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)
Dozens of tiny balls of unease settled in my stomach.
There is more.
I knew that.
Ash knew that.
“Talk to me,” he said, so quietly I could almost pretend he hadn’t spoken.
I wanted to run for the balcony doors. A better option was to change the subject slightly, and I knew exactly what to bring up. It was possibly the most important thing we needed to discuss and hadn’t yet.
“There isn’t much to say about any of that.” I cleared my throat as I slipped my hand free of his. “But we do need to talk about Kolis. What are we going to do about him?”
That muscle flexed along Ash’s jaw again as he reached for his glass and drank while I did everything in my power not to squirm.
Did he realize I’d changed the topic on purpose? Of course, he had. But had it angered him? Disappointed him? I didn’t want that. I just couldn’t talk to him about that. Not now. Not when I didn’t even know what to think about it.
After what felt like a small eternity, Ash said, “Discussing how we’re going to remove him from power is something we need to talk about with Lailah and Theon. Even Attes,” he said, surprising me a little that he thought to include the other Primal in, well, anything. “But we do need to be on the same page regarding what to do with Kolis.”
“Agreed.” I relaxed a little. “We know we can’t kill him.”
“Unfortunately, not at this point.”
My thoughts flashed to Sotoria, and my stomach soured. “Nor can we allow him to continue as the false King or the true Primal of Death. So, what does that leave us with?”
“Only one thing.”
My mind immediately went to the Ancients. “We need to entomb him.”
Ash nodded.
I prodded at my fang, thinking that over. “That won’t be easy. Kolis is old. He’s powerful. Capable of healing any wound.”
“Almost any wound,” Ash corrected.
I started to frown, and then it hit me. “Ancient bone—wait. The true Primal of Life and the true Primal of Death can break through those.”
“Yes, but if such a weapon is left in a Primal, it severely weakens them,” he reminded me. “Whatever injuries they incur will not heal while the bone remains in place.”
A chill skated down my spine. “Isn’t that what Attes planned to do when he took Kolis?” When Ash nodded, I continued. “Has that been done before?”
“It has.”
Part of me thought I already knew when and with whom, but I had to ask. “Has he done it to you?”
“Once,” Ash answered flatly. “A few decades ago.”
“Fuck,” I rasped, pressing my hand to the table as eather thrummed hotly inside me. “I want to make Kolis bleed and then dance in his blood.”
Ash’s gaze flicked to mine. “I would love to see that, so let’s ensure it happens.”
I checked my anger before I started destroying more silverware. It wasn’t easy. “We will also need chains made of the bones of the Ancients, won’t we? And I assume there’s not much just lying around.”
“I know Attes has a small stash, but not nearly enough to make chains,” he said. “And there are limitations for using Ancient bones against a Primal. Even leaving it inside them. The ground will seek to restore them, pushing any bone blades from the flesh like a splinter. And roots will eventually crush the bone chains.”
Gods, I hadn’t even thought about how the roots had come out of the ground when I almost pushed myself into an early Ascension. “How long does it take for that to happen?”
“For you or me?” He leaned forward. “Hundreds of years. For a Primal of Kolis’s age? A handful of years. A decade if we’re lucky.”
“Gods.” I sat back, fingers finding their way to my hair. “What about the tombs here?”
“They won’t hold a Primal,” Ash said, watching me. “And there would be a whole other issue with that.”
“What…?” I trailed off as the answer pieced itself together for me. “You still rule the Shadowlands, meaning you receive the summonses at the Pillars and beyond. But if Kolis steps foot in the Shadowlands, he will gain control of the Abyss, the Vale, and all those who serve the Shadowlands, including the draken.”
“Because he’s the true Primal of Death,” he said. “Yes.”
I faced him.
“But he’ll be reluctant to do that. If he comes here, that would leave Dalos vulnerable and open for you to do the same there. As of now, that is the seat of power.”
That was good news. Kind of. “So, we need to figure out how to entomb him and keep him there for longer than a decade.” Or keep him there indefinitely so Sotoria wasn’t needed. That would be the best possible outcome.
There had to be a way to keep him entombed because the— “The Ancients.” I whipped toward Ash. “They’ve been entombed for thousands and thousands of years and are more powerful than a Primal. How are they entombed?”