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)
Sera tells him she needs him inside her and does, indeed, call him Ash with her pleasure.
They talk about her thoughts on the coronation, Vathi, the dakkais, and Keella and Sotoria. He tells her that Keella is one of the few Primals he somewhat trusts. The discussion then shifts to their meeting with Delfai, and he tells her he’s excited about learning how to transfer the embers. He reiterates that her life being saved is what matters most, not him becoming the Primal of Life.
When he asks about what changed her mind about the coronation, she tells him that her emotions didn’t change, only how she wanted to proceed. Sera projects, and Ash tastes chocolate and strawberries.
Love!
She confesses that she knows the whole story about Veses, and he shatters the glass in his hand. She digs out the slivers, and he asks if she’s only calling him Ash now out of pity. She denies it and tells him she’ll kill Veses if he doesn’t. He tells her about things with Veses and how Veses really wants Kolis. He thanks Sera for simply being herself and kisses her, about to share a wish. Only he stops himself before he gives it voice.
He mentions being hungry, and she urges him to feed. He does and has sex with her, once again saying he wishes…but never finishing the sentiment.
They go to Irelone, and Nyktos comforts Sera, telling her the embers will be out of her soon. He can taste her anxiety and asks her what it feels like. She tells him, and he says he wishes he could do something to change how it feels for her.
When the guards refuse them entry to the keep, he lets loose a display of power and leaves them riches.
He and Sera meet with Kayleigh, and he apologizes for his behavior and that of others like him, then tells her who he is and who Sera was meant to be.
They meet Delfai and find him a rambling sort. Nyktos interrupts the God of Divination and explains why they came. They learn about the Star diamond and how it’s used, and Nyktos is stunned to find out how easy the ember removal process is.
Then they learn that Kolis has the embers, but they’re not needed to remove the ones in Sera. When Delfai refers to Sera as a vessel, it infuriates Ash. The god apologizes and goes into more detail on how to remove the embers from Sera. But…there’s a catch. Ash will have to Ascend her, and that means she will die.
Ash is close to losing control when he learns they cannot transfer the embers without killing Sera. He refuses to believe it and argues. He then learns that his father only survived it because he was born a god and destined to Ascend. The embers belonged to him. They don’t belong to Sera; they were only hidden in her. He’s told there are three options: Nyktos becomes the true Primal of Life and restores the balance to the realms, someone else takes the embers, or Sera completes her Ascension—meaning she’ll die anyway.
Nyktos shadowsteps and grasps Delfai by the throat, snarling that he won’t kill Sera and saying the option is unacceptable. He takes his true form and plans to send Delfai to the Abyss, but Sera pleads with him not to hurt the God of Divination and says he doesn’t deserve it. And Ash doesn’t deserve another mark. Finally, he drops Delfai.
Sera urges Ash that he has to do it. He refuses and confesses that he figured draining her completely was a possibility, but he knew that wasn’t how Kolis did it, so he figured there was another way. He considers getting The Star and using that, but she reminds him that removing the embers will kill her either way. Still, he’s thrilled when she admits that she doesn’t want to die—it’s about time she values her life.
She reveals she wants to live but the realms need to. And that’s all that matters. He erupts, telling her that she matters, not the realms. She calls him Ash again, and he begs her not to do that when she’s talking about him killing her.
When she insists that he did nothing wrong—meaning him removing his kardia—he gets furious. He laments that he could have saved her. She argues that there was no guarantee he would have loved her. He tells her he would have. That nothing could have stopped him.
She orders him to kiss her, and he does, loosing a soul-torn groan. They have sex, and he confesses that he wishes he’d never had his kardia removed. He never wanted to know love before her. His eyes glaze over in red as he cries Primal tears of grief.
Sera asks him to take her to her lake when the time comes so she can die there, and he promises.