Текст книги "A fire in the flash"

Автор книги: Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Текущая страница: 21 (всего у книги 37 страниц)

So fucking demented.

“I wanted to show you all I was capable of.” His voice dropped, his eyes opening. The glow behind his pupils was almost too bright to look upon. “I wanted to show you what I’m risking for you.”

What he was risking…? My gods, there were no words, even if I could speak.

“But now, today ends like this.” He breathed in deeply through his nose, releasing the sides of my face. “You…you are my soul, but I am your King. You need to learn that you cannot question me, and you cannot use those embers.”

A trickle of fear broke through my anger. Not for me, but for Ash. For Rhain. Kolis had told me what he’d do if I disobeyed, and I’d done it—without even thinking about the consequences.

Kolis stepped back. The compulsion lifted, unlocking my jaw as my shoulders slumped. “You will be punished.”

I lifted my head. Callum had stopped pacing. “And?”

“And then we will see.” His eyes…they shone. “We will see if further action needs to be taken.”

Before I could speak or process the tears I saw gathering in his eyes, chains rattled.

My head swung toward the sound. They unclasped from the bedposts and slithered across the floor like serpents. A knot lodged in my chest as I tensed.

It happened so quickly.

Shackles clamped around my wrists, yanking my arms up. The chains wrapped around the ceiling of the cage, near the cluster of diamonds. My arms were pulled tight, stretching the muscles. A shout of surprise left me as my body rose, lifting until only the tips of my toes touched the floor. Cool metal clamped down on my ankles, anchoring me into position with my arms and legs spread.

Kolis stared at me, his face pale. “I want to hate you for making me do this,” he rasped. “But I can only love you.”

“This is love?” I gasped, already beginning to feel the burn in my arms.

“You disobeyed me repeatedly, yet you live. No one else would. So, yes. This is love,” he said hoarsely as a thin line of crimson streaked down his cheek.

Kolis wept.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“I almost feel bad for you.”

Opening my eyes, I didn’t bother lifting my head or responding to the golden-haired Revenant. It would take too much energy and focus away from trying not to scream, which I’d been doing since Kolis left with crimson tears streaking his face.

I wasn’t sure what was more messed up: everything else about Kolis or the fact that he could choose to hurt someone and then cry about it.

“You have to be in so much pain,” Callum went on.

“I’ve never felt better.”

“That is such an obvious lie.”

What was evident was his unnecessary observation. The burn of my stretched muscles had disappeared. My arms were numb now. I couldn’t even feel my hands anymore, but the stress of being suspended with only the tips of my toes holding my weight had moved into my shoulders. They felt as if they were on fire.

I had no idea how long I’d been hanging here. Had to be hours at this point. Callum no longer remaining quiet made it feel so much longer. When it was silent, I’d contented myself with thinking about all the ways I would cause Kolis unimaginable pain.

I’d discovered I had a vast imagination.

“If you were actually my sister?”

Gods, not this again.

“I wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.”

“So, if you believed I was your sister, you would think this is wrong?” I asked.

Callum stood just a few feet from the cage. “Of course.”

A harsh laugh left me, causing the pain in my shoulders to flare. “The fact that you need to believe you’re related to someone to see the wrongness in this tells me that every poor thought I’ve had of you is more than justified.”

“You would think that because you do not know me.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Because you are not my sister.”

“Whatever,” I muttered, too damn exhausted to attempt to convince him otherwise.

Callum was quiet for several blissful minutes. “You were right.” He paused. “About what was happening in the Council Hall.”

Wearily, I lifted my head. My neck muscles cramped as my gaze fixed on the Revenant.

His chin was lowered, gaze focused on the floor. “That particular type of punishment is wrong.” His shoulders tensed. “It’s below Kolis. He’s better than that.”

“Yeah? Like when?”

“Before Eythos died.”

Surprise shot through me. I hadn’t really expected any answer, let alone that.

