Page 166 of Born of Blood and Ash

No one else.

I lifted my hand, and the essence responded immediately tomy summons. I understood the downside of using the essence, but these furrybastards were hunting my heartmate. And if I had to choose between himand anything—anyone—else, I would always choose him.

Bands of gold-tipped silvery light sparked, swirling down myarm. My will formed in my mind, and within a second, it transformed into rawenergy. Eather erupted from my fingertips, forming several torrents of hissing,twisting gold-and-silver energy bolts. The tendrils of eathersnaked through the air, casting flickering light and shadows across the grass.

Ash whipped around as a kynakoslaunched itself at him. The first current of eatherslammed into the beast, and because I willed it a quick, soundlessdeath, the Dog of War was snuffed out. Obliterated.

“Fuck,” rasped Ash, tracking the essence as my gaze flickedto the right. Eather caught a kynakos mid-jumpas a branch of energy spun between him and Nektas,arcing and then diving—

Attes swore, springing towardLailah. He grabbed her around the waist.

“What the—?” she exclaimed as he lifted and spun her awayfrom the tendrils of eather. “Was that evennecessary?”

Attes held her several feet offthe ground. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Coils of crackling essence formed a web and streaked abovethe grass, fanning out in every direction. The moment the energy brushed upagainst a kynakos, it wasextinguished in a flash of bright light, leaving nothing behind but a shower ofglittering dust. That, too, disappeared.

The field was empty, but I didn’t call the eather back to me. The twists of pulsing power reared back,poised to strike.

“Liessa,” Ash said,coming up the veranda steps. “I think you got them all.”

Nodding, I scanned the forest once more, seeing nothing. Thesharp, uncomfortable feeling of apprehension had eased. It wasn’t completelygone, but it was nothing like before.

My heart still pounded, but I released the eather. The strands of essence flickered out. I met Ash’sstare as he approached. “They were after you.”

Ash’s jaw hardened as he hooked an arm around my shouldersand drew me to his chest. He pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“Fucking Kolis,” Lailah growled.

“I don’t think that was him,” Attessaid, and I frowned. “And trust me, I’m not giving him a pass, but he’s neverdemanded that we use the kynakos todo his bidding.”

“There’s always a first,” Nektasmuttered.

“Yeah, there is.” Attes’s voicewas closer. “But it’s more likely that my brother was trying to earn Kolis’spraise.”

Fury rose in my chest as I pulled away from Ash and facedthe other Primal. “I really do not like your brother.”

He thrust his fingers through his hair. “Don’t blame you.”

“I assume you realize that summoning Kyn for the meeting isoff the table now,” Ash stated, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t givea fuck about proving shit to him.”

Attes nodded and dropped his hand.“I understand,” he said, his voice heavy. “And I agree.”

A pang of sorrow sliced through my chest. I wished it wasn’tthis way for Attes.

Lailah cleared her throat. “You said you had a feeling thatdrove you here?” she asked, glancing in Attes’sdirection. The Primal was staring off toward the forest. “Was it like the vadentia?”

“The answer to that will have to wait,” Ash said before Icould reply. “I need to speak with my wife.”

My belly did a series of little wiggles and flops as Idragged my gaze from the bushes. I didn’t know if I should be worried.

Or excited.

Ash’s voice dropped, sounding full of smoldering flames ashe added, “In private.”

Excited.

I was definitely feeling excited as my eyes lockedon his molten silver gaze. But there were important things to discuss. Lots ofthings. Ignoring his rich scent, I forced myself to act responsibly. “We needto talk about what just happened—”

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