Page 124 of Born of Blood and Ash

“They are only a slight improvement,” he answered. “Theyhave souls.”

My gaze flew back to his. I wasn’t expecting him to saythat.

“But neither were enough to keep the balance once you wereborn,” he continued. “If you had died during your Ascension, taking the lasttrue embers of life with you, what Nyktos saw in hisvision would’ve come to fruition.”

A chill broke out across my skin.

“He would’ve caused the Ancients in all the lands, both hereand beyond the Primal Veil, to awaken,” Aydun said. “Between him, his father,and his uncle, Nyktos is the one who came the closestto destroying the realms.”

I stiffened. “But he didn’t.”

“He could have.”

“He did what he did because he loves me,” I insisted, angerrising once more.

“Selfishly,” the Ancient tacked on. “He loves you selfishly,therefore risking the lives of nearly all who walk these realms.” Stars burnedin his eyes. “We got to where we are today because of another who loved soselfishly.”

I stepped toward the Ancient without thinking. “Do not evercompare him to Kolis.”

“I am not comparing them,” he replied, utterly unbothered bymy fury. “I’m pointing out what that kind of love is capable of.”

“How…how can someone so old be so wrong?” I said, shaking myhead. “What you’re trying to compare? What Ash and I feel for one another andwhat Kolis felt for Sotoria? They are two verydifferent things.”

Aydun frowned, his head cocking. “How so?”

“What Kolis feels for Sotoria isan obsession.”

“And there is a difference?” Curiosity filled his tone.

I stared at him, my mouth slightly agape. “How am I onceagain explaining what love is to a man who is fucking old enough to knowbetter?”

Aydun looked even more confused.

“My gods,” I muttered, searching for the kind of patienceAsh had. “The difference is that I feel the same way for Nyktosas he does for me. Yeah, maybe he’s obsessed with me, but I am also obsessedwith him. It’s consensual. Mutual. What that is?” I jabbed a finger inthe direction of the golden curtains. “Is one-sided and twisted. Rot not muchdifferent than what affected my homeland. It’s ugly. What Kolis feels isselfish, and I know firsthand just how wrong what he feels is.” Istepped back, my throat thickening. “What Nyktosfeels for me? It’s beautiful. A miracle. It’s…it’s hope.” I blinkedtears from my eyes. “And I’m truly sorry that there are people, be themAncients, gods, or mortals, who don’t know there is a difference.”

Aydun stared at me as I had done with him seconds ago,looking completely flummoxed.

And I didn’t have the time or the desire to explain further.

Checking my emotions, I turned and entered the hall,glancing at one of the alcoves. No soft moans or deep groans came from themtoday, but a low hum of conversation drifted out from the chamber ahead, as didthe sounds I expected to hear from the alcoves. My jaw clenched as my attentionshifted there when the thud of awareness in my chest increased. The shadowstone dagger I’d helped myself to provided morecomfort than the Primal essence did. Right or wrong, I was far more used towielding a blade than eather. Maybe that would changesomeday, but for now, the feeling of the hilt digging into my back gave mestrength as I pushed the curtains aside and stepped inside the wide, circularchamber. I came to a complete stop. It wasn’t the Primal present that haltedme, even though I should be focused on him.

It was the source of the raspy moans and groans.

My skin prickled as my gaze swept over the gold-paintedceiling, past the armored guards lining the walls, to the deep couches andsettees sitting in front of the curtained windows of the atrium. They weremostly empty, except for a handful near the raised, columned dais framed by twoclosed archways. There weren’t just gods on those couches with their facesburied in necks or between thighs.

My eyes locked with ones that had been warm brown but werenow pitch-black with only a flicker of light deep within them. Gods, Irecognized the fine features forever frozen in youth.

It was the Chosen I’d seen Kolis turn. Jove.

Aydun nearly walked into me as he entered the chamber, but Icouldn’t pull my eyes from Jove as my heart thumped.

What had Gemma said about the Chosen who disappeared? Somereturned as something else—a cold creature never seen in the daylight.

The Ancient had said the Ascended had souls, but the eyeslatched onto mine appeared vacant of such.

Jove’s eyes closed as he drank deeply from a god’s throat.The god’s head fell back with a heavy, guttural moan echoed by another—a femalegoddess half-sprawled on the couch beside them, her golden gown hiked up to herwaist. A pale head was nestled between her thighs.

I couldn’t believe Jove was here. Not much time had passedsince he’d been turned, and Kolis had made it sound like it could possibly takemonths for the Ascended to learn how to control their bloodlust and be trusted.

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