Текст книги "Born of Blood and Ash"

Автор книги: Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 63 страниц)

I lifted a hand, and they quieted so quickly I was a little taken aback. “It is not just I who is to thank for that. It is also Nyktos.”

There were more exclamations, and they came in a great roar that brought a smile to my lips.

“I would not be here if not for him,” I continued. “Our King.”

It seemed like the entire crowd froze. If I had Ash’s ability, I’d likely be drowning in shock.

“The realms will no longer be ruled by only the true Primal of Life,” I announced. “That has ended. The realms shall thrive under the joint rule of a King and Queen.”

“That will not be the only change. Iliseeum and the mortal realm will no longer suffer under tyrannical rule or cruel indifference,” Ash said, his voice carrying. Ash wasn’t threatening per se, but he was sending a message. “We will see Iliseeum as it once was under my father’s rule. But better, where one can move among Courts without fear of punishment or leaving family and loved ones behind.”

“We will have a future where mortals do not tremble in fear upon sight of us.” I lifted my chin. “Or are treated as little more than sources of entertainment.”

“These changes will not come easily. There will be resistance. Blood will be shed,” Ash told them. “But we promise we will not give up until that future becomes the present.”

Then Ash lifted our joined hands, the swirl of the golden imprint on the top of his left glittering in the sunlight.

A frenzy of cheers erupted across the coliseum floor, causing Nektas to lift his head. Their feet came down hard, thudding on the stone, matching the tempo of my heartbeat. My gaze flew to Ash’s.

“I think they approve,” he said as those in the crowd waved their arms in wild excitement. Voices clamored in unison, chanting…mayeeh Liessa.

Our Queen.

And shouting mayeeh Liessar.

Our King.

Blinking, I scanned faces filled with surprise. People were embracing one another, others wept as they pressed their hands to their cheeks or chests—women and men. My eyes widened in awe at the feverish outpouring of emotion from the crowd. My throat tightened but with good things instead of panic as I took in the joyful, beaming faces.

Ash tugged on my hand, drawing me to his side. I looked up, and his gaze swept over my face with intensity. “Thirty-six,” he said, cupping my cheek with his other hand. “Just making sure they are all still there.”

Then he kissed me.

And gods, there was no restraint or suppression of desire as I gripped the front of his tunic. Our tongues twined in a sensual dance as his sharp fangs grazed my lips. He kissed me as if it were just us, and for that fleeting moment, it truly was. But we weren’t alone. Bawdy whistles and raucous shouts pierced the air.

I laughed against his lips, my face warming.

“I think they liked that even more,” he said, folding his arms around me. As he held me, I swore the entire realm must have heard the cheers.

Closing my eyes, I rested my cheek against Ash’s chest and soaked in the sound. I really hadn’t known how today would go or what our reception would be. The possibilities had been endless. But I never expected this.

Though I probably should have. Most of those here knew that I had fought against the dakkais alongside Ash and had changed the landscape of the Shadowlands overnight. And I was, after all, the true Primal of Life, and Ash was beloved by his people. Of course, they would be ecstatic.

However, I’d never experienced anything like this in my entire life. I had not been known to my kingdom. I’d been nothing but a specter not fully formed yet drenched in blood. I wasn’t that here. I was seen. Welcomed. Known.

When I pulled away, I peeked over my shoulder. Nektas was watching us. He huffed with a shake of his large head as Saion approached us.

“Your face is so red,” Saion told me before addressing Ash. “The barrels of wine you had us bring are about to be rolled out.”

“Perfect.” Ash’s hand slid down the center of my back.

“This went really well,” I said as several soldiers began moving the large barrels out from the alcove of the colonnade.

Saion smiled. “Of course, it did.”

Bele jogged down the dais steps, and something struck me as I looked over the mass of gods, godlings, and mortals. “No one is wearing masks like many did during the coronation.”

“There is no need,” Saion replied as the hum of string instruments reached my ears, the notes drifting through the air.

