Total pages in book: 401
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
“Yes,” Lirian said quietly. “Your birth stirred Kolis into consciousness, and awakening from your Ascension was the final trigger.”
I flinched.
“But it is not your fault,” Holland told me.
“My Ascension upset the balance. That caused the Ancients to wake, which led to the deaths—”
“But it was not your choice. Nor was it a result of your actions.” Holland set his glass aside. “I have a feeling that if you had known what would happen, you would have done everything in your power to ensure it didn’t—even if that meant forsaking your life.”
He was right. There was no way I would’ve chosen life, knowing it meant an untold number of people would lose theirs.
Gods. Everything suddenly felt heavy. My bones. My skin. My organs.
“The Ancients in the ground there were disturbed before your Ascension,” Thorne said, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “The mortals were encroaching upon places…sacred to those who’d built their realm. Some started Awakening eons before because of it—their sleep full of unrest. We sensed it.”
“Are you saying they would’ve Awakened anyway?”
He took a drink and nodded. “It is quite possible.”
Possible. Not guaranteed. And even if they were bound to wake, it didn’t take away the fact that they had now because of me.
“You didn’t know, Poppy.” Lowering his foot to the floor, Holland rested his arms on his knees. “You didn’t choose this,” he repeated. “Their blood isn’t on your hands.”
My heart joined the twisting in my stomach. I could taste the sourness of my guilt as my eyes fell closed. It choked me, even though what he’d said was true.
“However, if you allow yourself to wallow in guilt that does not belong to you, then you will have the blood of hundreds of thousands on your hands.”
My eyes snapped open, and I faced him. “I’m not wallowing. I know I’m not actively at fault but knowing that my mere existence caused all that death is still a lot to process.”
“I understand,” Holland said. “But we must focus on what is at hand and what is at risk now. Not all the Ancients Awakened. There are more—ones asleep deep beneath the streets of Solis and the homes of Atlantia. And their rest has also been disturbed.”
My arms unfolded. “By my Ascension?”
“By your birth and Kolis’s awakening,” Lirian said, propping his head against the window.
Great. “How many?”
“The exact number is unknown, but that doesn’t matter, Poppy,” Holland said. “You saw what one Awakening is capable of.”
I had. “How do I make sure more don’t Awaken?”
“You already know,” he said. “You must stop Kolis.”
“But he’s a Primal of a Court. Who will rise—?” I cut myself off. “Nyktos. And…”
And Casteel? If he was like me, a true Primal of Death? Something about that didn’t feel right.
“I can neither confirm nor deny that.”
My eyes narrowed on Holland.
“But that is not an issue right now,” he continued, and someone—Thorne?—snorted. “Kolis cannot remain in the mortal realm for various reasons.” The blue and green of his eyes began to churn as what sounded like Lirian banging his head off the window came from his direction. “The first is that Kolis is a Primal of a Court.”
“His presence will influence the mortal realm,” I said, “where ours would not.”
“And you know what that means.”
I did. And I didn’t need the gift of Primal knowledge to know.
Death.
“Primals of a Court are not meant to linger among the mortals. His presence in the mortal realm has already upset the balance. The longer he remains, the more the balance tips. But…” Holland took a deep breath. “That is not all.”
“Of course, it’s not,” I muttered, my heart thumping.
“Kolis aspired to be the true Primal of Life and Death,” Lirian said. “He was stopped before. If he had succeeded, he would’ve upset the balance just as your Ascension did.” He pushed away from the window and straightened. “I doubt his goal has changed. If he succeeds now, drains you of your essence, and takes it into himself, he will become the Primal of Blood and Bone.”
At least I knew why he’d attempted to control me. He likely wanted to lead me to him so he could take my essence.
“If that happens,” Lirian said, “it will not tip the balance.”
“Well, I guess that’s good news,” I muttered.
“It will only mean your death,” Holland finished.
My mouth dropped open. “Only my death?” A laugh threatened to burst free, and once again, it wasn’t a nice one. I knew it would sound crazed. “It’s not just my death. It would mean the deaths of…” The words were hard to speak. To even consider. “It would mean Casteel’s and Kieran’s deaths, too.” My hands opened as the throbbing in my head picked up. “And likely a lot more people.”
“Many would die under Kolis’s rule.” Thorne’s voice drew my gaze. His penetrating stare seemed to have the power to see through me, to examine me from within. “Everyone, from gods to mortals and all that lies between, has the capacity for good and bad within them. A balance of both. Until they don’t. Kolis doesn’t. Any ounce of good left in him is long gone now.”