Page 244 of Born of Blood and Ash

I jerked my hand back as I stared at him. “Please, tell meyou don’t see what I do and that I’m imagining things.”

Ash was silent for a few moments. “He looks…he looks likeyou.”

My heart started pounding as I dropped the cloth onto thefloor. Not only that. He looked young. He couldn’t have been more thantwenty—if that—when his life had ended and he’d been restored, forever frozenon the cusp of adulthood.

Attes moved closer to the bars.“But he looks more like Sotoria. Except for the hair,he’s damn near the spitting image of her.” A moment passed. “You two look likeyou could be cousins.”

“I always thought it was weird that I resembled Sotoria. Like having her soul placed in my bloodlinesomehow influenced my features,” I said. “I have my mother’s face for the mostpart. Except for the freckles. That’s all my father. His hair…” I thought ofthe painting and felt my stomach twist. My head cut to Attes.“I’ve only seen a painting of my father, but his hair was a deep reddish-browncolor. Not the same as Nyktos’s. More like red wine.”

Attes jaw clenched. “Sotoria’s hair was that color.”

“Her soul was in your bloodline for hundreds of years on theMierel side,” Ash said softly. “It’s possible thatinfluenced more than just your appearance.”

“Could be,” Nektas considered. “Oryou are of the same bloodline as Sotoria.”

My eyes flew to Ash’s. He shook his head. “If the vadentia doesn’t tell you,” he said. “Then onlythe Fates can.”

I nodded slowly. Either way, it was disturbing because Ididn’t like the golden fuck.

With that thought in mind, I picked up the bucket of waterand dumped it over Callum’s head.

The Revenant’s eyes opened wide, his back bowing as he drewin a ragged breath. “Fuck.” Gasping, he sputtered, spitting water ashis arms curled. The chains clanged off the stone floor.

“You were taking too long to wake,” I said.

His head cut toward me.

Smiling, I wiggled my fingers at him. “Hello.”

Water dripped off his nose, and he inhaled sharply. “Bitch.”

Ash struck as fast as lightning. He grasped a handful ofhair and jerked Callum’s head back as far as possible without snapping hisneck.

“Fuck,” Callum repeated.

“Watch your mouth,” Ash warned. “Or we will get to see howyour arms and legs reattach themselves.”

“I would like to avoid that,” I said. “So, as long as youbehave yourself, we will.”

Callum’s lips peeled back over his teeth. His canines werelonger than a mortal’s but shorter than mine. However, they looked sharp.“You’re violating the eirini.”

“Are we?” I raised my brows. “If that’s the case, we may aswell just kill you. You know, might as well fully commit or some shit.”

Ash forced the Revenant’s attention back to him. “And guesswhat, fucker?” His smile was pure smoke and ice. “We know how to kill you.”

Nektas neared the bars. “I’m morethan willing to open a vein.”

“He’s helpful like that,” I said as Ash released theRevenant’s hair and stood.

Unease skittered across Callum’s features, tightening theskin at the corners of his eyes and mouth.

“Or we can return you to Dalosbefore we’ve actually violated anything,” I said. “But to do that, you’re goingto need to answer some questions.”

Callum said nothing as his glare locked on me.

“Why were you at Wayfair?” I asked.

“Why are you still alive?” he replied.

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