CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Ash and I stood in silence among the thick, gnarled roots of the sweeping trees that jutted out from the sides of the rocky bluffs overlooking the coast of the sun-speckled Bonelands . The absence of birds singing or even the rustle of the smallest critters moving through the heavy foliage left only the sound of the salty breeze rattling the leaves.

My gaze swept over the land below surrounded by the bluffs and the dense forests bordering the fields. The wind whispered over the rocky hills and flowed through the valley, but the tall, thin, purple-and-red wildflowers that bloomed from the soil that cradled the bones of gods and mortals were still. So was the knee-high grass. It was almost as if the wind didn't dare disturb the final resting place of the long-forgotten warriors that had fallen like leaves in an unforgiving autumn during the battle with the Ancients.

Under the sword strapped to my back, a chill tiptoed down my spine. "I don't remember this place being so…"

Ash's hand tightened around mine, and he tore his gaze from the horizon. "What?"

"Creepy," I murmured.

"It only feels that way because you know what took place here," he said, a strand of hair that had escaped the knot at his nape blowing across his cheek.

"That and all the dead bodies in the ground," I pointed out. "How many do you think are buried here?"

"Tens of thousands."

Gods.

I swallowed. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked that."

Ash's chuckle tugged at my lips as I eyed the forest. To the untrained or unsuspecting eye, it appeared as if Ash and I stood alone on the bluffs.

That was not the case.

The trees were so thick that only the thinnest rays of sunlight penetrated the depths, but every so often, I caught a brief reflection bouncing off our regiment's sharpened shadowstone swords where they waited to the east. Just as we'd discussed, our ships lay shrouded in the heavy mists bordering the Skotos Mountains. Tucked within the embrace of the jagged cliffs and within the caves beneath us, Attes stood with the bulk of our armies, their discipline ensuring no clank of armor nor murmur betrayed them. Seven of our draken were nestled among the crags of the cliffs, their scales blurring the line between rock and beast. Bele and Rhain, along with Thierran and a smaller regiment, were hidden in the trees along the bluff we stood upon.

I took a deep breath and held it for the count of five as I turned my attention to the ancient, sprawling Temple on the bluff to our right. The thing was massive, the length the same as the House of Haides.

"It was one of the first Temples erected," Ash said, following my gaze. "Where Ancients once greeted mortals."

The Temple must have been a sight to behold. It was impressive even now, with its fractured walls and half-crumbling pillars bearing the scars of war and time. The defiant roof remained, as well as several halls and some inner walls of chambers.

Exhaling for the count of five, I looked past the ruins. "I hate waiting."

"Never would've guessed that," Ash remarked, his gaze piercing the horizon.

Time stretched thin and taut as we waited for the serpent to lift his head from his lair. I wasn't sure how long we'd been here, but I knew it had to be past the time when Kolis agreed to meet.

Eather pulsed. "What if I was wrong?" I whispered in a voice barely louder than the rattle of leaves.

"You're not." Ash's thumb swept over my marriage imprint. "You know that. He's just trying to assert control." His silvery gaze met mine. "But he has no control. Not over us. Not over what will happen."

I nodded, forcing myself to inhale again. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just—"

"You have nothing to apologize for," he interrupted, squeezing my hand as he lowered his head to kiss me. "Being anxious is normal."

My lips tingled when he returned his attention to the sea. I found myself staring at the ruins once more. The Temple was on the brink of collapse, sustained only by deeply rooted desperation and deception but very close to completely collapsing under one strong wind. It sort of mirrored Kolis's reign, didn't it? And Ash and me? We were the storm that would topple the false King's dominion.

Tension charged the atmosphere as I cast my gaze to the horizon, where the seas disappeared into the sky.

"There they are," murmured Ash.

My eyes narrowed as white-tipped waves formed and were replaced by quick bursts of color—vivid blues, glittering pinks, and intense greens. Line after line formed, their fins silently slicing through the water. They were fast, giving only seconds-long glimpses of their muscular arms and sleek bodies undulating in the water as sunlight filtered through the waves and glinted off shadowstone swords secured firmly to their backs. As they drew closer, I could make out cloth the color of the sea, partially covering their chests and tails.

Well, at least our forces would not have to fight against nude regiments. That seemed like it would be rather distracting.

A sudden pulse of thought, urgent and clear, reached me. Meyaah Liessa , Nektas called. We have spotted Phanos's fleet.

