Total pages in book: 362
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
His eyes found mine. “What you decided the first time wasn’t wrong, Sera.”
My fingers pressed onto the wooden arms. “Can I ask you something? And will you give me your honest answer?”
“Always.”
I swallowed. “When you agreed to try to go the somewhat peaceful route first, was that what you really wanted? Or did you agree because it was what I suggested?”
“That’s a question with a complicated answer.” He rested his elbow on the arm of his chair. “I, too, wanted to avoid a full-scale war. Too many people would’ve died, both here and in the mortal realm. That’s why I agreed.”
“But?”
He was quiet for a moment. “But you know what I thought. That once Kolis felt truly threatened, he would strike out.” He drew his thumb over his chin. “I just prayed it would not be in the manner in which he did.”
Swallowing again, I nodded once more.
“So, yes, I did agree because it was the right route to go,” he continued. “I had my reservations, especially about the deals, but that is in the past. There’s no point in dwelling there. We don’t have time for that.”
I exhaled slowly. “Agreed.”
He took a drink of his coffee. “You said last night that you were now going to be yourself. You. Not who you thought you should be. I think I know the answer, but I want to hear it from you. How do you think we should proceed?”
I didn’t even have to think about it. “I think we should go straight to Dalos and take out anyone who stands in our way.”
“That’s what I thought.” He set his cup down. “But that will not work. As of right now, we still do not know who our allies are, and Kolis’s armies outnumber ours, even with you Ascending Penellaphe.”
I tensed. “You’ve gotten an update from Lotho?”
“Thierran gave me a brief update when he returned last night,” he said. “Nearly half the army has defected and fled to Dalos.”
I closed my eyes. Our numbers were closer to Kolis’s, but he still had more unless a Primal like Phanos joined us. “I wonder if Thierran settled all the scores he needed to,” I murmured.
Ash’s brows rose. “Do I even want to know?”
“Probably not.” The royal blue tunic I’d donned settled around my thighs as I rose from the chair and walked toward the open balcony doors. My gaze fell on the sunlight reflecting off the Rise walls. “We still need to summon the Primals.”
“Agreed.”
“We need to do that today.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “And we need to summon all the Primals, including Kyn and Veses. I want to make a statement.”
I didn’t even have to finish what I was saying. Ash knew, and a savage glint filled his eyes. He nodded and then asked, “Will you be able to handle that? There are rules when all the Primals are summoned into one’s home. They cannot be harmed unless it is in self-defense.”
“It won’t be easy. I…I may need your help with staying calm,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks burn.
He raised a brow. “You do realize I’m not the best person to rely on when it comes to that son of a bitch and keeping calm.”
“You will stop yourself. You’ve done it before,” I reminded him.
His eyes flashed with luminous eather. “That was before.”
Before he knew everything.
“We won’t mess this up. We will make sure we control ourselves,” he said after a moment. “Are we still planning to establish a council of sorts after Kolis is dealt with?”
“Yes. I still believe in that.” I tucked a curl back. “More now than ever.”
He was quiet as he rolled up his sleeves. “Are we giving the Primals an ultimatum? Swear allegiance to us or die?”
I turned halfway to him. “I don’t like it,” I admitted, twisting the ends of my hair. “It sounds like something Kolis would do. With Phanos, I would like to give him the chance to stand down, but…”
“You want to do that because of what the ceeren did for you.”
I nodded. “I saw his pain at their loss, Ash. It was real.”
“I’m sure it was.” He exhaled heavily. “But isn’t Kolis capable of experiencing emotional pain?”
My fingers stilled.
“Veses? Kyn?” he continued. “That doesn’t change who they are at their cores, Sera. You know that.”
“I do.” I let go of my hair. “Thinking anything different would mean making another mistake. The same mistakes. We have to end this, and we need to do it in a manner that lessens the impact on the mortal realm.”
He inclined his head, catching what I wasn’t saying. That I could no longer hold back in an attempt to lessen the lives lost in Iliseeum. “That will solve our problem of acquiring enough Ancient bones. Either the Primals will give us what they have, or we will take it.”