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

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

That everything done to prevent what was coming had only ensured that it would. Without the capability to love and hate, rejoice and mourn, gain and lose, there could be no balance. For every hardship, there must be prosperity. Hate could not exist without love. There could be no joy without knowing grief.

“Fuck me,” Reaver muttered. “No, thank you,” Kieran retorted, stalking forward, his gaze trained on Poppy. “I wasn’t offering,” the draken spat.

“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.”

“Something big went down.” “Are you hearing anything I’m saying to you, Delano?” “I’m selectively hearing what you’re saying.” “Well, selectively hear this.” I held his gaze. “Nothing is going on between us. He just has something to do. That’s all.” “Sorry. I didn’t hear that.”

He went from that fucker to the fuck in my book. Slight improvement.

“And yet, you stand here, saying what you know I don’t want to hear. That either makes you an idiot or a fucking idiot.”

“The eather does feel stronger, but shouldn’t I feel, I don’t know, supremely badass?” Those lips of his twitched. “You’re already supremely badass, Poppy.”

“it’s okay to not be fine.”

“So, tell me something, Casteel. Will you become the…fatal flaw in her armor?”

“Some would say it’s better when you speak less,” I retorted.

“There are rules, Poppy,” Holland began. “In time, you will understand.” “Fuck the rules,” I seethed. “Have I mentioned,” Thorne said, glancing at Holland, “that I really like her?”

I was so sick and tired of those with the power to change things—to make things better—doing nothing.

“Your husband has the temper of a rabid cat,” Aydun said,

“Will knocking my ass through a wall get you to pull your head out of your ass?” Kieran challenged. “Because if so…” He spread his arms wide. “Have at it. I’ll tell Poppy it was an accident.”

“Let’s not borrow tomorrow’s problems,” he murmured, turning his gaze to mine. “We have enough for today.”

The wolven’s gaze darted between us. “Are you two…fighting?” “No.” I yanked my arm free of Casteel’s grasp. Delano blinked slowly. “You sure?” “Yes,” I snapped. Delano glanced at Casteel. “Do I need to hide the weapons?”

“If she holds you responsible for what you had no say in, then she isn’t worth the dirt under a pile of horse shit.”

“I would call him an asshole because he is one, but right now, he gets to be an asshole.”

“Holy fuck balls,” she whispered. Okay. She had definitely seen it, too.

“I guess it’s good that only the weather…” My lips pursed. “And the path of the sun has been affected.” “Yes,” Delano said. “Only the path of the sun.”

Tears clogged my throat because…gods, how could he be worried about how I felt in this moment? Delano…he was too pure.

“Who eats grapes like that while naked?” Poppy whispered, staring at a statue with grapes dangling above her open mouth. “You don’t?” Malik drawled.

“Mother and Father are fighting,” Emil remarked under his breath. “Again.”

“It’s Reaver,” muttered Casteel. “Does anyone know why he does anything?”

“Guess I’m special.” “Special?” he repeated, his voice lower and thin. “I am the Primal of Blood and—” “Incredibly Foolish Actions?” he interrupted.

Hearing him call me beautiful would never get old. But the last part? Exquisitely powerful? That nearly stole every ounce of reason I possessed, leaving me aching for more than just the feel of his lips.

We continued up what felt like a never-ending staircase. By the time we reached the short hall, my calves were burning, which I felt was quite ridiculous, considering I was a Primal god.

A large, winged shape took form in the sky—no, not one. Three. The draken. They broke through the clouds. Brownish-green scales. Ash-colored ones. Purplish-black. Aurelia. Nithe. And the fucker.

“Maybe not tell her to calm,” Attes spoke. “In my experience, that never ends well.”

“Do you have any idea how utterly, unrepentantly irritating you are?” “I do.” “At least you’re self-aware.”

“Don’t be angry with me,” Thorne advised. “I don’t make the rules.” I threw up my arms. “Actually, you do!” “Oh, yeah. I do.” A pause. “Kind of.”

Casteel’s hands were still trembling as he dropped his forehead to mine, his eyes open and wide, the golden hue pierced with swirling streaks of eather and crimson-laced shadows. His throat worked on a swallow, and his lips parted. I placed a finger over them. “I love you, Casteel Da’Neer,” I whispered. “And I will return to you.”

“There’s no honor,” she whispered, but I heard her as I saw the cloak become a death shroud. “There’s no honor in this.”

“Delano?” Fuck. My chest ached as I looked away and gave a curt nod.

Cas…yeah, he was in his asshole era.