Page 194 of Born of Blood and Ash

“What does Sotoria have to do withthis prophecy?” Ash asked.

“Everything,” Keella said in avoice barely above a whisper. “She is, after all, the Harbinger and theBringer.”

“Of Death and Destruction?” My insides flashed cold. Iwasn’t expecting that. Nor did it feel right.

“She is not death and destruction,” Keellasaid, putting her cup on the table. “At least given what Eythosand I understood of the vision.”

Ash’s eyes narrowed. “Then her being a harbinger and abringer means she is…what? A warning?”

Keella’s chest rose with a shallowbreath. “Where she goes, death and destruction follow.”

Tension crept into my muscles. “Kolis.”

“He is the true Primal of Death, who often has a habit ofcreating destruction,” Keella said. “Does he not?”

“Then neither Penellaphe nor Koliswas right about the order of the prophecy. Because Sotoria’stime…” No, Sotoria’s time hadn’t truly passed. Hersoul was still alive. She could be reborn. “Did you know there was more to theprophecy than what Penellaphe saw?”

She nodded. “Only because Eythosdid.”

“And how did my father come to learn the information?”

“He, like his brother, heard the dreams of the Ancients,”she said, clasping her hands once more. “Eythos saidit was all they dreamed until they stopped.”

“Stopped dreaming?” I asked.

She nodded.

I placed my cup on the table but didn’t sit back. “I’m notsure why that creeps me out, but it does.”

“Do you know the order?” Ash asked as he began rubbing thecenter of my back.

“I do not speak it. Call me superstitious, but I fear doingso breathes life into it.” She stood. “One moment.”

We watched her go to a narrow cabinet along the wall andopen a drawer. As she stood still, her hand moving quickly across a piece ofparchment she had pulled out, Ash ran his hand up under my hair to clasp theback of my neck. I looked over at him.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded, thinking about what he had shared with me lastnight. I didn’t want him to worry, so I smiled, even though my chest ached justthinking about what Ash had told me. What Kolis had put him through wasunimaginable. And, gods, a part of me hoped he refused the deal becausestripping him of power wasn’t enough. It wasn’t the kind of justice I wanted todish out.

And that was a good indication that my wholeour-vengeance-can’t-be-more-important-than-the-lives-of-others speech was awhole lot of, well…bullshit.

Also, it was an on-the-nose example of why I wasn’t cut outfor the true Primal of Life stuff.

Because I also wanted to kill Kyn. Really badly.

Why did that bastard have to tell Ash what Kolis had offeredwhen I was at Dalos? Better yet, how could anyonefind pleasure in doing so?

Ash dipped his head and kissed my temple.

Keella returned to us, holding theparchment. Dropping his hand, Ash took it and held it so we could both read it.

“Your penmanship is beautiful,” I murmured.

“Thank you.” Keella returned toher seat.

Taking a shallow breath, I began reading the prophecy.

From the desperation of golden crowns and born of mortalflesh, a great primal power rises as the heir to the lands and seas, to theskies and all the realms. A shadow in the ember, a light in the flame, tobecome a fire in the flesh. For the one born of the blood and the ash, thebearer of two crowns, and the bringer of life to mortal, god, and draken. A silver beast with blood seeping from its jaws offire, bathed in the flames of the brightest moon to ever be birthed, willbecome one.

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