The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash, #6)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Death was in my blood, I was meant to do this, it was a part of my nature— Tension seized my muscles as my thoughts echoed back to me. That…that didn’t feel right. Death wasn’t in my nature.

Eather throbbed in my chest, sending a chill through the air as I locked eyes with the fucking draken standing between her and me. He lifted his hands. “I can see you’re angry—” With a roar that shook the walls, I shot forward. Rage, pure and scalding, coursed through my veins, joining the surge of essence that rose from the very depths of my being. I grabbed Reaver by the shoulder and hair, lifting the draken as if he were no heavier than a sack of grain.

“You should really get your nails trimmed.” I glanced at my hand, seeing claws. My upper lip curled. “I’ll trim them on your bones.” The draken rolled his eyes and shoved me back. “You should be thanking me instead of threatening me.” “I’m about to thank you with my fist punching straight through your chest.”

“Listen to me.” Reaver darted in front of me, blocking my path. “There is something wrong with her. I can sense—”

Only the faintest hint of gold and silver were visible among the streaks of midnight-hued Primal mist swirling around her legs. A few slender tendrils of essence thickened, rising at her sides and moving with the sinuous grace of a pit viper as she lifted her head. Through strands of hair, I saw her eyes. Since she’d awakened, they hadn’t resembled the pure silver orbs of a god I’d briefly seen. Nor were they the fractured silver and green. They were a multitude of colors now.

There were streaks in her irises, though. Ribbons of gold and—fuck, there it was in her eyes. Faint bands of shadowy crimson. The mass of eather twitched and snapped in the air, ready to strike at any moment. “Fucking gods,” Reaver muttered.

“I know, sweetheart.” “Sweetheart?” she gasped. “You…you’ve never called me that before.” “I know.” A shaky laugh left me. “It kind of just came out.” “I…I like it.” She panted, lashes fluttering. “Then I will make sure I say it again,” I promised,

The way he stared at her told me he was trying to reach her through the notam. He drew back, curtly shaking his head. “Talk to me, Cas. Tell me what’s going on.”

“But that smell? That stale yet sweet scent? That’s not coming from her.” Reaver dragged the back of his hand over his mouth. “When I felt her wake, she wasn’t the only thing I felt. I sensed that he was near.” Cold air poured into my chest. “He?” “The true Primal of Death. Kolis,” he spat.

“Kolis has been freed.”

His skin had thinned just enough for me to see tiny strands of fawn-colored fur breaking through. That was a sign he was about to lose his shit—something else that had happened only enough times for me to count on one hand.

“That’s not what brought you here.” He held my stare for a few seconds, then looked away, shaking his head. He folded his arms over the black tunic he wore. “Do you really think that’s what we should be worried about right now?”

“I don’t know why she didn’t throw you into a wall,” Reaver grumbled. “Because she loves me,” I said, straightening. “Well, she likes me,” Reaver countered. “She likes everyone,” Kieran said. “You’re not special.”

“Kieran,” Poppy rasped, sounding like she had just seen him. “You answered.” I halted. He froze. A vise had wrapped itself around my heart. “What does that mean?” “I summoned…him,” she panted.

“There’s something…wrong with me.” “It’s okay.” I softened my tone, even as I felt the eather rising in me. “I’m going to help you.” “You…can’t.” Her fingers were leaving indents in her flesh. “He can.” I stiffened. “Poppy,” Kieran whispered. His voice. I’d only heard him sound that thin and broken once before. Right before Elashya took her last breath. Poppy pitched forward before rocking back. “You…you promised.”

“What in the…?” Reaver’s whisper faded as he stared at Kieran. “Both of you?”

“What did you promise her?” Kieran’s eyes slammed shut again. I stepped toward him, feeling the stone tile vibrate beneath my feet. “I swear to the gods, if you don’t answer me…” “To stop her,” he uttered. “I promised to stop her if she ever lost control.” My entire realm seemed to grind to a halt as I stared at him. “How?” Kieran’s eyes opened, and his head turned to mine. Streaks of gold and silver churned in his vivid-blue eyes. “By putting her in the ground.” “Oh, fuck,” Reaver muttered.

