Page 419 of Born of Blood and Ash

“I know that you would not kill a child,” I replied.

He closed his mouth, but I swore I saw relief in his eyes.

I looked closely at him. “What did you think I was going toask?”

Ward didn’t answer immediately. “What my last Queen asked ofme.”

My brows flew up. “I would never ask you to kill a child.”

“I do not mean to insult you with such a suggestion,” hesaid. “But she will not be just a child, whether she hungers for power or not.She will wake the Ancients.”

“I know.” My fingernails pressed into my palms. “But untilthen, she will be a child. One day, she may become a great and powerful being,but she…” Pressure clamped down on my chest, and I had to count to five. “Koliswill be aware of her from the moment she’s reborn. It may take him years afterto free himself, but he will do so, and he will come for her. I doubt we willget lucky and have him only find her after she rises as this Primal.” Iabsolutely hated what I said next because it made me feel like I was aiding inhistory repeating itself. That I was taking part in what I wanted to prevent Sotoria from ever experiencing again. “She will have noreal memory of herself—or of Kolis and what he will do to her. And I assume theFates will demand that nobody warn her in order to keep the balance.” I spatthe last word. “She needs to be trained to defend herself.”

I held my breath for five more seconds. “Just as you trainedthe Silver Knight. Just as Holland trained me.”

Ward was silent for several moments. “Okay.” He nodded. “Iwill do as you ask. I will serve as her viktorwith honor, and I will not fail you.” His chin lifted. “I will not fail her.”

Ash held my hand, running his thumb over the goldenswirl as cups at the table were continuously refilled, and laughter mingledwith the music.

I threaded the fingers of my free hand through Reaver’s softhair. He was half-lying on Attes with his head in mylap. Jadis had left her father to wind herself around Ash’s shoulders. Why sheliked that so much was beyond me.

My gaze flickered over those before us. I smiled at seeingBele and Aios finally dancing, holding each other asthey slowly swayed completely off-beat with the lively music. Lailah had joinedTheon, both moving to sit opposite Attes. For once,Theon wasn’t looking at Attes like he wished to punchhim. They were actually having a conversation. I think that had a lot to dowith the god sitting next to Lailah. It turned out he wasn’t an asshole. He wasone of Attes’s generals. Farther down the table, Thierran had joined Ione and Penellaphe.Ward was with them, and they were watching a card game between Saion and Rhahar that had grown to include Rhain.

I glanced up at the colonnade. Aurelia was gone. Now, shesat on the other side of Nektas, having donned alinen gown that reminded me of what Jadis often wore.

It was the first time I’d seen her in her mortal form.

Aurelia had an earthy beauty to her and a husky, infectiouslaugh. I caught Nektas’s lips curving up at the soundof it more than once as we all…as we all simply enjoyed one another’s company.

Family.

That was what all of them were to me. To Ash. Family. Withthem, I would always be seen. Accepted. With them, I knew it would one day beeasier to accept and live with the terrible things I’d done and experienced.That’s what family did.

And I would do everything in my power to protect them. Justlike we would do everything we could to ensure that a powerful being like aPrimal of Blood and Bone wasn’t created from our union. Our sons would, too.They had to.

But that sense of knowing filled me even as I sat there withmy hand wrapped firmly in Ash’s. The future wasn’t completely written in stone.There were choices. Free will. There were things that not even the Fates couldpredict. There was love. What had not yet come to pass could bealtered. I knew that. I believed in that.

But the two daughters had been promised eons ago. The riseof a great Primal of Life and Death had been seen. The remaking of the realmsand the end had been foretold. When I looked down at Reaver, I knew in my heartand felt it written in my bones that she would return.

The true focus of the prophecy. The harbinger that would setKolis free, unleashing death and destruction. She who would awaken the Ancientsand leave the realms in ruin.

It had all started with her, and it would end with her. Theone who was the beginning and the end.

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