My free hand fisted. " Phanos's ships have been seen."

Ash's lip peeled back in a quiet snarl as he released my hand and stepped forward. Anger and bitter disappointment rose, stoking the eather . The corners of my vision turned white as I stepped up on the rock beside Ash.

I'd known that Kolis would not honor his word and come alone. We hadn't. And I'd also known Phanos would show. None of that was surprising. Still, I couldn't get past the fact that he stood with Kolis. That his fear of the Primal god was that great. Or maybe it wasn't fear. Perhaps Saion and Rhahar were correct, and Phanos simply preferred that things not change. Static danced over my skin. It didn't matter either way.

Ash turned, placing his hand on my cheek. Where I stood on the rock, put us at eye level. " Phanos made his choice," he said, the timbre of his steady voice contrasting with the storm brewing within my very being. "And he will die today for it."

He would.

Concentrating, I followed Nektas's imprint. The moment they near the bay, let me know .

Will do .

Ash's fingers found mine once more. Our hands clasped, entwined like the roots of the ancient trees surrounding us. I looked at him. His gaze met mine. There was so much love and strength there that I felt the eather rippling inside me. But there was also a pinch of concern to the line of his mouth as his other hand clasped the back of my head.

"There are no more lines to be crossed, liessa . If you need to use the essence, do not hold back," he said, drawing his thumb over my pulse. "Unleash everything you have in you to protect yourself and our children. That will not make you the kind of monster you fear." His eyes searched mine. "It will only make you a mother defending our babes' lives, and that is all that matters. Understood?"

Drawing in a staggered breath, I nodded. "I will not hold back."

"And you will not let any of it leave a mark," he commanded, eyes lighting with eather .

"I won't," I swore.

"That's my girl."

Ash's lips crashed into mine. The kiss was deep and fierce, an urgent clash of tongues and fangs that sent a jolt of raw energy coursing through him to me. It was a proclamation that became a promise as he spoke. "The next time we kiss, it will be over Kolis's body."

A savage smile spread across my lips. "I can't wait."

Letting go of my neck, he held on to my hand until I jumped from the rock. Ash and I stood vigilant, like a pair of sentinels.

"The ceeren have slowed," Ash noted.

Every muscle in my body tensed. Time seemed to slow to an infinite crawl, and then I heard Nektas's voice once more. Phanos's ships are nearing the bay . There was a pause. Ehthawn can see soldiers on the gangways. Some are beginning to lower boats .

My hands fisted as I repeated the update to Ash.

"I know we want Kolis out in the open before striking, but we can't let those ships get close," Ash reminded me. "They get on shore, we'll be swamped."

Holding his gaze, I nodded. Concentrating on Nektas's imprint, I exhaled slowly. Burn the ships coming toward the bay . All of them.

There was silence once more as I turned my gaze back to the sky. Theon had been right. From where we stood, we couldn't see the bay or where Ehthawn and Crolee were hidden in the eastern mountain coastline. I didn't even see or hear them take flight, but I didn't take my eyes off the sky over the bay. The clouds were scattered and wispy but still provided some level of coverage. I held my breath and counted to five.

Suddenly, the two dark shapes belonging to Ehthawn and his cousin appeared above the clouds. In the next heartbeat, they broke free, diving toward the bay. Twin streams of flames erupted from them. I sucked in a short breath as the entire landscape suddenly lit up with the silvery glow of draken fire.

We couldn't see the ships, but we heard the exact moment the fire struck them. It was a boom of splintering wood and a rage of crackling embers that muffled shouts of pain. The feeling of death followed and kept coming, pressing down on my chest as Crolee and Ehthawn flew over each other, raining down fiery destruction as they continued farther out.

A piercing whistle came from the sea by the bluffs, jerking our attention from the silvery glow. The ceeren were moving once more, racing toward the shore.

"Fire!" Theon called from below.

The sharp whistle of arrows taking to the air quickly answered. I wanted to look away but forced myself to watch as the projectiles plummeted at neck-breaking speed. Lean bodies suddenly jerked while others swam past. Fins disappeared under water rapidly turning a reddish hue.

Another volley of arrows was released as the sea churned with raw, primal ferocity when the ceeren breached the surf. They didn't even miss a step. Saltwater coursed off their lithe forms, and they shed their iridescent scales in a shimmery wave of eather as they withdrew their swords. Within a few heartbeats, the shore was filled with ceeren . Our soldiers rushed from the caves. Swords met as arrows ripped through the sky above them, aiming for those in the water.

