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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.
The goddess leaves, and Sera snaps that she was always telling the truth. Kolis says he sees that now and dismisses Callum. He approaches her, telling her she looks more like Sotoria when she smiles. When Sera asks about Nyktos and Kolis honoring their deal, he gets angry and can’t stop himself from biting her.
He loses control and finds release. He insists it’ll never happen again and begs her to say something. All she says is she needs a bath.
Later, Kolis walks into Sera’s chambers and asks her and Callum why they always look like they’re about to go at each other’s throats. Sera tells Kolis that Callum still doesn’t believe that she’s Sotoria. Kolis tells her the Rev is in denial, then reveals that Callum is Sotoria’s brother.
Sera continues bickering with the Revenant, and Kolis comments on their fighting reminding him of how he used to quarrel with Eythos. He then tells Sera—as Sotoria—how she had two siblings: Anthea and Callum.
He informs Sera how he went to Sotoria’s family to apologize when she left him, remembering how her parents cowered. Only Callum remained unafraid. He tells her that they talked, and Callum shared details about Sotoria.
He continues, saying Callum mourned his sister and felt responsible. When Sera asks why he would feel that way, Kolis tells her that Callum was supposed to be with Sotoria but was instead screwing the baker’s daughter.
She asks how Callum became a Revenant, and Kolis tells her how the boy used a small knife to cut his throat. He tells Sera how he held them both as they died, adding that he couldn’t allow Callum to perish, so Death gave life.
She asks him if Revenants are demis, and he tells her they’re not, adding that they’ll discuss it more when there aren’t more pressing matters to attend to. Kolis tells Callum to leave them.
He wants to talk to Sera about the deal they made. He tells her that Nyktos has not been released, adding that he’s not reneging, but his nephew is in stasis, and that needs to be resolved.
She asks what that means, and he tells her that Ash lashed out when he woke, and Kolis had to ensure he behaved.
Sera asks how he is, and Kolis admits that telling her would likely upset her. She argues that not knowing will only make her worry more. Seeing her so affected by news of another bothers him. He tells her as much and adds that he practically feels the worry seeping from her pores.
He wonders what inspires her care for Nyktos and her fear for him, saying she wasn’t afraid of him at first but that’s since changed. He then mentions Eythos having heightened intuition and foresight and says he gets why she seemed frightened after he threatened someone she cares about and saw him as Death, but he doesn’t understand the timing of the changes in her.
She seems shocked, and he reasserts that he apologized and said it would never happen again. She insinuates that he forced himself on her.
He says he realizes his display of love was intense, and she argues it was much more than that.
He asks what will make it okay.
She tells him she needs some time.
He gets angry and tells her that his word should be sufficient to garner trust, and she tells him she doesn’t know him. That hits him hard. He gets more upset and yells that he’s the King of Gods.
When she seems afraid, he pulls back and then orders her to say something. She begrudgingly utters a thank you.
Kolis apologizes once more and then scolds her for using the embers. She argues that Callum provoked her, and he says the essence does not belong to her and is not hers to use.
He takes care of some things and then watches his so’lis sleep. When she wakes, he asks who she was dreaming of—she was smiling. He then notices the scents of mountain air and citrus.
She says she doesn’t remember her dreams, and he informs her that they’ll start fresh. He asks how he can make that easier for them and tells her there’s no limit to what he’ll do for her. He offers her things he can think of, and she tells him she wants out of the cage.
It makes him happy that she wants to spend time with him. She asks him what he plans to do about the embers, and he tells her he’ll take them and Ascend her. When she asks what Ascension will mean for her, he says she’ll become an Ascended.
