“Seraphena said she was trying to be a better person,” Ash replied coolly. “I did not.”

Phanos stiffened. “Then let me rephrase my question. How would ruling as a King or Queen be any different if only one of you shows restraint?”

“Both would show restraint if you all would shut the fuck up for five seconds,” Attes retorted.

Kyn’s head jerked in his brother’s direction.

“However, unlike them, I have no need for restraint.” Attes looked over his shoulder. “Think about that before you say something to me.”

Kyn’s jaw jutted, and he faced forward, crossing his arms.

Attes smirked.

Keella cleared her throat. “So, you two would rule equally?”

Taking a step back, Ash lifted my hand to his mouth. He pressed a kiss to the top as his eyes met mine. “Yes and no,” he said, lowering my hand and letting go. My heart practically melted. “We would rule equally with the other Primals.”

A hushed sound went through the throne room, and not a single Primal before me didn’t look shocked. They hadn’t been expecting that, and their stunned silence had to be a good thing. It had to be.

Phanos recovered first. “What exactly are you saying?”

“I don’t think any one person should rule all, nor do I believe that two people should control everything,” I said, keeping my hope in check. “There needs to be a…balance. And all of us need to have a vested interest and shared responsibility in all decisions. There needs to be fairness, and I think this is the only way.”

“That is not the way the Courts were established.” Phanos sounded incredulous.

“So?” I said. “Just because it hasn’t been done doesn’t mean it can’t be.”

“But it does,” he insisted. “That’s not what the Ancients intended.”

“I hate to sound repetitive, but…so?” I replied. “There is no law prohibiting such a thing.”

Phanos’s eyes widened as if I had suggested we set fire to all the Temples in the mortal realm.

“Do any of you think Kolis would offer to share power with you?” Ash asked. “True power that comes without conditions?”

“Does serving you come without conditions?” Phanos asked.

I opened my mouth but stopped, shaking my head. “Siding with us isn’t exactly free of conditions, but we would never ask you to sacrifice your people. And I”—I swallowed hard—“I am truly sorry for what you had to give.”

Phanos lowered his gaze, his jaw hardening.

“Nyktos and I are not perfect. I have already made grave mistakes, and I am sure we will make more, but we will never ask you to kill someone who displeased us or punish someone you care for because we’re unhappy with you,” I continued. “We will not slaughter innocents to prove some irrelevant point or assuage some perceived insult. We will not strike out against you because of a difference of opinion.” I glanced at Veses. “We will not seek to humiliate you to assert power or for amusement.”

Veses’ features sharpened until I saw shades of gray beneath her flesh.

“We will not imprison people for our twisted pleasure, and we will not play you against one another.” My chin lifted. “We don’t want a war that will spill over into the mortal realm. We don’t want to leave Iliseeum soaked in the blood of gods and draken. All we ask is that you stand with us against Kolis.”

Silence greeted my words.

“There is just one more thing each of you needs to be aware of before you choose,” Ash said. “Two of you will not get the opportunity to make that choice.”

“Oh, I wonder who those two are.” Kyn barked out a laugh and moved forward a few feet. A smug smile twisted his handsome features. “I’d rather be fucked by one of my hounds,” he said, making Veses’ lip curl, “than swear allegiance to either of you.”

My lips curved into a small smile as I met his glare. I didn’t look away when Ash drifted to the edge of the dais.

“You can go ahead and leave, Veses,” he said.

The Primal Goddess of Rites and Prosperity’s brows flew up. “So, that’s how this plays out? You’re not even going to ask for my support?”

I rolled my eyes.

“No,” he answered. “We already know where you stand, and even if you offered it, we don’t want it.”

She inhaled sharply. “Then why was I even summoned here? Other than you wanting to be graced by my presence?”

I rolled my eyes again.

“We wanted you to know what you could have had.” Ash’s smile sent chills down my spine. “Real freedom. No fear. True power. Now, you will have what you deserve. Nothing.”

Her chin dipped as eather flared in her eyes. “That was unnecessarily rude. I remember a time when you wouldn’t have—”

“You have no idea the effort it is taking for me not to fuck you up.” Essence throbbed hotly, rising with my anger. “So, do not finish whatever disgusting, twisted thing was about to come out of your mouth.”

Her arms unfolded, and her skin thinned again, showing a sheen of gray beneath. “And you have no idea what it’s taking for me not to do the same.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Attes whipped his head toward her. “You’re really going to threaten her?”

“Don’t try to reason with the dumb bitch,” Bele tossed out. “I want to see what happens if she tries something.”

Veses smirked, holding my stare. “I tried to talk some sense into you before. I warned you that you would regret not taking Kolis’s deal. What happened to your family is your fault.”

I stiffened.

“Leave,” Ash ordered. “Now.”

Veses huffed out a laugh and stepped back. Tendrils of mist gathered at her feet. “You all are making a mistake,” she cast out with a sharp slice of her hand. “You’ll see.”

“Veses?” I called out to her. Her narrowed gaze swept to mine. I gave her a smile. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”

The Primal goddess vanished with a hiss.

“Fates, I hate that bitch,” Bele muttered.

Maia laughed and smoothed her hands over her hips. “We are in perfect agreement there.”

“Kyn?” Ash said.

The Primal lifted his stare to the dais, smirking. I waited until his arrogant gaze met mine before I said, “You will die.”

The smile slipped from his face. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“You sound a lot like Kolis,” Phanos remarked.

“I said I would not rule like Eythos or Kolis. I will not be unnecessarily cruel or brutal,” I clarified. Remembering what Attes had said, I lifted my chin toward Kyn. “But I will not be forgiving to the point of foolishness. What you have done and the things you have aided in are abhorrent. We could never create real change with you at our side.”

Kyn’s eyes narrowed, and he swung his head toward Attes. “What do you have to say about that, brother?”

Attes didn’t turn around, and I knew what he said next must have hurt him. “I have no brother.”

“That’s how you feel?” Kyn sneered.

“That’s what you caused.”

Kyn’s flesh thinned, revealing swirling shades of silver underneath. Mist poured out of him as I held his glare. Some of the tension eased from Attes’s shoulders once he was gone.

Phanos’s gaze met mine and then shifted to Ash. “You’re right. We have all just been surviving,” he said. “But even on the off chance you can force Kolis to abandon his rule, he will not fall in line. You’re a fool if you believe that. He will seek vengeance against everyone who stood against him and those who even considered it.”

I tensed.

“I know you don’t want to hear that, or maybe you don’t like it, but even if Kolis is removed from Dalos, he will not simply go away. He will want retribution.”

I wanted to tell him that simply forcing Kolis out wasn’t our ultimate end goal, but instinct warned me to stay quiet.

“Kolis is too strong. He will fight back,” Phanos stated, and I glanced at Rhahar and Saion. Neither looked happy as the Primal continued. “And he’ll fight dirty.” His gaze flicked to me. “You already know that.” He exhaled heavily and lifted his chin. “I’m sorry, but I cannot swear fealty to either of you or lend my support.”