Total pages in book: 401
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
I imagined so after being entombed for only the gods knew how long—not that he wasn’t already a problem before then, at least based on what little I knew about him.
Gods.
“And that is what Kolis wants?” I asked. “To rule?”
“We can only presume to know what Kolis wants,” Lirian was quick to say. “His future is unknown to us. As is yours.”
Frustration burned through me. “So, you could see up to this point and then…nothing?”
“We saw many possibilities of what could be.” Holland loosely threaded his fingers. “Getting to this point was just one of them.”
That sounded really convenient to me.
Facing the window, I tried to process everything he’d said, but it was a lot. The weight of it settled heavily on my shoulders as I watched the clouds drift by. Maybe it was too much. The enormity of it all was daunting, and I felt the pressure building within me as my thoughts raced. But I had to deal with it.
There was no other choice.
I needed to prioritize. Focus on the most pressing issue. That’s what Casteel and Kieran would do. It’s what I did when I started the war with the Blood Crown.
“Do you believe more Ancients will Awaken? In other realms?” I asked. “I need to know if there’s a chance something will randomly pull me away again.”
“All who will Awaken due to your Ascension have.”
“They have the power to cross the Primal Veil, right?” My stomach tightened. “What will stop them from doing that?”
“I imagine they will have their hands full,” Thorne stated, crossing his ankles, “with the mortals who survived.”
Imagine? That was the equivalent of hoping. “And what type of life will those mortals face? What will the Ancients do?”
“If the mortals are lucky?” Lirian said. “The Ancients will kill them.”
Pressure clamped down on my chest. “And if they’re not?”
“They will rule them.” Thorne picked up the carafe and filled his glass once more. “Until they grow bored of doing so.”
“You mean until they decide to cleanse the lands,” I challenged. “Again.”
His gaze lifted to mine as he drank. His silence said it all.
“And we’ll do nothing about it?” I looked between the three of them. “You’re going to let them cause untold destruction and then let them rule? Based on what that one just said,”—I pointed at Lirian, and his eyes narrowed—“they will rule harshly until they decide to kill. And all the while, we’re just going to imagine they won’t attempt to cross the Veil?”
“There are rules, Poppy,” Holland began. “In time, you will understand.”
“Fuck the rules,” I seethed.
“Have I mentioned,” Thorne said, glancing at Holland, “that I really like her?”
“Yes, you have.” Lirian pushed away from the window, focusing on Thorne as Holland rolled his eyes. “Why are you even here?”
“Why are you here?” Thorne countered.
“I was here first,” the Ancient shot back.
“That wasn’t an answer.” Thorne took a drink. “To what I asked.”
“Oh, my gods.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. They were as bad as Kieran and Reaver. “So, we’re just going to ignore what happened there?”
“Why do you care?” Thorne queried.
I stared at him for what felt like an entire minute, unable to believe he’d actually asked that. “Why do you ask such ridiculous questions? How can I not care?” I stepped toward him. “How can you not care? How can none of you care?”
“It’s not that we don’t,” Holland started.
“But the rules.” It was my eyes that rolled this time. “Who created them?”
“You should know the answer to that,” Lirian retorted.
“I do,” I bit out. “Asshole.”
His eyes widened, and he looked positively affronted by what I’d said. Honestly, I couldn’t believe I’d said that to a Fate, but he was an asshole.
“Exactly what rule forbids you from doing something about those Ancients?” I demanded.
Silence.
I looked between the three of them, waiting. In the silence, it occurred to me. “There is no rule that expressly forbids you from interfering in other realms, is there?”
“There are rules that we, the Arae, agreed upon that don’t necessarily impact the balance.” Holland shifted in his chair. “But they are no less important. And we agreed that we would not engage with the Ancients in the ground.”
I crossed my arms. “Why?”
“That is not something you need to know,” Lirian stated.
“I disagree.” I stared at the two seated Ancients. “Why would you—?” I stiffened as an image of the risen Ancient came to me—mainly, his eyes. There had been crimson in them—the power of death. It was also in my eyes and the essence I’d seen in Cas. What had Lirian said? That you could tell by looking at those Ancients’ eyes that they hadn’t released any of their eather, and the ones before me—those who now called themselves the Arae—had. The reason behind their rule was obvious. “They’re more powerful than you—all of you.”