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Heading to the lake to gain entrance to Iliseeum, Ash is amused that she feels such ownership of the body of water and remarks that there’s a reason she’s found it so calming all this time: it is how she can get to him. He admits that he could have—and probably should have—told her who he was earlier, but she was fearless, he was interested, and though he hadn’t wanted or expected everything that’d happened with them thus far, he liked that they were themselves…no deal and no obligations. She wanted him to touch her and didn’t feel she had to let him. He explains that he enjoyed it all and didn’t want it to end.
Once in the realm of the gods, Ash points out that all the hills she sees are draken and explains the difference between a dragon and a draken.
After passing a Rise full of impaled dead, people begin noticing their arrival. He tells her he’d hoped they would have some time before anyone knew she’d arrived, especially since very few know about her yet. He asks if he can introduce her as his Consort, and she agrees.
As they start meeting the gods in the Shadowlands, he gets a little miffed that Lailah brings up the so-called family tradition of kidnapping mortal girls, alluding to Kolis’s obsession with Sotoria.
Ash calls to Aios to take Sera to her room and have food sent to her. The goddess is startled when she feels a jolt from Sera as they touch and looks at Ash. He only responds with, “I know.” He tells Sera to trust Aios and promises he’ll return soon.
Later, he finds Sera bathing. When he takes in her wounds, he confesses he can’t wait to visit Tavius in the Abyss to make him suffer. He brings her something to help with the pain and healing and offers to wash her hair—a first for him. But he can’t resist her moonlit locks.
Ash wonders what her life was like after he rejected her and learns that a knight trained her in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat so she could defend herself. He’d hoped she would just carry on with her life after his rejection. When she asks why he didn’t return, he tells her that the Priests would never summon him again and tries to get her to understand that what happened wasn’t personal.
Oh, it was personal, all right, but not at all what she thought. It was so much more. And so much sweeter yet heartbreaking.
Ash tells her that she didn’t do anything wrong when he rejected her and explains what he felt from her that day—that she was afraid and felt she had no choice—thus revealing that he can sense and taste her emotions. He tells her that he saw her as brave but still felt anguish and hopelessness—someone forced to fulfill a promise they didn’t make. He had no need of a Consort forced to marry him, and so he told her as much.
She emerges from the bath, and he dries her and tells her he knows what she feels when he touches her—the sounds she makes aren’t forced; she lets him touch her because she likes it. He explains that he reads her body language, though; he doesn’t delve into her emotions.
Being more than interested in certain parts of their union and agreement, he pleasures her again, telling her that he thinks about her and their time at the lake every time he takes himself in hand. He then applies ointment to her back and insists he’s still the same man she met, despite her knowing more about him now and who he really is. He tells her that he revealed things to her he’s never told others, and he never lied to her.
When Sera asks about those she saw impaled on the Rise as they entered, he’s stunned that she thinks he did it. He explains about the politics of Iliseeum, which leads to him revealing that he didn’t make the deal with her ancestor. His father did.
Ash goes into how all powers, responsibilities, and deals transferred to him when his father died, Ascending him into his Primal status. He relays that his parents loved each other very much, and his father was a widower when he made the deal with Roderick. Eythos died loving his wife, so Ash was always confused why he made the deal at all.
Neither he nor Sera consented to the agreement, which is something they have in common. He tells her that he considered coming to her and telling her everything well before now and the events that played out, but felt it was better if he limited contact. He didn’t want to expose her.
The discussion turns once again to the murders, and Ash tells Sera that he doesn’t think they’re connected to her. He explains things about Lathan better, and when she asks why he kept an eye on her given there were no consequences for him regarding the deal, he tells her he isn’t sure and insinuates that perhaps he should have left her be. While she may have been killed by Madis and his crew, dying may have actually been a better fate for her. At least then his enemies wouldn’t also become hers.
Word comes in that Shades are loose in the Dying Woods, so Ash leaves Sera to go and deal with them. When he gets back, he has breakfast with her.
As they discuss the dynamics in the House of Haides, he explains that keeping her in her chambers is a necessary evil, but if she thinks that’s what being held against her will feels like, she has no idea. He admits that he’s unfortunately well-acquainted with the feeling, referring to his time in Dalos.
I hate that she will experience that for herself soon enough.
Ash returns the dagger he gifted her, now with a sheath, and apologizes for upsetting her and keeping her sequestered.
Talk turns to feeding, and he explains how it works and why being weakened comes into play, admitting that he doesn’t feed anymore. Ever. He just makes sure to never get that weak. When she asks if he was a prisoner before, referring to what he’d said about being well-acquainted with the feeling of being a captive, he tells her that he’s been many things, leaving it at that and not elaborating. She tries to get him to say more by offering up that they should learn more about each other. Ash admits that he doesn’t want them to be strangers and would very much like them to be as close as they were at the lake. However, he isn’t willing to discuss his imprisonment.
He quickly changes the subject, and they talk about the draken. Ash explains that he’s been around them long enough that he can understand them, even while they’re in their draken forms. He feeds little Jadis some bacon and admits that Nektas will likely burn him alive if he finds out Ash is giving it to her.
He teases Sera about stabbing him in the chest in the mortal realm, letting her know he’s hopeful she won’t do it again. Then he explains that Nektas knew Ash wasn’t seriously injured that day because of their bond. If he were, the draken would have come for him. Sera remarks that she really needs to get a better handle on her anger, and he confesses that he finds it…interesting.
Later, Nyktos returns from a duty and talks to Sera about her future in the Shadowlands. When she accidentally bumps into him, he jerks and hisses, telling her not to touch him, afraid to reveal his weakness. When Sera alludes to the fact that she doubts his attraction, it stuns him, and he tells her he’s very interested. He goes on to say that it’s becoming real and potent—like its own entity.
She tells him he’s a lot of talk and no action, so he backs her against the wall, needing to make things clear. He explains that the last thing he wants to be is in control or decent when he’s around her. He wants to be so deep inside her he forgets his name—and knows she wants it, too. He licks and nips at her. Sera, ever the contrarian, insists she doesn’t like him, and he tells her it’s probably better that way.
He gives Sera a tour of the House of Haides and then heads to the library to discuss more rules. While there, he reveals that he injured his back during his skirmish with the Shades—which explains the flinching. Though poor Sera doesn’t know that until much, much later and thinks he’s put off by her for some reason.
As he relays more about the rules and how things work in Iliseeum, he tells her that the do-not-harm-the-Consort rule was broken only once, and because he wants to make sure she’s safe, her coronation will be in a fortnight.
When she asks about the Ascension, Ash gets uncomfortable and tells her what it entails, explaining that she won’t Ascend. None of this was ever her choice, and he refuses to force someone into a near eternity of what he’s gone through.
See? What did I tell you? Considerate—even if he doesn’t like to admit it.
Sera calls him Your Highness for the first time, and it arouses him, even though it was said with a hefty dose of smartassery. Not long after talking about his mother’s death and her father, he tells her that love is a dangerous and unnecessary risk.
A few days later, Ash holds court and looks directly at Sera where she hides in an alcove, thinking how it’s the longest she’s been in his presence in days, even though she thinks he doesn’t know she’s there. Not long after, Theon announces that Veses has arrived, and Ash has Ector escort Sera to safety as he leads the Primal goddess into his office.
