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

Kolis turned then, going to the massive, golden throne I stood by. I didn’t know what to make of Attes’s presence, but I trusted him. At least, I thought I did.

Looking away from the brothers, my gaze then collided with another’s. I felt the air leave my lungs in an unsteady rush.

Keella, the Primal of Rebirth, stood with her hands clasped at the waist of her ivory gown. There was nothing but sadness in her stare.

Blinking, I quickly looked away as my heart thumped heavily. Did Keella realize that what she had helped Eythos do hadn’t gone as planned? That Sotoria’s soul was trapped inside me? Attes could’ve told her, or possibly Ione, who’d seen the truth in my memories.

My gaze skipped over faces of gods I didn’t recognize and those who stood along the walls. I saw Phanos toward the back, the glow of the sconces gleaming off the smooth, umber skin of his skull. Neither he nor the other three Primals wore their crowns, and I didn’t see any from other Courts.

Embris, the Primal God of Wisdom, Loyalty, and Duty, was not present. Nor was the Primal goddess Maia, or that bitch Veses, the Primal Goddess of Rites and Prosperity. Hopefully, that meant she was still locked beneath the House of Haides.

And starving.

Callum ascended the dais, and for a moment, I was distracted by his presence—and one screaming thought. This motherfucker was Sotoria’s brother. Then I saw what he carried. A large, golden floor pillow, which he placed at Kolis’s feet.

I couldn’t be expected to sit there.

The Revenant’s eyes lifted to mine as he straightened, his hair shielding a smug smile.

Son of a bitch.

“Come, my dear,” Kolis called, motioning to the pillow. “Sit.”

A hot, prickly sensation crawled up the back of my neck. Feeling the others’ stares, I conjured up the sound of Ash’s voice as I moved to the pillow. Breathe. That was all I had to do as I lowered myself to the golden cushion, trying to figure out the best way to sit as the slits in the gown left little option. Breathe. Chest constricting, I sat with my knees to the side, all too aware of the exposed length of my leg and lower hip. Breathe.

The Hall was suffocatingly silent as I stared ahead, seeing no one in particular. Other than Attes, what did the Primals think about seeing me? They all knew what Ash had done to Hanan, so they knew, or at the very least suspected, that Kolis had taken me. Phanos knew because Kolis had brought me to him when I was near death.

Servants entered the Hall from a door within the alcoves to our right. The women appeared as I remembered, their loosely fitted peplos gowns nearly transparent, their arms stacked with golden bangles from wrists to elbows, and their faces painted to form golden wings.

“What a happy surprise to see so many of you today,” Kolis said, his summery voice filled with warmth and friendliness. If I didn’t know Kolis, I would’ve believed what he said. “Please help yourselves to the refreshments before we begin.”

Begin what?

Long, wavy blond hair caught my attention. I looked to my left, past the still-sleeping draken, until my gaze collided with ruby-red eyes and familiar handsome yet smug features.

Diaval, the draken.

He leaned against a pillar, his arms crossed over his bare chest. Like Nektas favored, he wore loose linen pants.

Lips pursing, I watched him turn his attention to someone next to him. I didn’t recognize whoever it was, and I was sure I would’ve because the man…well, he was beautiful.

His skin reminded me of night-blooming roses, his cheekbones high and sharp, face perfectly symmetrical. His black hair fell over his shoulders and to the middle of his back in long, rope-like strands. Squinting, I could make out the faint imprint of scales across his shoulders as he nodded at whatever Diaval said.

I surveyed the Hall once more, finding another I suspected was also a draken. A black-haired male stood between two pillars to the right, where the servants hurried in and out. He was close enough for me to see ridges in the light brown skin of his shoulders.

He wasn’t alone either. Another male stood near him, dressed like Callum typically was, in a gold-flecked white tunic and pants. While his painted mask obscured many of his features, I saw eerie, lifeless blue eyes and suspected I knew who it was.

The Revenant, Dyses. The one who hadn’t stayed dead, even after Ash ripped out his heart.

I looked toward the back, where several guards and others stood near the pillars and between them. All were too far away to make out much detail about them. So, there were at least three draken here in their mortal forms, one very large draken still asleep, and the gods only knew how many Revenants. I felt that was something important to be aware of.

A servant approached the dais, halting to bow before slowly climbing the steps. The slender woman carried only two ruby-encrusted chalices on her woven tray and served Kolis first. When he took his glass, she turned to me and bent slightly, offering the remaining chalice.

“Drink,” Kolis ordered softly.

That heated pins-and-needles sensation increased as I reached for the glass. He hadn’t allowed me to choose for myself, which I would have. I could clearly see it was some amber-hued liquid and not the potent radek wine I had been told was an aphrodisiac.

“Thank you,” I murmured as a warm breeze drifted over the dais.

The pale-skinned servant didn’t meet my gaze as she nodded and then left without saying a word. Her movements were graceful as she navigated those who remained on the floor and hadn’t retreated to the seating area in the recesses of the Hall.

A sudden, soft clearing of someone’s throat caught my attention, pulling my focus toward the sound.

The Primal goddess Keella stood several feet from the dais.

Kolis’s fingers began idly tapping the arm of the throne. “Keella,” he acknowledged after a moment. “I am surprised to see you here today.”

“I know I didn’t indicate that I was in need of your time during Court,” she said, and I understood what this was now. Kolis was holding Court, a time for the gods—and I supposed the Primals—to make requests or air complaints. “But I hope I can appeal to your graciousness and speak with you before it starts.”

His graciousness? I almost snorted.

“You’ve always appealed to my gracious side,” he said, some of the warmth leaving his tone. “Whether warranted or not.”

I thought about how Keella had assisted Eythos with Sotoria’s soul and figured that was the dig Kolis delivered.

However, Keella showed no reaction to it as she stood, her spine straight and the clasp of her hands loose.

“So,” Kolis drawled, “what brings you today?”

Keella lifted her chin. “Her.”

My posture straightened in surprise.

“Of course,” Kolis murmured.

“She is the Consort of the Shadowlands,” Keella stated quietly. Attes and some of the gods turned to listen.

“Is she?”

“I was there at her coronation and marriage to your nephew,” Keella replied as my grip on the chalice firmed. “I know who she is.”