Page 229 of A Fire in the Flesh

“Yes,” I forced myself to say. “Unfortunately.” I refocused. “Look, you made choices based on the knowledge you had. You didn’t do the wrong things.”

Shaking his head, he looked away. A muscle ticked in his jaw.

“It wasn’t even your father’s fault—not really. The Arae made it so he nor anyone who knew could tell you,” I repeated what I’d told him earlier. “You didn’t know any of this would happen.”

That muscle worked even harder.

“I don’t blame you.” I inched closer. “And I know this isn’t something I can convince you of. You need to come to the understanding—the acceptance. And I need you to because I want you to promise me something.”

He turned his head slightly toward me.

“I…I want you to live,” I began. “After Kolis is dealt with and you take your rightful place as King of Gods—”

“That is not my rightful place.”

“Ash—”

“It’s your rightful place.”

My brows slammed together. “What? I’m not a Primal. I’m not even a god.”

“But those embers?” Ash said. “They’ve become yours.”

Said embers hummed faintly throughout me, but I wouldn’t become that, even if Ash had his kardia and could Ascend me. The embers would likely cause my body to explode or do something else disturbing and gross. “And they will become yours.”

Lips thinning, he looked away.

“And I don’t want you to be alone after that happens.”

The eather in his eyes went flat. “What are you saying, Sera?”

“I’m…I’m saying that I want you to live. Really live, Ash.” I twisted my fingers together. “I want you to find a way to restore your kardia.”

“Good Fates.” He thrust a hand through his hair.

Undaunted, I pressed on and stopped in front of him. “And I want you to allow yourself to love.”

His hand fell, clenching into a fist. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”

“I’m not.” I looked up at him. “I want you to allow yourself to love and be loved, Ash. You’re more than worthy of that. You deserve it. More than anyone I know.”

“I don’t give a fuck what I supposedly deserve,” he snarled, shadows bleeding through his flesh. “You’re seriously asking me to find a way to love another?”

“I am.”

He stared down at me, his chest heaving. “I…I could never do that.”

Pressure clamped down on my chest. “I need you to.”

“I cannot believe you would even ask this of me.” The shadows whipped under his skin. “Think that I would just be able to forget about you—”

“I’m not asking you to forget me. I don’t want that. I don’t want you to ever forget me.” I placed my hands on his chest, causing him to jerk as if burned. “But you’re going to live for a long time. I want you to be happy. That is important to me. Because I love you, Ash.”

“Fuck,” he rasped, the silver of his eyes was as bright as the moonlight reflecting off the waters of my lake, and the set of his jaw was as hard as the shadowstone beneath it.

“I love you.” Fighting back tears, I lifted my hands and cupped his face. His eyes closed briefly, thick lashes fanning his cheeks. “Knowing that you will be happy will allow me to find peace because you will have found peace.”

A heartbeat passed. Then another. His eyes finally opened. “I will find peace.”

---