A Light in the Flame

“The Primal of Life is the most powerful being in all the realms, usurping all other Primals and gods.”

“That is what infuriates me. From the first moment I saw you, you’ve behaved as if your life holds no value for you.”

“And if you keep looking at her like that, I’ll cut your eyes from their sockets and feed them to Setti.”

“Seraphena has taken no oath, sworn no loyalties, nor does she yet wear the crown of the Consort. She has not been here long, but she was still willing to risk her life to protect all of you—all of those within the Shadowlands and beyond. Believing that she was the cause of the recent attacks, she planned to turn herself over to Kolis. Though she is not the cause. Her bravery is unmatched, even among all of you.”

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear to you, Nyktos. If you want me as your Consort in title only, then you have no say over what I do or with whom, from this point until I take my last breath—whenever that may be.”

“Prophecies can often be confusing, even to those who receive them. And, sometimes, only bits and pieces of a prophecy are known by one—the beginning or the end—while the middle is known to another and vice versa. But some visions have come to pass, both in Iliseeum and in the mortal realm. It’s hard to see this since the destruction of the Gods of Divination and the passing of the last of the oracles.

“I care more because I cannot love, and I believe caring for others is far more important than loving just one.”

“What you did to protect me isn’t why I feel that way. I wanted to be more to you than a Consort in title only before I learned about that. What it did was help me understand a bit of what I saw. We don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to. But know that if you don’t kill her, I will find a way to do it myself.”

“She’s not the enemy at the end of the day. You should know that. But if you don’t, all you have to do is go back out onto the Rise and look at the lives lost.”

“You have no idea what Nyktos has had to give up. What he’s been through. What he’s sacrificed for you, and then for you—”

“Daddy Nyktos is not happy.”

“It’s clear that you should be the true Primal of Life,” I explained. “Not because it was your destiny, but because you’re good.”

“Love makes anything possible. Makes anyone capable of the unexpected.”

“Fate even fucks with the Fates.”

“Kolis believes all mortals should be in service to the Primals and gods. That their lives should be dedicated to appeasing the whims of those more evolved than they are. That those who do not worship the Primals with dedication and respect should be punished. He has already ordered the Primals and gods to punish mortals more harshly, even for the simplest indiscretions. You may not have seen this play out in your kingdom yet, or were simply unaware, but failure to even bow before a statue of a Primal could result in death in other places.”

“I hate that you spent so long being made to feel that way. And I loathe that I likely added to that feeling. For that, I do not think I could apologize enough. You are seen and heard, liessa.”

“That thread that broke off from all the possible strings that chart the course of your life? It was unexpected. Unpredictable. Fate is never truly written in bone and blood. It can be as ever-changing as your thoughts. Your heart. His.”

“I don’t know why death smells like that, but lilacs are special. They represent renewal, and both life and death are that—a renewal. If you ever see lilacs like this near water in the mortal realm, you can be assured that you’re near a gateway to Iliseeum—to Dalos, in particular.”