My skin prickled all over. Breathe in. The curve of Kyn’s lips didn’t help. “I did what I could to survive him. Just as far too many before me were made to do,” I said, noticing Maia look at the floor. “And I hope each of you remembers all who didn’t survive him, though I fear most of you don’t.”

Maia’s eyes closed.

“Only because they have chosen to forget them,” Bele stated.

“Not all of us,” Maia whispered, lifting her head. Her eyes opened and glimmered. “Not all of us have forgotten. We couldn’t…” She shook her head, then lifted her chin. “You are right. Our loyalty was one born of fear, first for ourselves and then for those we cared about.” Her gaze moved from Ash to me. “That is not an excuse. It is just a truth. One that is the same for all of us.”

“You do not speak for me, Maia,” Veses snapped.

Maia’s laugh was dry, and one side of her lips curled up. “Ah, yes, you have never experienced pain or fear at Kolis’s hands.”

“Would you like to experience that right now?” Veses asked, moving toward the other Primal goddess.

Ash stepped forward and looked at her. That was all he had to do. Veses halted.

“You say Kolis hasn’t earned our loyalty,” Phanos said. “But neither have you.”

“You’re right. I haven’t.” I turned at the waist to Ash. “But I have earned his loyalty. I did so through blood and sacrifice. He knows me. I am worthy of his loyalty.” My gaze shifted to Rhain. His eyes were open. Breathe out. “I have earned the loyalty of those who’ve served him.”

Rhain smiled slightly. “Seraphena has.” He turned to the others. “She’s earned it through blood and sacrifice.” Rhain stomped his right boot.

I blinked, not expecting the clap of his heel against stone.

“We know her,” Saion spoke from where he stood to our left, slamming his booted foot down.

“Seraphena is worthy of our loyalty,” Rhahar said, ending with a stomp, and a thunderous sound of boots against stone echoed from the guards standing at the walls.

“Seraphena earned my loyalty,” Nektas stated, and Phanos looked at him and listened. “She has earned the loyalty of my brethren. She has done so through blood and ash. She is worthy.”

Emotion thickened my voice as my gaze moved to Maia, Keella, and then Phanos. “And I want to earn your loyalty.”

“Sorry.” Veses smiled. “But you’re not my type.”

I got what she was saying. I’d earned Ash’s loyalty—and who knew who else—on my back.

And so had Ash.

His flesh thinned, and tendrils of dark Primal mist swirled around his legs.

“It’s okay,” I said, holding up a hand. “I find her attempts to insult me amusing. Soon, she’ll call me freckled and fat, and everyone will be so impressed by her wittiness.”

Phanos snorted, and Veses’ head spun toward him. “What?” He shrugged. “You have always been terrible at insults.”

Her red lips thinned as she shook her head. “Whatever.”

“How will you earn the loyalty of those who may be in doubt?” Keella asked.

“All I have right now is my word that I will be a better choice, but I know that means little, if anything, to some of you.” Breathe in. “But what you all need to know is that I don’t want your fear. To be honest, I don’t even want loyalty from some of you.”

Veses stiffened. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elias elbow Thierran.

“Well, this has been an inspiring message,” Kyn remarked, “but—”

“I wasn’t done,” I said.

“Of course, not,” Veses muttered, widening her eyes at her blood-hued fingernails.

I took a breath and counted. “I can assure each of you that I do not plan to do what Kolis is planning.” I looked at Phanos and then Maia. “Before Kolis believed me to be Sotoria, he only knew that the embers of life were in me. He planned to take them, and he would’ve. Do you know what would’ve happened if he had? He would’ve Ascended as the Primal of Life and Death.”

Phanos cursed, and Maia pressed her hand to her chest, turning to Keella. Besides the Primal Goddess of Rebirth, Attes, and Bele, the only other two who didn’t look surprised were Veses and Kyn.

They knew.

“That’s impossible,” Phanos argued.

“It’s not,” Keella said. “It would simply be joining the two Primal essences together, as it was when the Ancients ruled.”

“As the Primal of Life and Death, he would not need any of you. Anger him, and he would simply kill you and Ascend another,” I told them. “He still planned on doing it—taking the embers. He was only waiting until my Culling ended. But he was ready to end every one of you and every mortal ruler who did not swear absolute obedience and fealty to him.”

“That is not the only concern.” Penellaphe turned to face the others. “If Kolis had Ascended as the Primal of Life and Death, he would’ve awakened the ones who went to ground. The Ancients.”

“You all know what will happen if those in the ground awaken,” Keella warned. “It will not be just the mortal realm that burns.”

Most had gone quiet then, left uneasy by the mere thought of the Ancients waking.

Veses stared straight ahead, her features pinched. “As long as the balance is maintained, which Kolis has done despite the fact that most of you would not give him credit for such, the Ancients will stay where they belong. In the ground.” Her slim arms folded over her waist. “Him rising as such a Primal would not change that.”

“But it would,” I said. “No Primal of Life and Death should exist, for such a being would have the very powers the Ancients split from themselves to create the Primals.” My brows knitted. “It would not wake them all, but the shift of power would disrupt the stasis of enough of them that the damage to the realm would be the same.”

“Kolis wouldn’t risk it then.” Phanos’s breath was ragged.

I looked at Kyn. “Would he risk it?”

Kyn only smirked.

“Fates,” Maia whispered. Horror filled her beautiful features. “He could’ve doomed us all—more than he already has.”

“If you feel that our King has doomed us, why have you not said anything, Maia?” Veses shot back. “You have had countless opportunities to speak your mind.”

I hated to admit it, but Veses almost had a point. “Every single Primal in here could’ve said something—done something to stop Kolis.” I could feel Attes’s stare boring into me, and I knew he was thinking about the conversation we’d had while I was in Dalos. “But what would that have gained any of you but punishment and horror?”

“As we’ve said, each of us has had to survive,” Ash spoke, his gaze sweeping over those below. “We are giving you the chance to do more than simply survive.”

“And to do that,” I said, “we have no intention of ruling as Kolis or even Eythos did.”

That got everyone’s attention.

Veses lowered her hand. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I will not be the only one making decisions, deciding the future of the realms and the lives of everyone within them.” My heart skipped a beat. “I will not rule with a Consort at my side. I will rule with a King at my side.”

Phanos’s arms unfolded, and Maia’s mouth dropped open.

My eyes met Ash’s. “We will rule together as King and Queen.”

“Wow,” Veses exclaimed, clapping her hands. “What a novel approach. So groundbreaking.”

I tried counting again. I didn’t even make it past one. “I swear to the Fates, Veses, I am doing everything in my power not to slam you face-first through a wall, but you are really testing me.”

Veses’ red-painted lips parted.

“I strongly advise you to rethink whatever is about to drip from your tongue.” Shadows rose along Ash’s legs as he stared down at Veses. “Seraphena likes you even less than I do. You piss her off, and I will not stop her until she nearly destroys you.”

It took every ounce of maturity I had not to smile as Veses shut her wretched mouth.

“You say you’re trying to be a better person,” Phanos cut in. “Combined with what you’ve already done, that threat doesn’t sound like you really mean it.”