Page 401 of Born of Blood and Ash

Jaw clenched, I yanked the bone dagger free. It hadn’t beenin there long. I would heal. At some point. “Gods,” I hissed, taking a deepbreath, then looked… I could no longer see Callum—well, I saw pieces of himfalling and splattering off the floor, but I didn’t think that counted.

He’d come back.

I started to turn but stopped. My eyes narrowed on the airdistorting around Callum’s remains. “What the—?”

But right now, that wasn’t the biggest problem, nor was thepain in my chest.

Kolis had released Naberius.

The draken formed fromcrimson-and-black mist in a wave of scales and bared teeth. A meaty forelegswept out, his talons as sharp as daggers.

“Watch out!” I screamed, but it was too late.

Naberius raked his talons acrossAsh’s back, cutting through his wings. He stumbled, pain flashing across hisfeatures for the briefest moment when his wings evaporated in a shower ofsparks. The scent of his blood ignited a fury in my chest, hotter and brighterthan the flames of a thousand suns. The ceiling overhead suddenly shook.Something large and heavy had landed on the roof. A crack immediately appeared.

The ceiling peeled back, and Nektasdescended into the chamber, sinking his forelegs into Naberius’sback.

The other draken roared in agonyas Nektas lifted, carrying Nab upward.

“Return to me!” Kolis shouted, brushing his hand over thecuff on his upper arm. “Now.”

Naberius shuddered, turning into ashimmery red-and-silver mist as Kolis landed on the floor. Stone and debrisslid across the floor when he stalked toward Ash.

“I will strip the flesh from your bones, nephew.” Eatherspun from his hands. “She will be cloaked in your skin—” His words ended in ashout of anger as Thierran appeared behind him like ahooded wraith, clasping the sides of Kolis’s head.

Kolis’s body bowed, and his arms went rigid. A low murmurcame, like a whisper of wind rolling through the chamber. Thierranreached deep into Kolis’s mind and took his worst fears, amplifying them.Behind the painted red wings, his eyes went wide. The mist around Kolisevaporated as Ash straightened, exhaling heavily and shaking off the pain. The eather slowed, and Kolis’s mouth dropped open. His pupilsdilated as the murmurs increased, feeding the waking nightmare.

“No,” rasped Kolis. He began to tremble. Streaks of dampnesscut through the red paint under his eyes. “No. I love you. I’ve always lovedyou.”

“Sick fuck,” Ash growled.

Thierran’s gaze met mine. “Youneed to knock him out. Now.”

“Gladly,” I spat.

I extended my hand, palm upturned toward the sky, and drewupon the ancient power coursing through my veins. The air crackled with energy,every particle vibrating with the force of my will.

“Sotoria—no,” Kolis begged—sobbed.“Please.”

Eather crackled across my palm. I unleashed the bolt of purepower, a torrent of light so intense it seemed to tear the very fabric of therealm.

The bolt struck true, hitting Kolis in the chest. He let outan ear-splitting scream when the energy coursed through him, throwing Thierran back. The eather searedKolis’s flesh and bones, making him convulse. Blood poured from his mouth as hedropped to his knees and fell forward.

“He shut the fuck up.” Ash kicked the Primal onto his back.“Finally.”

“Does the wound still burn?” Ash asked, he and Attes carefully lifting a section of bone chain.

“Barely,” I admitted, eyeing the back of Ash’s shreddedtunic. The jagged tears Naberius had delivered hadstopped bleeding by the time we arrived in Oak Ambler.

“Get ready,” Attes said with ahiss of pain. He looked as ragged as we did. His clothing was torn andbloodied, and it looked like a dakkai or draken had gotten ahold of his arm. The deep gouge in hisflesh had closed but was still a bright pink. “He’s starting to twitch.”

My gaze went back to Kolis. Atteshad stripped his chest bare. The trapped arm jerked.

Ash dropped his side of the chains over a very sensitivepart of Kolis, drawing a snort from me. Both of them stepped back. Faint smokehad begun rising from the chains resting against flesh. Atteshanded Ash a sharpened bone with one end wrapped in a thick cloth.

Really should’ve considered wearing gloves.

Kolis came awake all at once. The name he bellowed rattledover the cavernous walls. Sotoria.

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