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“You appeared as if you were shifting,” Elias answered as the distant, angry roar of a draken sounded.
“Shifting?” I said while Nektas pulled his head from the breezeway, scanning the sky. “Into what? Someone wearing more clothing?”
A dimple appeared as Attes cracked a grin. It was probably a good thing Ash hadn’t seen that.
“We could see the embers.” Ash tucked a strand of my hair back. “In your flesh. But only for a few seconds.”
“Oh,” I whispered, thinking of the tiny dots of silvery light I’d seen in my skin.
“You… You looked beautiful,” Ash said, a flicker of awe crossing his features before concern settled in his gaze. “We need to leave.”
Wordlessly, I nodded as I glanced over at Attes. The concern was evident on his face, too, but I knew it wasn’t reserved only for me. I swallowed, searching for Sotoria’s presence. I… I felt her where the embers had been, quiet but aware.
“But we also need time,” Ash went on. “As much time as possible with Kolis out of commission.”
Elias jerked his chin at Kolis. “I can get him out of here. Hide him and make his recovery a bit more…taxing.” A brutal smile appeared, and I had a feeling a taxing recovery involved growing back limbs. “His loyalists will be concerned only with finding him. That will give you some time.”
“Not a lot,” Attes warned.
My heart turned over heavily as I thought about everything I wanted to do in this not-a-lot-of time. All I wanted to experience. A knot lodged in my throat. This was yet another thing I couldn’t think about.
“Is that what you want done?” Elias asked.
Silence greeted him as I waited for Ash or Attes to answer, but they were looking at me. So was Elias.
My brows flew up. “You’re asking me?” I squeaked hoarsely.
A faint smile tugged at Ash’s lips. “You are the Primal of Life he swore his allegiance to,” he reminded me. As if I’d forgotten.
“I’m your Consort,” I reminded him.
“Actually,” Attes began, then stopped himself. “Never mind.”
I sort of wanted to know what he’d been about to say, but we needed to leave. “I have no idea what we should do with him.”
“You know my answer,” Ash said. “But you were right to stop me—as much as I wish you were not.”
“You and me both.” I ran a hand over my arm, ignoring the stickiness of the blood there. “Could we take him with us until we can figure out what to do with him?”
“That would be ideal.” Attes had moved closer to Kolis and knelt. He cursed. “But I’m not sure that would be wise.”
Ash’s attention shifted to the other Primal. “What is happening.”
“The bone shard didn’t go nearly deep enough to stay in on its own. You can’t even get it that deep,” he explained, rising. “His body will start pushing it out soon.” He turned to us. “He’ll awaken.”
“And there’s nothing else we can do to keep him down?” I asked.
“Not unless we get our hands on a bone blade,” Attes said.
I tried to keep the frustration down. “You can’t take your brother’s?”
Attes shot me a bland look. “I don’t think he’ll give his up without a major fight.”
“One you perhaps don’t want to start,” Ash bit out.
Attes’s stare flicked to Ash. “You would be correct. I want to avoid that for as long as possible.” His jaw flexed. “Because I know it will end with either my death or his.”
My stomach twisted. No part of me would mourn Kyn’s death, but his passing, without another to rise to take his place, would cause more upheaval. I looked at Kolis.
