The only thing that can save the realms now is the one thing more powerful than the Fates.
After a startling betrayal ends with both Sera and the dangerously seductive ruler of the Shadowlands she has fallen madly in love with being held captive by the false King of the Gods, there is only one thing that can free Nyktos and prevent the forces of the Shadowlands from invading Dalos and igniting a War of Primals.
Convincing Kolis wonāt be easy, thoughānot even with a lifetime of training. While his most favored Revenant is insistent that she is nothing more than a lie, Kolisās erratic nature and twisted sense of honor leave her shaken to the core, and nothing couldāve prepared her for the cruelty of his Court or the shocking truths revealed. The revelations not only upend what she has understood about her duty and the very creation of the realms but also draw into question exactly what the true threat is. However, surviving Kolis is only one part of the battle. The Ascension is upon her, and Sera is out of time.
But Nyktos will do anything to keep Sera alive and give her the life she deserves. Heāll even risk the utter destruction of the realms, and thatās exactly what will happen if he doesnāt Ascend as the Primal of Life. Yet despite his desperate determination, their destinies may be out of their hands.
But there is that foreseen unexpected threadāthe unpredictable, unknown, and unwritten. The only thing more powerful than the Fatesā¦
Why You Should Read This Book
Tropes
Trigger Warnings
A Fire in the Flesh
āThose bones, when wielded as a weapon? Prick even the skin of a god? Dead. And because of the embers, if I try to take you through them and you get nicked? Dead. They can even put a Primal into years-long stasis. Nyktos is just as imprisoned by them as you are, and heās far more guarded.ā
āIām nothing without you, liessa. And there will be nothing without you.ā
āThe embers are bonding with you, allowing you to access more of the essence. It happens when gods near their Ascension, just as it does with Primals.ā
āIāve never stood with Kolis. Not truly.ā
āI have a feeling Holland really likes to push that fine line he walks between interfering and casually observing.ā
āTo become a Revenant, you must dieālike the soul leaves the body and all that. Correct? Thatās why Kolis didnāt attempt to save me by turning me into a Revenant.ā
āYour life couldāve been so fucking different. Your family never wouldāve punished you. You wouldnāt have had to feel as if you were aloneānever allowed to experience what most take for granted. You wouldnāt have felt like a monster. My apologies were and will never be enough. I couldāveāā
āYou have a real fucked-up, unhelpful way of showing your loyalty.ā
āIā¦I donāt know much about love, or anything really. But love should inspire one to indulge in more than just violence and death.ā
āFates, Sera, Iā¦I love you.ā
āPrimals cannot sense one another when weāre in our nota formsāwhen we take the shape of the animal we find ourselves most connected to. Just as Kolis didnāt sense him in his wolf form.ā
āThey can kill a fledgling Primal, depending on where they are struck, like one who is just coming out of their Culling. Theyād be susceptible to that for many years until they fully harness their eather. But if any Primal, fledging or not, is impaled by a bone, they would remain incapacitated until it was removed.ā
āSo, there must always be the Primal of Death and the Primal of Life, even if nothing more than a spark of embers remains in them. Even if they are in stasis orā¦Or hidden within a mortal bloodline. As long as the embers exist in some fashion, and life is created and taken, the balance is maintained.ā
āLiessa. Iāve got you. Everything will be all right now. Iāve got you.ā
āI knew what Eythos did before Kolis or Nyktos figured it out. Eythos and I were brothers in a way that he and Kolis never were. Friend. And I was one of the few entrusted with the knowledge of what Eythos did.ā
āThen I hope she hears this, I will save you this time.
āWait. Do you think to compare me to the mortal trash known as Tavius?ā
āWith my sword and my life. I shall honor you. In blood and in ash, forevermore.ā
Subscribe to Late Night Reads Weekly Newsletter
Get early access to our TBR list, podcast episodes, bonus content, irresistible book recommendations, and so much more!