My nails dug into my palms when I saw one of ours fall. Eather pressed against my skin as I caught sight of Theon driving his blade through a ceeren's chest. I stepped toward the bluff's edge—

Clashing of swords from the eastern forests rang out, whipping our heads around. Branches rattled and snapped as bursts of eather lit up the shadows.

The echo of death was continuous now.

Our first line in the forest fell with shocking swiftness, causing my heart to stutter. Essence poured into my veins.

" Breathe ." Ash captured my hand. The feeling of his flesh against mine was grounding. "You need to conserve your energy for when Kolis gets here."

It took everything in me to hold back as Kolis's soldiers burst from the shadows of the forest hugging the field's edges, a sea of crimson sweeping across the land.

A crackling bolt of eather echoed from below, slamming into the center of the soldiers as Attes led the second line out onto the field in a clash of shadowstone and eather . It was hard to make sense of what I was seeing for a moment. The fighting was chaotic and brutal, drenching the tall grass in shimmering red.

A shout from behind us caused my heart to drop. I turned to the trees, fingers splaying wide as blades streaked against blades and armor echoed.

"They got behind us somehow." Ash cursed. "That division must've split off at some point, skirting the area to come up the bluffs."

I reached behind me and unsheathed my sword, catching quick, darting glimpses of crimson among the trees.

"Here they come," Ash said, unhooking the short swords from his chest.

The air thrummed with tension as the ground beneath us vibrated with pounding footfalls. I couldn't think of Bele, Rhain, or anyone flanking us. I had to focus.

Without warning, a figure leapt from one of the jagged cliffs above, his silhouette outlined against the sky for half a second. There was a glint of something dull and white.

He landed before me with a thud and rose as several more figures came over the cliff. My gaze locked with the one before me. His eyes were a pale, milky blue, framed by wings painted in crimson.

Revenants.

I had to give it to Kolis. Sending the ones who couldn't easily be killed to the Temple was clever.

Darting to the left, I dipped under the Revenant's swing and popped up. My sword cut through the air, cleaving the Revenant's neck. Blood spewed as he fell forward.

"Not the head." Ash kicked a Revenant back into the rocky wall. "We need their mouths or, at the very least, their throats intact."

"Whoops." My gaze went to the shard of bone the Rev had dropped. It was more like a spike. I saw then that the Revenant wore gloves.

Damn, we should've thought of that.

"They have Ancient bones," I shouted as Ash withdrew his sword from a Revenant's chest.

"I see that." Ash grunted, sending a Revenant over his shoulder.

I picked up the fallen bone, wincing as it burned my left hand. I didn't hold it for long. Without hesitation, I thrust it into the Revenant's back, hoping it would keep the fucker dead until it was removed—like it incapacitated a Primal.

Ash snapped the bone of a Revenant's arm. Its Ancient-bone spike hit the rocky soil as Ash grasped him by the throat. "Where is Kolis?"

The Revenant said nothing, and energy suddenly ramped up, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to rise.

"I will only ask you one more time." Ash lifted the Revenant into the air. "Where the fuck is Kolis?"

Slowly, I turned toward the eastern mountains. White, puffy clouds thickened, darkening into steely gray before turning a deep charcoal. They rolled over the peaks and the forests of the Bonelands , casting an ominous shadow. The temperature started to drop, and I knew Ash was only partially responsible for it.

My heart slowed. My breathing evened out.

Awareness throbbed in my chest as eather pulsed hotly through me.

Kolis was here.

A loud rumble echoed through the skies like heavy thunder, muffling the sharp clang of blades striking against one another.

"Finally," Ash muttered, dropping the Revenant.

Off the cliff.

Well, that was one way to get rid of a Revenant.

A dark shadow glided through the churning clouds over the field. My grip on the sword firmed. The pulse of death continued to flare from the battlefield below.

A large draken broke through the clouds, casting a foreboding shadow over the valley. I knew this draken , recognized the onyx scales that looked as if they'd been dipped in crimson.

Naberius .

