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)
“Ancient bone?” Kieran repeated.
“It’s exactly what you think. Bones of the very first gods to walk this realm.”
“The original Primals?” Kieran surmised.
“No. These are the ones who created the first Primals and all you see.” Attes looked between us as we processed the newest piece of history no one fucking knew about. “It’s deadly to gods and mortals and can even do damage to a Primal.” He inhaled deeply. “A lot of damage in the wrong hands.”
My jaw clenched as I glanced down at Poppy’s face. “How would a Revenant get ahold of something like that?”
Attes frowned. “They shouldn’t. Why?”
“Not important right now.” I stiffened. “Her eyes stopped moving behind her lids.”
The Primal muttered a curse. “I’m going to need one of you to use the dagger to pierce the vial.”
“I’ll do it.” Kieran reached for the blade.
“Careful.” Attes handed it to him hilt first. “The bone will burn right through your skin.”
We knew that much.
“Noted,” Kieran murmured.
Attes’s inhale filled the cell. My gaze left Poppy’s as his grip on the vial firmed. His eyes met mine, and then he lifted his hand.
My arm snapped out as fast as a pit viper striking. I caught his wrist with my four-fingered hand. Our gazes locked as Kieran reached under our arms and lowered the top of her gown.
“I don’t need to look,” Attes said quietly. “Just guide my hand in the general direction.”
“Ready,” Kieran announced.
Attes’s gaze didn’t leave mine as I lowered his hand, not allowing myself to think about what I was doing—what I was allowing. I couldn’t.
When our hands neared Poppy, I looked down at the mark of Death. Fuck if it didn’t look like it pulsed.
Keeping the image of Poppy’s smile in my mind, I placed Attes’s hand on the mark. His flesh connected with hers for a second, and I felt a charge of energy flow from Poppy into Attes. I withdrew my hand, my gaze flying to hers. The short, shallow breaths ceased—
Poppy’s eyes snapped open, the blotches of color barely visible beneath the thick, swirling strands of crimson and shadow.
The sight of it shocked the three of us.
Her head tilted toward Attes, her pale lips curving into a smile. “You.”
Attes’s nostrils flared. “Do—”
Poppy moved faster than I thought possible.
She jerked halfway up, and her head snapped forward. There was a brief glimpse of delicate yet sharp fangs before she sank them into Attes’s arm.
“Shit,” he hissed.
I jolted forward with a much more blistering curse as Kieran tossed himself over her legs. A low growl crawled out of her. Reaching between her and Attes, I grabbed her under the chin.
“Anytime now,” Attes gritted out.
“Bad Poppy,” I muttered, getting my arm around her waist. “Let go.”
“Yeah. Don’t think that’s working.” Attes grunted as I tugged on her. “I’m beginning to think you’re delaying this.”
“I would never,” I said, pressing my fingers into the hollows of her cheeks, reluctantly acknowledging that the Primal was holding back. He held himself still. Didn’t even try to shake her off. He went from that fucker to the fuck in my book. Slight improvement.
Exerting pressure on the joints of her jaw, I forced her mouth open just enough to dislodge her. “There you go.”
“Thank fuck,” Attes muttered, drawing his arm away.
Pulling Poppy back, I grunted as she thrust her upper body forward once more, spitting a mouthful of blood directly in Attes’s face.
The Primal jerked with a curse.
“Great aim,” I murmured, relieved she hadn’t swallowed as I pushed her onto her back.
Attes shot me a dark look that didn’t last long as a low, raspy laugh parted her lips. He went rigid, his gaze shooting back to hers. “Hello,” he said as I planted my hands on her shoulders. “Kolis.”
“Why…am I not surprised to see…you here?” she said, rearing up with shocking strength.
“Fuck,” I snarled, pushing her back down.
“I was hoping you were dead,” she said in that strange, aching whisper.
“And the last time I saw you, you were impaled to the ground, looking dead.” Attes’s eyes flicked to mine, his gaze questioning.
I knew what he was seeking permission for. “Go ahead.”
“I’m ready,” Kieran assured.
She fought me, crimson streaking her chin as she fixed on the Primal. “I know,” she said, this time singing. And damn, somehow, that was more unsettling than the dry-as-bones whisper. “I know.”
I had no idea what he knew.
“Do it,” Attes demanded of Kieran.
Her lower body left the floor, lifting Kieran. With a curse, he shifted his weight down on her.
“I know!” she screamed, straining to look at Attes. “I know they weren’t of your blood.”
Attes halted, blood coursing from the wound that was already healing.
Her body shook with laughter. “I’ve always known they were his.”
The Primal paled as he stared down at her, frozen.
“Did you really think I didn’t know?” She tsked softly. “But don’t feel left out, old friend. I’m going to find every last one of yours.” She twisted her upper half to the side, straining toward him. “And I will kill them.”