Page 34 of Born of Blood and Ash

“Only one thing.”

My mind immediately went to the Ancients. “We need to entombhim.”

Ash nodded.

I prodded at my fang, thinking that over. “That won’t beeasy. Kolis is old. He’s powerful. Capable of healing any wound.”

“Almost any wound,” Ash corrected.

I started to frown, and then it hit me. “Ancient bone—wait.The true Primal of Life and the true Primal of Death can break through those.”

“Yes, but if such a weapon is left in a Primal, it severelyweakens them,” he reminded me. “Whatever injuries they incur will not healwhile the bone remains in place.”

A chill skated down my spine. “Isn’t that what Attes planned to do when he took Kolis?” When Ash nodded, Icontinued. “Has that been done before?”

“It has.”

Part of me thought I already knew when and with whom, but Ihad to ask. “Has he done it to you?”

“Once,” Ash answered flatly. “A few decades ago.”

“Fuck,” I rasped, pressing my hand to the table as eather thrummed hotly inside me. “I want to make Kolisbleed and then dance in his blood.”

Ash’s gaze flicked to mine. “I would love to see that, solet’s ensure it happens.”

I checked my anger before I started destroying moresilverware. It wasn’t easy. “We will also need chains made of the bones of theAncients, won’t we? And I assume there’s not much just lying around.”

“I know Attes has a small stash,but not nearly enough to make chains,” he said. “And there are limitations forusing Ancient bones against a Primal. Even leaving it inside them. The groundwill seek to restore them, pushing any bone blades from the flesh like a splinter.And roots will eventually crush the bone chains.”

Gods, I hadn’t even thought about how the roots had come outof the ground when I almost pushed myself into an early Ascension. “How longdoes it take for that to happen?”

“For you or me?” He leaned forward. “Hundreds of years. Fora Primal of Kolis’s age? A handful of years. A decade if we’re lucky.”

“Gods.” I sat back, fingers finding their way to my hair.“What about the tombs here?”

“They won’t hold a Primal,” Ash said, watching me. “Andthere would be a whole other issue with that.”

“What…?” I trailed off as the answer pieced itself togetherfor me. “You still rule the Shadowlands, meaning you receive the summonses atthe Pillars and beyond. But if Kolis steps foot in the Shadowlands, he willgain control of the Abyss, the Vale, and all those who serve the Shadowlands,including the draken.”

“Because he’s the true Primal of Death,” he said. “Yes.”

I faced him.

“But he’ll be reluctant to do that. If he comes here, thatwould leave Dalos vulnerable and open for you to dothe same there. As of now, that is the seat of power.”

That was good news. Kind of. “So, we need to figure out howto entomb him and keep him there for longer than a decade.” Or keep him thereindefinitely so Sotoria wasn’t needed. That would bethe best possible outcome.

There had to be a way to keep him entombed because the— “TheAncients.” I whipped toward Ash. “They’ve been entombed for thousands andthousands of years and are more powerful than a Primal. How are they entombed?”

Ash lowered his glass. “That’s a damn good question. One I’mguessing the vadentia isn’t helping with.”

He was right. My intuition was silent. “But I know who holdsthat knowledge. The Fates. I also know the likelihood of them telling us isslim to none.”

“But that means the knowledge is out there,” he said. “Wejust need to find it.”

“Yeah, that’s all.” I laughed. “Should be easy—” I haltedagain, almost not wanting to suggest what I was about to. “What about the Poolsof Divanash?”

“They can only show a person or an object,” he answered.“And if there is an object out there that helped entomb the Ancients,and only the Fates know what it is, it likely won’t reveal that.”

---