Faces blurred as I nodded. They hadn’t felt the need to conceal their identities, not just because there were no other Primals in attendance but because they felt safe. Gods, that meant more to me than the cheers or being known.

And I would do everything to ensure they never lost that sense of security.

I let out a slow breath as the beat of drums joined the melodic dance. The rhythm grew louder, infusing the coliseum with infectious energy as I found Bele in the crowd. All I had to do was follow the wave of bows as the masses parted for the Primal goddess. She joined Aios, who stood with a petite woman dressed in a hooded, white gown with long sleeves who surveyed the revelers in front of her. It was Erlina.

The once-Chosen now had her own life, one where she wasn’t subjected to the whims of another. I reminded myself that the others in Dalos and the other Courts would soon have that choice. Now, we just needed to meet with the Primals. Hopefully, that went as well as this had.

I wouldn’t bet on it, but I also wouldn’t dwell on it right now. There would be plenty of time for that tomorrow.

Nightmare.

Bars.

I was staring at bars made of gilded bones.

Soft material brushed against my legs as I staggered back a step, my feet sinking into soft fur. I looked down at the swath of ivory gauze and saw the darker pink tips of my breasts through the transparent garment.

“No.” My heart thudded heavily as my head jerked back around.

The golden chests.

The golden divan.

My head swung to the other side as pressure clamped down on my chest. I saw the large bed draped in gold blankets and white furs.

“I’m not here,” I whispered hoarsely, my gaze slowly tracking to the bedposts and the floor at the foot of the bed.

Chains.

The air I breathed thinned as my eyes locked on the throne beyond the gilded cage set directly in front of the bed.

No. No. No.

This wasn’t real.

“I’m not here,” I repeated, closing my eyes. I wasn’t here. I’d escaped. I was free. I wasn’t here. I was safe.

Air stirred around me, raising the tiny hairs all over my body. Lilacs. I smelled stale lilacs.

“I have been so damn lonely, so’lis.”

Every part of my body went rigid at the sound of that summery voice. I’m not here. I held myself completely still, keeping my eyes tightly closed. I’m not here. I’m not—

Arms tightened around me like a vise, digging into my sides. Against my back, his heart pounded faster than mine.

“I just need to hold you,” Kolis pleaded.

“No,” I said—I know I said it. I felt the word rattle from my chest and claw at my throat. I felt my mouth move.

But I could no longer hear my voice.

I made no sound.

Nothing.

Suddenly, I wasn’t standing anymore. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, and I was in his lap, my feet dangling above the floor. That single word shook my chest again and scratched my throat. My mouth moved once more, but I still had no voice.

Sweltering heat bore down on me as my fingers splayed.

“That you would even speak his name,” he hissed in my ear.

No. No. No—

Fangs tore into my skin, sending a jolt coursing through my entire being.

I screamed the word now, and it came from the depths of my being. It cut up my throat and split my mouth but I heard only the sounds of his muffled moans as he drew harder and deeper on the wound. His mouth moved. His body shifted under mine, and…oh, gods, I could feel him—

“Liessa.” A voice of shadows and velvet pierced the golden cage.

I would know that voice anywhere.

“Ash,” I rasped, his name calming my heart and soothing my throat as my voice returned.

The bars before me disintegrated, and the chests and divan shattered into dust. The arms fell away from me, and the gown vanished…

“Wake up, Sera. Please.”

My eyes flew open with a jolt. I gulped in air. In the soft glow of the bedside table lamp, I saw silver streaked with eather, not gold-flecked eyes.

“It’s okay.” Ash was above me, a lock of chestnut hair hanging forward and brushing his jaw. “You had a nightmare.”

Just a nightmare? It hadn’t felt that way. I could still taste the fear and desperation in the back of my aching throat. Could he pick up on my emotions in dreams? Gods, that was an idiotic question. Of course, he could. I was probably projecting all over the bedchamber. And if I hadn’t been, I could’ve said something. My throat felt like I’d screamed.

