Page 314 of Born of Blood and Ash

“It is when I’m okay.” I sat back in the chair, resting myhands on the arms. “We need to decide what we’re doing. I’m pretty sure Kolisis still in stasis, but I doubt he will be for much longer. We need to…”

Wiping his fingers, he then tossed the napkin onto hisplate. “Strike before he awakens?”

I nodded. “That’s what I should’ve agreed to when we firsthad this conversation.”

His eyes found mine. “What you decided the first time wasn’twrong, Sera.”

My fingers pressed onto the wooden arms. “Can I ask yousomething? And will you give me your honest answer?”

“Always.”

I swallowed. “When you agreed to try to go the somewhatpeaceful route first, was that what you really wanted? Or did you agree becauseit was what I suggested?”

“That’s a question with a complicated answer.” He rested hiselbow on the arm of his chair. “I, too, wanted to avoid a full-scale war. Toomany people would’ve died, both here and in the mortal realm. That’s why Iagreed.”

“But?”

He was quiet for a moment. “But you know what I thought.That once Kolis felt truly threatened, he would strike out.” He drew his thumbover his chin. “I just prayed it would not be in the manner in which he did.”

Swallowing again, I nodded once more.

“So, yes, I did agree because it was the right route to go,”he continued. “I had my reservations, especially about the deals, but that isin the past. There’s no point in dwelling there. We don’t have time for that.”

I exhaled slowly. “Agreed.”

He took a drink of his coffee. “You said last night that youwere now going to be yourself. You. Not who you thought you should be. I thinkI know the answer, but I want to hear it from you. How do you think weshould proceed?”

I didn’t even have to think about it. “I think we should gostraight to Dalos and take out anyone who stands inour way.”

“That’s what I thought.” He set his cup down. “But that willnot work. As of right now, we still do not know who our allies are, and Kolis’sarmies outnumber ours, even with you Ascending Penellaphe.”

I tensed. “You’ve gotten an update from Lotho?”

“Thierran gave me a brief updatewhen he returned last night,” he said. “Nearly half the army has defected andfled to Dalos.”

I closed my eyes. Our numbers were closer to Kolis’s, but hestill had more unless a Primal like Phanos joined us.“I wonder if Thierran settled all the scores heneeded to,” I murmured.

Ash’s brows rose. “Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not.” The royal blue tunic I’d donned settledaround my thighs as I rose from the chair and walked toward the open balconydoors. My gaze fell on the sunlight reflecting off the Rise walls. “We stillneed to summon the Primals.”

“Agreed.”

“We need to do that today.” I crossed my arms over my chest.“And we need to summon all the Primals, including Kynand Veses. I want to make a statement.”

I didn’t even have to finish what I was saying. Ash knew,and a savage glint filled his eyes. He nodded and then asked, “Will you be ableto handle that? There are rules when all the Primalsare summoned into one’s home. They cannot be harmed unless it is inself-defense.”

“It won’t be easy. I…I may need your help with stayingcalm,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks burn.

He raised a brow. “You do realize I’m not the best person torely on when it comes to that son of a bitch and keeping calm.”

“You will stop yourself. You’ve done it before,” I remindedhim.

His eyes flashed with luminous eather.“That was before.”

Before he knew everything.

“We won’t mess this up. We will make sure we controlourselves,” he said after a moment. “Are we still planning to establish acouncil of sorts after Kolis is dealt with?”

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