More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
June 23 - June 30, 2024
I caught a glimpse of the white veil someone handed to her, and it made me think of the white wolf I’d seen by the lake all those years ago when I’d been collecting rocks for whatever bizarre reason I couldn’t remember now. Based on the magnificent size, I’d imagined that he’d been one of the rare kiyou wolves that sometimes roamed the Dark Elms surrounding the grounds of Wayfair Castle. I’d locked eyes with the creature, terrified that it would rip me apart. But all it had done before loping off was look at the pile of rocks in my arms as if I were some sort of idiot child.
“You may not be Chosen, but you were born into this realm, shrouded in the veil of the Primals. A Maiden as the Fates promised. And you shall leave this realm touched by life and death,”
“You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?” Feisty? Little? Thing? I was neither little nor a thing, but I was feeling all kinds of feisty.
I really didn’t care as he drew my head back, as he…kissed me like he wouldn’t allow a single part of my mouth to go unexplored. As if he’d been waiting for ages to do this.
“That was unfair,” I gasped. “And you, liessa, are very brave.” His thumb moved, sweeping over the curve of my jaw. “But, sometimes, one can be too brave.”
When Odetta learned that the Primal hadn’t taken me, she had looked at me with rheumy eyes and said, “Death wants nothing to do with life. None of you can be surprised.”
“What I’m saying is that a Primal or a god can do whatever they please,” he said. “But every cause has an effect. There are always consequences for every action, even if they don’t impact me directly.”
“What does liessa mean?” The god didn’t answer for what felt like a small eternity. “It has different meanings to different people.” The eather pulsed in his eyes, swirling once more through the silver. “But all of them mean something beautiful and powerful.”
Even though it was sweltering in the tower and most likely no better outside, she wore a black, pinstriped short waistcoat over an ivory and cream gown made of the same lightweight cotton. Ezra always seemed immune to the heat and humidity.
I looked over at my stepsister, studying her. There wasn’t even a sheen of sweat on her features. Unreal. “How are you not hot?” I asked. She pulled her attention from the window. “I think it’s comfortable,” she said, her brows pinching as her gaze dropped.
It was a kiyou wolf. They were the largest breed of wolves in all the kingdoms. I’d often heard their calls in the woods, and sometimes even from within the castle. But I’d only seen one up close; when I was half the size I was now. The white wolf.
But I had a soft spot for animals—well, except for barrats. Animals didn’t judge. They didn’t care about worthiness. They didn’t choose to use or hurt another. They simply lived and expected to either be left alone or loved. That was all.
situation, and they probably did set
The vase of lilies crashed. Water spilled as delicate white petals hit the carpet.
“That what you just did is nothing short of a blessing.” She appeared as if she wished to shake me. “You’re a blessing, Sera. No matter what anyone says or believes, you are a blessing. You always have been. You need to know that.”
“Still so defiant, but it’s an act. You’re afraid. Weak. Would you like me to stop? You know what to say.” I turned my head to the side, seeing him through the strands of hair that had slipped free. He was standing behind me. “Tavius,” I said between gritted teeth. “Please…kindly go fuck yourself.”
“I am known as the Asher,” he said, and I shuddered. Is it short for something? I’d asked when he told me his name. It is short for many things. “The One who is Blessed. I am the Guardian of Souls and the Primal God of Common Men and Endings.” His voice traveled through the Great Hall, and absolute silence answered. I could barely force air through my lungs. “I am Nyktos, ruler of the Shadowlands, the Primal of Death.”
My wide eyes shot to the Primal. That kind of power…it was inconceivable. Terrifying and impressive. “Here we go,” Ector murmured.
His eyes met mine. “Do not allow this to leave a mark.” He then turned back to Tavius, kneeling beside him. “You will not die by my hands, but I will have your soul for an eternity to do with as I see fit. And I have a lot of ideas.” He winked as he patted the mortal’s cheek. “Something to look forward to. For both of us.”
