Page 369 of Born of Blood and Ash

It wasn’t.

“You’re thinking about what we did today.”

I was.

He pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “What did I tell you?”

“To not let it leave a mark.”

His lips brushed over the skin he’d kissed, drawing a tightshiver from me. “But it is.”

It was.

“Sera…”

“I want them to leave a mark,” I blurted out. “I need themto.”

He rose slightly, and even though I didn’t look at him, Ifelt his questioning gaze on me.

“It’s not like I regret what we did,” I said, tracing thetendons on his hand. “It’s what we should’ve done since the beginning. And Iknow it’s neither right nor wrong. It’s simply…necessary.”

“But?” he asked quietly.

“But I…I keep seeing Veses’ face,”I admitted. “She really thought I wouldn’t do it, and you wouldn’t allow it.”

“Her arrogance was only one of many self-destructive flaws.”

Normally, I would’ve agreed with that or laughed. Possiblyboth. But I wasn’t sure if that was why. “Deep down, Vesesreally did think we were…” The back of my eyes burned for some damn reason.“That we were better than that.”

“She thought we would be like Eythos,”he said, his arm tightening around me. “We are not.”

“We aren’t,” I whispered.

Ash went still for a moment and then moved, guiding me ontomy back. Our eyes locked. “You’re upset.”

“You’re reading my emotions.”

“You’re projecting,” he stated, shifting his weight onto hiselbow. He cupped my cheek. “Do not spend a second being sad about Veses’ fate.”

“I’m not.”

In the slivers of moonlight, I saw his eyebrow rise. “You’resuch a terrible liar.”

“Whatever,” I muttered.

Ash sighed. “I heard what you said to her, Sera. That youwished it could have been different for her and were sorry it wasn’t.”

I really should have kept that to myself.

“You meant that.”

“I did.” Frustration rose as my eyes continued to sting.“And I don’t even know why. I hate Veses for what shedid to you and for how she ran her Court. Still do, even though she’s dead. AndI don’t regret ending her. It had to happen, but…” I closed my eyes, emotionlodging in my throat. “But she wasn’t always like that. You said so yourself.”

“Neither was Embris.”

“Veses was different.”

“Why is that?” he asked.

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