A chill went through me as I stared at the crest. If this symbol, representing life and death as one, never existed before, how could Eythos have had anything to do with it? And why? The vadentia was eerily quiet. Which meant…

It either involved the Fates or something close to me—to my present or future.

For finally, the Primal rises, the giver of blood and the bringer of bone, the Primal of Blood and Ash.

Another chill went through me. “None of this makes sense or even matters right now,” I said. Nektas nodded, but there was a strange edginess to him. I turned and started walking toward the dining hall. “And you know why it doesn’t matter?”

“Why?” Nektas followed me this time.

“Because trying to figure all of that out,” I said, gesturing at the banners as I took the hall to my right, “makes my head feel like it’s going to explode. Like, go splat all over those banners.”

“We don’t want that to happen.”

I stalked forward, passing the curved archways of numerous unnecessary chambers.

“The idea of all this being connected angers you,” Nektas commented.

“It annoys me.” I entered a narrow hall where the walls had been painted white and were lit by gas lamps. “Because it makes it feel like things are predestined. I guess that’s sometimes not bad, right? If you like the outcome. But other times, it is bad. Either way, it makes you wonder what the point is if what’s to come will happen one way or another.”

“Nothing is written in stone.”

“Yeah, everyone keeps saying that.” The corridor curved, and at the end of the absurdly long hall, the doors bearing the crest came into view. “But it sure as fuck doesn’t feel…”

A prickly sensation erupted all over me. The cause wasn’t because nobody was guarding the door. That wasn’t all that surprising. Ezra wouldn’t demand guards stand outside each and every chamber she occupied, and I got that. I was of like mind. But she was mortal, and Lasania was not without enemies, especially the Vodina Isles Lords—thanks to me following through on my mother’s orders. But it wasn’t that.

“Ash put wards up when he first brought me into the Shadowlands,” I said. “Ones meant to keep my family safe.” Foresight told me I knew the answer, but I needed to hear it. “They would still be working, right?”

“They may have weakened a little while Ash was in stasis, but they will remain as long as he lives.”

I nodded but picked up my pace because those wards protected my family against gods who sought to harm them.

Not anything that wasn’t a god.

Not Primals.

Essence throbbed hotly in my chest as I breathed deeply. There was a smell in the air—one that shouldn’t be here. Not anymore.

Stale lilacs.

I broke into a run, my hair streaming out behind me. I didn’t slow down as the stench of death increased. I willed the doors open. They swung apart, slamming into the stone walls on either side, causing those in the long, rectangular chamber situated in the center of the sunken space to gasp.

A chair fell over as my gaze swept past the familiar faces—

All I saw was gold.

Gold hair.

Gold tunic.

Gold-painted wings.

Eyes a shade of blue so pale they would’ve bordered on lifeless if not for the spark of eather behind the pupils as they locked with mine.

Callum sat at the dinner table with my family and smiled.

“Seraphena,” he drawled, plucking the napkin from his lap and dropping the mauve cloth onto the table. “What a lovely surprise to see you here.”

Eather swelled with my rage, rushing to the surface of my skin. As silvery-gold light filled the corners of my vision, I saw Ezra skirt the table’s edge and stand behind my stunned mother. Marisol started to move toward the male I recognized as her father, her dark gaze darting nervously between Callum and…not me. She was looking behind me.

A low growl rumbled from Nektas.

“Wait. You two know each other?” Ezra asked, her voice calm like usual. It was as if she wasn’t even surprised to see me barge into the dining hall. “I thought you only saw one another in passing.”

“Oh, we are well acquainted,” Callum drawled, winking.

The bastard actually winked.

Heat poured into my veins. The part of my brain that still operated as a mortal shut off. I shadowstepped from the top of the rounded steps to the side of the table. Lady Faber let out a little shriek of surprise and bounced against the table. Wine glasses toppled, splashing red liquid over the white cloth.

Callum started to rise, but I was faster.

Gripping the back of his chair, I ripped it out from under him and threw it across the chamber. It smashed into the wall, shattering into pieces as he hit the floor on his ass.

“Seraphena!” My mother found her voice then, clutching the ruby at her throat. “What are—?” She jerked back in her chair as my head cut toward her. The blood drained from her face. “My gods.”

Callum chuckled from the floor. “Well, not quite.”

“Shut up,” I hissed, grabbing him by the back collar of his tunic.

Hauling him to his feet, I flung the fucker in the same direction as the chair. He hit the wall with a satisfying thud and fell forward.

“My word,” Ezra murmured.

Callum caught himself before he face-planted on the floor. “Ouch.” He started to push up.

I was on him before he could take a step.

Slamming my hand into his chest, I shoved him into the wall, cracking the stone. Plumes of dust rose and shuddered to the floor as his head bounced off the stone.

“Sera,” Ezra spoke again. “Can you please tell me what is going on? Preferably starting with why you just tossed a god across the chamber.”

“He is not a god,” I snarled, smashing Callum’s head against the wall again just because I felt like it.

“Okay. Then can you tell me what is happening and, at some point, explain why your skin is…” She paused. When she spoke again, her voice sounded closer. “Actually, I don’t even know what your skin is doing, but you…you look like a god. Were you Ascended?”

“I’ll explain everything in a second, but I need you to get back.” I spared a brief glance at Nektas. “Protect them.”

“You are my priority.”

“Nektas.”

The draken sighed. “As you wish, meyaah Liessa.”

“Meyaah…Liessa?” mumbled Marisol, and then Lady Faber’s squeak told me that Nektas had moved closer to them.

I focused on Callum. “What are you doing here?” Streaks of essence swirled down my arm, and sparks crackled from my fingertips. “Do not make me ask you twice.”

Blood trickled from behind his ear. “You asked me to be quiet—well, you demanded that I do so.” He smiled, red smearing his teeth. “And kind of rudely, too.”

I pulled him away from the wall and then thrust him back, cracking more stone. “Don’t try to be clever, Callum, because you’re not.”

“Maybe not.” His head rolled on his shoulders in a way that made me think I’d done some damage to a few important muscles back there. “But I’m smarter than you.”

“The fact that you’re here tells me you’re not.” I pushed him back as he tried to gain his footing.

“I was just chatting with some old friends,” he said, his gaze darting down for half a heartbeat. “Catching up.”

“They are not your friends.”

“That’s not true,” Callum coughed out. “The former Queen and I go way back.”

“Yeah, you do.” I breathed in, attempting to quell my temper. “What were you chatting about?”

“You,” he whispered, the dull glow of eather flickering behind his pupils. “And what a lying whore her daughter is.”

“I’m really curious to see what kind of effect fire has on you,” Nektas growled. “So you’d better watch your mouth, you little fuck.”

Callum’s nostrils flared.

I smiled.

His arm snapped out, going for the dagger at my thigh.