Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Kolis wonders what Attes thinks, and Kyn tells him he’s more attuned to accord than war. Kyn then assures Kolis he’s not worried about retribution or Nektas. Kolis tells him he’s brave and loyal and has his gratitude. The Primal kisses his ass.
When talk shifts to the embers, Kolis says he’s maintained the balance this long and that won’t change anytime soon. He asserts they won’t make any moves against the Shadowlands unless provoked. When Kyn asks what happens then, Kolis says he’ll do what must be done. They talk about Nyktos, and when Kolis notices Kyn looking at Sera, he tells the Primal she draws the eye and asks her to move closer. He wonders what Kyn thinks, and the Primal agrees with Kolis. He then says that if it comes out that she isn’t his graeca, he will gift her to Kyn after he's finished with her. Kyn humbly accepts, then tells him he’s happy he brought a gift, as well.
Someone wearing a black hood is brought in, and Kolis finds out it’s Rhain. He remembers his father and brother and what they could do. Rhain seethes as Kolis talks about his father and calls him a traitor. He wonders if Rhain allowed himself to be captured and if finding Nyktos wasn’t really his end goal.
He searches the god and finds a pouch with a necklace in it. He assumes it’s his trigger object, slightly confirmed when Sera says it’s hers, but insists she didn’t know what Rhain could do. He listens to Kyn and Sera bicker and tells them to stop. Turning to Rhain, he says he believes Sera; therefore, he’ll make his death quick. Sera argues, saying he’s only being loyal to the Primal of his Court, Kolis insists he should be loyal to him—his King.
When Sera tells him that he should be thrilled that Rhain is worried about Nyktos, it confuses him. She explains that the gods in the Courts should care about their Primals. If they don’t, how can they care about their King?
Sera tells him she’ll do whatever he wants if he lets Rhain go. He asks her why she’d want to save the god, and she says she’s trying to prevent a war. She reiterates that she’ll do anything if he promises that Rhain will be returned to the Shadowlands in the same condition he’s in now. He agrees and dismisses Kyn, then informs Sera they’ll be sharing a bed.
Once Sera is bathed and dressed, he comes in and tells her she’s far bolder than before, then asks if what he requested of her was a surprise. She tells him it only surprised her because he offered her to Kyn just moments before. He tells her that her advice to release Rhain was wise and shows that he’s reasonable, fair, and worthy of loyalty. He mentions that the god is back home.
They go to bed.
The next day, Kolis brings Ione to meet Sera. He tells her that the goddess can see into others’ thoughts to uncover truths, lies—all that is needed.
He tells Sera it won’t take long and assures her that Ione will be quick and efficient. He orders her to sit. Kolis takes in her demeanor and says she seems nervous. She replies it’s because a god did this to her before, and it hurt.
Callum fills Kolis in about Taric, and he asks Sera if the god found her. She says it wasn’t just him, it was him, Cressa, and Madis. She wonders why he had Taric searching for the embers if he already knew where they were, and he tells her that he ordered Taric to look for his graeca, not the embers.
Kolis then asks Sera if the other gods fed from her, and she says only Taric did. He wonders if the god told her what he saw, and Sera says he didn’t have a chance to say anything before Nyktos killed him.
Kolis watches as Ione is pushed from Sera’s mind and demands to know what she saw. The goddess says the embers in Sera are strong, and he gets exasperated. He asks if Sera is his graeca, and Ione tells him she carries the one called Sotoria. That she is her.
He feels nothing but joy.
Kolis asks her more questions, which the goddess answers to his satisfaction
He gets all emotional, and Callum says it has to be a lie. Ione tells him she doesn’t lie and has no reason to.
Discussions rise about how Sera doesn’t look like Sotoria, and Ione explains why. She tells Kolis she’s glad he found his graeca.
After she asks Kolis if he requires anything more of her, he thanks her for her assistance. When she turns to leave, she addresses Sera as Consort. It pisses Kolis off and he interjects that the coronation was neither recognized nor approved.