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When Ash tells Sera he has to go, he urges her to do the same, calling her liessa again. When she asks him what it means, he tells her that it has different meanings to different people but that it always means something beautiful and powerful.
I saw this exchange in a vision of the past, and let me tell you, I swooned.
Sometime later, Ash hides and watches Sera as she spends some time in her lake. When she demands that he reveal himself, he comes out from behind the waterfall and tells her she’s like a goddess made of silver and moonbeams—she really is. Seraphena is absolutely stunning. She gives him hell as she always does, and he calls her a liar when she tells him she doesn’t want him to stay. Their discourse continues, and he admits that he’s aroused but a little afraid of her, and is being careful around her despite the lure he feels to be bad.
When she finally asks his name, he tells her it’s Ash. She inquires if it’s short for something, and he tells her it’s short for many things. She asks about his tattoos, and he hedges, instead telling her to get dressed and promising not to look as she does. Not long after, he realizes they aren’t alone and instructs her to unsheathe her blade, saying that what comes isn’t from the mortal realm.
He explains to her that the nightmare creatures she’s seeing are called Gyrms, Hunters more specifically, out looking for something. Once again, he tells her to go home, and they bicker as they fight the Gyrms. Despite her distracting outfit—a very flimsy scrap of clothing—which he makes sure to point out to her, he says he’s impressed that she can fight and explains how best to kill a Gyrm.
Sera reveals her revulsion for snakes as she discovers what’s inside the Hunters, and Ash teases her about it—naturally. But in her defense, I’m not particularly fond of serpents either. Ash clarifies that what the seamstress turned into is not a Gyrm. He still doesn’t know what happened at Joanis Designs. He explains the different kinds of Gyrms to Sera, and when she asks if the Priests are Gyrms given their stitched mouths and creepiness, he tells her they are.
He suggests perhaps the Hunters were looking for him since he has plenty of enemies. When she implies that he did something to deserve them, he calls her on it and says she’s being awfully judgmental.
Ash then tells Sera a secret: mortal knowledge of the gods, Primals, and Iliseeum isn’t always accurate. Boy, is that true. I swear things change every time I make a note in these files. He goes on to say that some Primals are extremely young, and many gods have been around longer than they have.
Many Gyrms dispatched around them, Ash tells Sera that taking a life should always leave a mark. Lightening the mood, he ribs her about openly staring at his body. She denies it, and he tells her that she lies prettily and calls her liessa again.
Ash insists they interest each other, which is why they’ve both stayed at the lake. He goes on to say that he feels that way about her because she speaks her mind and has little regard for the consequences of doing so.
A woman after my own heart.
Ash admits to Sera that he’s only killed when he’s had to and never enjoyed it. She says she’s sorry, and it surprises him. He tells her about Lathan and how he was forced to take his life. His surprise soon turns to shock as she shows compassion that he had to kill his friend.
I wasn’t sure anybody had ever done that for him before.
Ash asks her why she’s by the lake. When she says it’s calming, he completely understands. It intrigues him that she comes often and is never followed or escorted. As they talk more, and Sera’s self-deprecating side comes out, it annoys him that she would ever question her beauty. He tells her he was impressed by her fighting skills and then teases her that she likes him.
Sera asks about Iliseeum and the Shadowlands, and he tells her what they’re like, asking if he can touch and play with her hair as they chat. He explains how death has made the Shadowlands less magnificent than it used to be.
He’s able to make her smile a few times as they talk, and he remarks that she’s graced him with those expressions. When she tells him he’s kind, it surprises him, and he quickly denies it. But then he admits that maybe he has one decent bone in his body. At least, when it comes to her.
As I said, Nyktos has plenty of decent bones in his body, he just needs those around him like Sera to make him see that.
Overwhelmed by desire, Ash confesses that he wants and needs to kiss her. She tells him to do it. Admitting that he’s never wanted to hear the word yes more, he tugs at her lip with his fangs. She gasps, and he tells her how much he likes it. He then urges her body down onto the ground and teases her about the kiss being…satisfactory. After the second one, he pauses, a bit overcome, but then kisses her again and drags his fangs down her neck. When she says his name, he stills and admits that he’s never heard it said quite like that before, then adds that she can call him whatever she wants.
That one kind and decent bone was most definitely being ruled by his wicked and indecent bones. I couldn’t love it more.
He implores her to show him what she likes so he can give it to her, and she demonstrates how he can pleasure her. When he touches her, he tells her she feels like silk and sunshine—be still my heart. Taking control of the movements as she clutches his wrist, he calls her liessa and tells her to fuck his hand. She gladly does. Smart girl. Afterward, he samples her pleasure from his fingers and tells her she tastes like the sun.
The sun… Oh, my gods. The words that come out of this Primal’s mouth… He’s one of a kind for sure.
Sera touches him, but he hesitates. He confesses how badly he wants her—not her hand—around him but doesn’t want to debauch her on the ground—he shouldn’t knock a good ground shag—or have her regret anything. He admits that he doesn’t have much experience and then distracts her with more kisses.
As they lie together, he admits how he wants to count her freckles and plays with her hair. When they finally get up and finish getting dressed, he advises her to go home quickly and to be careful.
Ash sends Ector to the mortal realm with a new shadowstone dagger for Sera to replace the one he destroyed so she can keep herself safe. I love that he worries for her but realizes that she can take care of herself, as well.
Days later, Nyktos feels Sera’s emotions across the realms as Tavius tortures and whips her. He intervenes, his fury on full display. Pronouncing that he is the Asher, the One Who is Blessed, the Guardian of Souls, the Primal God of Common Men and Endings, and the Primal of Death, he seems to terrify everyone in attendance—all but Sera.
He demands to know who took part in what was done to her and kills four guards for the transgression. He then turns to Tavius and claims Sera as his Consort. As punishment for what the boy-King did, Ash pins him to the Primal statue with the whip around his throat. The Queen begs for Tavius’s life, further enraging Ash.
Sera asks him to let Tavius go, and he does as she wishes, calling her liessa again when he realizes that she wants to murder the bastard. She carries out her promise to cut off his arms, stab him in the chest, and shove the whip down her stepbrother’s throat. After some quite normal conversation, something snaps within Sera, and she attacks Nyktos. I can only imagine it’s because of everything he put her through by not claiming her before and not telling her who he was when she met him again. He reminds her that even as a Primal, he feels pain. Once again, he admits that he’s a little afraid of her.
Sera calls him Nyktos in a fit of ire, now knowing his real identity and hating that she can’t take her frustrations out on him. He tells her not to call him that; says he’s not that to her.
Ash informs her what will happen now that he’s claimed her and realizes that she honestly thought he’d leave her to the consequences of her actions regarding Tavius. He tells her he refuses to let her be executed and promises that her family will be safe, even though he doesn’t feel they deserve it.
He explains to her how he knew to come when he did, touching her, unable to stop. She remarks that his touch is cold, and he asks her what she thinks Death feels like. When she wonders why he didn’t tell her who he was before, he questions if she would still have been interested in him if she knew he was the Primal of Death. He stresses that he never lied to her. She assumed.