I felt Nektas draw near as the draken's battle-worn wings swept out, slowing his descent over the cliffs above. His hind legs touched down on the ridge above us, shaking the land when his forelegs lowered. Talons dug into the rocky ledge, sending soil and rock tumbling. The draken , with his crown of immense horns arching back, turned his head toward us. Snarling, his lips peeled back over sword-sharp teeth. Nab snarled and lowered himself, revealing the— wait . My mouth dropped open. There was no way, but unless I was hallucinating, the figure in crimson astride his colossal back was Kolis.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing as I sheathed the short sword. Glancing at Ash, I saw that he didn't look surprised to see Kolis riding the draken .

A rush of powerful air flowed up the side of the bluffs behind us as Nektas made his presence known. His wings swept over Ash's and my heads as he landed beside us, shaking the ground and the Temple ruins. He prowled forward, wisps of smoke wafting from his nostrils when he lifted his head toward Nab, releasing a long, low rumble of warning.

Nab huffed, his eyes narrowing—his crimson eyes. I stiffened as I stared. The irises encircling the thin, vertical pupils were still red. That didn't make any sense. All the draken —

Then it struck me, filling me with another wave of disbelief. What Ash had said about Naberius being as old as Kolis now made sense. Nab wasn't a normal draken .

Naberius was the bastard's version of Ash's Odin.

The true Primal of Death and the true Primal of Life didn't ride upon horses. I should've known that, but the information had been buried with all the other stuff I'd learned during my Ascension.

My eyes widened again as another realization slammed into me. That meant that when I was ready, and that cuff magically appeared, it wouldn't be a horse I summoned—

I stopped those thoughts. Now was so not the time to focus on that.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Ash spoke, his voice calm but each word laced with hatred.

Kolis leaned back, letting go of one of the spikes protruding from Nab's back. His golden hair fell over his forehead, obscuring a part of the crimson wings he'd painted on his face. How cute. Now, he matched his minions. "You burned my ships."

I snapped out of my stupor, stepping forward. "We burned Phanos's ships."

Eyes streaked with crimson slid to me.

"Do not look at her," Ash growled, his flesh thinning and shadows appearing underneath.

Kolis smirked and continued staring down at me.

The shadows in Ash's flesh darkened as tendrils of eather spilled out of him.

He's about to lose it , Nektas warned me.

I reached over, fingers gliding through the icy eather gathering around him. Placing my hand on his arm, I squeezed gently.

Ash's eyes flashed pure silver. I feared he would launch himself at Kolis for a moment, but then the mist around him slowed.

"Charming," Kolis remarked. "That Fate claimed it would just be a meeting among us three."

"And you agreed to that. But, unsurprisingly, you did not honor it," I retorted, letting go of Ash's arm.

He gestured idly to the fighting on the field below. "It appears to me that neither did you."

"Of course, not," Ash replied. I saw Bele creeping closer through the trees to our right. "We knew you wouldn't be brave enough to show alone."

Nab snarled at Ash as Kolis leaned forward. The curve of the Primal's lips immediately set off warning bells.

"Do not say whatever it is you're thinking," I warned, eather crackling in my veins as the field below us lit up with streaks of eather . I felt Phanos's arrival.

I wanted to turn to the fighting but didn't dare take my eyes off Kolis.

His grin grew into a twisted smile, causing the wings painted on his face to lift. "Nephew," he purred, and my skin crawled. "I can still taste her blood in my mouth and feel her on my fingers."

There was no time to feel anything in response to his words. Not disgust or shame. Not even anger. Ash shifted instantly, his flesh hardening and turning as dark as the night. Eather swept out from his back in twin arcs. I grabbed his arm again.

"Don't." I held on. "Don't give him what he wants."

Frigid air poured across the bluffs, a thin layer of ice forming on the compacted soil and rock. The sound that came from Ash rumbled over the area, and I knew I needed to act quickly. Nektas drew his head back, his frills beginning to vibrate. We'd gotten what we needed. Kolis had been lured out. Now, we just needed him off Naberius and preferably not on a damn cliff above us before I summoned Thierran .

Ash was beginning to rise beside me. "You came here for The Star," I shouted, my grip on Ash's arm slipping. "Being disgusting won't help you get what you've always wanted."

Kolis didn't look away from Ash as he said, "I'm curious. What exactly made you change your mind, Seraphena ?"

"I want this to end," I answered, hearing Ash's growl grow louder. "Too much blood has been spilled."

"You've spilled far more than I," he replied. "You've cost me Embris , Veses , and Kyn."

"I have, but that is nothing compared to what you have done in all your years or what we will both do if we continue fighting." I was relieved to see that Ash had regained some control over himself. He returned to the ground beside me, but his skin was still the hue of shadowstone . "I want to end this. Right now."

