Page 318 of Born of Blood and Ash

The breath I exhaled, while not free of guilt or shame, waslighter. “Thank you for reminding me.”

“I will always remind you of that.” He kissed me again, andI felt like I could float right up to the ceiling. “Before I get everyone inhere, I need to know one thing. Are you going to be okay with all of this whenit’s over? Even the harsh parts?”

I knew what he was talking about. The deaths that would beat both of our hands. “This is different than me losing control, but it willbother me. It’ll haunt you. Both of us. But I have to be okay with it, and…andI will be.”

“So, we’re in agreement, then?” Ash asked, hisfingers tapping softly against the wood. “We summon the Primalstoday and then proceed accordingly.”

Holding the fork with a slice of melon for the little draken in my lap, I smiled faintly as Jadis took the fruitwithout staring the fork down for five minutes.

Progress.

She held on to my hand without digging her claws in when Ispeared another piece of fruit. Reaver was at our side in his draken form, and I didn’t think he’d taken his eyes offeither of us since everyone arrived.

I glanced up as Jadis guided my hand, and therefore thefork, toward her mouth. There were nods of agreement.

Everyone was here.

Despite Ash’s assurances, seeing all of them had been hardat first. I wasn’t just worried that they would think of me differently or bescared of me. I’d also feared they’d feel pity because there was no way thatthose within the palace had not heard me rage screaming last night.

But while their eyes and words had been compassionate, noneof them had acted strangely. Well, except for Bele. She’d patted the top of myhead when she passed.

My gaze swept past Nektas to Attes. Drinks had been brought in, but he hadn’t touchedthe coffee or gone for one of the decanters of whiskey or sherry. Sure, it wasearly, but I doubted that would’ve stopped him in the past. He also hadn’t saidmuch.

I cleared my throat. “I know our plan is…brutal and not atall what I originally wanted, but this is the only way we believe we can lessenthe impact on the mortal realm.”

“Doesn’t sound brutal to me,” Bele said, tucking a strand ofdark hair behind her ear. “Sounds like a good time.”

Lailah and Aios frowned at Bele.“It’s not brutal. It’s actually smart,” Lailah said. And it was. It was what weshould’ve done at the beginning. “If we can pull this off, we will have theupper hand when it comes to Kolis.”

“Agreed,” Rhain said, rising. “If you will excuse me, Ishould go ahead and begin preparing for the Primal summonses.”

“Thank you,” I said. Jadis pushed my hand away, letting meknow she was done.

Meeting my gaze, Rhain gave me a small smile and nodded.Jadis peered over my shoulder, watching him leave. I patted her scaled back.

Ash shifted his attention to the oneirou.“You think you’ll be able to do your thing?” Ash asked. I’d told him about whatI had thought of when I spoke with Thierran in thelibrary.

“You get Kolis alone?” A lock of black hair tumbled over hisforehead. “I will do my thing and then some.”

Ash’s smile was tight as he looked at the twins. “Theon, Iwant you in the Bonelands while we have this meeting,just in case.” Jadis turned in my lap, stretching her arms toward him andletting out a little chirp. He reached over and placed her on his lap.

“I feel so unloved,” Nektasremarked as his daughter pressed her head against Ash’s chest.

Ash snorted. “Lailah, I want you at the Black Bay.”

The siblings nodded, and Nektashanded a blanket and what appeared to be a nightgown to Ash. As they rose toleave, Lailah sent Attes a worried glance.

He didn’t even seem to be aware that they’d left.

“Saion, Rhahar, you will remainhere,” Ash continued, attempting to pull the nightgown over Jadis’s head, butshe kept lifting her wings. Nektas grinned.

“Sounds good to me.” Saion looked at his cousin.

Rhahar nodded. “You really thinkany of them will come at either of you?”

“They’d have to be very foolish,” I commented, scratchingReaver under the chin. Ash finally got the nightgown on Jadis and covered herwith the blanket. “They may not have known what I was capable of before, butthey do now,” I said without the hint of smugness that would normally fill mytone. But that was before. Now, I knew this was nothing to boast about.

Bele was silent for a moment, surprisingly not respondingwith one of her customary quips. “They’re not going to be here, right?” Shejerked her chin toward Reaver.

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