Page 119 of Born of Blood and Ash

“I disagree with that.”

“Of course, you do. You were once mortal. That is not a partof you that you can carve out.” He said it like he pitied me. “But you calmedquicker than Nyktos did. You understood. I didn’texpect that.”

I frowned. “Exactly what did Holland tell you?”

“Enough.”

Shaking my head, I pushed my hair back. “I think the truthis that I didn’t really know Holland.”

“You know him better than most.”

Then why isn’t he the one here? I didn’t ask that.It felt like it revealed too much. “His eyes looked nothing like yours.”

“That’s because your mind was incapable of seeing him forwhat he was,” he explained as my brows inched up my forehead. “Only the truePrimal of Life and the true Primal of Death possess the knowledge to see a Fatefor what we are.”

The fact that we could see them as they were because we knewwhat they were…kind of made sense. “I don’t think you wanted to talk to meabout Holland.”

“No.” He came forward, his feet gliding over thegrass and mossy rock. “I have seen all the possible tomorrows. Some will surelycome, and others are still unwritten. There are so many possibilities.”

I dragged my gaze to his. The blue swirled into the green ofhis eyes. “Okay?”

“So many small choices can alter the outcome, as you arealready well aware,” he said, and my skin pimpled. “Something small andinsignificant can change the course of the realms. That is why the future isnever fully written.”

I nodded slowly. “Pretty sure I’ve heard this before, so—”

“But there are possibilities that become events written inthe essence of the realms,” he said, his voice lowering as my breath snagged.“A series of steps and choices that will inevitably lead to only one outcome.”The brown sliced through the blue as the stars grew in his eyes. “If war breaksout among the Primals, the balance will be unsettledin ways that will have dire consequences.” The stars in his eyes brighteneduntil they were almost painful to look at. “My brethren who went to ground willbe disturbed.”

A chill swept down my spine despite the humid wind. “Theywill awaken?”

“Consciousness will return to the oldest and strongest ofthem. That is no small step, but one of many that will lead to theirAwakening.” His head tilted. “Just as Kolis’s betrayal of his brother was astep. What Eythos did altered it, but it was anotherstep. The blood you took from Nyktos was one more.”

I drew back, my skin warming. “I didn’t realize Ancientswere such…lurkers.”

“There is a lot you don’t realize.”

Impatience snapped at me. “Why do I have a feeling you won’tfill me in on all those things?”

“Balance,” he purred. “But what I can tell you is that somethings are inevitable. Eythos saw this, and he had aplan.”

I crossed my arms. “And what a great plan that turned out tobe.”

“And you have a plan.”

I laughed then, the sound biting. “I’m not sure what planyou think I have beyond figuring out a way to get rid of Kolis—”

“It’s more than just him,” he cut in. “Trust yourinstincts.”

“You mean the vadentia?”

“I mean…” he said, pressing a finger to my chest, just belowmy collarbone.

I swatted his hand away. I couldn’t have stopped myself fromdoing it even if I’d wanted to.

He was unfazed. “Your instincts.”

“All right,” I said, staring at him. I supposed he wastalking about my gut instincts. “Thanks for…whatever this was.”

The churning colors in his eyes slowed. “Preventing this warwas a thread not seen, but neither were you originally. Do you understand whatthat means?”

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