Kolis's chuckle turned my stomach. "What did I tell you, Seraphena ? The last time we had the pleasure of being in each other's presence?"

"I don't know," I gritted out. "You talk a lot and yet speak only bullshit, so it's kind of hard to remember everything."

His upper lip curled, and blotches of crimson appeared on his skin. "You had your chance to accept the deal I offered. That is no longer on the table. You will give me The Star, and I will have both of you in chains."

Kolis lifted his hand. I heard them before I saw them, the rasp of their claws against rock.

They came from behind Kolis, as large as warhorses, their slick, obsidian skin as hard as shadowstone , and their heads featureless except for the thin slits above their gaping maws.

Dakkais .

Dozens of them.

Naberius rocked back, pushing off the cliff with a powerful sweep of his wings as the dakkais leaped into the air.

"Fuck," Ash growled, pulling his swords free once more.

There was no way to keep track of Kolis as the nightmarish beasts rushed us.

I unsheathed the sword as Nektas's head snapped forward. He caught one of the dakkais in his mouth. Turning his head sharply, he split the creature in two as one leapt toward Ash, but he was quick, plunging his sword into the creature's chest.

I spun as a dakkai charged, saliva dripping from its teeth. I cleaved off its head as I caught sight of Bele leaping over a fissure. She landed on a boulder, effortlessly switching to a bow and shadowstone arrows to avoid the eather drawing the dakkais . Rhain raced out of the trees, followed by several soldiers.

Ash swore, kicking a dakkai back as sudden screams of pain tore through the air. I whirled toward the field, my breath catching in horror when I saw dozens more dakkais joining the fray.

"Sera!" Ash shouted, spinning me around.

Hot breath that smelled of sulfur and stale lilacs swamped me. I thrust out with the sword, but the creature yelped before I made contact, falling to the ground. One of Ash's blades jutted from its back.

Nektas's tail swept across the ground, edging me back and releasing a stream of fire. Silver flames engulfed the dakkais , but more came over the cliff's edge, snarling and spitting. I braced myself, but they veered to my right.

They were heading straight for Nektas .

" Nektas !" Ash yelled, bringing his sword down as Rhain drove his into a dakkai's back.

I screamed when the dakkais swarmed the draken , digging into his scales with their claws. They climbed him as he slammed his tail down and twisted, trying to shake them off. Blood sprayed the ground, and Nektas reared back, emitting a deep cry.

The sight of his blood and the sound of his pain undid whatever restraint I had left in me. The air around me charged, reacting to the eather erupting from my pores.

"Don't!" Ash shouted. "It will draw them to you."

"I know," I growled. That's what I wanted. The moment eather sparked, the dakkais clawing at Nektas froze, then lifted their heads in unison.

The clouds above us deepened in color as rage poured into me. I thrust out my left hand, silvery strands of eather tinged in gold erupting from my palm and mirroring my will. The tendrils lifted and arced, slamming into the dakkais , throwing them off Nektas and to the ground, where they lay smoldering.

A shadow rushed over us, and I looked up to see Aurelia. She landed near Nektas , tucking a wing over his side, fire spilling from her mouth. She turned her head, enveloping the dakkais that remained on the bluffs.

I rushed to Nektas's side, careful of the dripping blood. My heart twisted as I saw the deep gouges in his sides. He'd be okay. He had to be. Fear dripped through me. " Nektas ?"

I'll heal , came his raspy voice. I just need a few minutes .

"I want you out of here," I demanded.

That's not going to happen.

"Where did he go?" Ash seethed, stalking forward. He jerked to a stop and then rushed past me, heading toward the edge overlooking the battlefield.

Bele jumped off the rock, driving her knee into a fallen Revenant's chest, knocking it back. She slammed her blade into its chest as it started to come back to life.

"Rhain!" she shouted. "We need to put them down."

The god rushed to Bele's side, and I turned to Aurelia. "Keep him safe until he's healed."

She answered by shielding his head with her much smaller one.

"Not again," Bele groaned, rising as Revenants swarmed the bluff. "Oh, great. And we've got even more visitors."

Ash's head cut toward the bluff overlooking the sea. Ceeren pulled themselves over the edge, their beautiful faces streaked with blood. I took a deep breath, holding it.

