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Well, as normal as I’d ever felt. And it was because of him… Ash helped me feel that way. My chest swelled with emotion, momentarily filling the gnawing hollowness growing there.
“I love you,” I whispered.
The change in Ash was swift. His features softened as his chest rose against mine. “Liessa…”
Eyes stinging, I looked away before I started sobbing all over him. There was no time for that. I refocused on Elias, who looked slightly confused and also a little relieved. I then looked past him to Nektas. There had to be a reason he wasn’t charbroiling the god. “Do you…do you serve Kolis, Elias?”
“I serve the Primal of Life,” Elias answered.
“There’s your answer,” Ash stated, his brief warmth dissipating. “He will die, too.”
“I misspoke,” Elias amended as he lowered himself to one knee.
My heart thumped heavily in my chest. “Not this again.”
Ash frowned.
“I serve the true Primal of Life.” Crossing his sword over his chest, he bowed his head.
“It is this again,” I muttered as Ash eyed the god.
“With my sword and my life.” Elias lifted his head. “I swear to you, the One who is born of Blood and Ash, the Light and the Fire, and the Brightest Moon, to honor your command.”
Ash stiffened. “You’re pledging yourself to Seraphena?”
Elias nodded.
“It’s just the embers,” I explained, the dull ache returning to my temples as I wondered if Elias was working alone against Kolis, with a Primal like Attes, or possibly even Keella, who clearly was not a Kolis fan. “That’s what he’s swearing his allegiance to.”
“No.” Ash’s brows knitted, then he angled his body toward me. His gaze swept over me. “It’s you.”
I opened my mouth, but I didn’t get a chance to argue the semantics of the god’s loyalty. Ash dipped his head, kissing me, and honest to gods, the entire chamber disappeared around us because his mouth was on mine, and I didn’t care that I could taste the blood of those he’d fed on. I’d feared I would never feel this again. That I would leave Iliseeum, never to experience the touch of his lips on mine outside of a dream again.
Ash lifted his mouth from mine, whispering, “Tell him to rise, liessa.”
Feeling even more weak-kneed, I blinked. “Huh?”
His lips curved against mine. “He’s still kneeling.”
“Oh.” I cleared my throat. “You can rise.”
There was a hint of a smile on Elias’s face as he stood. “I’ve sent word to Attes,” Elias said, answering my question of who he was working with. “He is coming—”
The center of my chest lit up as Ash tensed beside me. “I think he’s already here.”
Elias sighed.
“Of course, I’m already here,” came the Primal’s voice from outside.
A second later, he crossed into view, the breeze lifting his sandy-brown hair as he skirted Nektas. The draken tracked his movements, his crimson eyes alert.
As Attes drew closer, I saw that blood stained his armor. “I got a bit held up.” He passed Elias, looking at Ash and me. “I know you two would probably like to continue this reunion, but I suggest we make haste and get out of here. I’m confident one of the gods shadowstepped their ass to Vathi to alert Kyn, and those fucking Revs you got are doing their reanimation thing. Basilia has Diaval and Sax on retreat, but that won’t last long, especially if Naberius decides to…” He trailed off, coming to an abrupt halt as he got an eyeful of Kolis.
I had no idea who Basilia or Sax were, but since Attes had mentioned Diaval, I felt it safe to assume that Basilia was one of Attes’s draken. Sax must be another of Kolis’s.
Attes swallowed thickly as he stared at Kolis. “I was right.”
Aware of the frigid air blowing off Ash, I said, “You were.”