Screamed—

Panic exploded, dousing my body in suffocating, red-hot flames. I opened my mouth, but only a thin, wheezing sound parted my lips. I needed air. Space. Anything. I jerked up, nearly knocking my head into Ash’s. A fist had my heart in its grip. My lungs clenched as my legs tangled in the blanket—

“Sera.” Ash caught my shoulders, stopping me from toppling off the bed. “Look at me.”

I strained against his hold, attempting to stand. “I can’t…get air…in.”

“I know, liessa. I’m going to help you. I just need you to look at me,” he said. “Please.”

My gaze flew to his.

His hands went to my cheeks, the feel of them cool against my too-hot skin. “Listen to me. You can breathe. You’re just breathing too fast. Understand?”

I nodded as my hands spasmed.

Ash smiled. “Remember what I taught you before? Close your mouth and put your tongue against the back of your teeth. Yes. Just like that.” His smile grew like a warm wind on a fall day. “Now, I need you to exhale nice and slow for the count of four. Can you do that?”

I nodded again, doing as he instructed.

“That’s it.” His eyes never left mine. “Now, you’re going to inhale for four seconds. I’ll count them. One. Two. Three. Four. Exhale now.”

Ash kept counting, lifting his chin on an inhale and lowering it on an exhale. His patience didn’t waver as the seconds turned to minutes. He stayed with me until my breathing slowed, and I was no longer gasping like a fish out of water.

Ash’s thumbs swept across my chin. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” I croaked, my face hot despite his cool touch. As my heart rate slowed, embarrassment rose. I closed my eyes. “I’m so—”

“Do not apologize for that.” Shifting, he pulled me between his legs and held me to his chest. “Do not ever apologize for that. You have no reason to, nor any reason to feel embarrassment.”

I pressed my cheek to his chest, not so sure about that. “I’m a Primal,” I whispered hoarsely.

“A newly Ascended Primal.”

“I’m still a grown-ass woman,” I countered.

Ash’s hand folded around the back of my head. “I don’t think age has anything to do with it.”

It should, because…seriously. How was I supposed to be the Queen of the Gods when a dumb nightmare could send me into a panic spiral? And why was I even having that nightmare? Again? It was…uncalled for.

I felt like a mess.

A hot, nauseous mess.

But I still relaxed into Ash’s embrace, letting the coolness of his body beat back the flush in mine. I didn’t know how much time passed before Ash tilted his head and pressed a kiss to my temple.

“You want to talk about it?” he asked.

Tension crept into my muscles. “Talk about what?”

He smoothed a hand down my back. “What you were dreaming about.”

I closed my eyes even tighter, seeing bursts of white stars, but I still saw what I had in my dream. A gilded cage full of gold and…Kolis.

I just need to hold you.

Throat drying, I pulled back. My hands dropped to my lap as my gaze fell on the balcony doors. The curtains were drawn open, revealing the dark night sky beyond. “I don’t remember what I was dreaming about.”

“Not a single detail?”

“No.” I forced a shrug. “Probably because it was nothing.”

“Nothing,” he whispered, watching me in a way that made it seem like he could see straight through me.

I nodded as I lay back down. “We should go back to sleep,” I said, pulling the blanket up. “Morning will be here soon.”

Ash didn’t respond, and he didn’t move as I rolled onto my side. After a few moments, I heard a click as he turned off the bedside lamp, plunging the chamber into darkness. The bed shifted as he reclined behind me, curling his arm around my waist. His lips brushed my shoulder, and then he settled. The tension didn’t leave his body, though.

It didn’t leave mine either as I stared into the darkness. Because I knew.

He didn’t believe me.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I forced myself to finish the buttery scrambled eggs while Ash wrote in the Book of the Dead.

I had no appetite.

Which was weird because I was always hungry. But there was this strange, metallic, almost sour taste in my mouth.

