Page 295 of Born of Blood and Ash

“I would have what you and my nephew have.” Kolis inhaleddeeply. “But you had to be this way. You had to ruin everything. You had totest me.”

Without even looking, he threw out his left hand. A bolt ofcrimson-and-black eather streamed out, thick likeoil, striking the draken. Its scream stole my breath,its wings crumbling before it fell.

“You just had to make it difficult.” He rested his foreheadagainst mine and sighed. “So, now I’m going to make it difficult.”

I swung my arm, grabbing a fistful of his hair. Strandssnapped when I jerked his head back. “Do you ever not blame yourself foranything? Oh, wait. You have. You blame yourself for your brother’s death.”

His lips peeled back in a snarl. “You have no idea whatyou’re talking about.”

“You and I both know that’s bullshit, Kolis,” I hissed. “Youloved him. He loved you. And you murdered him.”

“Shut up.”

“By accident,” I spat.

Hollow bone appeared along his jaw. His lips thinned untilthere was no flesh as he leaned back.

“Tell me, Kolis.” I laughed, spitting blood. “Do you reallywant to live? Because I know what I saw when I drove the bone through yourchest. Relief.”

“Shut the fuck up!”

I swung my knee up. Kolis moved at the last second, and theblow connected with his chest. He grunted and released me. I reached for thebone dagger at my thigh, unsheathing it. I thrust out, aiming for the fucker’shead—

Kolis caught my wrist, looked down at what I held, andtilted his head. “Drop it,” he ordered, his voice guttural.

“Fuck you,” I spat, swinging out with my other arm.

“Maybe later.” He caught my left arm. Flesh returned, andthe crimson bone retreated. “I think I’m owed that, aren’t I?”

I struggled to push past his hold. “I thought you werewaiting for Sotoria.”

“I was.” He twisted my right wrist, snapping the bone. Icouldn’t suppress the scream as my fingers sprang open, and the dagger slippedfree. “It’s not like I’d be betraying Sotoria. Idon’t desire you or your body. I desire your pain and submission. Yourhumiliation. And since I know her soul is in The Star, I also know she’s notout there waiting for me.”

“Waiting for you?” I gasped, my arm throbbing. “You meanhiding from you, willing to end her life to escape you?”

Kolis turned sharply, throwing me like a sack of potatoes. Ihit the floor, crashing into stone. I groaned when thudding agony rolledthrough my right arm. I couldn’t move as I felt the essence slipping from mychest and pooling in my stomach.

I really should’ve listened to Holland.

“You and I are really going to need to work on watching thatmouth of yours.” Kolis was kneeling over me before I could even move. Hegrabbed my nape and flipped me onto my back. “Because you and I?” He caught mywrists, grinding the broken bones together as he pinned my arms above my head.He straddled my legs, trapping them. “We’re going to be spending a lot of timetogether.”

“Get off me, you piece of shit!” I screamed, eather flickering frantically. He switched the hold on mywrists to one hand. “Get off me—”

He slapped his free hand down on my mouth, his fingers morebone than flesh and cutting into my skin. “I have a feeling I’m going to haveto cut out your tongue, and that would be a shame. I’m sure once Kyn finisheswith his brother, he’ll want a taste of that sharp tongue.” A spasm shudderedthrough him as he rolled his neck. “I need you to listen to me when I tell youhow this will go.”

I glared at him, wishing my stare could burn him alive.

“First and foremost, you will give me The Star,” he said.“But that will no longer satisfy me. You will give me more than that.”

I strained against his hold, rage choking me.

“You will give me retribution,” he whispered, blood drippingfrom his throat onto my face, even though the wound had healed. “I will keepyou alive until Sotoria matures, and then I willdrain every drop of blood and essence from you and rise as the Primal of Ashand Blood.” He lowered his head, and my body went rigid. I felt his fangsagainst my throat. “That will take years, Seraphena. Years.And in those years, you will feel what I have. What it’s like to have the onething you only ever wanted repeatedly taken from you. Do you know how thatfeels? You should have gotten a taste of it since I’ve already begun.” Helifted my upper body when I didn’t answer and slammed me back down. My headcracked off the floor. He removed his hand from my mouth. “Do you?”

“Fuck off!” I shouted as panic, icy and slick, coated myskin, and my vision blinked in and out. I couldn’t pass out. I couldn’t.

Kolis gripped my chin. Snow fell in larger flakes, comingdown faster. “Every day without her kills a piece of me,” he said, real emotioncreeping into his voice, thickening it. “And I want that for you. Iwant you to drown in it. Choke on it. I want each and every day you live to becoated in sorrow and regret, while knowing you could’ve prevented it by givingher to me.” He slammed my head back once more, and my vision faded again. “Iwant Nyktos’s death.”

My heart stopped, and my struggles ceased. “No,” I seethed,feeling the essence trying to rise. “I will not allow it.”

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