos kills the freed gods with eather, ripping the last one in half with his bare hands—something Sera admits she finds hot.
Nyktos realizes that she is wounded and carries her inside the House of Haides, feeling and tasting her pain the entire way. Placing her in an unused chamber on the first floor, he closes the door and moves a chair with his eather before lighting the fireplace.
Sera tells him about the god in the courtyard who stood by and would have let her die as Nyktos checks her wounds. He informs her that she needs blood and says that while she won’t die, he doesn’t want her to remain in pain, either. Plus, she won’t be able to heal herself while in the Culling.
He asks her to let him help her. Even says please. She agrees, and he thanks her, then tells her he’s sure she’ll enjoy it. As she drinks from him, he can’t stop the shudders that ripple through his body. Brushing her hair back, he pulls his wrist away and explains that his blood is making her feel the way she does—the wanton look in her eyes is obvious. He explains it will likely be the longest few minutes of his life and says he’s drowning in her desire.