Aydun frowned, his head cocking. “How so?”

“What Kolis feels for Sotoria is an obsession.”

“And there is a difference?” Curiosity filled his tone.

I stared at him, my mouth slightly agape. “How am I once again explaining what love is to a man who is fucking old enough to know better?”

Aydun looked even more confused.

“My gods,” I muttered, searching for the kind of patience Ash had. “The difference is that I feel the same way for Nyktos as he does for me. Yeah, maybe he’s obsessed with me, but I am also obsessed with him. It’s consensual. Mutual. What that is?” I jabbed a finger in the direction of the golden curtains. “Is one-sided and twisted. Rot not much different than what affected my homeland. It’s ugly. What Kolis feels is selfish, and I know firsthand just how wrong what he feels is.” I stepped back, my throat thickening. “What Nyktos feels for me? It’s beautiful. A miracle. It’s…it’s hope.” I blinked tears from my eyes. “And I’m truly sorry that there are people, be them Ancients, gods, or mortals, who don’t know there is a difference.”

Aydun stared at me as I had done with him seconds ago, looking completely flummoxed.

And I didn’t have the time or the desire to explain further.

Checking my emotions, I turned and entered the hall, glancing at one of the alcoves. No soft moans or deep groans came from them today, but a low hum of conversation drifted out from the chamber ahead, as did the sounds I expected to hear from the alcoves. My jaw clenched as my attention shifted there when the thud of awareness in my chest increased. The shadowstone dagger I’d helped myself to provided more comfort than the Primal essence did. Right or wrong, I was far more used to wielding a blade than eather. Maybe that would change someday, but for now, the feeling of the hilt digging into my back gave me strength as I pushed the curtains aside and stepped inside the wide, circular chamber. I came to a complete stop. It wasn’t the Primal present that halted me, even though I should be focused on him.

It was the source of the raspy moans and groans.

My skin prickled as my gaze swept over the gold-painted ceiling, past the armored guards lining the walls, to the deep couches and settees sitting in front of the curtained windows of the atrium. They were mostly empty, except for a handful near the raised, columned dais framed by two closed archways. There weren’t just gods on those couches with their faces buried in necks or between thighs.

My eyes locked with ones that had been warm brown but were now pitch-black with only a flicker of light deep within them. Gods, I recognized the fine features forever frozen in youth.

It was the Chosen I’d seen Kolis turn. Jove.

Aydun nearly walked into me as he entered the chamber, but I couldn’t pull my eyes from Jove as my heart thumped.

What had Gemma said about the Chosen who disappeared? Some returned as something else—a cold creature never seen in the daylight.

The Ancient had said the Ascended had souls, but the eyes latched onto mine appeared vacant of such.

Jove’s eyes closed as he drank deeply from a god’s throat. The god’s head fell back with a heavy, guttural moan echoed by another—a female goddess half-sprawled on the couch beside them, her golden gown hiked up to her waist. A pale head was nestled between her thighs.

I couldn’t believe Jove was here. Not much time had passed since he’d been turned, and Kolis had made it sound like it could possibly take months for the Ascended to learn how to control their bloodlust and be trusted.

But maybe that wasn’t the same for all of them, especially if they did have souls. That meant some small part of who they were before remained inside them. Perhaps how strong that part was determined how long it took them to control themselves.

“Meyaah por-na,” rumbled a deep voice.

Violent energy pulsed within me as I pulled my gaze from the feeding and found the Primal of Peace and Vengeance. I understood what the bastard had said.

My whore.

Kyn was seated at a settee to the right of the dais and the gaudy, gilt and diamond throne, a woman draped in gold and ivory perched on his lap—one whose hair was a light shade of blond nearly as pale as mine. Static rippled down my arms, causing my fingers to twitch.

Kyn smiled at me, flashing long, sharp fangs. Two dimples appeared on his cheeks. “Show me the respect I’m due,” he said, slipping his hand between the slit in the woman’s gown. “And get on your knees.”

A light, airy chuckle came from one of the other couches. Anger and disgust crashed together as I held Kyn’s stare. I wanted nothing more than to lash out like I had with Callum, throwing the dagger at that smirk on his face.

I looked away from him and glanced at the large, prowling wolf carved into the floor, so similar to the one on the throne room doors in the House of Haides. It was their family crest, created by Eythos and Kolis’s father.

“Did you not hear me, por-na?” Kyn’s palm ran up the inside of the woman’s leg. “On your knees.”

I had no idea how Ash had maintained his composure among such a disgusting asshole like Kyn for years—decades—but he had.

And I would, too.

Sort of.

I smiled at Kyn. “Make me.”

Aydun stiffened.

The hand delving under the skirt froze. Silence came from those on the couches.

Kyn’s laugh was full of malice. “Oh, I plan to.”

The Primal reminded me so much of the Lords of the Vodina Isles, and my smile grew. “I can’t wait to see you try.”

“You think Nyktos will be able to stop me?”

“He won’t need to,” I told him. “Because I will.”

The air shifted, thickening as streaks of eather pierced Kyn’s stare. The woman in his lap paled. She looked like she didn’t dare breathe too deeply.

“Remember the rules.” Aydun spoke up finally. “They do apply to other Primals. There will be no fighting.”

“Lucky for you,” I said to Kyn.

Aydun’s head whipped toward me, a warning look in his glare. I ignored it, raising my brows at the Primal.

A muscle ticked in Kyn’s jaw. Seconds passed with no further comment. Letting out a low laugh, I looked away, giving the guards a scan. Some of them were gods. A few had those pale, lifeless eyes.

Awareness throbbed through my body. A draken was near. More than one.

“Where is Kolis?” Aydun asked.

Kyn lifted a shoulder as his hand moved between the woman’s legs. “He’ll be here.” His gaze shifted to me. “Why don’t you come over and sit on my other leg?”

I wouldn’t even dignify that with a response, but the Ancient examined the Primal with naked distaste.

“You created them,” I muttered under my breath to the Ancient. “Well, you created his parents.”

Aydun sneered. “I am not responsible for the bloodline that created that…creature.”

I glanced back at Kyn. He stuck out his tongue, wiggling it in my direction. “Who did you create?”

“That is none of your business.”

“Okay, then.” I sighed.

“There’s enough room for both of you,” Kyn called out, and the woman giggled nervously. “And I’ve got two hands and a tongue.”

“But no cock? Shocking,” I retorted.

“You’ll need to earn that, por-na.” Kyn nipped at the woman’s throat, and she gave another strained laugh.

I focused on the woman. I saw a faint glint of eather in her eyes before her lashes swept down. She was a godling. I had no idea how she’d ended up in Dalos, but I had a sinking suspicion that she wasn’t from Vathi and also wasn’t exactly thrilled to be where she was.

I thought of Evander and Jacinta. I’d read that situation wrong and killed an innocent god. This could very well be the same thing.

But…

But how much control did this woman even have? Like with the Chosen? Kolis gave them a choice, but what kind of choice was it at the end of the day? What kind of choice did this woman have with such an imbalance of power between her and Kyn?