A Fire in the Flesh (Flesh and Fire, #3)

A wry grin appeared. “Partly. He’s always been a bit difficult. But when Kolis did what he did? That didn’t help. Any of us. The taint spread.” His features tightened and then smoothed out with a sigh. “None of that is an excuse, obviously. I just wanted…” He frowned as if he wasn’t sure what he wanted.

But I thought I might know. “You just wanted to let me know that your brother wasn’t always this way. I understand.” I took a small drink. “Going into stasis helps? Like if your brother went to sleep, would he awaken…less dickish?”

Attes’s gaze flickered to mine, but he didn’t answer for a moment. “I hope so. I hope it hasn’t progressed that far in him.”

And if it had? “How will he respond to Nyktos taking his rightful place as the Primal of Life and the King of Gods?”

His hand fisted at his side. “I can only believe that he will respond wisely.”

As in he couldn’t allow himself to think otherwise, because Attes knew what that meant. Once Ash had the embers of life, he could Ascend another to rule in Kyn’s place.

“I should leave,” Attes said. “If I learn of anything else, I will do my best to let you know.”

I nodded, resisting the urge to ask him to stay. It was nice having someone to talk to whom I didn’t want to murder, even if we discussed things that left me feeling a bit hollow.

Attes turned, but like last time, he stopped. I waited for him to ask about Sotoria. “Are you okay, Seraphena?”

Surprised by his question, it took me a moment to answer. “Yes. Of course.”

Attes exhaled heavily and nodded. He gave me one last look before starbursts swept over him, and he returned to his hawk form.

My eyes closed the moment he left the chamber, but I still saw the look he’d given me. It had been quick, yet I knew…

I knew he hadn’t believed my answer to his question.





The diaphanous golden gown trailed behind me as I paced the length of the cage.

As always, I wasn’t alone.

The Revenant stood a few feet from the gilded bars, his arms crossed over his tunic. Today, he wore black. Somehow, that made the thickly painted, golden mask even creepier.

I looked toward the closed doors, my stomach twisting with knots of anxiety. At least a day had passed since Attes visited, and it’d been two since Kolis agreed to free Ash and the incident happened.

I picked up my pace as I twisted Aios’s necklace between my fingers.

I hadn’t seen Kolis since he left that day, and the most fucked-up thing was that it was the same as learning I would likely be unable to kill Kolis. It hadn’t filled me with any relief. I was too worried about Ash to appreciate Kolis’s absence—and, hopefully, his all-consuming humiliation.

What if Kolis had changed his mind? He can’t, I reminded myself. He’d made an oath, and Attes had said that Ash was waking up. Had something else happened? Had Rhain managed to launch some sort of attack, accidentally stalling Ash’s release? I closed the fingers of my right hand, pressing them into the golden swirl on my palm.

“I don’t believe you,” Callum stated.

I shot him an arch look. “About what?”

“As if you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

I had a few guesses. “Pretend I don’t and enlighten me.”

His pale gaze tracked my brisk movements. “I don’t trust that you won’t attempt to escape the first chance you get, nor do I believe that you’re seriously open to loving Kolis.”

Well, he would be right about both things. “Okay.”

He cocked his head.

“What?” I challenged. “Think whatever you want. You’re insignificant to me.”

“You should care,” he replied, and I rolled my eyes. “Kolis will realize that you’re lying.”

I was worried about that, because if that thing happened again, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop myself from reacting.

And that wouldn’t bode well for me.

“And he will realize it,” Callum added. “Because you’re not Sotoria.”

My heart skipped with unease, but I didn’t show it. The veil of nothingness was back in place. Mostly. “And why do you think that? Because I don’t exactly resemble what you recall?”

“That’s part of it.”

Curiosity got the better of me. I stopped in front of him. “If you knew me from before, you have to be old.”

A narrow smile appeared. “I am old.”

“How old?”

“Very old,” he replied. “And I did not know you from before.”

A trickle of unease that didn’t feel entirely mine tiptoed down my spine. “Clearly, Kolis favors you. You’re important to him.”

He raised his chin, and there was no mistaking the air of smugness in his voice when he said, “I am.”

“So, you know what I think?”

“Can’t wait to hear it.”

Coming as close to the bars as I could without touching them, I mirrored his close-lipped smile. “I think you’re worried I will replace you.”

His laugh carried an undertone of uncertainty. “I’m not worried about that.”

Knowing I struck a chord, my smile grew. “Sure, Cal.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t call me that.”

I smirked.

Callum exhaled noisily, his normally unaffected demeanor starting to show stress. “What I’m worried about is the destruction of the realms due to the charms of a charlatan.”

“Charlatan? What a fancy word.” Pausing, I met his stare. “Cal.”

More of that blasé attitude cracked. “You think you know everything, but in reality, you know so very little of the truth.”

Did he really expect me to believe that he was concerned about the realms when he not only supported Kolis but had also been created by him? Come on.

“You have nothing to say to that?” he challenged.

Having grown tired of him the moment he entered the room, I resisted the desire to reach through the bars and punch him. “What is the truth, then?”

“Kolis is trying to save the realms.”

I blinked blandly at him.

“Or he was,” Callum amended. “Now, he’s more concerned with his supposed great love returning to him.” He shook his head. “See, even now, you can’t hide how much you loathe him.”

He was probably right about that since I could feel my face tightening. “My agreement with Kolis doesn’t mean I’m on board with what he tried to do to me or what he would’ve done to the realms,” I told him, proud of my response. “You were there when Kolis stated very clearly what he planned to do with the embers. At what point between becoming a Primal that’s never existed before, and killing any who refuse to bow to him, does saving the realms happen?”

“Life must be created,” Callum answered. “No matter what.”

I stared at him, thinking of what Kolis had shared about the Chosen I’d killed. He’d Ascended her. Did that count as creating life? The false King apparently thought so. “Is that what Kolis is doing with the Chosen?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

My frustration rose. “I disagree.”

“You’re just trying to change the subject.”

I threw up my hands. “You’re the one who brought it up!”

He shrugged. “I did not.”

“Oh, my gods.” Turning from him, I started pacing again. “Do you not have something better to do?”

“Not particularly.”