Page 332 of Born of Blood and Ash

She inhaled sharply. “Then why was I even summoned here?Other than you wanting to be graced by my presence?”

I rolled my eyes again.

“We wanted you to know what you could have had.” Ash’s smilesent chills down my spine. “Real freedom. No fear. True power. Now, you willhave what you deserve. Nothing.”

Her chin dipped as eather flaredin her eyes. “That was unnecessarily rude. I remember a time when you wouldn’thave—”

“You have no idea the effort it is taking for me not to fuckyou up.” Essence throbbed hotly, rising with my anger. “So, do not finishwhatever disgusting, twisted thing was about to come out of your mouth.”

Her arms unfolded, and her skin thinned again, showing asheen of gray beneath. “And you have no idea what it’s taking for me not to dothe same.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Atteswhipped his head toward her. “You’re really going to threaten her?”

“Don’t try to reason with the dumb bitch,” Bele tossed out.“I want to see what happens if she tries something.”

Veses smirked, holding my stare.“I tried to talk some sense into you before. I warned you that you would regretnot taking Kolis’s deal. What happened to your family is your fault.”

I stiffened.

“Leave,” Ash ordered. “Now.”

Veses huffed out a laugh andstepped back. Tendrils of mist gathered at her feet. “You all are making amistake,” she cast out with a sharp slice of her hand. “You’ll see.”

“Veses?” I called out to her. Hernarrowed gaze swept to mine. I gave her a smile. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”

The Primal goddess vanished with a hiss.

“Fates, I hate that bitch,” Bele muttered.

Maia laughed and smoothed her hands over her hips. “We arein perfect agreement there.”

“Kyn?” Ash said.

The Primal lifted his stare to the dais, smirking. I waiteduntil his arrogant gaze met mine before I said, “You will die.”

The smile slipped from his face. It was so quiet you couldhear a pin drop.

“You sound a lot like Kolis,” Phanosremarked.

“I said I would not rule like Eythosor Kolis. I will not be unnecessarily cruel or brutal,” I clarified.Remembering what Attes had said, I lifted my chintoward Kyn. “But I will not be forgiving to the point of foolishness. What youhave done and the things you have aided in are abhorrent. We could never createreal change with you at our side.”

Kyn’s eyes narrowed, and he swung his head toward Attes. “What do you have to say about that, brother?”

Attes didn’t turn around, and Iknew what he said next must have hurt him. “I have no brother.”

“That’s how you feel?” Kyn sneered.

“That’s what you caused.”

Kyn’s flesh thinned, revealing swirling shades of silverunderneath. Mist poured out of him as I held his glare. Some of the tensioneased from Attes’s shoulders once he was gone.

Phanos’s gaze met mine and thenshifted to Ash. “You’re right. We have all just been surviving,” he said. “Buteven on the off chance you can force Kolis to abandon his rule, he will notfall in line. You’re a fool if you believe that. He will seek vengeance againsteveryone who stood against him and those who even considered it.”

I tensed.

“I know you don’t want to hear that, or maybe you don’t likeit, but even if Kolis is removed from Dalos, he willnot simply go away. He will want retribution.”

I wanted to tell him that simply forcing Kolis out wasn’tour ultimate end goal, but instinct warned me to stay quiet.

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