Page 171 of Born of Blood and Ash

His lashes shielded his gaze again, but I felt the intensityof his stare upon my breasts and his hand between my thighs. “And?”

Throat dry, I struggled to remember exactly what had beensaid. “That none of it worked out as he planned. They agreed.”

“Who wouldn’t?” Ash questioned. “My father’s plan wasn’twell-thought-out. Clearly.”

“But what if it was, and we were wrong about what heplanned?”

Ash’s exploring fingers stilled, and his lashes lifted.

“What if this—or at least some of this—is what he planned?For me to become the true Primal of Life.”

Ash didn’t speak for a long moment. “If he believed youwould be Sotoria reborn, it would make sense. Youwould be a true weapon and able to fully stand against Kolis.”

“Ward thought there was a chance Eythoswanted you to become the true Primal of Death. That it would be possible byusing The Star,” I told him, watching a crease form between his brows. “Butthat’s the part that didn’t go as planned. I’m not Sotoria,and The Star…”

“Is already in use,” he finished.

My gaze searched his features as seedlings of concern rootedthemselves. “How does that make you feel? The possibility that he might nothave intended for you to be the true Primal of Life.”

The skin between his brows smoothed. “I feel nothing.”

Doubt crept into my tone. “Nothing?”

“Nothing,” Ash confirmed, and the furrow returned. Hestudied me. “Did you think I would be disappointed to learn that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? It should—”

“You’re no longer allowed to say that.” Essence streakedthrough his eyes.

I snapped my mouth shut, mostly out of surprise.

“And I mean that as respectfully as possible,” he tacked on.“It never mattered to me if it was my birthright. What did was stopping Kolis.That was all that mattered to me.”

“Mattered? As in past tense?”

“Yes, liessa, as in pasttense. Because you are the true Primal of Life, and stopping Kolis is no longerall that matters to me,” he said. “You do.”

My lips parted on a soft inhale as I stared up at him.

“And I do mean that, Sera. Everything else is now abyproduct of that. Not a single part of me gives a fuck if that’s wrong.Besides, it sounds to me like we need to transfer his embers to me. With theexception of those embers being death instead of life, that’s what I planned.Yeah, it’s complicated since The Star is in use, but it was complicatedbefore.”

True.

“We need to entomb Kolis until Sotoriais reborn. Then we’ll take the embers.”

My heart sped up. “So, that’s the plan?” It was the mostsensible one. But releasing Sotoria’s soul to bereborn meant she wouldn’t have control over her future. Just like before. Justlike me. I exhaled slowly. “Then you will be the true Primal of Death. And I,the true Primal of Life.”

Ash nodded. “Yes.”

We were in agreement, but I didn’t want that for Sotoria.

“Glad it’s decided,” he said, his voice lowering as he ran along, cool finger along the edge of my undergarment. “What I don’t understandis how this led you to Vathi.”

It took me a moment to think past how that featherlighttouch sent pleasure dancing up and down my spine. When I did, the passioncooled in the rise of unease. “You’re a Primal of no Court.”

His exploration ceased, and his gaze lifted to mine. “Liessa…”

A knot lodged in my chest. “You know what that means. You’vealways known what that would mean.”

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