Callum looked up with a smirk. “What? You thought I’d say it was when Sotoria died her second death? Yeah, that had an impact on him, but he…” He clamped his mouth shut, a lock of blond hair falling over his face as his gaze returned to the floor.

Wincing, I shifted slightly to straighten my toes. “But what?”

“He loved Eythos,” he said quietly. “Even then. Even after everything.”

I stared at him, somewhat dumbfounded. I knew that Kolis had loved his brother at one time, but Callum was speaking of after he’d taken Eythos’s embers and killed his wife. I didn’t believe that was possible, and I sure as hell didn’t think it was now.

Have you no honor?

He’d questioned my honor when his idea of punishment was ordering the rape of another. And even if Veses had gone along with whatever Kyn dished out, that was exactly what had occurred in the Council Hall. It didn’t matter that she was guilty of the same behavior.

Damn it. As much as I hated the woman and would gleefully celebrate her death, even I could understand that it wasn’t right.

But not Kolis.

His treatment of Veses had little to do with defending me against pathetic insults that didn’t even inflict a scratch upon my skin and everything to do with Veses’ supposed failure with something utterly irrelevant.

Kolis’s actions were all about reminding everyone he had the power.

And his reactions were all about being the wronged party—the victim. It was almost like he thrived on it.

A muscle flexed in Callum’s jaw. “He never would’ve allowed such a thing before Eythos’s death, nor would he have kept his…pets,” he said, speaking of Kolis’s favorites. “He didn’t do that until after Eythos died.” The Revenant’s gaze returned to mine. “You don’t believe me.”

“Maybe you’re speaking the truth,” I said after a moment. “But he’s like that now. And he’s been like this, right? With the other gods and Primals? With the favorites he grew disappointed with—?”

“With you, once he realizes this is one great façade?” he interjected.

Anger stirred. “With me right now.”

Callum’s lips smashed together.

“And you know what? You’re no better,” I bit out. “You know what happened in the Council Hall and the gods only know how many other times is wrong, yet you stood by and did nothing.”

“Unlike you?”

I glared at him.

“No one else spoke up. Those who were not thrilled with what was occurring left. You’re better than them? Gods, Primals, draken, and Revenants alike?”

“Yes!” I said without hesitation. “Anyone who would at least attempt to stop that is better than the lot of them.”

Callum smiled. “I’m sure Kolis would be thrilled to hear you say such treasonous things.”

“And I’m positive you’ll tell him,” I hissed. “Like the loyal lapdog you are.”

“I am loyal. I will always be loyal to him. He forgave me for failing to keep my sister safe.”

“That wasn’t your fault,” I blurted. It was the truth. He hadn’t caused his sister’s death.

Callum stiffened. “It was my fault,” he stated. “And he did forgive me. He also gave me eternal life.”

I rolled my eyes.

“And he’s the only thing keeping this realm together.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered. Callum had likely been decent before his unfortunate run-in with Kolis, but now he was… “You’re just as delusional as he is.”

His nostrils flared. “I’ll make sure he’s aware of that, too.”

My head jerked up, sending a frenzy of pain across my shoulders and down my spine. “And I’ll make sure he knows that his precious first creation is the idiot who told my mother how a Primal could be killed. I bet he’ll be real…disappointed to learn that.”

Callum’s mouth snapped shut.

“Yeah.” I smiled through the pain, baring my teeth. “I haven’t forgotten that. Though I wish you would explain why you would do something so…reckless.”

“I wasn’t being reckless, you insignificant gnat.” He snapped forward, clutching the bars. They didn’t seem to affect him. “I was—” He sucked in a deep breath, then peeled his hands away, one finger at a time. “Do you want to know why you are being punished? Because, deep down, Kolis knows you’re not Sotoria.”

A kernel of unease unfurled. “Do you know how repetitive you are? It’s exhausting.”

His smile returned. “He would never treat Sotoria this way.”

