Page 118 of Born of Blood and Ash

His forehead dropped against mine, and he swallowed hard.“He’s going to ask about Sotoria.”

“I know.” I closed my eyes. “There’s no way Kolis stillbelieves I’m her. He would be dead if I was, and he knows that. He…” The lookon his face as I drove the Ancient bone into him took shape.

“What?” Ash pressed quietly.

I shook my head. I couldn’t say what I thought I’d seen inKolis’s expression. Resignation? Maybe even relief. It made me uncomfortable toeven think about it. “He doesn’t know where Sotoria’ssoul is.”

“And we need to use that to our benefit. He needs to believethat it is still in you,” he said, his body chilling against and inside mine.“Do and say whatever you need to convince him of such.”

I kissed him, knowing how much it took for him to say that.I knew that taking what protection it offered me cut him up and would keepslicing at him. I hated this. All of it.

He gently separated our bodies and lowered me to the floor,ensuring I was steady before he pulled up his pants and then fixed mine.Neither of us spoke as he worked the legging up my leg and then straightenedthe dark gray blouse and vest I wore. When he was done, he smoothed the sidesof my hair back, then tilted my chin until our eyes met.

Ash swept his thumb across my cheek. “Promise me,” he said.“Promise me that whatever Kolis says or does, you won’t let it leave a mark.”

“I promise.”

Splitting open the realm to travel from one locationto another in a matter of seconds was what Ash had done in the past. It was aform of shadowstepping that only Primalsand the oldest gods were capable of. And, of course, the Ancients. I justhadn’t realized that was what Ash had been doing. I’d always closed my eyes,and even if I had kept them open, I probably wouldn’t have been able to seepast the whirling shadows.

I didn’t close my eyes when the Ancient took my hand and thevery fabric of the realm peeled back, revealing the shimmering, golden clusterof trees just beyond the City of the Gods and Cor Palace.

The very trees that Aios hadcreated with her touch.

Glancing up at the graceful, sweeping branches and theglistening, fan-shaped leaves, I wondered if she would grow them in theShadowlands now. I hoped so. They were beautiful, and I would never expect Aios to step foot in Dalos again.

Lowering my gaze, I peered through the sun-dappled trees.Nighttime had already come to pass between the time I’d been here and now. Theair was still balmy, but it smelled even more of stale lilacs.

Of Death.

My lip curled as I shut down my emotions, locking them away.I didn’t don the veil of nothingness, though. I would never do that again. Ijust became another part of who I was. A colder, calmer version of me.

“Let’s get this over with.” I started walking forward, mysteps making no sound.

“Seraphena.”

I stopped.

“We need to speak first.”

I counted to five, though not because I was anxious. Iwasn’t walking out of these trees as I had the first time. I was irritated withthe delay. “I don’t want to linger.” I faced the Ancient. “I need to return tothe Shadowlands as soon as possible.”

“Before your husband does something he’ll regret?”

Well, yeah, that was the number-two reason. I doubted he’dleft for Vathi, and the longer I was here, the more likely it was that he’d dosomething. But the number-one reason? “I didn’t have such a great experiencethe last time I was in Dalos. I don’t want to spend amoment longer here than necessary.”

There it was again. A barely noticeable flinch in the skinaround his eyes. “Nor do I.”

“Then get on with it,” I said before I could remind myselfexactly what I was speaking to. “And I mean that in the most respectful waypossible.”

His lips curved slightly. “Holland warned me about you.”

I stiffened, unsure how to respond. I had no idea if all theAncients knew about his involvement or that thin, gray line Holland oftenwalked.

“He warned me that you could have an…assertive personality,”he continued. “I believe he said, ‘aggressively assertive.’”

I winced. “I can’t exactly deny that.”

Aydun eyed me. “I’m not sure Holland knows you as well as hethinks he does, though. I expected more of a fight from you than Nyktos. He’s always been calm. Practical. You, on the otherhand…” Another emotionless, tight smile appeared. “But that is what emotiondoes.”

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