Page 343 of Born of Blood and Ash

Or maybe I should’ve kept this to myself until I figured outhow to tell him without practically shouting it in his face.

His skin hadn’t thinned, though, and he hadn’t frozen thepool, so I thought perhaps that was a good sign.

But he stared at me, and I didn’t think he saw me. He wasfocused on some distant point, and I could only imagine he was exactly whereI’d been when Aios confirmed what I already knew.

I wanted to give him time. Gods knew I’d needed it, but myheart felt like it might come out of my chest. Each beat echoed with fearbecause everything would change if he didn’t want them. I tried to say quiet,but for once in my godsforsaken life, I couldn’t stopmyself.

“I know this is a surprise. I was shocked, too. And wehaven’t even discussed something like this. I don’t even know if you wantchildren, and even if you do, the timing is so, so unbelievably bad.” I foldedmy arms around me and began to tremble. “I’m so sorry—”

Another jolt ran through Ash, and then he was suddenly rightin front of me, sending currents rippling through the pool. He clasped mycheeks. “Fates, Sera, don’t apologize.”

“I feel like I should,” I whispered.

“Fates, no. I just…I wasn’t expecting that.” A tremor ranthrough his hands. His face was pale, his features stark. “You’re sure?”

“Y-Yes. Aios confirmed it. That’swhat I was doing when I left the throne room.”

A wisp of eather swirled throughhis eyes. “When I felt your anxiety spike today. I’d been feeling it on and offall day, but I thought it was about the Primal meeting…” He briefly closed hiseyes. “That’s why.”

“I got sick, and it wasn’t the first time.”

“Why didn’t you mention you were feeling unwell?”

“I thought it was because of the Ascension, like leftovereffects. Or from…from everything else.”

He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“Which part?”

“You said you’ve been feeling unwell for weeks.”

“Yes. I was actually nauseous while I was in Dalos,” I said, wrapping my hands around his wrists. “Ijust thought it was because of all of that. But—”

“That doesn’t make sense, Sera,” he said. “You are onlyrecently not mortal. We would not have been able to conceive before then.”

“Yeah, see, I thought that, too. But then I was like, howmortal was I really, with these embers in me since birth? And the first nightwe were together, I had your blood. Just a drop, but apparently, that one dropwas super powerful.” My fingers pressed into his hard skin. “But I also hadyour blood after that.”

He opened his mouth but didn’t speak.

My throat still felt dry and tight. “I started puttingthings together and realized I was late. Like really late. And with the nauseaand everything…”

“How…how far along are we?” he asked, and my entire bodyshook. We. Not you. We. “Aios would’ve beenable to see that.”

“She…she did.” My eyes stung even more now, but I wasn’tsure if it was from relief or if I was about to have a breakdown. “She thinksI’m about three months along.”

His lips parted again, and that uncomfortable silence fellonce more.

I swallowed, unable to bear the quiet. “Earlier today, Iremembered the dream I had in stasis—when I saw my nota. I’d beentrying to remember it,” I rushed on. “I didn’t only see my nota. I sawtwo cubs on the bank of my lake. I don’t know if it was a vision or something,but I didn’t tell you when you checked on me before the meeting because Iwasn’t a hundred percent sure, and—”

“Two?” he croaked. “You saw two…cubs?”

The flames danced erratically once more. “You sure you don’twant to get out of the pool?”

“Two?” he repeated.

“Yeah. Sorry. I hadn’t gotten to that part yet. I probablyshould’ve just broken the news all at once.” I wet my lips, and Ash wentcompletely still yet again. “But, yes. Two. Aios alsoconfirmed that. And I know this is overwhelming and will likely sound a littleinsane, but I think—no, I know—I love them already. I don’t know how.I’ve never wanted children or honestly even liked being around them—fuck, Ididn’t really think about it, but I’m not getting rid of them because they areours. They’re—” My voice cracked again. “They’re mine.”

Ash was silent again. He stared down at me, his eyes stillwide.

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