Another dry, aching laugh left me.

“I’m not sure what I said that would cause you to find humor.”

“I’m not laughing at what you said,” I told him. “I’m laughing at you.”

Callum’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re an idiot if you think that. He killed her—”

“Her?” The painted wings lifted along his forehead.

Shit. I’d slipped up there. “Yes, her. I don’t remember any of that,” I said, recovering as best I could. “And that’s not the point.”

“But that is the point.” His smile returned. “If you were her, you would know.”

“Can you—?”

“You would know that he never killed Sotoria.”

Now it was I who shut their mouth as her presence stirred restlessly in my chest.

“Yes, he scared her the first time, but that was an accident. He didn’t know how easily Sotoria could be startled,” he said, the skin beneath the painted wings softening in a way I hadn’t seen it do before. “And he didn’t kill her the second time either.” His lower lip quivered. “Eythos did, and that was the second and last time I failed her.”

Callum had finally quieted, having decided to sit morosely on the sofa. What he’d shared lingered in my mind.

It was always suspected that either Sotoria died by starving herself or Kolis lost his temper and ended her life. But Eythos? I couldn’t believe it, even though Callum had very little to gain by lying about it.

Then again, what did Eythos have to gain by killing Sotoria? Well, other than revenge. Though, given what I knew of Eythos, he didn’t strike me as the type to seek revenge by harming an innocent.

My thoughts eventually turned to worries as time ticked by. How had Veses escaped? Was anyone harmed? Would Kolis seek to punish me further by refusing to release Ash or turn his attention to Rhain? More concerns preyed upon my mind while I could do nothing but hang in pain.

How much time did I have left? Could I get to Ash? Would I somehow find The Star, and would it even work when it came to Sotoria’s soul?

How could I continue to tolerate Kolis’s presence?

And would Kolis come to realize that Callum was right? That I really wasn’t Sotoria? My thoughts flashed to Veses and the Council Hall. If so, I wouldn’t live long enough for him to make good on his offer to Kyn. He’d take the embers, killing me and effectively dooming Sotoria.

More time passed.

When Kolis finally returned, smelling of some sort of sweet smoke and staleness, my shoulders had gone numb. He said nothing as he took me by the waist and released the shackles.

I couldn’t keep quiet when he freed my arms. I cried out, my sore muscles screaming.

“I’m sorry, so’lis.” Kolis gathered me in his arms. A fiery, pins-and-needles sensation erupted, leaving me panting with discomfort and pain, unable to protest his embrace. “I’m so sorry.”

He repeated those three words as he held me, rocking slightly. The Chosen brought in hot water, and new scents wafted through the cage: chamomile and peppermint.

Kolis rose then, carrying me behind the privacy screen and setting me on my feet. A veiled Chosen remained at the steaming tub, silent with her gloved hands clasped.

“She will assist you with your bath,” Kolis said, speaking to the top of my head. I really couldn’t lift it. “You will rest, and then…everything will be better, I promise.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing. If I started, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop. Ever.

He released me, and the Chosen drifted quietly toward me, reaching for the clasps on my gown that I couldn’t even begin to lift my arms to unhook. My legs shook. The bodice slipped, pooling at my waist, and with my skin feeling as if an army of fire ants swarmed it, I could not care less if Kolis saw even an ounce of my nudity.

But he didn’t.

He’d halted at the privacy screen, his back to us. The gown hit the floor at my feet as the Chosen’s gloved hands gently cupped my elbow, helping me step into the tub.

Kolis cleared his throat. “I just want you to know that I ceased Veses’ punishment when I returned to the Hall.”

A laugh spilled out of me as I sank into the hot, minty water.

And the laughter didn’t stop.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

I slept without dreaming of my lake or Ash. When I woke, things were better. Mostly. I was still sore, but the worst of the pain was gone.

And I was no longer laughing. That alone was a vast improvement.

