Aydun’s head tilted again. “You’re right. Nothing is predestined. There is hope. You may still be able to prevent the rise of the Primal of Blood and Bone—a being who will not only awaken Death and those in the ground but also carry within her absolute power.” His eyes met mine. “And you know what they say about absolute power.”

I did.

I’d said it myself.

“But she will have nowhere near the strength she will grow into when Death comes for her. She, like you, would be a…” He smiled. “A baby Primal.”

I glared at him.

“So, she will likely fall to Death whilst in the process of waking the Ancients,” he said. “And even if she somehow manages to defeat Death, she would be corrupted just as those in the ground were—and at a much faster rate.” Aydun straightened to his full, towering height. “And if that happens, it will take every single god and even those in the ground to bring her down. For she will destroy all of us.”

Aydun was wrong, though.

He was wrong.

The corners of my lips curved up.

He frowned, and Ash sent me a questioning look.

“I’m not sure why you’re smiling,” Attes muttered.

“Is that all?” I asked.

For a moment, the Ancient looked uncertain, and then he, too, smiled faintly. “It is.”

“Why is it now just hitting me that you are with child?” Attes murmured from where he sat across from Ash and me. We’d come upstairs and ended up in what appeared to be Attes’s office.

There were no empty shelves on his walls. Just a shit ton of weapons.

I kind of liked it.

“With two,” Attes corrected, blinking rapidly. “Congratulations—” He sat up straight, his head swinging toward Ash. “You let her fight while pregnant?”

“While I wasn’t entirely thrilled with her doing so,” Ash replied, taking a drink of the whiskey Attes had poured for him, “I do not control what she does.”

I raised my brows at Attes.

“Fates,” the Primal muttered, rubbing his hand over his face. “Neither of you is thinking about listening to that fuck of a Fate and…” He swallowed the whiskey, lips peeling back. “Ending their lives before they begin, are you?”

“No,” Ash said.

“Good. You two deserve the joy of parenthood and its horrors.” A brief dimple appeared in a flash of a grin, and I thought about his children. Would he ever have more? “Besides, there are other ways to prevent…fuck, to prevent Sotoria from being reborn.”

“I’m sorry.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Maybe we should’ve risked releasing her sooner.”

“You know what would’ve happened if we had.” He lowered his glass.

“At least she is safe for now.” Ash rubbed my back. “She’s not really conscious while in The Star, right?”

I steepled my fingers under my chin. “Not always.”

“Then, to her, it will be as if she is sleeping,” he said.

“Yeah.” I closed my eyes, absolutely hating that Sotoria was trapped in The Star, aware or not. It wasn’t fair. “We should still try to find it.”

“The Fates could’ve hidden it anywhere,” Attes said.

“Or given it to someone.” I thought about what I’d seen around Callum’s remains. “We need to find Callum.”

Ash’s eyes narrowed. “You think the Fates gave it to him? The last I saw of him, he was in pieces.”

“He’s her brother.” And my…well, whatever. I told them what I’d seen before the Temple collapsed.

Ash cursed. “Fucking Fates.”

“Ditto,” I murmured, looking across at Attes. “You were right about there being other ways to prevent her from being reborn. We’re having sons.”

Attes nodded.

Beside me, Ash sighed heavily and tilted his head back, the glass of whiskey resting on his knee. “I know what you are thinking.”

I pressed my lips together. Ash had envisioned our sons scrambling over benches in the throne room, playing with Reaver and Jadis, and then our grandchildren doing the same.

There would be no grandchildren.

I closed my eyes. We would have to ensure our sons never had children. Maybe they would be lucky and would never want them, nor whomever they ended up falling in love with. Not everyone did, and it would be for the best if they felt that way. But if they did want children? I shook my head. It wasn’t right or fair. Neither was what had been done to Sotoria.

“We shouldn’t rely on them never procreating,” Attes said quietly.

“I know.” Ash finished off his whiskey and set the glass aside. “We need to look for Callum. In the meantime, plan for the day that either fate or nature finds a way.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “She will not be born all-powerful. No god or Primal is. She will be vulnerable until Ascension,” he said, each word filled with distaste. “Fuck.”

I stared at him, understanding what he was suggesting. That would be a mark neither of us would bear because I didn’t think we would survive it.

“No,” I said, eather flooding my veins. I had to rein it back in. “If she manages to be born, she deserves to live.”

Ash’s eyes met mine. “I agree. I do.”

“Stop there.” I rose, beginning to pace. “I understand what it means if she’s born. But I also know that doesn’t mean the Ancients will awaken here. And yeah, I am damning the lands beyond the Primal Veil.”

Attes’s brow furrowed, and he looked up at me.

“And if they do awaken here, then we will do everything we can to lessen the damage. And like those before us, put them back in the ground,” I said. “Because I will not be a part of murdering a child or an adult of my blood,” I said. “And I know you would not be able to live after doing something like that, Ash, no matter if it was carried out by our words or hands.”

“No,” he said quietly. “I would not.”

“Neither of us would.” I idly rubbed my lower stomach.

“I’m not going to disagree with you two on this,” Attes said, leaning back. “But there is also the fact that Kolis will wake.”

“And if that happens, I will put the dagger in her hand myself,” I swore, repeating what I had told Kolis. “One thing I’m not worried about is her being corrupted.”

“Is that why you were smiling before Aydun left?” Attes asked.

“Power and consequence come from the will of the beholder, right?” I stopped behind Ash, placing my hands on his shoulders. “Both of you were there when Holland said it. None born from my bloodline hungered for power. None will.”

“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about that,” Attes remarked.

“No. That’s one good thing.” I squeezed Ash’s shoulders. “There is something else Aydun said. She will be born in a shroud. That means she’ll be born mortal.”

Ash’s head tilted back. “You’re right.” His eyes searched mine. “But our sons will be born in the mortal realm.”

Damn it, I’d forgotten what Kye had said, but that wasn’t what I was thinking about. “If the prophecy holds true, she won’t be born until a long time from now, and the whole born of the same misdeeds thing? I have a feeling she will believe herself to be mortal. That she will be surrounded by them.” Letting go of Ash’s shoulders, I walked around the couch and sat beside him. “Maybe I’m completely wrong about that, but Aydun said she would call the name of the true Primal of Life.”

The skin between Ash’s brows creased. “He did.”

“Then we need to make sure no mortals know who the true Primal of Life is.”

He stiffened. “Sera—”

“They can believe it is you. I will be known as the Consort or whatever,” I said in a rush. “If my name isn’t known, she cannot speak it.”

“We don’t even know what speaking your name will do, but it sure didn’t sound like it would stop the prophecy if she didn’t say it,” he argued.

“For Aydun to mention it, it has to mean something.”

“Yeah, the same Fate who failed to mention the eirini,” Attes commented. “But she has a point. It could be something small, but it is something.”