Page 400 of Born of Blood and Ash

“I will carve them from her womb and feed them to my dakkais,” he swore.

“The fuck you will.” Ash crashed into Kolis with the forceof a tempest.

“No. Better yet, she will birth them.” He grabbed Ash’scheeks, his voice filling with a sinister glee. “And I will raise them as mine.They will be my gift to Sotoria—”

Ash’s head snapped forward, and he tore into Kolis’s throat.

Kolis laughed, grabbed Ash by the hair, and tossed himaside.

I gathered my legs under me just as Varus hopped over thehalf-standing wall. Eather tinged in red sparked from his fingertips. Hesmirked.

“Kolis says I cannot kill you.” Varus raised his hands. “Buthe did say I could hurt—”

The pillars behind Varus exploded under the strength of ablack-and-gray-spiked tail.

Nektas.

His tail rushed across the floor, ramming into Varus. Thegod shrieked—actually shrieked—going airborne. My gaze tracked him ashe flew across the Temple and out another opening.

I laughed.

Pushing through any lingering pain, I leapt to my feet,watching Ash and Kolis crash into the floor toward the back of the Temple,causing the entire structure to tremble. I started toward them, beginning tosummon Thierran again—

I sucked in a sharp breath and felt a wrenching motion deepin my chest.

I froze. It was the same as I’d felt before, but not quiteso intense. The sensation flowed through me, and the sky beyond the Temple litup with silvery fireworks.

A Primal had fallen.

From the back of the chamber, Kolis roared in anger. Ithadn’t been one of ours.

Phanos.

High-pitched, mournful calls split the air in a song ofdeath. It was the ceeren, crying out in anguish.

As wrong as it was, a smile crossed my lips. I lifted myhead—

The space around me stirred as Ash’s roar thundered. I spun,catching a brief glimpse of Kolis skidding across the ruined floor before mygaze locked with the pale blue eyes of a Revenant.

Callum smiled. “Miss me?”

I stepped to the side, fast but not fast enough. Air punchedfrom my lungs in a fiery burst of pain.

Shadows peeled away from the sides of the Temple, ripplingand racing across the floor. I looked down.

A bone dagger jutted out of me, the hilt reverberating fromthe impact of the thrust. The ungodly heat of the bone blade started to burn myflesh. I staggered back. “Were you aiming for my heart?”

“I was.”

I lifted my gaze, and a metallic taste filled my mouthagain. “Guess what?” I gritted out, grabbing the hilt. “You missed.”

Callum sighed, shoulders slumping. “Shit.”

Behind him, a violent, churning mass of shadows pulsed andthrobbed. In the center, two silvery eyes glowed with feral rage.

“And you’ve really pissed off my husband.” I smiled throughthe burn of pain. “Fucker.”

Callum started to turn, but the shadows snaked out, slamminginto him. Twin streams of smoky eather burst throughhis shoulders, throwing him back several feet behind me and into a hall.Another sliced through his stomach. Screaming, he flailed wildly as he wassucked into the air.

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