Page 316 of Born of Blood and Ash

He kissed the top of my head. “Yes.”

“What if I take the CallastaIsles?” I said. “I know it’s never been done before, but that has to be betterthan what feels like genocide that leaves no one but orphans behind—childrenwho will then grow up, likely hating us for slaughtering their parents withoutreally giving them a chance to be able to change.”

“Giving them a chance can leave us vulnerable to rebellionand attacks,” he said, finding a curl.

I thought about that. “I’d rather deal with that thanproceed as if it’s a foregone conclusion.”

“I would prefer that also,” he said, wrapping the strandaround his finger. “As long as we know we cannot continue to tolerate attacks.”

“Yeah, I know.” Sunlight crept over the interior walls. “Butmaybe there will be a god we can trust to rise at some point.”

“One can hope,” he said warily.

I trailed my fingers down his forearm, tracing the tendonsand bone. “We need to remove as many of Kolis’s allies as we can before goingafter him. Once that’s done, we’ll have to…what did Attessay? Be the ones to act and not the ones to react?”

“Yes.” He straightened the curl out. “What are youthinking?”

“I’m thinking there is no way there won’t be a clash ofarmies, no matter what we do. I can only hope that Ez—”I sucked in a reedy breath as Ash’s arm tightened around me. I pushed throughthe burn of grief. “I can only hope Ezra was able to warn the other kingdoms toprepare or that they will after what happened in Lasaniaand Terra.”

Ash’s arm tightened even more, and that also made it hard topush through the burn. I cleared my throat. “It’s not like Kolis won’t knowwhat we’re up to.”

Ash let the curl bounce into its normal shape. “He willstrike back quickly.”

“We still need the upper hand. Something that will catch himoff guard. And we already have it.”

Ash didn’t even need to guess. “Sotoria.”

I nodded.

“He is also unaware of what we’ve been doing in Oak Ambler,”he said. “That will be finished any day now.”

“Yes.” I sat up, not leaving his embrace but meeting hisgaze. “But we need to draw him out and away from everyone else. He won’t expectus to hand The Star over, and even if he suspects it to be some sort of trick,he’ll still come. He’ll do anything to get her back.”

“As disgusting and disturbing as that is, it’s the truth.”

But there was another truth.

The one thing I hadn’t opened up to Ash about yet. The onlything left unsaid between us but something that had occupied my thoughts fromthe moment I knew Sotoria’s soul was inside me andwhat it meant.

I took a deep breath. “But I cannot allow him to have her.”

A slight frown pulled at Ash’s brows. “I didn’t expect youwould.”

I placed my hand on his chest. “I also can’t allow Sotoria to be forced into another life where she has nocontrol. One where she runs the risk of Kolis somehow escaping his entombmentand getting his hands on her before she can end him.” What Kolis wanted both ofus to suffer replayed in my mind. “I…I never want him to see her again.”

His eyes widened. “I want that, too. Fates, do I ever. Butshe is the only one who can end him.”

“But it’s not fair to Sotoria,” Isaid. “For her to be reborn yet again, only to have to deal with Kolis oncemore.”

“Not if we do it right.” Ash disentangled his fingers frommy hair. “For Sotoria to be successful, Kolis justhas to be conscious, not free.”

“And you think it will be that easy? That it will be assimple as waking him long enough for Sotoria toplunge a bone dagger through his heart?” I challenged. “We don’t know that.What we do know is that the moment Kolis sees Sotoriaas he remembers her, he will tear himself limb from limb to get to her. I don’twant to risk that.”

A moment passed. “Then what do you suggest?”

“What we already planned to do until Sotoriawas ready. Entomb Kolis,” I told him. “Look, the Ancients have been entombedfor thousands of years and are more powerful than he is. There is no reason wecan’t do that and then release Sotoria’s soul so shecan find peace. He won’t be dead. Balance will remain. You will still be aPrimal of Death and the King.”

“I don’t care about being King or a true Primal. That’s notmy concern.” Dragging his fangs over his lower lip, he turned his head. “You’reright. There’s no reason we can’t do that.”

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