Page 219 of Born of Blood and Ash

The goddess grinned.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” Bele shouted. “You don’t lookhalf-dead anymore.”

I flipped her off and walked past the empty pedestal—I reallyneeded to put something on that thing.

Ignoring the new Primal’slaughter, I made my way down the hall. My stomach had stopped turningover. Maybe Bele’s caustic attitude had an oddly calming effect on me.

The doors to Ash’s office were open, and my gaze, likealways, immediately connected with his. He sat with his booted feet resting onthe edge of the desk and one hand on the dark surface. Long fingers tappedslowly as his eyes narrowed slightly. I hoped I didn’t still look pale or,according to Bele, like death warmed over.

Pulling my gaze from Ash’s, I took stock of the office. Theitems I’d requested the day before now occupied some of the space. Twodove-gray chairs had been placed across from the settee, and Saion sat on one.But that wasn’t all. Another end table, this one round, had been positionedbetween the chairs. And they weren’t the only new additions. A table had beenbrought in and put behind the settee, where Rhain sat. Two pitchers and severalglasses were on the narrow stand.

I mouthed thank you to Rhain as I walked throughthe pillared alcove. He gave me a quick nod in return as Ash motioned me to himwith a curled finger.

I walked around the desk, spying a slender black box almostthe length of my forearm on the credenza.

“Attes said he had some news toshare.” Ash dropped his other foot to the floor and took my hand. He tugged medown until I sat in his lap. “We were waiting for you to join us.”

My stomach flipped unsteadily, and the response had nothingto do with my earlier nausea. Still, I breathed in deeply. Fresh citrus andclean air surrounded me—not choking, stale lilacs.

Ash leaned in, speaking low as Rhain rose and retrieved thepitcher from the stand, pouring two glasses of water. “Are you feeling well?”

So I still looked like death warmed over. Great.

Sighing, I nodded.

He kissed my temple before leaning back and turning hisfocus to Attes. “What is your news?” Ash asked, hishand curving over my hip.

“I still have eyes in Dalos,” Attes began. “And I know that Kolis hasn’t been seen atcourt as much as usual.”

Attes still had a spy in Dalos? It wasn’t Elias, who had become one of Kolis’strusted guards. He was now in Attes’s Court. So, whowas it?

The skin beneath my left ear tingled, and an image of agoddess with long, dark hair and rich, brown skin formed in my mind.“Dametria.”

Attes stiffened. “How did you—?”His shoulders relaxed. “Vadentia.”

I nodded. “I met her briefly and thought she acted differentthan the other gods who visited Kolis. She didn’t…” I trailed off as memoriesof how Kolis had put me on display threatened to surface. I didn’t want tothink about any of that. I didn’t need to.

“She didn’t what?” Ash asked quietly.

“She didn’t act like an asshole,” I told him, which wastrue. “She’s safe there?”

“For now,” Attes said. That wasn’texactly reassuring. “Word is his favorite golden fuck has been runninginterference for him, along with Varus.”

I knew the golden fuck was Callum, but the second one wasunfamiliar.

“Varus of Kithreia?” Ash stiffenedbehind me as Attes nodded. “My father entombed him.”

“I know. I aided him in doing so, along with…my brother.” Attes picked up his glass and drank deeply. “I believe hemust’ve escaped when Veses had her draken attack the Red Woods.”

Rhahar cursed. “We checked anddouble-checked to make sure we got all those who were entombed.”

“We must’ve assumed he was one of the ones killed withoutmuch left behind,” Rhain said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. We should—”

“It’s okay.” Ash lifted a hand. “It would be impossible toknow for sure that all who escaped were recaptured. The blame for this does notlay at the feet of anyone in this room.”

It was Veses’ fault.

Anger sparked, causing eather tothrob hotly through me. A charge of energy stroked the air, drawing the Primals’ gazes to me.

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