Page 396 of Born of Blood and Ash

Ash prowled toward the cliff’s edge. Scanning the sky for Naberius, I joined him.

Down below, I saw Phanos take ahit of Primal essence, throwing him back as Attesstalked forward, eather dripping from his fingers.

“Kolis is still here,” I said, my chest rising and fallingsharply. Rhahar leapt over a dakkai,slamming his sword through a crimson god’s head.

“And so are the rest of his armies.” Ash lifted hisblood-soaked sword, pointing at the forest line.

My gaze lifted, and the air fled my lungs.

A wave of crimson flowed out of the trees like anunforgiving tide. Thousands swarmed the field, just like the dakkais on the bluff had. And they kept coming.

“The bulk of their armies wasn’t on the ships,” I whispered.

“No,” Ash growled.

The sea of crimson swept over the field, causing my heart tostutter. There were too many, especially with Theon’s forces still battling theceeren. I flinched as Phanosstruck Attes, knocking him into a dakkai’spath—

A fair-haired soldier snapped forward, blocking the dakkai from reaching Attes. Kars.It was Kars who jabbed out with his blade. He was quick but…

The dakkai clamped down on histhroat.

“No!” I shouted, lurching forward. A shudder went throughme, warming my palms.

Ash caught my arm, but I barely felt his grip as both the dakkai and Kars went down.

Attes stumbled and grabbed thedagger, tossing it aside. He was frozen for a second, almost like he wasthinking the same thing I was. What had Kars been thinking? He was a godling. Attes would’ve likely handled the dakkai,but it didn’t matter. It was too late. Attes steppedback. His free hand fisted, and he turned his head toward Phanos.A scream of rage erupted from him, and he flew toward the other Primal just astwo draken spiraled to the ground below, locked in adeadly embrace, blood and fiery eather pouring out ofthem both.

“Crolee,” Ash rasped. They hit therocky shore, the impact an echo of finality that caused my body to flash coldand then hot.

A buzzing started in my ears, muting Nektas’scall of sorrow. I pulled my arm free of Ash’s, the sword I held slipping frommy fingers and clanging off the ground.

More crimson soldiers surged forward from the mouth of theforest, their armor and swords not yet bloodied by battle. I could barely seeour people among the crimson gods—could barely hear Ash’s voice as he grabbed aceeren, snapping its neck. I looked down the bluff’srocky hill, seeing gods in crimson scale the peak. I thought Ash was calling myname as an eather arrow struck the first god whocrested the rise.

I wasn’t breathing.

We were failing. My hand went to my stomach. Our future wasslipping between our fingers. They would all die while Kolis hid. Rhahar. Our soldiers. Possibly even Attes.Then Rhain and Bele, once they swarmed the bluff. Their bodies would fall, justas Kars and Crolee had. Their bones would join…

They’re called the Bonelands.

I looked down, the blood dripping from my fingers darkeningthe soil and rock.

The land was littered with those who’d fallen in the warwith the Ancients, the remains of gods, long-since-forgotten mortal warriors, Primals, and…

And dragons.

Suddenly, I saw the Shade in the Dying Woods—the one I’dtouched. How it had started to come back to life.

There was a reason I’d suggested the Bonelandsto Ash. Why I had stood on the Rise looking at the Shades after I’d broughtlife back to the Shadowlands.

Death couldn’t break the bonds of Life’s touch.

I looked at Ash. “I’ll be right back.”

He shoved a god from his sword, and his head jerked towardme. Eather swelled in me as I stepped toward the edge. He shouted my name, andit carried on the wind when I shadowstepped to thefield below, near Kars’ body.

Locked in their own fights, no one noticed me as I stalkedforward. Dropping to my knees beside the godling, I slammed my hands onto thebloodied grass, eather swelling inside me andcombining with all the yawning hopelessness and bitter desperation I’d feltmoments ago. But I channeled everything in me—the suffocating fear andsoul-destroying shame for what had been done to me, for what I’d done to themortal realm—and all of it built inside me.

Then, I let go.

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