I knew Kolis was still nearby. He was hiding somewhere. But when my gaze met Ash's, I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. We couldn't leave everyone to deal with this.

I stalked toward the nearest Revenant, deflecting a blow. Then another. I glanced up, seeing red scales high above the clouds. It was Naberius , but that wasn't good news.

"Kolis's draken ," I hissed, driving the sword through a Revenant's chest.

"Focus on the Revenants," Ash commanded, his voice laced with authority. "Our draken will meet his in the sky."

I nodded, steeling myself for the carnage to come as the air came alive with bloodshed. Shoving a Revenant back, Ash sliced into its chest.

Aurelia caught a ceeren in her jaws, and Nektas threw at least three into the trees with a punishing sweep of his tail. The wounds in his side didn't seem as deep as before.

I drove my sword down and saw blood dotting Rhain's face. "You okay?"

"Not my blood." He knelt by a fallen Rev, pulling a vial from his satchel. He pried the mouth open, pouring two second's worth of draken blood into the Revenant's mouth. "At least, not all of it."

I glanced at the Revenant Rhain knelt by. It was still out, but its body began convulsing as its flesh flushed and then bubbled—

"You're probably not going to want to watch that," Rhain called.

Too late.

The bubbles along the Revenant's flesh exploded, and the skin melted. I lowered my sword as muscles and tendons caught fire as if they were nothing but paper. Holes appeared in bones and ignited, burning even those. There was nothing left but a mess of pink and scraps of charred flesh.

"That is…disgusting," I muttered.

"Sera!" Ash shouted. "Behind you!"

I spun, coming face-to-face with a shadowstone blade wielded by a dark-haired goddess. A wave of fiery pain went down my arm as I lurched to the side.

Ash's growl tore through the air a second before a stream of shadowy eather smacked into her.

"Are you okay?" Ash was at my side in a heartbeat.

"Yes." I breathed through the pain. "Just a scratch."

He stared at me for a moment, then snapped forward. Pinching my chin in a gentle grip, he thrust his sword, catching either a ceeren or a Revenant as he kissed me.

He lifted his head and pulled his sword free. His hand dropped to my hip, and he nudged me to the side, gripping the hair of what turned out to be a ceeren . It snapped at him, and he dragged his sword up, disemboweling it.

Above, roars shattered the skies when our draken met Kolis's. Flames of eather licked from their jaws as they descended upon his draken . Talons dug in, ripping through hard scales.

I dragged my attention away, scanning for any sign of Kolis. A ceeren came at me, the cloth she wore dripping pinkish water. Her full lips peeled back over bloody teeth. I parried a blow aimed at my heart.

Another charged, and I threw out my hand. Eather powered down my arm. The burst of Primal energy slammed into the ceeren . He stumbled back, looking down at the charred hole in his chest. His knees buckled, and I clenched my jaw against the throb of death.

The female ceeren screamed, drawing her sword back—

A shadowstone blade sliced through her neck. Her body went in one direction and her head in the other.

Ash stood there, more fresh blood dripping from his sword.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." His gaze turned to the sky as a red-and-black draken dug its talons into the back of a smaller, brown one. "Fucking Diaval ."

I inhaled sharply as Diaval tore into the draken's throat, ripping through scales and bone. Aurelia let out a staggering, mournful call when the brown draken fell, shifting into his mortal form.

Ehthawn crashed into Diaval with a thunderous clap. They were a spiral of wings and talons, tearing into each other. Behind them, another draken plunged into the ocean, sending a geyser of water shooting into the sky.

I staggered at the haunting sight, forcing my gaze away. I couldn't let it get to me right now.

Ash prowled toward the cliff's edge. Scanning the sky for Naberius , I joined him.

Down below, I saw Phanos take a hit of Primal essence, throwing him back as Attes stalked forward, eather dripping from his fingers.

"Kolis is still here," I said, my chest rising and falling sharply. Rhahar leapt over a dakkai , slamming his sword through a crimson god's head.

"And so are the rest of his armies." Ash lifted his blood-soaked sword, pointing at the forest line.

My gaze lifted, and the air fled my lungs.

A wave of crimson flowed out of the trees like an unforgiving tide. Thousands swarmed the field, just like the dakkais on the bluff had. And they kept coming.

"The bulk of their armies wasn't on the ships," I whispered.

"No," Ash growled.

