Page 61 of Born of Blood and Ash

“That’s a relief to hear,” I said, ceasing my wiggling in mychair. “I want everyone who comes here to have a home, whether it be temporaryor long-term, and for there to be food on their plates. But it’s going to berough until the crops can grow.” My head cocked. Could I assist with that? Iwas the true Primal of Life. Did that not extend to plant life? I believed so,but… “There will still be a length of time before we can comfortably providefor everyone.” Worry grew. As someone who had lived a life of limited basicessentials with an ever-increasing populace, I knew how quickly that could takeits toll.

“That’s tomorrow’s problem,” Ash spoke softly, snapping mefrom what was sure to become a spiral of worst-case what-ifs. “One we’realready working on fixing. But we have to get to tomorrow.”

I nodded slowly, getting what he was saying. None of uswould go the route of my mother and the former King of Lasaniaby putting off dealing with dwindling supplies. The Shadowlands wouldn’t dothat. But we also had to get to the point where it could be a problem.

Meaning Lethe had to survive until then.

As silence fell around me once more, my tongue felt heavyand unusable. I truly wasn’t suited to leading meetings. Weight pressed downupon my shoulders and chest as seconds ticked by, becoming what felt likehours. My panicked gaze swiveled toward Ash—

“We all know why we’re here,” Ash said, picking up Jadis andplacing her on his lap. “To talk about Kolis and what we’re going to do.”

“I already have a suggestion,” Bele said, sliding a slim shadowstone dagger free from its sheath. “Hunt him down.”

Rhahar nodded. “I second that.”

“That’s part of the plan,” Ash replied as Beletossed the dagger into the air. “But we have to get to that part first.”

As I glanced around the table, no one seemed to care that ithad been Ash who’d started the meeting. Or maybe they hadn’t even noticed myinability to speak because it hadn’t actually been minutes or hours that hadpassed in awkward silence.

Letting out a long, slow breath, the pressure started tolift. I loosened my grip on the arms of the chair and picked up my glass ofwhiskey.

“And we can’t skip to that part?” Bele asked, throwing thedagger up again. This time, Jadis’s head followed the movement. “Because I knowwhat Kolis will do once he’s done licking his wounds.”

“And what is that?” I asked, finding my voice as I sat back,glass in hand. The moment the whiskey hit my tongue, my stomach churned. I hadto force myself to swallow like I was drinking the utter trash often served atsome of the gambling dens in Lower Town, a district in Lasania,which made no sense. The Shadowlands had the finest whiskey I’d ever tasted.Weird. I placed the glass on the table.

Ash glanced at my glass, a slight frown appearing. He pickedup Jadis and handed her off to Lailah. The youngling immediately went for thegoddess’s braids.

“Gather his loyalists and hunt us down,” Bele stated,catching the dagger by the hilt. Eather pulsed behind her pupils as her gazelocked with mine. “And attack.”

“I hate always being the cautious one in the room,” Lailahsaid as Ash rose. “It’s boring. I know.” She shot Bele a look, and the Primalgoddess snapped her mouth shut. “But hunting Kolis down and attacking is not aplan. We know we cannot…” She glanced down at Jadis as the drakenwhipped her braids from side to side. “Remove him permanently,” she said, herchoice of words bringing a wry grin to my lips. “We need to plan for how we’llhandle him.”

“I agree,” Theon chimed in as Jadis wiggled free of Lailah’shold and climbed onto the table. “We cannot plan for what we do not know.”

“Very true,” Rhain remarked as the little draken crept toward Bele, her belly low to the tabletop asif she were in stealth mode. Beside me, Reaver sat up to watch her with a waryeye.

“I get that, but I think it’s safe to assume that Kolis willnot disappear quietly into the night,” Bele argued, glancing to where Jadis hadplaced herself directly in front of her. She frowned. “He knows what herAscension means to him and Iliseeum. It is not likehe’s going to pretend that a true Primal of Life hasn’t Ascended. Nor will anyother Primal.”

“I think he will,” I said, remembering how Kolis had nearlyglowed as he sat on the throne that belonged to the true Primal of Life—to me.I glanced at Ash. He was at the credenza, picking up a stone pitcher andanother glass. “At least for a little while. He will need to remind himselfthat he’s in charge. He’ll hold court.”

Bele gave the dagger another toss. “Yeah, but he’s onlyplaying King while everyone knows a Queen rules.”

“A King also rules now,” I corrected her as Jadis eyedBele’s dagger, her thin tail swishing back and forth.

Ash returned to the table, placing a pitcher and a glass ofwhat appeared to be water before me. If there was anything I missed from Dalos, it was the fruity, bubbly water. I made a mentalnote to ask Ash about it later since his father had apparently created thedrink.

“Thank you,” I said, and he smiled in return. “Nyktos is no Consort. He is my equal, so if I’m Queen, thenhe’s King.”

Surprise flickered across the others’ faces. “There hasnever been a Queen and a King of the Gods,” Rhaharmurmured, sitting straighter. “Then again, there’s never been a Queen at all.”

I reached down to where Reaver sat, scratching him under thechin. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Jadis. He was likely waiting for the samething I was—for her to make a grab for the dagger. Then again, she also lookedlike she was close to falling asleep. I was hoping for the second option.“Well, it’s my choice that Nyktos be King, and I’munder the impression that what I say goes.”

“You’ll get no argument from any of us.” Saion grinned as helooked across the table at Ash. “And it makes sense.”

“I really didn’t think any of you would have a problem withit,” Ash replied dryly. “But back to Kolis. He’ll attempt to control thenarrative and the situation by labeling Sera a usurper and a false Queen,exploiting that she was once mortal, that most do not know her, and that she isnow a baby Primal.”

“A baby Primal?” Rhain murmured, his nose scrunching. Heshook his head. “Anyway, I expect Kolis will seek to remind all of them exactlywho he is in case any are thinking of defecting.”

Bele’s nostrils flared. “Yeah, and by remindingthem, you mean by committing some violent, heinous act upon those likelyundeserving of it.”

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