“I trusted you.” The words tore their way out of me as I prowled toward him. The corners of my vision turned a shadowy crimson, but I was too far gone for that to give me pause. “I trusted you!” The words were like a crack of thunder. “I trusted you, above all others, with her!” “And she trusted me!” Kieran thundered.

“You idiotic fucks,” Reaver snarled. “Do either of you think this is the time for your little bitch fight? And you?” He drove his knee into my back. “You need to control yourself.”

“Because if she runs again, I’m not sure I can stop her. She nearly blew a hole straight through my chest.” My gaze flicked to him. The golden skin a few inches above his heart was torn, the edges charred, and the center of the circular wound was bright pink. There was also a nice blossom of red along his jaw. Forcing the wave of anger down, I shifted my gaze back to Poppy.

“Yes, but so do Sera and Ash,” Reaver shot back. “Ash?” I frowned. “Nyktos. Ash is just—it doesn’t matter.” Reaver waved his hand

Until Seraphena and Nyktos return to full strength, Nektas will remain there.”

“Her eyes…” Kieran said after a few moments and then cleared his throat. “They were just pure silver when she woke after the Revenant attack.” I nodded, glancing back at the draken. “They looked like Nyktos’s.” Reaver dipped his head. “That’s how Primals’ eyes look—well, all except for the Queen and the true Primal of Death.” “How do—?” Kieran lowered his voice. “How do the Queen’s eyes look?” “Like Poppy’s, but not,” he said. I was beginning to see why Kieran wanted to punch the draken every time they shared space. “The Queen’s eyes are green and silver. We never knew exactly why but believed it was because she was born mortal.”

“Yes, we, you asshole. We need to make sure she’s safe.” He started to move closer but stopped himself, crossing his arms. “So she can live with herself afterward.” That.

“I swore I would never put her in a cell again.” His eyes closed briefly, and I knew he was seeing in his mind what I was. Poppy bleeding out on the cold floor of a dungeon. I looked away. “I know,” he breathed. “But it has to be done, and you know it. And you know she will understand once she’s herself again.”

“What color are his eyes?” “Silver.” Reaver paused, knowing who I was asking about. “When he pretended to be the Primal of Life, they were silver and gold. But once the Queen Ascended, they returned to silver and crimson.” Red symbolized death.

“And, Kieran?” He stopped. “Yes?” I closed my eyes, the words I was about to say already stinging my throat and skin. “I don’t want to see you after she’s moved.” The air grew heavy in the silence that followed, but I knew he was still there. “Understood,” he said, his voice vacant of all emotion.

“You should ask yourself why she asked me to make such a promise,” Kieran said. I closed my eyes. But it did nothing to prevent him from landing a blow that hurt worse than any fists could. “And not you.”

“Can you still feel the Primal notam?” “I can.” A measure of relief swept through me. With Seraphena awake, I had no idea what it would mean for the Primal notam. Didn’t know if it would revert back to her or not. “It’s faint, but it’s been that way since she went into stasis.”

The gods, Rhain and Rhahar? The ones we were told were gods of death?

Why would she ask that of him instead of me? I knew the answer. Because she knew I could never do it.

What really got me—what sank its claws into me—was that Poppy hadn’t entrusted me with her fear of losing control. She hadn’t come to me. And she knew better. Poppy knew I was her shelter. Her home. The foundation that helped her stand. At least, I’d believed her when she told me that. But she’d lied.

You can’t fight me, came the achingly cold whisper that caused tiny bumps to erupt over my skin. You’ve never been able to. So, why resist? If you just give in, the hunger will stop. So will the pain. You will be at peace. Don’t you want that? What I wanted was for the whispers to quiet down, but even if they did, I couldn’t give in to the exhaustion. I couldn’t be weak anymore.

And I couldn’t allow myself to fall into oblivion again. A primitive sort of intuition told me I wouldn’t sleep like the dead. If my thoughts vanished—as unhelpful as they were—I would rise from my position against the wall but not as blood and bone. I would rise as wrath and retribution and wouldn’t be in control.

“Tawny.” That…name… “Hawke,” she replied, mimicking his bland, dry tone. For some reason, my lips tipped up. “Oh, I’m sorry. I mean…Casteel,”

There were several seconds of silence, and I had the distinct impression the woman on the other side of the door was debating the merits of ignoring the clear warning. Because she always— Agony struck like lightning, sending me back against the wall.