What wasn’t good was that I wasn’t alone. Callum once more sprawled on the sofa. He’d been there since breakfast, but he was far less talkative as I forced myself to walk the length of the cage. I had to get the soreness out. Sitting wouldn’t help, but I wasn’t sure moving helped with the other pain.

The ache that had taken up residency in my temples.

That was a bad, bad sign.

I quickly shoved what it signified to the back of my mind when Kolis entered the chamber. I stopped, immediately emptying myself of everything that made me who I was.

Because I knew what I had to do.

It was something I’d thought about while forcing myself to eat and as I walked.

After everything, it was harder than before, but I had to. I needed to convince him to free Ash, which meant I had to behave as if nothing had happened the day before. That he hadn’t manipulated me into killing Evander. Or forced Veses to do who knew what before finally putting an end to it—an act I’d bet he believed erased everything that came before it. Like all abusers and users.

But that was okay.

Because I would be smarter than before.

As the false King approached the cage, Kolis’s smile told me I’d won the wager I’d made with myself. “How are you feeling, so’lis?”

I clasped my hands like the Chosen often did, ignoring the tightness in my arms. “Rested.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.” His gaze swept over the golden gown I wore as he unlocked the cage. “You look lovely.”

“Thank you,” I said, my tongue withering as I recalled the Mistresses’ lessons. Become what they desire. With Kolis, it was more than being meek and submissive. I knew that now. It was all about making him feel justified in his actions. Most of all, it meant becoming what Callum had: a loyal lapdog whose sole purpose was to shower their owner with affection and gratitude. “There is something I wanted to say.”

He halted at the open cage door. “Yes?”

“I…I wanted to apologize for yesterday.”

Kolis stared.

So did Callum.

“Everything has been quite overwhelming for me,” I began, seeing Kolis’s expression smooth out while Callum’s eyes narrowed. “A lot has happened—has been happening. All of this is so unfamiliar to me. I’m not sure what I should or shouldn’t be doing, but none of that is a good enough excuse for how I behaved yesterday.”

“Your behavior is understandable, so’lis.” His eyes shone as Callum slammed his hands onto his hips. “You have been through a lot.”

“But you have given me such leeway.” I dutifully lowered my gaze. “And I have been disrespectful. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” His close voice was the only warning I got before I felt his palm on my cheek. He lifted my gaze to his. “Your apology is accepted.”

Behind him, Callum appeared as if he were a second away from running headfirst into a wall.

I fought a real smile. “Truly?”

“Yes. Truly.” Approval had settled into his features, causing his smile to become lopsided and more genuine. “Come. Let’s walk.”

Considering how yesterday had gone, walking anywhere with him was the last thing I wanted to do.

But it was what he wanted.

And I would become that.

So, I joined him without protest. When he looped his arm through mine, I said nothing. As we left the chamber, Callum and Elias falling into step behind us, I nodded and smiled, my actions and reactions as hollow as his.

Kolis didn’t notice, though.

He was practically vibrating with joy when we crossed the breezeway and accessed the path that led to the colonnade. We entered the sanctuary, eventually passing alcoves full of breathy, heated sounds.

Kolis led us down the maze of halls, none looking familiar to me. We ended up passing through a pillared entryway and into a large sitting chamber of sorts with many ivory tapestries hanging on the walls.

“Sit.” Kolis extended an arm toward one of the gold satin divans.

Like a very good dog, I did as he instructed and took a seat, crossing my feet at the ankles.

Callum followed, staying near the entrance. He still looked like he wanted to run headfirst into something.

“There is something I want to show you,” Kolis announced as he entered. “I’d planned on doing it yesterday, but…well, yesterday no longer matters.”

As if he could simply decree such a thing.

“Iason. Dyses?” Kolis called out.

I twisted toward what I had thought was a tapestry but was, in reality, ivory curtains shielding an archway. The dark-haired draken I’d spotted in the Council Hall came forward with the Revenant. Between them was a Chosen.

