Page 51 of Born of Blood and Ash

Not because I wanted to but because it made sensetactically. I knew it did because, out of all the racing, scattered pieces ofknowledge, there was one rapid, fleeting line of thought that warned me thatKolis could summon those loyal to him just as I could callupon the riders. Perhaps his pull would be strong enough to free thoseentombed.

That was something I would not allow.

Eather pressed against my skin. The corners of my visionturned silver. My muscles tensed—

I jerked myself back with a gasp. “My gods…”

Blinking, I pressed my palms to my stomach. Had I beenseconds away from freeing the entombed gods just to kill them?

Yes. The answer was yes.

I shook my head, irritated with how quickly I’d proven thatI’d only wounded that wild, reckless part of me. Gods, that was reallyconcerning.

Okay. Maybe only slightly concerning because I needed to getreal. It wasn’t like anyone would be all that mad about ending those gods, butwas that really how I wanted to start my reign? With what felt like an abuse ofpower?

Something monstrous?

Something Kolis would do?

Frustrated with myself, I let out a heavy breath as my gazesettled on a guard patrolling the Rise surrounding the House of Haides. While Iwatched him walk the wall, something…bizarre happened.

I heard a name.

Eamon.

Eamon Icarion.

And I heard more than just a name. Details whispered amongmy thoughts. Eamon was a god who’d seen three centuries. I knew he’d been inthe courtyard when I challenged Ash to train with me, even though thesandy-skinned man was too far away for my improved vision to recognize any ofhis features. I also knew he was born in Lotho, theCourt belonging to Embris, the Primal God of Wisdom,Loyalty, and Duty, and the mountainous home of the so-called Fates. Instinctprodded to me to push, and then push harder to follow the invisible threadconnecting us. He’d been in the Shadowlands since Ash began his rule, havinglost his family when they expressed dismay over Eythos’smurder. He loved a godling he’d met in Lethe, and I felt—no, I knew—thatEamon was a good man, with the blood he’d spilled marking his soul.

I sucked in a sharp breath as awareness coursed through me.I turned to the bedchamber, sensing a draken, but Ialso felt the dual throbbing awareness of a Primal. And then another. It wasstrange because I knew the first was Ash because he felt different. Some innatepart of me recognized that he was closer now. Was it because we wereheartmates? I had to think so as I heard the interior chamber doors open.

Ash walked out, dressed as he’d been when he left thismorning, having donned an ivory shirt. He’d left the collar laces undone, andhad the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms.

I would fight anyone who disagreed that no one else lookedas good as he did with or without a shirt.

As he stepped to the side, a purplish-black-scaled draken flew out from the open doors, gliding smoothlythrough the air.

Reaver landed on the railing, but unlike with Nektas, my heart dropped. We were several stories up. If hefell… “Is there not a better place for you to sit?”

Tucking his wings close to his sides, his head tilted. Helet out a series of low chirps that I understood—not so much heard but sensed.It was strange.

“I know you can fly, Reaver-butt,” I responded. “But thatdoesn’t mean there aren’t other, more suitable resting places.” I gesturedaround the balcony. “Literally any place else that doesn’t make me feel likeI’m about to have a heart attack.”

He nudged my arm with his head and then hopped off, landingon the balcony. He sat at my side, his head just above my knee. “There is adaybed, like…right there.”

Reaver leaned against my leg in response.

“He wants to be close to you,” Ash explained as he stoppedby the doors. “Jadis, on the other hand, is currently terrorizing Bele.”

I glanced up with a grin and then looked closer at Reaver.“Have you gotten bigger?” I asked. Nubs of what I suspected would one daybecome horns had sprouted from the middle of the flattened bridge of his noseto run up the center of his diamond-shaped head where they split into avee-shape.

“He has grown about two inches in the last couple of weeks.”Ash loosely crossed his arms. “He’s at the age where he’ll hit his first growthspurt. In a few months, he’ll be almost twice the size he is now.”

My eyes widened. “I’m not sure I can still call youReaver-butt when you’re nearly as tall as me.”

Reaver ducked his head and pressed it against my leg.Figuring that meant he wanted attention, I reached down and ran my hand betweenthe bumps. He purred, stretching his neck.

“When will he have another growth spurt?” I asked.

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