Page 78 of Born of Blood and Ash

“You did.” He kissed the corner of my mouth. “Why?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just not used topeople wanting to see me,” I admitted, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.“That sounds kind of pathetic, doesn’t it?”

“No, liessa, it doesn’t.You grew up not being known by many. Being surprised is understandable.” Hedrew his fingers down my cheek. “But you should probably start getting used topeople wanting to see you.”

I honestly didn’t think I ever would, but I still said,“Yes, sir.”

Chuckling, he planted his hands on either side of my legs.“I noticed something today. You grew incredibly anxious as we rode past theDying Woods. Did you feel something?”

It took me a moment to think back. I had been nervous, and Ihadn’t been that affected before. I wasn’t sure why. Well, that wasn’tnecessarily true.

I’d had a feeling.

One that made me think of the Shade I’d touched during mypoorly thought-out plan to end Kolis. The creature had been nothing more thansmoke and bone, but after a single touch, I’d seen organs and muscles form,almost as if I’d been restoring life to it.

Ash’s chin brushed the curve of my jaw. “Sera?”

“Sorry.” I started to tell him that nothing had disturbed mebut stopped myself. Sharing thoughts was important, even the incoherent ones.“I was just thinking about that Shade I touched back when I was in the DyingWoods.”

“Back when you last held a dagger to my throat?”

“Was that the last time?” I asked wryly.

He chuckled. “You’re talking about the one that seemed toregenerate?”

“Yes.” I ran my fingers along his. “I was thinking about howpowerful my touch was that it could bring back a Shade, even then. Who knowshow long it had been dead?”

“Based on the state of it, I’d say quite some time.” Hekissed my jaw. “Likely several decades, if not longer.”

“That’s…kind of creepy.”

“Just be careful when touching dead things.”

A grin tugged at my lips. “That’s possibly the strangestadvice ever spoken.”

“Possibly.” Dipping his head, he kissed my cheek. “Is thatwhat made you nervous when we rode past?”

Again, my immediate response was to shrug it off, so I tooka moment to put my thoughts into words. “I could feel the essence swellinginside me as we rode past and thought I could see them following us through thetrees. I think they may have felt my presence, and I was glad we weren’t goinginto the woods.” I tipped my head back against his chest. “Because I feared I…Iworried I may do something I shouldn’t.”

“Like return life to them?”

Pressing my lips together, I nodded. “What if I still can’tcontrol that?”

“But you have, liessa.More than once.”

“I know, but there have been times when I haven’t.” Ithought about what Aios and I had discussed. “Do youknow how often your father brought people back?”

Ash was silent for a few moments. “I know my fatherstruggled with that. I also know he used the ability far more in the beginningthan he did toward the end,” he said. “When people came to one of his Templesto plead for the return of their loved ones, it was hard for him to ignore it.Especially if the deceased was young and the death unexpected. He would almostalways grant those requests.”

“Even knowing that if he granted life—”

“Death is never cheated?” Ash finished. “Yes.” A moment ortwo passed. “As I’ve said, my father wasn’t perfect. Wanting to ease the painof those suffering was only part of the reason. The act of granting life mayhave come from an altruistic place, but there were…personal benefits gainedfrom such.”

“He enjoyed the worship it brought him?”

“Yes.” His lips grazed the corner of mine. “Once my fatherrealized that he could not continue granting life as he was, he knew hecouldn’t personally answer the summonses. That’s when gods began acting as themiddle people between the summoners and the Primals.It started first with Eythos, and then the rest ofthe Primals followed suit.”

My brows knitted. “But you can still feel the summonses,right? Eythos had with King Roderick. And I knowKolis did.” I swallowed. “He heard my father’s summons.”

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