Page 136 of Born of Blood and Ash

I felt a small jolt of unease, but I shut it down. I wouldnot allow my fucked-up mind to do this to me. To us. I liked being this closeto Ash, and it wasn’t that long ago that he’d abhorred the touch of another.This openness between us was too important for me to ruin.

“What did he do?” Ash asked.

I forced myself to relax against his chest. “Breathe in mydirection?”

“Besides that.” Ash’s hand slid from where it lay on mythigh to rest over my midsection.

“Honestly, he just annoyed me,” I admitted. “I don’t have abetter reason than that.”

The tips of Ash’s fangs grazed his lower lip as he grinned.“Did anyone else annoy you?”

“Yes.” The image of Kyn formed. “But none met the samefate.” I tucked several thick curls behind my ear and decided to start with oneof the more pressing issues. “Kolis looks like shit, by the way.”

Ash’s arm momentarily tightened, and Rhain’s staresharpened. “What do you mean?”

“His abilities are getting stronger, but I don’t think he’sfully recovered. He moved slowly. Looked thinner.” I dropped my hand to the armaround my waist. “There were shadows under his eyes and below his cheekbones.”

Rhain sat back with a shake of his head. “He should at leastappear physically well by now.” His eyes met mine. “Man, you must’ve reallydone a number on him.”

“She did,” Ash said, and the pride in his voice brought asmile to my lips even though I knew Kolis wouldn’t remain that way. “What didhe want?”

The smile faded. “He wanted to make a deal.”

“A deal?” Rhain repeated.

“He offered what I assume he thought would be a truce.”

“Did he now?” Ash’s voice was level, but the temperature inthe office dropped.

“He said he’d let us live out our lives in the Shadowlandsand promised not to seek vengeance.” I looked at Rhain and Nektas.“The others who have, as he put it, ‘conspired against him,’ would facepunishment.”

“And he would do what? Rule as the Primal of Death?” Rhaindemanded.

I nodded.

The god leaned back, shaking his head as Ash asked, “Andwhat did he want in return?”

My gaze met his. “Sotoria.”

“Fucking Fates,” he muttered, his jaw clenching.

“Wait a moment.” Rhain lowered his glass to the knee of hisdark gray breeches. “That’s all he wanted?”

“All?” I sat straighter. “Yes, all he wants is the woman hegot killed, brought back to life, assaulted, stalked—”

“Rhain meant no offense.” Ash patted my belly.

“I didn’t. Truly. I know Sotoriahas suffered at his hands in ways I cannot imagine,” the god was quick to say.“I didn’t mean for it to be taken as if I thought that wasn’t somethingsignificant. I just wasn’t prepared for him to even offer a deal.”

Realizing that I may have been a little too quick there, Inodded. “And he knows Sotoria’s soul isn’t in me.”

Ash’s head turned toward mine. “What?”

“He figured it out. The Star and your father’s soul,” I toldhim. Essence pulsed behind his pupils. Clearly, he wasn’t happy to hear that.“I didn’t accept the deal.”

“I don’t think any of us believed you would,” Nektas stated.

Ash’s head tilted as he eyed me. “Why do you sound likeyou’re uncertain about that decision?”

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