“What?” I breathed.

“He has offered a deal,” the Ancient said. “You now must offer him one.”

I inhaled sharply as I glanced between him and Kolis. Panic began to seed itself. Ash and I hadn’t discussed this. We hadn’t even considered it. Why hadn’t Aydun mentioned this? Given me some time to come up with something. He had to have known this was possible.

It didn’t matter. I had told Ash that I didn’t want to make decisions without him. We were a team. I lifted my chin. “I need to discuss this with my King first.”

“Your King?” Kolis laughed. “You are speaking to your King now.”

My lip curled. “No, my King is Nyktos.”

Kolis arched a brow. “I recognize no such thing. If you want to counter with a deal, you will do that now.”

“Such deals are only made between the true Primal of Life and the true Primal of Death,” Aydun stated. “You must offer one now.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“I’m waiting,” Kolis announced.

Aydun sent a look toward the Primal of Death that I could barely decipher, but Kolis shut up. “Take your time.”

It didn’t matter how much time I had. I couldn’t just come up with a deal of such magnitude on the spot. Gods, this was why I never should’ve been in this position. I wasn’t good at negotiations and politics. I wasn’t fit for this—

Stop.

My heart pounded as I forced myself to breathe in for the count of five. I glanced at Kolis, and this time, that fucking smirk was on his lips.

My chest squeezed. What had I said? That it was time to start having faith in myself? Panicking was not doing that. I held my breath. Whether or not I should’ve been in this position was irrelevant. I was here, and while I wasn’t fit for this and clearly didn’t have all that faith in myself, I was good at pretending. After all, I stood in front of Kolis and behaved as if no part of me feared him. So, I needed to hold it together. I needed to think. My heart slowed, along with my racing thoughts. Think. Some of the pressure left my chest.

And after what felt like an eternity, my first thought was that we would offer Kolis no such promise of safety.

I started to speak but then stopped. I knew that Kolis wanted to avoid war, and the lives of others had to be more important than our anger, right? A chance for peace had to be bigger than retribution, even if it went against the very core of who I was. That is what Eythos would’ve chosen, but it is not what I would choose for myself.

Fuck.

Okay. Go with my instincts? Wasn’t that what Aydun had said? I briefly closed my eyes. I could not be as I was. I needed to be better. Less monstrous. There had to be a balance between those two things. One that protected the realms and was tolerable to all he victimized. There had to be.

And there was one that came close.

I opened my eyes. “I have a deal.”

Kolis arched a brow. “And what is that?”

“You can keep Dalos, but you will not rule. You will remain as the Primal of Death, but you will have no authority over Iliseeum, the Shadowlands, or the mortal realm.” I met his stare. “You will renounce the throne and not seek vengeance against any who have stood against you.”

“Is that all?” Kolis asked, and I nodded. “What’s in it for me?” he added.

“Balance will be kept, and you will get to live out your existence,” I forced out, repeating what he’d offered.

“And Sotoria?” he asked.

The fucking creep… “My deal does not include Sotoria.”

His fingers stretched outward and then slowly lowered onto the arm of the throne.

“You don’t want war,” I reminded him. “Neither do I.”

“I’m not sure I believe that,” Kolis countered. “Your nature is not all that different from mine.”

I tensed. “I’m nothing like you.”

“That’s what you want to believe, but I’ve seen you as you truly are. I know the kind of violence you’re capable of.”

My tenuous grip on my anger started to slip. “You believe that because of what I did to you?”

“No.” Kolis leaned forward, his lips curling upward. “I know it because of how eager you were to slay Evander.”

My chest hollowed. No. Kolis was wrong. “I wasn’t eager. Nor did I enjoy it. That is one of the many differences between us,” I said, watching him shift back onto the throne. “Do you accept the deal or not?”

“You haven’t accepted or rejected mine,” Kolis pointed out.

“You do not need to right now,” Aydun broke in. “Neither of you does. You both have time to think it over.”

“That is true,” the false King said. “But do you really need the time?”

“Do you?” I shot back.

Kolis’s lips curled up in a poor replica of a smile, and then he towered over me, no more than a foot of space separating us. Gasping, I jerked back out of shock as my heart kicked violently against my ribs. Even with my newly heightened senses, I hadn’t seen a flicker of movement from him. That was how quick he was.

Not even Ash could move that fast.

The bastard may look weak, but he was still incredibly powerful.

And I was…I was still very much afraid of him.

His smile widened, reaching silver eyes full of swirling crimson flecks. The tips of his fangs appeared. My stomach twisted sharply as my very insides flashed cold. An icy sensation crept down my spine, stroking the essence. It flared hotly as I forced myself to hold still and not back off, even though every instinct screamed for me to do just that.

“Kolis,” Aydun warned, his voice low. “You know the rules.”

“And I haven’t violated a single one,” Kolis replied, his gaze locked onto mine. “I’m only speaking to her.”

“And that could not be done as you were before?” the Ancient countered.

“It could.” Kolis’s head tilted and lowered, sending a lock of hair falling against a sculpted cheek. He inhaled deeply, and his lip curled. “I can smell him on you.”

Tiny bumps of dread broke out all over my skin. Revulsion rose, choking me.

That fucking smile grew even wider. “I could’ve punished you for the lives you took when you were here as a guest.”

“A guest?” I sputtered.

“I could’ve punished Nyktos more severely for killing one of his brethren,” he said, his voice clear but his lips barely moving. “And for attacking me, his King. I would even be within my rights to punish you for your blatant disavowal of my authority and for calling another ‘King.’ Wouldn’t I be, Aydun?”

“You sit upon the Throne of the Gods,” the Ancient replied stoically. “But she bears the Crown of Crowns.”

The flesh beneath his eyes thinned until I could see a sheen of crimson bone. “I could’ve killed her many times over,” Kolis answered, those swirling eyes still fixed on mine. “Easily. But I didn’t. Does that not matter?”

Aydun may have answered, but I didn’t hear him. I didn’t even see anything beyond Kolis. It was almost like it was just him and me. Breathe out. And it didn’t feel like we stood in Cor Palace’s atrium. Hold. It felt like we were in the Sanctuary, in his private chambers, and I was—no. I was not caged. I was free.

“Instead, I was generous and kind,” Kolis said, but I swore his lips didn’t move. And—

Gold glinted dully from behind Kolis. My gaze darted over his shoulder. I didn’t see the throne. Panic trickled through my veins as I saw bars, but that was impossible. I’m not there.

“I was gentle with you. Considerate.” Kolis’s voice throbbed. “Even pleasing.”

There had been nothing pleasing about what Kolis had done. I hadn’t wanted to feel anything. He’d forced it. But I wasn’t there. Kolis was standing in front of me—

Or was he? Panic surged like a trapped, wild animal because I could feel him behind me, beneath me, his arm too tight around my waist, and his hips rocking—

Every inch of my body was drenched in an icy downpour of raw, sharp fear as I felt that twisted tremor in his arms as he held me. Pressure settled on my chest, causing my breath to hitch as I felt the rapid pounding of his heart against my back, his hand sliding down my side, grazing my breast and clutching my hip. Breathe in. The essence swelled at the memory of the unwanted heat of his bite. Hold. My fingers twitched, tingling. Breathe out. I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t do anything but sit there and take it, just as I had with Tavius, with all the training, with—