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)
“Will Ash?”
“Absolutely fucking not.”
Nektas smiled. “I didn’t think so,” he said. “Once Kolis is dealt with, such a being will not be a concern.”
Unease stirred as I stood there, leaving me a little—or a lot—confused. I didn’t think it had anything to do with Kolis, despite the fact he was a threat in more ways than…five hundred. It was the idea that such a being as a Primal of Life and Death was impossible. But I wasn’t sure why. My intuition was quiet again.
Except for one thing.
Even when Kolis was dealt with, a being of such power was not impossible.
Gold spun before me.
Gilded bones.
Gold chests.
Chains.
And I felt him behind me, beneath me, his body too hot. Too still. Weight crushed my chest.
Crushed me.
“I cannot believe you would bring him up as I hold you,” Kolis hissed in my ear.
I twisted in his grip and saw him, his flesh thinning until the dull gleam of bone was visible.
No, this isn’t real.
“That you would even speak his name.”
I couldn’t get air into my lungs as I stared into pools of gold-flecked eather.
This isn’t real.
I’d escaped.
I’d freed myself.
His lips peeled back, baring elongated fangs.
No. No. No—
“Sera.”
Upon the sound of my name—the sound of his voice—I could breathe again. Air poured into my lungs. The stale scent of lilacs got washed away by fresh air and citrus. Kolis faded away, dissipating like smoke. The gilded cage collapsed, crumbling into nothing.
The nightmare disappeared into a gray, tranquil void, and this time, I thought I felt the cool touch of Ash’s lips against my brow. As I slipped further into the void of sleep, I thought I heard Ash’s voice again, telling me that it was only a dream. That I was safe, now and always. That he was there and would watch over me. Keeping the nightmares at bay.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Standing in the center of the bedchamber, I smoothed my hands over the fitted black vest and simple, quarter-sleeve shirt of the same color I’d found in the pile of clothing by the wardrobe. After being forced to wear transparent gowns for weeks, I had immediately grabbed a pair of leggings. There were other tops in my size, too, one that reminded me of the style Ash and his guards wore, but it seemed too…fancy for right now.
A curl toppled forward as I looked down at myself. Gods, I was so happy to be wearing clothing of my choosing again. But as I stood there, it suddenly struck me why I hated the gowns Kolis forced me to wear.
Not having a real choice was a huge part of it, but it was also that they reminded me of my failed presentation as the Consort—the gown I’d been forced to wear when I was first taken to the Shadow Temple. It, too, had hidden absolutely nothing and put me and nearly every inch of my body on display.
How I hadn’t made the connection until now was beyond me.
My stomach roiled so suddenly and sharply that I smacked my hand over my mouth out of fear that the breakfast Ash had scrounged up for us might come right back up. Closing my eyes, I waited for the wave of nausea to pass, half-afraid that it wouldn’t. But it did after a couple of minutes.
Gods. I needed to get a grip.
I blew out a long breath as I glanced over the bare walls and the scant pieces of furniture, still a little rattled by how vivid everything was. The space contained only the necessities: a long, tall wardrobe and several chests, the small, round table by the couch, and the new charcoal-gray armchair sitting near the bed. I’d heard Nektas’s voice when I was in stasis.
Was that where he’d sat?
Nektas was right last night, I thought as I took in the rumpled blankets, discarded clothing, and used dinnerware on the table. The chambers did looked lived in. There was life here now. Not much, but enough that it had started to chip away at the kind of existence Ash had had for a little over two centuries due to Kolis’s far-reaching and toxic influence. One that allowed for no warmth and no time or desire to form attachments, bonds, or even interests.
But that was changing. And it would continue to change.
I turned to the doors. After eating, Ash went back downstairs to check on things. When he returned, it would be time to meet with the others and go over what Ash and I had discussed last night.
I swallowed, shifting from one foot to the other. I knew I didn’t have to wait for him to return. I could go downstairs now. I could go anywhere I wanted. Well, mostly. But given how my heart pounded, you would’ve thought a pit of forked-tongue vipers waited just beyond.
Feeling foolish—and not in a good way—I let my head fall back. I couldn’t believe that I was hiding in my bedchamber because the idea of facing anyone without Ash stressed me out. Especially not after everything I’d been through—all I’d done.