“But you spoke with no fear. You acted fearlessly. Each time I saw you,” he continued. “You interested me, and I hadn’t expected that. I didn’t want that. But at that lake, you were just Seraphena,” he said, and my breath snagged at the sound of my name spilling from his lips. It was the first time he’d said it. “And I was just Ash. There was no deal. No perceived obligations. You stayed simply because you wanted to. I stayed only because I wanted to. You let me touch you because that was what you wanted, not because you felt as if you had to. Maybe I should’ve told you, but I was…enjoying
...more
“Godlings?” I repeated, brows pinching. “The offspring of a mortal and a god,” he explained. “If a godling then has a child with a mortal, that child would carry some mark upon them, too, but they would not be a godling.”
“Most godlings are mortal. They carry no essence of the gods in them. Therefore, they live and die just like any other mortal.” I thought of how Ash had said that most godlings lived in Iliseeum. “Do they typically reside in the mortal realm?” “Some do. Others choose to live in Iliseeum. But for those who carry the eather in their blood, it’s usually because their mother or father was a powerful god. That eather is passed down to them.”
“Can Primals and mortals have children?” She shook her head. “A Primal is an entirely different being in that way.”
“So how do some survive, while others don’t?” “It all depends on whether a god assisted the godling,” she said, reaching up to toy with the chain around her neck. “That is the only way a godling survives.” “And how would a god assist them?” She grinned, a mischievous sort of look filling her golden eyes. “You may find such information to be quite scandalous.” “Doubtful,” I murmured. Aios laughed again. “Well, all right, then.” The hem of her flared sweater swished around her knees as she drifted closer. “They need to feed from a god.” I leaned forward. “I assume you do not mean the type of
...more
“Does anything happen to the mortal when a Primal or god feeds off them?” “No. Not if we’re careful. Obviously, a mortal may feel the effects of the feeding more than any of us would, and if we were to take too much, then…well, it would be a tragedy if they were not third sons or daughters.” Her lips tensed. “It’s forbidden to Ascend them—to save them.” Curiosity trickled through me. “Why?” Tension bracketed her mouth. “They would become what we call demis—a being with godlike power that was never meant to carry such a gift…and burden. They are something else.”
“Oh, well, now I know you spoke to Ash.” “Ash?” Ector repeated. His brows rose. “I didn’t know you two were on that kind of name basis.” And he wasn’t? I am not that to you. That was what Ash had said when I’d called him Nyktos.
“Where is he?” “He’s busy at the moment.” “And I imagine he can’t be interrupted?” Ector nodded. “So, what am I supposed to do?” I asked. “Stay in my room until he isn’t busy?” “I’m not entirely sure what you’re supposed to do.” Amber eyes met mine. “And to be honest, I don’t think even he knows what to do with you.”
“What does…meyaah Liessa mean?” That eyebrow seemed to climb even higher. “It means my Queen.” My entire body jolted. “Your Queen?” “Yes.” she drew out the word. “You are the Consort, are you not? That would make you like a Queen.” I understood that, though it seemed weird to even acknowledge. But Ash… Another jolt ran through me. Ash had said liessa meant many things, all something beautiful and powerful. A Queen would be powerful. A Consort was.
“I have a distinct feeling that you probably won’t appreciate the fact that I have more questions,” I started, and a faint trace of humor crept into her otherwise stoic features.
“Beautiful.” Gasping, I whirled around. Ash stood only a few feet from me. He wore all black, the tunic devoid of any embellishments. His hair was down, softening the sharpness of his cheekbones and the hardness of his jaw. Startled by his sudden appearance, I bumped into one of the winged-back chairs. “It is,” I whispered. There was no way I could deny the eerie beauty of the cavernous chamber. “This room is very beautiful.” A tight-lipped smile appeared as his gaze, so much like the starlight, swept over me. “I hadn’t even noticed the room.”