I picked up the glass of juice as I peeked over at Ash’s bowed head. He hadn’t spoken much this morning, not even to ask me where I had disappeared to when I went out onto the Rise. I assumed his trip to Vathi consumed his thoughts. He’d be leaving soon, and when he got back, we planned to go to the Thyia Plains to speak with Keella. His quietness wasn’t because of the night terror that had awakened us both in the middle of the night.

I hated that the nightmare had come after such a wonderful day. It felt as if it had tainted yesterday’s success. And I hated myself even more for feeling as if the reception of our public address was somehow lessened because of it.

I shoved another forkful of eggs into my mouth and chewed as I scanned his office. Being back here was strange when I hadn’t thought I would ever see the space again. It had changed. Though not a lot. There were two chairs in front of his desk, where only one had been before. An end table made of the same dark wood with hints of red as his desk had been placed to my right.

I glanced at Ash. Plans for additional insulas that Rhain had dropped off a little bit ago lay on the corner of the desktop.

Swallowing a sigh, I shifted my attention to the table before me. Beside my plate were two and a half glasses, strawberries, a cutting board, and a knife.

It was a very odd combination of things.

Ash had put the ledgers there, instructing me to move them around, open them, and turn pages without touching or tearing them. It was I who had brought in the other items. And the other half of one of the glasses was in pieces in the trash bin.

I had no idea why moving a glass without breaking it was so hard when I had harnessed the eather to free myself and Ash before I Ascended and could use it to restore life to an entire Court.

According to Ash, it was because I was thinking about it too much when it didn’t come to, well, situations where I wasn’t angry or excited about something. I was complicating it and not letting it come naturally.

“Your thought is your will,” he’d said.

And that was about as helpful as my no-shit response.

“Liessa?”

“Hmm?”

“If you keep chewing on your fingers, you won’t have any left.”

I dropped my hand to my lap. “I’m not chewing on my fingers.”

“Little liar,” he murmured.

My eyes narrowed. He had his head bowed and tipped slightly to the side as he wrote in the Book of the Dead. “How would you even know? You’re not even looking at me.”

Ash lowered the quill and lifted his gaze. Wisps of eather spun in eyes that had become heated quicksilver. “I’m always looking at you, liessa.”

A flush hit my skin as I returned my attention to my lessons. Summoning the eather as I stared at the knife, I willed it to lift—

The knife flew into the air, and I swallowed a shout.

Concentration broken, the knife plummeted back down. I leaned forward, catching it before the blade stabbed the innocent table.

I peeked over at Ash. His brow was furrowed, and I was sure I was being a distraction. My attention returned to the table. I’d really wanted the flavored water and had only managed to slice—or smash—two strawberries, so I quickly chopped one up and tossed it into the pitcher with my hands. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have it until next year.

Placing the knife back down, I started to will it back into the air.

“Liessa?”

“Yes?”

“I’m curious,” he said, the quill moving quickly over the page. “Why have you moved on from slaughtering innocent glasses to throwing sharp instruments?”

My lips pursed. “Maybe I thought I would be more comfortable working with a blade.”

He smirked. “How’s that idea working out for you?”

“Just perfect.”

Ash chuckled as he closed the Book of the Dead. The quill vanished into thin air. “Perhaps you should stick to the ledgers and soft, non-pointy items.”

“Perhaps you should mind your business.”

“I would,”—he picked up one of the building plans—“except I am worried that this may end with you having to regrow an eye.” He paused. “Or we’ll end up without glasses to drink from.”

I sighed. “Like I said before, maybe I’m faulty.”

“You know, the more I think about it, the more I realize you might have a point.”

My eyes narrowed as I pictured the knife flying through the parchment he held.

Ash’s hand snapped up, catching the knife by the hilt right before it pierced the cream parchment. He slowly turned his head to me. “I assume you meant to do that.”

I smiled broadly. “I did.”

“Then what was different this time?” he asked.

“You annoyed me.”

“Other than that.”

I lifted a shoulder. “I wasn’t…”

“Overthinking it?”