Wait. What had he said yesterday? That he’d planned to show me he was capable of more than just death?

My stomach dropped. I suddenly understood what he was about to do.

“You don’t have to prove anything.” Breaking with my dutiful hound act in a heartbeat, my overused muscles screamed in protest as I shot to my feet. “I believe you.”

With a quick twist of his neck, Kolis cast an even, empty smile at me from over his shoulder. “You lie.”

I did, but that was beside the point.

“I do not fault you for believing such,” he added. “That is why you must know.”

“You could just tell me how they’re Ascended.” My heart lurched because I knew what he was going to do: create life by nearly ending it. Because this wasn’t the same as what Eythos did. “You don’t have to go to any trouble.”

“It’s no trouble.”

Pressure clamped down on my chest as my head swung back to the three. My thoughts raced. I had a plan to free Ash: earn Kolis’s favor and trust. With my failed escape attempt and literally everything else that’d happened, I was doing a really shitty job at that. I needed to be careful and not incite Kolis’s displeasure, which I kept doing.

“This really isn’t necessary.” I tried again, hands spasming at my sides as I held myself back. The clap of Iason’s and Dyses’ boots against the stone, and the silent steps of the Chosen, were now like thunder. Dyses looked somewhat bored, but the draken…

Iason stared straight ahead, almost as if he saw no one. Once more I thought of how many draken in Dalos had been forced into bonding with Kolis. Was Iason one of those who, unlike Nektas’s cousin, would’ve chosen not to serve Kolis if given a choice?

“But it is.” Kolis turned to the Chosen. “Come,” he coaxed, beckoning warmly.

Breathe in. My body went rigid. The Chosen crossed the remaining distance, gloved hands clasped before their waist. Hold.

“Unveil yourself,” Kolis instructed.

Breathe out.

The Chosen lifted the veil, gradually revealing the fine features of a young man who couldn’t be much older than me. Hold.

“Jove,” Kolis spoke. A cowardly part of me didn’t want to learn his name. “How are you?”

“I am fine, Your Majesty.” Jove smiled, and gods, it reminded me of my smiles whenever my mother sent me to deliver her messages: practiced but empty. Just as I had been.

Breathe in.

“Today, you will be blessed,” Kolis said, cupping the man’s cheek. “Given new life.”

Jove bowed his head. “It is an honor.”

No. No it wasn’t. Because I heard his voice tremble. I saw the increasing thinness of his smile and the wideness of his deep brown eyes.

He was afraid.

I stopped with the breathing exercises and stepped forward. “Kolis.”

The false King’s head cut in my direction. “Yes?”

“You don’t have to do this,” I repeated as the embers thrummed in my chest. “I…I thought when you said you wanted to walk, it was to spend time with me. Alone.”

“We will.” Kolis stared at me for so long, I thought maybe he’d changed his mind. “But there are things I must see to. This is one of them.”

Jove stood completely still, his hands clenched tightly as dread flooded my heart.

“This is an honor,” Kolis said, and I didn’t know if he was talking to me or the Chosen. “Life can still be created, even if imperfect. And it must be. For without it, the very fabric of the realms would rip apart.”

I blinked. “W-what?”

“Close your eyes, my son.” Kolis fully shifted his attention to Jove.

The Chosen obeyed without hesitation. Kolis tilted the man’s head back, exposing the length of his neck.

He was going to bite him.

My hand went to my throat as the memory of the pain burned through me. I couldn’t stand here and allow this.

Instinct took over, and I was suddenly moving toward Kolis and the Chosen before I was even fully conscious of what I was doing. Crossing the space, the essence built inside me as I reached out—

I gasped as Kolis’s other hand snaked out, capturing my wrist. “I understand,” he said softly, his flat, cold stare locking with mine. “You’ve always had a kind heart, so’lis.”

I shuddered.

And then she shuddered.