“I forgot to give you this when I saw you last.” He handed it over. “The sheath and strap are adjustable. It should fit.” I stared at the dagger, my heart thundering. He was handing me a weapon that I could use to end his life. The blade he’d given to me.
“That apology sounded like it pained you.” “It did.” I narrowed my eyes. His gaze slid back to mine. “I am sorry, Seraphena.” The way he said my name, my full name… He made it sound like a sin.
“You said your ability to read emotions came from your mother’s bloodline?” “Yes,” he said, picking up his glass. “Her family descended from the Court of Lotho—the Primal Embris’ Court.” Interest sparked. “What was your mother’s name?” “Mycella.”
I nodded as Jadis’s neck vibrated against my finger. Mortals tended to destroy things they’d never seen before or were afraid of.
“I don’t like that you think you can establish rules as if you have the…” Common sense finally seeped in, urging me into silence. Ash arched a brow. “The what, liessa? Like I have what? The authority? Is that what you were going to say? And did you stop yourself because you realized I have exactly that?”
“One of the bravest things to do is to accept the aid of others.”
Love is a beautiful weapon, often wielded as a means to control another. It shouldn’t be a weakness, but that is what it becomes. And those most innocent always pay for it. I’ve never seen anything good come from love.”
“No one can even see me. I doubt he even knows I’m here.” Saion looked down at me, one eyebrow raised. He, like the other two gods, were just as armed as the guards before us. “There is not a single part of Nyktos that doesn’t know exactly where you are.”
“The toxin in your body should be all cleared out by now,” he said. “But if you wish to sit up, I would do so slowly just in case. If you pass out again, it will probably disturb Ash.” Ash. This draken was the first person I’d ever heard refer to the Primal by his nickname.
“Aios
What I’d done in the woods couldn’t have drawn them, could it? They had shown the night in the Dark Elms, after I’d healed the kiyou wolf. But how would they have even known?
It is far easier to be lied to than it is to acknowledge that you have been lied to.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked. He nodded. “In a way.” I took another small step forward. “What does in a way mean?” “In a way that things are okay because I’m alive,” he replied
“How did things go at the Pillars? Were there souls you had to judge yourself?” “There were, and things went both good and bad. It’s never easy making that choice. Life is important, liessa, but what comes after is an eternity. I know many believe that things are black and white. That if you do this or that, you will be rewarded with paradise or punished.” He lifted his hand, brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen against his cheek. “It’s never simple. There are people who do terrible things, but that doesn’t always mean they’re terrible people.”
“I know one thing, liessa. A monster wouldn’t care if they were one.”
“I have never seen him sleep so deeply. Not even when he was just a babe. The slightest sound would wake him.” Surprise rippled through me as the hand under mine remained relaxed and still. “You knew him then?” I asked, completely unable to picture Ash as a babe. “I knew his parents. I called them my friends, and I call Ash one of my own,” he answered, head straightening. His gaze caught mine and held it. “I think I will call you one of my own.” I really had to be asleep. “Why?” “Because you’ve given him peace.”
“You,” Ash whispered, his deep voice hoarse. I looked over at him, and I…I’d never seen him so stunned, so exposed. “You carry an ember of life.”
“I know exactly who you got the ember of life from. The Primal of Life.” I figured that. “Kolis?” There was a harsh sound in the chamber, very possibly a curse, and Ash laughed again, this time colder. “My father.” My entire being focused on him. “What?” “My father was the true Primal of Life.” Ash’s cool fingers touched my cheek. “Until his brother stole it from him. His twin, Kolis.”
After all, my father was the Primal of Life, worshipped and loved by gods and mortals alike.” Nektas nodded. “He was a fair King, kind and generous, and curious by nature. It was him who gave the dragon a mortal form.”
“That kind of power is a blessing, Sera. And it is a curse,” Nektas said, drawing my gaze to his. “Acknowledging that is not a weakness. It has to be a strength, because most would not realize how quickly that power can turn on them.”