“Shut up,” I muttered.

He grinned and placed the knife on the table. “I will, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re overthinking.”

He was right.

Whatever.

“Can I have my knife back?”

“I’m not sure you will behave yourself with it,” he replied.

My lips parted.

Ash smiled as he turned his attention back to the plans.

I returned to moving the glasses around for a few more minutes, spilling some water and stopping one from flying off the table.

“Can I have the knife back now?” I asked.

“Nope.”

I lifted my hand, and the blade flew off his desk, handle first. I easily caught it.

“Let me guess,” he said. “You weren’t—”

“If you say overthinking it one more time,” I warned, pointing the blade at him.

Ash just grinned, and honestly, why wouldn’t he? I was threatening him with a paltry paring knife.

I sighed. “I miss my dagger.”

In the next several minutes, I finally stopped overthinking things. I managed to lift several strawberries and plop them into the glass of water before my attention shifted to the bare shelves as I wondered what could be placed on them. Ash wasn’t the type to be into glass figurines as my stepfather had been. “You need knickknacks.”

Ash half-laughed. “What?”

“Knickknacks,” I repeated. “You know, small objects that are worthless to some but are something you enjoy.”

“I know what knickknacks are, liessa.” He looked up from the building plans. “What I don’t know is why you’re suggesting them.”

“Your shelves are bare.” I pointed at the walls. “My stepfather collected things made of spun glass. Or is it blown glass?” My nose scrunched. “Maybe they’re the same thing.”

“I don’t believe so.” Ash paused, looking to the side at the walls. “I never really thought about the shelves.”

“I can tell,” I replied dryly, taking a drink of the now-fruit-flavored water. “We’ll have to get you some knickknacks.”

“I’ll add that to the list of things we must accomplish.”

I looked at him with a frown. “We have a list?”

“We do.” Rising, he set aside the building plans and returned the Book of the Dead to its drawer. “Speak with Attes. Summon the Primals. Plant more crops. Deal with Kolis. Spit on his close-to-dead-as-possible body.” He ticked each item off as he walked around the desk, my brow rising with each item. “Rule the realms.”

“That’s an…impressive list,” I slowly stated.

“I wasn’t done.”

“Oh.”

“We also have to decide where we wish to live—here or in Dalos,” he continued. I blinked, not having even considered a relocation. “Indulge in radek wine—”

“The kind that makes…”

“One incredibly aroused for extended periods of time?” A wolfish grin appeared. “Yes.”

“Oh,” I repeated. “I think I would like that.”

Icy heat swirled in his eyes as he sat beside me on the light gray settee. “You will love it, liessa.”

My gaze swept over his powerful body. I would be obsessed with that.

He glanced at the table that had been brought in for our breakfast. The heat faded from his stare. “Fates,” he muttered, dragging a hand over his jaw.

“What?”

“What you’re drinking,” he said. “Or what you’ve made yourself. I completely forgot about this until now, but…”

“Your father used to do this,” I finished for him.

His head cut to me. “How did you—?” He let out a soft laugh. “Foresight?”

It wasn’t the vadentia but Kolis who had told me, but I smiled and nodded as I quickly looked away. I could feel his stare on me.

“It wasn’t the vadentia, was it? It was Kolis.” A moment passed. “Why wouldn’t you just tell me that?”

I blew out a breath as I lifted a shoulder. “I just don’t think it matters, and I don’t want him to be associated with you remembering something about your father.”

“It’s kind of hard for him not to be associated with thoughts of my father, liessa.” He reached over and tucked a curl back from my face. “But I do appreciate the consideration.”

I relaxed. “It’s pretty tasty. You should try it.”

“I will.” His attention shifted back to the table. “Are you finished eating?”

“Yep.”

His brows furrowed. “You barely ate.”

“Not true.” I took another drink.

“You only ate half the eggs. Maybe a bite of the muffin.” He picked up the napkin I’d tossed over a side dish, revealing the strips of fried meat. “And you didn’t even touch the bacon.”

