Page 398 of Born of Blood and Ash

Footsteps echoed through the entire Temple. Within seconds,the decaying halls were filled with Kolis’s soldiers.

One smirked, withdrawing a dull white sword. “You shouldn’thave come alone.”

“She didn’t,” came a deep voice behind me, his fresh citrusscent sweeping over me.

I smiled, and the god’s grin faded.

“Was that just Varus?” Ash asked, handing me one of hisswords. “Being thrown out of here?”

“It was.”

He chuckled, his hand grazing my hip as he stepped forward.I thought I smelled the faint scent of his blood, but it was passing. “I assumethere’s a reason you’re here.”

“Kolis.” I looked to my right when the gods charged. “He’splaying hide and seek. Are you injured?”

“Of course, the coward is. And no, I’m not injured,” hesaid. “By the way, there are a whole lot of dead people doing a whole lot ofkilling out there.”

“Good.”

The soldiers surrounded us, and my grip tightened around mysword, the blade an extension of my will. Breathe in. They attacked atonce. There was no time to think or feel fear in the chaos of blades. Hold.Blood sprayed the failing walls as I sliced through one god and then another. Ifell into the madness, barely feeling the bone-shaking blows, my sword clashingwith others. I no longer felt the echoes of death, or maybe it was just soconstant that I had finally tuned it out. Breathe out. Back-to-back withme, Ash fought with deadly precision, his movements lethal. Hold. Icut down a god, cleaving his body in two, and stepped over the mess—

A blow connected with my jaw, knocking my head back.Stunned, I stumbled into one of the pillars. Tiny fissures appeared in thestone, and a metallic wetness filled my mouth.

Ash spun with a snarl, shooting forward. He caught the fistand shattered each bone with one squeeze. The god howled, dropping to hisknees.

“That wasn’t nice.” I pushed forward, spitting out amouthful of blood as I drove the sword through the god’s throat.

Ash released him, letting him fall back, then turned towardme, his features hard.

“I’m okay,” I said at once, stretching out my jaw to easethe throbbing there. When I turned to kick a god back into the sword Ash held,I saw that the side of his tunic was torn, and the ragged edges were soaked,darkening the material. Two gods raced at us, weapons raised, and concernimmediately flooded me. “You lied! You are injured.”

“I didn’t lie, liessa.”With a swift turn, he struck with both swords, cutting down the godssimultaneously. “I was injured. Briefly.”

“You bled,” I growled, spinning toward a goddess in crimson.I ducked beneath her swinging blade, feeling the rush of air signaling thenarrow miss. Rising behind her, I caught her loose, dark hair and jerked herhead back, plunging my sword through her back. Shimmery blood sprayed the fadedwalls. “How did it happen?”

“I was distracted.” His sword sliced through leather andbone as I dropped to my hands and knees to avoid the sweep of a sword. “By acertain wife who decided to go onto the battlefield.”

Pressing my lips together, I rocked back on my knees andkicked out, sweeping the god’s legs out from under him. “Sorry.”

“Uh-huh.” He bowed, driving his sword down through the chestof the god I’d knocked down. Thick lashes lifted. Eyes streaked with silver metmine. “The next time you do something like that,”—he yanked the blade free—“I’mgoing to spank you.”

My skin flushing hotly, I spun, shoving the sword back. Astrangled grunt told me my aim was on point. “Was that supposed to be a threatof punishment?” I darted to the side, slamming my elbow into a crimson god’sstomach. “If so,”—my blade pierced armor and tissue—“it’s getting the absoluteopposite response.”

“I know.” His voice was a sensual growl as he turned,throwing a shadowstone sword. It caught a god in thehead. “I can taste your arousal, liessa.”

I started to respond when I spotted Kolis at the end of thehall, ducking under another archway. Another dozen crimson-garbed gods pouredout.

“This is getting really annoying,” I muttered. I had no ideawhat game he was playing, but I was also so very done with him.

As I slid under a wild swing, I pictured Thierranin my mind and summoned him. I trusted that he would keep a low profile untilwe had Kolis cornered.

Ash and I carved a path through the Temple hall, leaving agrotesque carpet of bodies behind. More soldiers loomed ahead, just anotherwave crashing toward us. But we were the rock that would break them apart.

As we neared the archway, the air crackled around us. Ispun, letting out a shout of warning.

Kolis materialized directly behind Ash, descending on him ina heartbeat.

Ash spun, pulling his sword back and plunging it deep intoKolis’s chest. The impact knocked the Primal of Death back several feet beforehe caught himself.

---