Page 390 of Born of Blood and Ash

The Temple must have been a sight to behold. It wasimpressive even now, with its fractured walls and half-crumbling pillarsbearing the scars of war and time. The defiant roof remained, as well asseveral halls and some inner walls of chambers.

Exhaling for the count of five, I looked past the ruins. “Ihate waiting.”

“Never would’ve guessed that,” Ash remarked, his gazepiercing the horizon.

Time stretched thin and taut as we waited for the serpent tolift his head from his lair. I wasn’t sure how long we’d been here, but I knewit had to be past the time when Kolis agreed to meet.

Eather pulsed. “What if I was wrong?” I whispered in a voicebarely louder than the rattle of leaves.

“You’re not.” Ash’s thumb swept over my marriage imprint.“You know that. He’s just trying to assert control.” His silvery gaze met mine.“But he has no control. Not over us. Not over what will happen.”

I nodded, forcing myself to inhale again. “I know. I’msorry. I’m just—”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he interrupted,squeezing my hand as he lowered his head to kiss me. “Being anxious is normal.”

My lips tingled when he returned his attention to the sea. Ifound myself staring at the ruins once more. The Temple was on the brink ofcollapse, sustained only by deeply rooted desperation and deception but veryclose to completely collapsing under one strong wind. It sort of mirroredKolis’s reign, didn’t it? And Ash and me? We were the storm that would topplethe false King’s dominion.

Tension charged the atmosphere as I cast my gaze to thehorizon, where the seas disappeared into the sky.

“There they are,” murmured Ash.

My eyes narrowed as white-tipped waves formed and werereplaced by quick bursts of color—vivid blues, glittering pinks, and intensegreens. Line after line formed, their fins silently slicing through the water.They were fast, giving only seconds-long glimpses of their muscular arms andsleek bodies undulating in the water as sunlight filtered through the waves andglinted off shadowstone swords secured firmly totheir backs. As they drew closer, I could make out cloth the color of the sea,partially covering their chests and tails.

Well, at least our forces would not have to fight againstnude regiments. That seemed like it would be rather distracting.

A sudden pulse of thought, urgent and clear, reached me. Meyaah Liessa, Nektas called. We have spotted Phanos’sfleet.

My free hand fisted. “Phanos’sships have been seen.”

Ash’s lip peeled back in a quiet snarl as he released myhand and stepped forward. Anger and bitter disappointment rose, stoking the eather. The corners of my vision turned white as I steppedup on the rock beside Ash.

I’d known that Kolis would not honor his word and comealone. We hadn’t. And I’d also known Phanos wouldshow. None of that was surprising. Still, I couldn’t get past the fact that hestood with Kolis. That his fear of the Primal god was that great. Or maybe itwasn’t fear. Perhaps Saion and Rhahar were correct,and Phanos simply preferred that things not change.Static danced over my skin. It didn’t matter either way.

Ash turned, placing his hand on my cheek. Where I stood onthe rock, put us at eye level. “Phanos made hischoice,” he said, the timbre of his steady voice contrasting with the stormbrewing within my very being. “And he will die today for it.”

He would.

Concentrating, I followed Nektas’simprint. The moment they near the bay, let me know.

Will do.

Ash’s fingers found mine once more. Our hands clasped,entwined like the roots of the ancient trees surrounding us. I looked at him.His gaze met mine. There was so much love and strength there that I felt the eather rippling inside me. But there was also a pinch ofconcern to the line of his mouth as his other hand clasped the back of my head.

“There are no more lines to be crossed, liessa.If you need to use the essence, do not hold back,” he said, drawing his thumbover my pulse. “Unleash everything you have in you to protect yourself and ourchildren. That will not make you the kind of monster you fear.” His eyessearched mine. “It will only make you a mother defending our babes’ lives, andthat is all that matters. Understood?”

Drawing in a staggered breath, I nodded. “I will not holdback.”

“And you will not let any of it leave a mark,” he commanded,eyes lighting with eather.

“I won’t,” I swore.

“That’s my girl.”

Ash’s lips crashed into mine. The kiss was deep and fierce,an urgent clash of tongues and fangs that sent a jolt of raw energy coursingthrough him to me. It was a proclamation that became a promise as he spoke.“The next time we kiss, it will be over Kolis’s body.”

A savage smile spread across my lips. “I can’t wait.”

Letting go of my neck, he held on to my hand until I jumpedfrom the rock. Ash and I stood vigilant, like a pair of sentinels.

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