Death. He didn’t like that I knew that. He whispered for me to take out the male at the door and escape. He wanted me to do that and then find the other who made me think of wolves so I could end him, too. And he didn’t want me to stop there. He wanted me to lay waste to all who crossed my path, be they mortal, god, wolven, or draken.

Then you will come to me. We will be one, flesh and bone. You just need to give in to me, he lured. Enticed. Called. Sang. Give in to me. Give in. His whispers sounded like a beautifully haunting song of mourning then, a beckoning that filled my mind with images. Blood-soaked ground and broken bones. Crimson skies and lakes of fire. The masses on their knees in worship. What I saw was terrible. What I saw felt… Inevitable.

The churning in her eyes slowed and then stilled, leaving only the shadows and crimson visible. Our gazes locked, and there was nothing but a cold, vast emptiness in her stare. I knew at once that she wasn’t looking back at me. Tension gathered in my muscles. “Is that you?” Her head tilted. “Kolis.” One side of her lips curled up slowly. “I told you once before.” The voice that came out of her was a poisonous whisper, slithering through the air toward me like a venomous viper. The hairs on my arms stood on end. “She has always been mine.”

And suddenly I knew. Somehow, Kolis had been in Teerman.

“How long were you in Teerman?” Her head tilted to the other side, the movement disturbingly fluid and serpentine. “Whenever I chose to be.”

“You remind me of someone I once knew.” The other side of the lips tipped up. “He, too, loved her.” I could feel my fingertips beginning to prickle as my nails lengthened. “Who are you talking about?” “He was also a fool.” “Who?”

“What do you want?” “What I deserve.” “And what does that mean? Domination of the realms or some lame shit like that?” “You’ll see.” That dry-as-bones laugh came once more.

The Rev. My chest was tight as I inhaled sharply. The Rev had touched her. Could that have caused this? Allowed Kolis a way in through some sort of stolen Primal magic? Not many living Atlantians even knew how to harness the essence of the gods and turn eather into spells and magic. The Unseen could be included in that group, but they had turned against the gods who once ruled Atlantia. It made no sense that they’d have anything to do with a Revenant or Kolis.

Frustration and begrudging amusement intertwined as I gazed at the absurd amount of cheese in front of me. There was no way Kieran hadn’t had a hand in the choices. They were her favorites.

When she finished everything on her plate, I blinked rapidly, surprised to find dampness clinging to my lashes. “Do you want more?” I asked thickly. She gazed at the plate, then shook her head.

She was leaning against the wall, her knees having slid a few inches away from her chest. What if covering her with the quilt woke her? My grip tightened as I stood there. I hadn’t been this uncertain since I was a young man. I stood there for minutes, my heart pounding and my vision blurring. Moving slowly, I gently laid the quilt over her shoulders the best I could. She didn’t wake.

“Well, if you consider decay improvement. And the gods know I’ve never thought to say this, but…I do,” Delano replied. “So, there’s that.” Surprise shot through me. “The fucker is decaying?” Delano nodded. “Yeah, he appears irrevocably dead.” Shock rippled through me as I stood there, wondering if I was so damn tired, I hadn’t heard him correctly. Because what was being implied was impossible. Only draken blood killed a Revenant. So, how did I kill one?

First, she begged. And when that hadn’t worked, she’d tried seduction. That technique hadn’t worked either, but the fact that Kolis had used her to try that? Bile clogged my throat, and I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to expel the meager contents of my stomach. The moment Kolis realized he wasn’t getting anywhere, he’d cursed me with her mouth and voice. I’d sat through it, not moving an inch, not speaking. The simmering anger grew into a rage as he used her hands to claw at herself. When she drew blood on her cheeks, I couldn’t take it anymore. Could no longer bear witness to it.

In that moment, I knew three things. Kolis was weak—very weak. That was why the bonds around her wrists held. That’s why he tried what he had to escape instead of fighting. He’d wanted to distract me. Kolis also didn’t want to feed. It would’ve strengthened him, but it also meant strengthening her—the reverse of when she refused to feed. Both were trying to keep the other weak. And the third thing I knew without a doubt? I was going to kill him.