Page 186 of Born of Blood and Ash

“Look, I get it.” Kyn drew back, his body moving in adisturbingly serpentine manner. “Kolis took your mother. Your father.” Hesmiled. “Then your Consort.”

The shadows stilled around Ash.

“Of course, you’re angry. You’ve always been angry. But you,brother? You may feel a little regret here and there, but you live. You stillprospered. All because of Kolis. All because he kept the balance.”

“Balance he had to maintain because of hisactions,” Attes argued, his eyes wide. “Are youfucking serious right now?”

Kyn smirked. “Not to sound cliché, but I’m deadly serious.”

“And you’re also worried,” I said. “I remember what you saidto Kolis. You were concerned that his idea of creating life wouldn’t continueto maintain the balance.”

Kyn stiffened. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I laughed. “Yeah, you do. You tried to hide just howconcerned you were in front of Kolis because you’re afraid of him.”

“And you’re not?”

“Who wouldn’t be?” Shadows throbbed around us.

Kyn stared at me for a moment. “Brother, did you swear anoath to her?”

My muscles locked up as Nektasedged closer to me, his hair shielding his face as he dipped his chin.

“I did.” Attes grabbed hisbrother. “Before she Ascended and rose as the true Primal of Life. Before the eirini.”

“And what exactly do you think she can do for you? For Iliseeum?” Kyn’s laugh sounded like blades being draggedagainst each other. “She is a mortal.”

My brows lifted as Saion sighed. “She is not quite mortalany longer.”

“It’s kind of embarrassing that you even have to statethat,” Ash drawled.

Kyn shoved Attes back once more tofully face Ash. “You want to know what’s embarrassing, Nyktos?”

Attes held up a hand. “Don’t sayanother word.”

“No.” Ash’s voice was soft, his lips curving into a smile ascool wind blew through the throne room. The faint sound of crackling came fromthe walls as the candles were snuffed out. “Please, continue.”

“You.” Kyn tilted his head. “I’m embarrassed foryou.”

Attes paled. “Shut the fuck up,Kyn.”

“Because you stand here,” Kyn continued, his wordsslithering over my skin, “beside her. When only a few weeks ago, yourConsort was Kolis’s whore.”

My heart stopped. Everything in and around me did.

“And I cannot wait for Kolis to fulfill his promise to me,and she becomes my—”

Ash was a blur of shadows and icy rage, slamming into Kyn ina heartbeat. He had shifted, his skin the color of midnight streaked with puresilver bolts of eather. Twin, sweeping arcs similarto the wings of a draken rose as Ash lifted Kyn intothe air. Attes was shouting, but all I heard was thewet splatter of shimmery, bluish-red blood and tissue against the stone floor.

Ash had driven his hand through Kyn’s stomach.

The Primal of Peace and Vengeance roared, his body jerking.Blood splattered the table.

“Stop this!” Attes yelled as Thierran reached for his bottle of wine, yanking it clearof the carnage.

Kyn’s flesh turned a deep shade of stone gray. Leatherywings sprouted from his back, and he gripped Ash by the arms.

“Don’t worry,” Kyn spat, shaking Ash off. He flew back, thejagged tear in his stomach healing. “I’ll give her back to you,” he said, and Iflinched.

---