Page 196 of Born of Blood and Ash

Attes rose from where he satbefore Ash’s desk and faced me. “I didn’t get a chance to do this, but I needto apologize for my brother’s behavior—”

“Let me stop you right there,” I interrupted. “You’re thelast person who needs to apologize for him. You’re not responsible for what hehas done, and his behavior does not reflect upon you.”

Attes exhaled heavily, nodding.“Thank you.” He cleared his throat and returned to his seat. “Nyktos was just telling me you guys might have found ananswer to one of our most pressing problems.”

“Yeah.” I sat on the edge of the desk, not liking the ideaof talking to Attes’s back if I had chosen thesettee. We really needed more chairs. “Is this the first you’ve heard of celastite?”

“It is.” Attes leaned back,resting one leather-encased ankle atop the other knee. “Kind of ironic that thelocation of where the Ancients first arrived can nullify their essence.”

“I’m sure it has something to do with balance and makes nosense,” I remarked.

“Saion is heading out to Oak Ambler today to see if he canlocate the caverns,” Ash shared. “Crolee is goingwith him. If he can find them, he’ll see how deep they are.”

“We don’t want Kolis any place near the surface,” I added.“The last thing we want is for someone to stumble upon him.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Attes said.“I can send some of my gods to help if we need to go deeper.”

“That would be good. Thank you,” Ash said, and I was happyto hear those two words come out of his mouth.

Saion and Rhain showed up then, and Attesrose to leave and wrangle a few of his most trusted gods.

As Ash spoke with Rhain and Saion, I followed Attes out into the hall. I’d thought of something duringour quick meeting—something I believed he could answer for me.

There was also something I wanted to say to him.

Attes raised an eyebrow as I fellinto step beside him. “You do realize that your husband will likely make goodon his earlier threat when he realizes you are out here with me.”

I smiled. “He wouldn’t.”

Attes sent me a knowing look.

“I won’t let him,” I amended. “There’s something I wanted toask you. In private.”

As we walked, Attes ran hisfingers over his chest. A faint ripple of silvery light washed over hissleeveless gray tunic, revealing a bronze-and-shadowstonechestplate when it receded.

“Neat ability,” I remarked.

“Isn’t it?” Attes stopped behindone of the chairs from the right side of the table. “It ensures that I amalways prepared for battle. Figured it would be wise to don the armor just incase you’re not faster than Nyktos.” He smiled, butit was a little empty.

I looked up at him. There were deep shadows under his eyes,and I didn’t need the vadentia to tell methe cause. “I’m sorry.”

His head jerked toward me. “For what?”

“For your brother.”

Attes quickly looked away. “Fuck, Seraphena, don’t apologize for him.”

“I know Eythos still loved hisbrother. That was how Kolis was able to kill him.” I stared ahead. “And I knowyou still love yours, even though he’s a fucking asshole.”

He remained silent.

A lump formed in the back of my throat, and tears stung myeyes because there wasn’t a single part of me that doubted Attes’soath to Ash and me, nor the very real likelihood that he would find himselffacing off against his brother.

I cleared my throat. “There is something else I need to tellyou about him.”

He inhaled sharply, his eyes flashing pure silver for aheartbeat. “Did he do something to you? Before Kolis believed you were Sotoria?”

I recoiled, taking a step back. “No. Gods, no. Why would—?Never mind. I know why you would ask that.” My voice was low as my stomachchurned. “You know exactly who your brother is.”

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