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)
While walking through the elms to her lake, Sera sees a reddish brown kiyou wolf that’s been shot in the chest with an arrow. She approaches and tries to help, ultimately bringing it back to life. It licks her hand, and she feels the same warmth in her chest that she usually does around death or when she uses her healing gift, only it’s stronger this time. She wonders if it’s because of the wolf’s size.
She makes it to the lake and is filled with wonder at how it feels like home. Heading in, she enjoys herself until she realizes she’s not alone. She calls out for whoever is there to show themselves and is stunned when the god walks out from behind the waterfall. She tries to scold him for being there. When he tells her he was there before her, and she realizes that he watched her undress, she’s shocked—more so when he says she’s like a goddess made of silver and moonbeams. Regardless, she demands that he leave.
Once again, his voice—like a smoky, shadowy caress—feels familiar to her, and she grows inexplicably warm.
She asks him about his ink, and he hedges. As their talk progresses, she threatens him again—shocker, right?—and then reveals she’s a Princess. She asks him his name and sees his tattoo in its entirety. He says that some call him Ash, and tacks on that it’s short for many things.
Sera exits the lake and gets dressed but only dons her slip before he warns her that they’re not alone. Sera sees Gyrms for the first time, and their scent reminds her of something. She’s worried they will kill the god but can’t help but bicker with him as they fight the creatures.
Eventually, she ends up unconscious from the battle. When she wakes, she calls Ash beautiful and realizes that she’s on the grass with her head on his thigh. Surprised he stayed, she engages in more conversation with him, and he fills her in on some stuff she questions. Many of the things Ash says utterly surprise—and delight—Sera, and she finds herself a little awed.
She realizes she’s been smiling, and he teases her that she’s gifted him with three. When she asks if the other gods are kind, he corrects her that he’s not kind but then says he maybe has one kind and decent bone in his body—for her.
Unable to stop herself, she asks him why, and he tells her that he wants and needs to kiss her. She realizes that she is attracted to him on a visceral level, as well, and tells him to go ahead.
He smiles, and she sees his fangs for the first time before sharing a kiss to end all kisses. When Ash tells her to show him what she wants, she doesn’t hesitate. She demonstrates what ramps her up and controls his movements as he pleasures her with his hand. When she crests that peak, he sucks her flavor from his fingers and tells her that she tastes like the sun.
Sera moves to reciprocate, and he confesses that it’ll become more than kissing and touching if she does that, admitting how badly he wants her. She tells him that she feels the same before they kiss, cuddle, and chat a bit more, and then part ways.
Back at the castle, she learns about the riot the night before and talks to Ezra about the ruler Lasania needs. Despite the gravity of their conversation, she finds she can’t stop thinking about Ash.
Sera raids the kitchens and takes what she finds to check on some of the farmers on the outskirts of town. Unfortunately, she discovers the Coupers have succumbed to the hardships of the Rot. Distraught, she heads to see the King and talks to him about the Coupers and what’s going on in the kingdom. Tavius is there, and they argue as usual. During the exchange, she feels something dark in the center of her chest where her gift generally springs to life, but this time, it’s slick and cold.
On her way to training, Sera hears a servant calling for help and goes to investigate, only to find it’s a trap. During the attack, she tells her assailants that killing her won’t stop the Rot and learns that the Royal Guards were paid to take her out. She defends herself and ups her body count to seventeen. When discovered later, she lies and says she found the guards dead. She also sees the golden god we eventually find out is Callum—and not a god at all.
Later, Sera overhears Ezra giving instructions to a carriage driver and follows her. She ends up helping Healer Dirks with some injured townsfolk. She and Ezra discuss her attack and the role the servant girl played, and Sera finds out that Tavius is broke—an insinuation that he couldn’t have been the one who paid off the guards. She’s not sure she believes that.