I lifted a shoulder. “I guess I’m not that hungry.”

“That’s odd.” Ash’s frown deepened.

“What? Not being hungry?”

“Yeah.” He leaned back and looked at me. “After an Ascension, one is typically hungrier than normal because the body is still going through changes. A lot of energy is expended.”

“Oh,” I said, cradling the glass to my chest. “Maybe I’m different because I was mortal.”

“Maybe.” His gaze tracked over my features. “When Kolis had you, was food restricted?”

I jerked, caught off guard by his question. “No. Food was provided. A lot of it.” My hold on the glass tightened. “You think me not being hungry has to do with my time in Dalos?”

“Kolis has been known to use food as a form of reward and punishment,” he said, and my stomach dropped. “I didn’t know if that was the case with you.”

“No. It wasn’t.” My gaze shifted to the plates. “I was…treated more like a guest than a prisoner.”

Cold air blasted off Ash. “A guest kept in a cage?”

“A reluctant guest,” I amended, feeling my chest knot. “But you don’t have to worry about that. Kolis didn’t do anything like that.” A moment passed, then another. No longer thirsty, I placed the glass on the table. “Did he use food in that way with you?”

“He did.”

I briefly closed my eyes as fury rose, stoking the embers. I had to take a deep breath. “I hate him,” I said, folding my hand over his. “I really—wait.” I looked down at our joined hands, realizing just then that his skin didn’t feel as cold as it had the night before. Or this morning, when we woke, even. “Your skin is a little warmer.”

He reached over and picked up the glass with his other hand. “Feels the same to me,” he said, taking a sip. “It does taste good.” He tipped the glass back, eyeing the contents. “Probably could get by with one or three less strawberries.”

“I like it sweet,” I murmured, sliding my hand up the corded muscle of his forearm. Maybe it was my imagination? It must have been because Ash hadn’t fed since I’d awakened from stasis.

“While I don’t mind that you’re feeling up my arm,” he drawled, “if you continue, I’m afraid I’ll never make it to Vathi.”

I pulled my hand away and cleared my throat. “I wish I could go with you.”

“I wish you would talk to me.”

My head cut to his. “About what?”

“That’s another long list,” he stated. “But we can start with what you were dreaming about last night.”

A thin breath of air made it past my lips. “I already told you. I don’t remember. So, you can go ahead and remove that from the list.”

Tension bracketed his mouth as he looked away, and I knew that what I’d suspected last night was true.

He didn’t believe me.

“Would you like me to remind you?” he said quietly.

I stared at him, my heart thumping as it began to race.

“You were screaming.”

Shit.

A muscle flexed along his jaw. “You were screaming the word no.”

Shit.

I swallowed. “I don’t know why.”

His gaze flicked to mine. “I think I have a pretty good idea.”

Muscles all throughout my body began to tense as if I was preparing to leap from the settee and run. It was like the flight response kicking in, but I could feel the fight instinct gearing up to take over, and I didn’t want that. Ash wasn’t at fault here. He was only concerned. So, I took a moment to calm my ass down.

“I know you’re worried about me,” I started, and Ash’s gaze returned to mine, “but I’m okay.”

Several moments passed, the silence stretching between us. “It’s all right, you know?” he said. “To not be okay. To not always be strong.”

A jolt ran through my body as my hands curled around nothing but air. “Nektas said something like that.”

“I’m sure he did. He’s said it to me before.”

I dropped my hands to my lap. “Why…why was he telling you that?”

“My father. Not knowing my mother. Kolis. Veses,” he said, and my chest fisted with anger at merely the sound of her name. “I could keep going, but I think you get the point.”

I did.

And I wished I didn’t because it made my heart ache for everything he’d had to deal with.

That was why I wasn’t going to tell him about the nightmare. He didn’t need that living in the back of his head, haunting him, along with everything else.

“But you got through it because you had to, right?” I said. “And you were able to do that because you’re strong. You’re a survivor.”