“Even now, under this sharp, rough, and often abrasive exterior, your heart is soft,” he continued, my skin crawling from his touch. “You are a good person. I admire that. I always have.”

Kolis was wrong. I didn’t have a soft or kind heart. Nor was I a particularly good person. If I were, I wouldn’t have been able to do all the things I’d done how I’d done them. I couldn’t just stand by and watch this. There was a difference.

“You need to understand why this is important. What is and has always been at risk,” Kolis said. “He is either recreated in the image of the gods, or he gives life to another who will be. That is up to you.”

It took no leap of logic to know that giving life to another meant death for Jove.

“But make no mistake,” Kolis said, drawing me to his side with just the curl of his arm. I swallowed hard, but it did nothing to ease the rising bile of the contact with him and the knowledge of what was to come. “Balance must be maintained.”

There he was again, going on about his obsession with balance.

“That is more important than anyone in this space, including you.” He held my stare. “Even me. Because without balance, there is nothing.”

What he said made little sense. I inhaled a mere wisp of air. “Can you…can you make it not hurt?”

The eather stilled in his eyes, and his skin thinned. Coldness drenched me.

Saying nothing, he let go of my wrist and thrust me away from him. I stumbled but caught myself as he turned his head back to Jove. A heartbeat passed, and then Kolis’s lips peeled back. I saw a flash of his fangs, and then he struck, piercing the flesh of Jove’s throat.

My body jerked at the exact moment Jove’s did. I tipped forward as the Chosen went rigid, his eyes and mouth opening wide. A tremor started in my legs. I knew what kind of excruciating agony he was likely enduring. Frantically, I swiveled around, scouring my surroundings for a weapon. My gaze landed on the swords of those who remained as the embers flared to life, reminding me that—

A moan swiftly yanked my attention back to Kolis and the Chosen. The sound… My gaze went to where the Primal fed deeply from Jove. The Chosen’s lips were now only parted, his features slack and slightly flushed. I hadn’t heard a moan of pain.

It was one of pleasure.

Breathing raggedly, I pressed my hand to my stomach. A spasm jolted Jove as he exhaled another heated groan. Kolis wasn’t causing pain.

I watched, caught between surprise and agitation, as the Chosen gradually grew limp in the false King’s arms. I had known Kolis was capable of feeding without pain, but I also knew he was not kind. He’d shown that over and over.

But the Chosen wasn’t in pain. Ecstasy soaked his features. Still, this… I swallowed down the bitterness of bile. This didn’t feel right. I took a step back, somehow even more disturbed by what I witnessed now than I would have been if Jove had been screaming.

I’d asked Kolis not to cause pain.

He’d done this for me, but all I could think about was what I’d thought when I first saw Orval and Malka and what I had been led to believe with the god from Keella’s Court and Jacinta. All I could think about was how the last thing I’d wanted to feel when Kolis bit me was pleasure.

Oh, gods.

I’d asked Kolis to do this, and I knew this wasn’t okay, even if my intentions had been in the right place. I just didn’t know how wrong it was. In this case, did the means justify the end? I couldn’t answer that.

Arms shaking, I backed up until I was nearly behind the pillow. My fingers curled against my stomach as my hands started to warm.

Jove was pale. He was dying.

Kolis jerked his head back without warning. “The process is fairly simple,” he said in a thickened voice that reminded me of the overbearing summers in Lasania and how he spoke of his need. “The blood must be taken from the Chosen right up to when the heart begins to falter.” He paused, catching a drop of blood from his lower lip with his tongue. “Then they must be given the blood of the gods.”

The act of Ascension for the Chosen was the same as Ash had spoken of. A transfer of blood.

“Your Majesty.”

Startled by Elias’s voice, I turned sideways.

“Come, Elias,” Kolis answered.

The guard passed me, not looking at me as he went to Kolis’s side. Without saying another word, he lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit into his vein, drawing shimmery blood.

