Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1185(@200wpm)___ 948(@250wpm)___ 790(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1185(@200wpm)___ 948(@250wpm)___ 790(@300wpm)
“Sera.” He stood, both hands flat on his desk. “I didn’t—” He winced, air hissing between his clenched teeth as he lifted his right hand from the desk and looked at it. His nostrils flared. “Fuck.”
“What?” My eyes searched his face when he didn’t respond. “What is it?”
Nyktos turned his hand over so his palm faced me. My lips parted at the reddish-black slash cutting through a circle seemingly inked into the center of his hand. “Kolis,” he growled, his eyes filling with vivid streaks of eather. “He’s summoned us.”
I’d never seen so many people in Nyktos’s office at once.
Every single one of his most trusted guards were present, including Aios and Nektas, who’d arrived with the two young draken. Jadis was in her mortal form, nestled against her father’s chest and fast asleep with what appeared to be half her hand in her mouth.
I glanced down at my lap. Somehow, I had ended up seated on the settee with Reaver, who was awake but currently had his diamond-shaped head resting on my knee. I think he’d done it to stop me from repeatedly tapping my foot on the floor.
Part of me also thought maybe he’d sensed my nervousness and was responding to it, which didn’t seem like a normal thing.
My gaze shifted to my bare wrists. The charm was there, invisible to me, but it wouldn’t work outside the Shadowlands. I could be kept in Dalos.
“He summoned you before I thought he would,” Nektas said, gently rocking Jadis from where he stood behind Nyktos’s desk. “I figured he’d take his sweet-ass time.”
“That’s what I’d hoped,” Nyktos said, leaning against the front of his desk, his arms crossed over his chest. Like the last time I’d looked at him, he watched me. Only me.
“Wait. I’m confused,” Ector said.
Theon snorted. “No one is surprised.”
Ector ignored him. “Being summoned to Dalos isn’t going to be fun, but getting his permission means crowning her as the Consort sooner rather than later, giving her the protection you’ve been wanting.”
“It does,” Nyktos said. “But it would’ve been preferable to get the embers out of Sera first.”
Aios frowned as she exchanged a look with Bele. “Are you worried that Kolis will be able to sense them in her now that they’ve grown stronger?”
My head cut toward Nyktos then. I hadn’t even thought about that. “Will he?”
“He may be able to sense something that alludes to you being no ordinary godling.” Only a faint glow of eather pulsed behind his pupils. “But if so, that can be explained away.”
“How?”
“Blood,” Nektas answered, rubbing Jadis’s back. One of her tiny feet peeked out from the edge of her blanket. “His blood. If anyone drinks enough of a Primal’s blood, they will give off some Primal vibes until the blood is completely absorbed into their system.”
“Oh.” I wanted to relax at hearing that, but we had a far bigger issue with me coming face-to-face with Kolis.
“So, as long as you play nice with Kolis, he’ll give his permission,” Saion said. “Really nice, Nyktos.”
“Yeah, good luck,” muttered Lailah. I looked to where she stood on the other side of a silent Rhain, her hand resting on the hilt of one of the swords strapped to her hip.
“It isn’t him I’m worried about.” Ector looked pointedly in my direction, and Rhahar gave a low cough.
I thought of what Nektas had shared about Nyktos convincing Kolis that he was loyal. “Exactly how nice will we have to play?”
“You will do whatever Kolis demands of you,” Rhain stated, speaking for the first time. “No matter how distasteful or vile you find it to be. There will only be a few things that Nyktos can refuse on your behalf.”
Pressure settled in my chest. I started to ask what sort of things, but I fell silent at the way Nyktos’s features turned stark. Reaver nudged my hand, drawing my attention. He bumped his nose against my palm once more. Swallowing, I ran my fingers over his forehead, mindful of the small bumps that had sprouted along the crown of his diamond-shaped head. One day, they would grow into horns larger than my hand, if not half my arm.
“That means no threatening to cut his eyes out and feed them to him when he inevitably angers you,” warned Rhahar, the smooth, rich brown skin of his cheek gleaming under the sconce he stood by.
“How did you hear about that?” I exclaimed.
“Everyone has heard about you threatening Attes.” Nyktos smirked.
“He actually told Theon and me on his way out that day,” Lailah said. “He was rather amused by it.”
Theon frowned. “And kind of turned on by it,” he said. A low rumble radiated from Nyktos as the air charged. Theon held up his hands. “Sorry. Forget I mentioned that.”
I stared at Nyktos, using every ounce of willpower I had not to say anything. The utter audacity of him being angered over another person being attracted to me—no matter how bizarre that attraction was—when I wanted to set the settee I sat upon on fire because of what he had been doing with Veses on it…