The War of Two Queens (Blood And Ash, #4)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“So if Kolis hadn’t taken Eythos’s essence, and Nyktos had eventually become the Primal of Life as he should have, then Malec and Ires would’ve been Primals?” Casteel reasoned. “But they weren’t because it took a female descendant to be born first?” Nektas nodded, and I was glad that Casteel understood that because I wasn’t sure I did. “But what does that have to do with preventing this?” Kieran asked. Nektas’s gaze shifted to me. “Because what Nyktos and the Consort did to stop Kolis—what balance the Fates demanded—meant there could be no more Primals born. The why behind that, well, there’s not enough time in the realms to go into that,” Nektas said. “But Nyktos was supposed to be the last born Primal, and the Consort would be the last Primal born of mortal flesh. You,” he said quietly, “were never supposed to be.” “Sorry?” I whispered. The draken cracked a small grin. It was brief, but I saw it. “The plotting that brought about your creation is not something you should apologize for,” he said, his voice softening. “Malec and Ires were already well on their way to being born by that point. But what was done to stop Kolis meant that Malec and Ires could never risk children. Malec did anyway, but that…that is Malec,” he said with a sigh. “We all got lucky before.” “Because it meant risking having a daughter.” My skin chilled. “That’s why they stayed in Iliseeum.” “Until they didn’t.” Nektas’s gaze flicked to the night sky. “They were not forbidden to come here. They were ...