My gaze flew to Kolis as understanding dawned. Kolis couldn’t give the Chosen his blood, which was what I’d figured when he took me to the ceeren instead of healing me himself.

But what I didn’t know was exactly why he couldn’t. Ash was a Primal of Death, and his blood healed. Could it be because Kolis was the Primal of Death?

I stood still as Elias placed his bleeding wrist over Jove’s mouth. The Chosen’s head was turned from me, but after a few moments, I saw his throat bob in a swallow.

Shivering, I folded my arms around myself, barely feeling the sore pull of my muscles. I didn’t know how much time passed, but at some point, Elias had lifted the limp Jove into his arms.

“That was and is how it is done,” Kolis said.

As if coming out of a daze, I blinked. Elias carried Jove toward the curtained archway.

“Come.” Kolis didn’t give me a chance to respond, just took my hand. “I’ll explain more.”

Every part of my being rebelled against his touch as he led us back through the doors. We returned the way we’d come in silence, arriving at the cage in what felt like heartbeats.

Kolis and I were alone.

“When my brother did the Ascensions, the Chosen Ascended into godhood.” Kolis’s upper lip curled, and then his expression smoothed out. “Without the embers of life, they simply become the Ascended, as I told you before.”

Raising my hand—my left hand—to his mouth, he pressed a dry kiss to the top. “Those who are like gods but not. Sickness no longer plagues them. They may consume food, but it is not necessary. And they will survive most mortal injuries, susceptible to only a few manners of death,” he told me, his voice carrying a hint of pride. “But I’ve been working on a few drawbacks.”

“Like…?” I trailed off as he began leading me across the chamber, my heart spasming as we neared the bed. We passed it. He sat me on the divan, and I cleared my throat. “Like what?”

“They can become as strong as a god if given time, but so far, they have not been able to harness the eather.” He walked over to the table. New glasses and fresh pitchers had been brought in during our absence. “They have a strong aversion to sunlight.”

I thought about how Gemma had said the Chosen who returned remained indoors during daylight hours. My gaze flicked to the doors. Was that why the part of the sanctuary I’d seen the last Ascended in had been so dark? “But the sun is still out, and Jove was—”

“The aversion is not immediate. It takes a few hours.” he cut in, running his fingers over the linen draped across the table. “While they do not need food, they do need blood, and their hunger is…insatiable in the beginning. It’s difficult for them to control. Some do not learn such restraint. Any blood will suffice, but that which carries even a few drops of eather is preferred. It can help them manage the hunger.”

The dull ache in my head returned, pulsing at my temples. “And if they cannot manage their hunger?”

From where he stood on the other side of the table, his gaze lifted to mine. “They are put down.”

The way he said that, without any emotion, was more than unsettling.

Gods.

“That bothers you.” He spread his fingers over the linen. “It shouldn’t. It is for the greater good.”

Gods, my two most hated words, but hearing Kolis speak of the greater good was, well, so absurd it was actually amusing.

“Gods have been unable to control their bloodlust, too. They were also put down under Eythos’s rule,” Kolis said, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his tone. “The only difference is that neither he nor those the god served bloodied their hands.”

“It was you?” I figured.

“I was the Primal of Death, after all,” he answered with a hollow smile. “Who else would carry out such distasteful deeds?”

He was still the true Primal of Death, and he knew it. But even I could admit that being tasked with such an act must have been terrible.

“Like Eythos, I’m creating life, not death. And an Ascended left uncontrolled is exactly that: Death. I give them a chance to restrain themselves. I do,” he repeated, his shoulders rising sharply. “But if they fail? They will glut themselves on blood. And once they’ve fallen into bloodlust, they are almost always lost. They will kill indiscriminately, draining their victims, and what becomes of them then is nothing more than the living dead…” He pursed his lips. “It is not an act I enjoy, contrary to what others may believe. But I do not pawn it off on others. An Ascended who has given in to bloodlust must be killed, and it should be done by their creator.”