Page 48 of Born of Blood and Ash

“Apparently, it wasn’t,” she remarked dryly.

I cracked a grin. “You know the plan was for him to take theembers and Ascend, but the embers had sorta meldedwith me—became a part of me. I wouldn’t have survived them being removed. Ashknew that and refused to take the embers.” My voice thickened, and I swallowed.“He didn’t know what would happen if he Ascended me. All he knew was that hecouldn’t let me die, no matter the risks. It wasn’t until afterward that werealized we were heartmates.”

“That is almost more shocking than your Ascension.” Awefilled Aios’s voice. “Such a union of hearts andsouls is so rare that I suspect even Maia would be stunned.”

I nodded, thinking about my parents. “You know, I alwayswondered if my mother and father were heartmates. Even as a child, when Iwasn’t entirely sure such a thing was real. Because my mother never seemed toget over my father’s death, even though she remarried. She was always sad, evenwhen she was happy.”

“They do say that mates of the heart are linked to createsomething new or usher in a great change.” Aioscrossed her ankles. “They could’ve been destined to bring you into the world,and you…you are the definition of a great change.”

But wouldn’t that have meant the Fates—the Ancients—had seeneverything? The intuition didn’t kick in, but I did remember the unexpectedthread of fate Holland had spoken of. The one that had broken off while all theothers ended in my death.

“Sera?” Aios said softly.

Pulling myself from my thoughts, I focused on her. Aios’s smile remained but it had changed. The curve of herlips was now forced. Almost brittle.

“When I asked how you were doing,” she said, her gazeflickering over my features, “I wasn’t just asking about how you were handlingthe Ascension.”

Every muscle in my body tensed.

A too-long moment passed. “Is it true that…that Kolisbelieved you to be Sotoria for some time?”

My insides chilled. “How did you know that?” The answer cameto me. “Attes.”

She gave me a somewhat sheepish nod. “When he came by,we…well, to be honest, we bombarded him with questions. He didn’t give us a lotof detail,” she added quickly. “When Nyktos returnedwith you, and you were in stasis, there wasn’t a chance to ask him anything.Not that anyone tried. We knew he wouldn’t leave your side.” She took a breath.“But no one knew what had happened. Only what we’d heard.”

Blood pounded in my ears. “Like what?”

“It was said that you were seen sitting beside Kolis atcourt,” she said. “But when Rhain and others saw you, you were…” She brieflyclosed her eyes. “You were not free to move about.”

I’d been caged. Just as she had. “I was never free to moveabout. Kolis brought me to court and put me on display,” I stated flatly. “Partof the reason was that he knew it would get back to others.”

“None of us believed you wanted to be there. None of us,”she insisted. “It just made us worry more.”

I was holding myself completely still. “What else did youhear?”

“There were whispers that you’d attempted to escape, and weheard that Kolis claimed he hadn’t given you and Nyktospermission for the coronation.”

Kolis had lied. So had Kyn, who’d witnessed him giving uspermission.

“Then only what Rhain said,” she continued, and my stomachtwisted sharply.

Rhain hadn’t told anyone that I’d struck a deal with Kolisin exchange for his freedom. And while he’d been unconscious for the details ofthe deal, it took no leap of logic to guess what he believed I’d offered.

And I had offered anything Kolis wanted for Rhain’slife. Kolis’s voice intruded as pressure clamped down on my chest. Then,tonight, we will share the same bed.

What if Rhain’s silence had changed?

“And what did he say?” I heard myself ask.

“He said that you convinced Kolis that freeing him was thebest way to handle the situation.” Her fingers went to the chain again—the verysame necklace Rhain had used as a token to communicate with Aios.I’d pretended it was mine. “But I…”

“What?”

She was quiet for several moments. “I just know that yourtime in Dalos couldn’t have been easy.”

Feeling my chest tighten, I focused on the mess of clothingas I breathed in. I really didn’t see the clothes, though. I saw jeweled,gold-plated chests. Pressing my lips together, I ignored the sting of my fangsscraping the inside of my lips. Hold.

“I know,” she repeated.

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