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)
“Stop the Rot?” He set his knife aside.
I nodded. “So, they did very little to prepare in case I failed.”
“You didn’t fail, Sera,” he said, drawing my gaze to his. “Becoming my Consort wouldn’t have stopped the Rot.”
What he said wasn’t new. I knew that the moment I learned that the Rot had nothing to do with the deal. But what that meant, what Eythos had done, didn’t fully set in until now. I sucked in a sharp breath. “I haven’t failed.”
His brow rose. “That’s what I said.”
“No. I mean, you know how Holland talked about the different threads—about my duty?”
Nyktos’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re talking about going after Kolis—”
“Not that.” At least, not now. “I can still save Lasania simply by staying alive long enough to transfer the embers to you. That will stop the Rot.”
He eyed me. “I believe we already discussed that, Sera.”
“I know. It’s just—I don’t know. It didn’t really hit me until now,” I said. “I guess I’m just used to…”
“Blaming yourself?” he said, and I shrugged. “Because your family blamed you?”
“Ezra never did,” I whispered.
“And this Ezra, she will rule better than the ones before her?”
“Yes. She already is. Ezra is the Queen they deserve.” I smiled as he lifted his plate and stretched across the table.
“I expect you to live longer than the time it takes to transfer the embers to me, by the way,” he said. “And I suppose I will discover for myself just how deserving this stepsister of yours is.”
“I can visit her?”
“That’s what you want, is it not?”
“Yes, but…”
His gaze flicked to mine. “We will go tomorrow, but we cannot linger long. I’ve been lucky at times in the past, but others can feel my presence in the mortal realm. It’s a risk.”
I thought of the creepy Gyrms that had found their way to my lake, but they had been looking for me and not him. “I know.”
“And you must be selective in what you share with her,” he continued. “I know you may want to tell her the truth about Kolis, but that kind of knowledge will be a death sentence for her if discovered. You can speak to her about the Rot, but not the cause.”
“I understand,” I said. “I don’t want to endanger her.”
“Good.” He switched out our plates. “Eat.”
I glanced down at my plate and then to the one he’d taken, befuddled. “You didn’t need to do that.”
“I know.” He began carving the untouched piece of chicken. “And before you point this out, I know you’re more than capable of cutting your own food, but there was far more meat to that breast than this one, and you’ll need all the protein you can get.”
My brows pinched as I glanced between my neatly carved pile and the one he worked on. They looked nearly identical in size and quality, but the intent behind his actions was…it felt thoughtful, not infantilizing. So, I stopped myself from making a caustic retort.
“You may not feel it, but your body is using a lot of energy as it ramps up for the Ascension.”
I thought about how I’d dozed off after waking up and picked up my fork, shoveling several chunks of meat onto the thin tines. I was definitely feeling it. “Thank you,” I murmured.
“You don’t need to thank me.”
“Well, I did.” I ate the forkful of chicken as I peeked at Nyktos. His head was bowed, the hair I’d cut in the courtyard brushing his jaw. The grin was there again. Peace. I squirmed in my seat. “And what of the Pools of Divanash? Have you given any thought to that?”
“I have.” He chewed his food as neatly as he carved it.
Trying not to get my hopes up, I took a sip of the sweet port wine. “And?”
“And it’s also a risk,” he said. “That hasn’t changed.”
“Just because it’s a risk doesn’t mean something will happen.”
He raised one eyebrow as he looked over at me. “True, but I’ve learned to be cautious—overly so.”
I bet he had.
“But,” he continued with a deep breath, “we have no idea when Kolis will summon us. It could be tomorrow. It could be a week from now or even longer. Time isn’t a luxury.”
I nodded in agreement. “But maybe Kolis delaying the coronation is a blessing. It will give us some time to remove the embers before Kolis summons us.”
“I’ve considered that, even before this afternoon.”
I speared a carrot. “But you were being overly cautious?”
His glass partially hid his smile. “I talked to Nektas after returning from Court,” he continued, and I really hoped the draken hadn’t mentioned what he’d said to me. “He’s on board.”
Excitement hummed through me, but I was still cautious. “Are you on board?”
“I don’t like the idea of you being out there without the protection of the title, whether that is here or in the mortal realm.” He set his glass down while I tried not to attach any deeper meaning to what he’d said. “And it’s not because I’m trying to control you—”