“So are you.”

My brows snapped together. “I am, but that has nothing to do with survival.”

“It has everything to do with surviving, liessa.”

I shook my head, my palms beginning to sweat. How did we even end up having this conversation when we had far more important things to discuss? “I get what you’re saying. I do. But I am okay. I’m not—” A sudden charge of energy bore down on me, pimpling my skin. I stiffened.

A frown pulled at his brow. “Sera?”

“I…I feel something. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like I can feel the air changing. As if…”

Ash’s chin dipped, and a low growl rumbled from him. “Is it fucking Kolis again?”

“No.” Ash rose as I stood. “But it feels like something is coming.” Eather throbbed in my chest. “Something powerful and…”

Old.

Something Ancient.

Sucking in a sharp breath, I spun toward the doors. No sooner had the thought finished than the air between the two shadowstone pillars warped.

Ash curled his arm around my waist and hauled me back as a sphere of eather materialized, rapidly swelling and elongating as it unfurled. But this was no random ball of eather. Instinct told me it was a tear in the very realm itself. An opening.

A portal.

The first thing I saw was skin. A whole lot of bare flesh and honed muscle in the shape of a tall, broad man with shoulder-length brown hair and skin a shade somewhere between the bronze of Ash’s and the copper of Nektas’s. The man casually walked out of the portal like he was merely taking a stroll in a park.

That was if one walked in the park only wearing loose-fitting, white linen pants and absolutely nothing else.

Well, he was wearing something else. Small gold rings in both of his brown nipples. I supposed that counted as some sort of attire.

I really needed to stop looking at his nipples.

I lifted my gaze. Scrolling vines similar to what adorned the throne room doors were tattooed up the sides of his throat, stopping at the curve of a jaw that could’ve been carved from granite. Except I didn’t think that design was made of ink. It was a shade or two darker than his flesh and appeared to churn from within his skin, like the shadows often did in Ash’s. I looked past sculpted lips, a chiseled nose, and arched cheekbones, momentarily distracted by the asymmetric features. And then I saw his eyes.

My lips parted. They were a kaleidoscope of colors: a warm shade of brown, the dewy green of the newly grown patches of grass outside, and the blue of the Stroud Sea. Bursts of silver were sprinkled throughout the colors like stars.

I’d seen those eyes before.

During my Ascension, when I’d seen how the realms were created.

“What the fuck?” Ash snarled, his flesh thinning. Shadows appeared along his throat.

The being’s strange eyes flicked to Ash, his head moving in a way that sent a chill of unease down my spine. There was something utterly inhuman in that simple movement. Almost as if the entire realm shifted around him to accommodate the gesture. One side of his lips curled up, and instinct warned me that smile was not a good thing.

“It’s okay.” I stepped around Ash—or tried to. He sidestepped me. “He’s an…” I trailed off as the being’s gaze shifted to me. He waited to hear what I said. What I would reveal. My throat dried. “He’s a Fate—an Arae.”

The other side of the Ancient’s lips rose then in a close-lipped smile. It reminded me of Kolis’s smiles—the ones that were practiced and shallow as if he didn’t understand the emotions behind smiling and was simply copying others’ expressions.

How could Holland be an Ancient? He was nothing like this being standing in front of us.

“I don’t give a fuck what he is,” Ash fumed, the shadows deepening as they spread up his throat in nearly the same pattern as the one on the Ancient’s skin. “I only know he had better have one good fucking reason for arriving unannounced and uninvited in our home.”

Our home.

It was just two words, but they suddenly made me feel all warm inside—

The Ancient laughed.

Okay. Now was not the time to focus on how those words made me feel all ooey-gooey. Like, at all. Because the Ancient’s laugh was even more creepy than his smile.

Dark tendrils of eather gathered on the floor, wrapping themselves around our legs. “I’m not sure what you find funny.”

“Many things,” the Ancient replied, his voice carrying a lilt I’d never heard before, one with a melodic quality.