Total pages in book: 222
Estimated words: 213974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1070(@200wpm)___ 856(@250wpm)___ 713(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 213974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1070(@200wpm)___ 856(@250wpm)___ 713(@300wpm)
“Sera?” Ash questioned softly.
Inhaling deeply, I fixed a smile on my face and I looked up at him. Before anything could be said, Ehthawn pushed off the roof, sending plumes of dust falling as he took to the sky. On the horizon, I could make out the shape of wings—large wings stretched wide.
Rhahar and Saion stepped forward as a unit, both reaching for their swords.
“There’s no need for that,” Attes’s voice rose from the steps. “It’s only Aurelia. She will harm none of you.”
“Yeah, well, can’t blame my people for being wary.” Ash shifted his stance so half of him blocked me. At his side, his hand fisted as there was a round of hasty bows that neither Ash nor I joined in on.
Bele didn’t either.
She cut off another chunk of apple and popped it into her mouth.
I pressed my hand against Ash’s back as Attes crested the top of the stairs.
“I can’t.” Attes glanced out to sea as his draken grew closer to Ehthawn, who rumbled a low warning. Attes’s jaw tensed. “I hope your draken is just overly friendly.”
Well…
“Ehthawn will not strike at Aurelia unless he’s given reason to,” Ash advised. “But it’s not him you’re really worried about.”
Nektas snorted smoke from where he remained on the cliff.
Attes tilted his head. “I assume Seraphena is all right and still in possession of The Star?”
“The what?” Bele murmured.
“I am.” I sidestepped Ash, looking behind him and seeing no one. “Keella?”
“She’s here.” Attes did a double-take as he spotted Elias. “I had her give us a couple of minutes just in case we needed them.” He looked pointedly at Ash. “Hopefully, those minutes aren’t needed.”
“They’re not,” Ash replied, folding his arms over his chest. “Yet.”
“They won’t be needed.” I shot Ash a look as Ehthawn veered toward who I assumed was Crolee.
“It’s nice to deal with someone reasonable.” Attes’s smile softened the scars on his face.
A growl came from a much, much closer source.
Attes’s smile kicked up a notch as he ignored the warning of violence building in Ash. The Primal of War and Accord scanned those on the Temple as his draken flew overhead, her scales a mix of green and brown in the sunlight.
“Um,” I murmured as the draken cleared the Temple, dipping low. The end of her spiked tail skimmed the side of the cliff directly above Nektas, sending a shower of dirt down on him.
Wait. Wasn’t that the draken Nektas had visited to get information from? And hadn’t Reaver said he thought Nek was sweet on her?
Nektas grumbled, shaking off the dirt as he raised his head. Eyes narrowing, his head swiveled, thin wisps of smoke wafting from his nose. Aurelia tucked her wings to her sides, landing on a cliff above and off to the side of Nektas.
She was larger than both Ehthawn and Crolee, but Nektas dwarfed her as he rose onto all fours, baring his teeth—
Aurelia was fast, stretching out her neck and snapping at Nektas as the frills around her neck vibrated.
I tugged on the back of Ash’s shirt. “Should we be worried about this?”
“Should we? Probably,” he replied dryly. “Since this is their idea of flirting, and it tends to get a bit…aggressive.”
“Kind of like how you two flirt,” Saion tossed out as he strode past us.
“Rude,” I muttered.
Ash chuckled, sending a little quiver of surprise through me. Normally, he would’ve threatened Saion, or at the very least, shut him up with a glare, but the Ash I’d first met in the mortal realm? He was more relaxed, more playful. I was seeing a bit of that now, his more teasing nature—
Nektas yelped as Aurelia nipped his neck when he got too close. He jerked back, his chest rumbling.
“Just think,” Attes neared us, “if they hook up, we’ll be kind of related.”
“What a thrilling prospect,” Ash stated.
Dragging my gaze from the two draken, I remembered the other draken Attes had spoken of. “Where’s Basilia?”
“Still making sure Kolis’s draken are busy,” Attes answered, his smile deepening as he turned from Ash. One dimple appeared. “Lailah, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.”
“Has it?” the goddess remarked nonchalantly.
“It has.” A hint of a fang appeared as Attes strode past Kars, who gave him a wide berth. “The last time I visited the House of Haides, Theon claimed you were indisposed.”
“I was.” Lailah raised a brow as I saw Saion start to grin while his cousin scratched at his short, cropped hair. “I had a headache.”
“A headache?” Attes repeated.
“Yes.” She shifted her weight. “Strangely, it’s starting to return.”
The Primal laughed, and both dimples appeared. “I do believe you are insinuating that I am the cause of this headache.”
“You’re so incredibly astute.” She blinked her wide-set gold eyes. “Perhaps you should’ve been the Primal of Wisdom.”
“I detect sarcasm. You wound me.” Attes pressed his hand to his chest. “Deeply.”