The sea of crimson swept over the field, causing my heart to stutter. There were too many, especially with Theon's forces still battling the ceeren . I flinched as Phanos struck Attes , knocking him into a dakkai's path—

A fair-haired soldier snapped forward, blocking the dakkai from reaching Attes . Kars. It was Kars who jabbed out with his blade. He was quick but…

The dakkai clamped down on his throat.

"No!" I shouted, lurching forward. A shudder went through me, warming my palms.

Ash caught my arm, but I barely felt his grip as both the dakkai and Kars went down.

Attes stumbled and grabbed the dagger, tossing it aside. He was frozen for a second, almost like he was thinking the same thing I was. What had Kars been thinking? He was a godling. Attes would've likely handled the dakkai , but it didn't matter. It was too late. Attes stepped back. His free hand fisted, and he turned his head toward Phanos . A scream of rage erupted from him, and he flew toward the other Primal just as two draken spiraled to the ground below, locked in a deadly embrace, blood and fiery eather pouring out of them both.

" Crolee ," Ash rasped. They hit the rocky shore, the impact an echo of finality that caused my body to flash cold and then hot.

A buzzing started in my ears, muting Nektas's call of sorrow. I pulled my arm free of Ash's, the sword I held slipping from my fingers and clanging off the ground.

More crimson soldiers surged forward from the mouth of the forest, their armor and swords not yet bloodied by battle. I could barely see our people among the crimson gods—could barely hear Ash's voice as he grabbed a ceeren , snapping its neck. I looked down the bluff's rocky hill, seeing gods in crimson scale the peak. I thought Ash was calling my name as an eather arrow struck the first god who crested the rise.

I wasn't breathing.

We were failing. My hand went to my stomach. Our future was slipping between our fingers. They would all die while Kolis hid. Rhahar . Our soldiers. Possibly even Attes . Then Rhain and Bele, once they swarmed the bluff. Their bodies would fall, just as Kars and Crolee had. Their bones would join…

They're called the Bonelands .

I looked down, the blood dripping from my fingers darkening the soil and rock.

The land was littered with those who'd fallen in the war with the Ancients, the remains of gods, long-since-forgotten mortal warriors, Primals , and…

And dragons.

Suddenly, I saw the Shade in the Dying Woods—the one I'd touched. How it had started to come back to life.

There was a reason I'd suggested the Bonelands to Ash. Why I had stood on the Rise looking at the Shades after I'd brought life back to the Shadowlands.

Death couldn't break the bonds of Life's touch.

I looked at Ash. "I'll be right back."

He shoved a god from his sword, and his head jerked toward me. Eather swelled in me as I stepped toward the edge. He shouted my name, and it carried on the wind when I shadowstepped to the field below, near Kars' body.

Locked in their own fights, no one noticed me as I stalked forward. Dropping to my knees beside the godling, I slammed my hands onto the bloodied grass, eather swelling inside me and combining with all the yawning hopelessness and bitter desperation I'd felt moments ago. But I channeled everything in me—the suffocating fear and soul-destroying shame for what had been done to me, for what I'd done to the mortal realm—and all of it built inside me.

Then, I let go.

Because no more would die. We would not fail. Our future wasn't lost.

The edges of my vision turned silver and gold, snapping my head back. "I am done with this!" A scream of rage erupted from deep within me, releasing the Primal essence—unleashing my will as I summoned the fallen gods and dragons. "All of this."

All across the field, heads turned to me. Soldiers in crimson and dark gray froze as my hands sank through the grass and into the soil, and eather whirled down my arms. Attes turned, and Phanos staggered back, his bloody mouth dropping open when the eather receded from his veins. Silvery-white light drenched the ground, rippling out from my hands.

Beneath me and all around, the ground trembled and then roared. Deep fissures appeared across the sacred land, spreading like veins, opening and spewing soil and rocks into the air.

A heartbeat passed.

Then two.

Thin, bleached-white fingers appeared in the clouds of dust radiating from the fissures. They dug into the disturbed soil, clawing their way free. Fleshless arms appeared from the darkness. Hairless skulls. And they kept coming, a wave of bone and tattered tunics, bearing the sigils of forgotten kingdoms, their bony hands lifting ancient, rusted swords. The great hills deep within the forests shuddered, uprooting trees and shedding centuries of sediment until foot-long, serrated teeth became visible. Wings of cartilage and delicate bones lifted into the air. The wind answered in a whisper, two words that echoed over and over as an army rose.

Meyaah Liessa .