Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1185(@200wpm)___ 948(@250wpm)___ 790(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1185(@200wpm)___ 948(@250wpm)___ 790(@300wpm)
“Why would you apologize? It’s not your fault.”
“I know.” I lifted a shoulder. “But I’m still sorry.”
Nyktos stared at me for several heartbeats. “I have a question for you.”
“Ask away.”
“What do you think of this plan?”
“What do I think?” I rubbed my knees. “I hope it works. It’ll stop the Rot and hopefully weaken Kolis. And if it does work…” I trailed off, my throat constricting.
“What?” Nyktos asked quietly.
I didn’t know how to put into words what I was thinking, let alone feeling, because it was something I’d never considered before. A future without an early, certain death. A possibly very long future, one that could possibly span hundreds of years. I felt…hope. For myself. It felt a little selfish since his plan carried the risk of more attacks between now and then, and the possibility of us not being able to locate the missing god—or the god being of no help to us. There was a lot of risk, but there was also hope.
And hope felt as fragile as the trust he’d spoken of.
Aware that Nyktos was watching me, I cleared my throat. “I think it’s a good plan.”
He nodded and didn’t speak for a few moments. “We need to talk about the coronation.”
Gods, that was in two days. My stomach tumbled even further because it felt as if I’d forgotten.
“I realized we hadn’t discussed what occurs during the coronation in any real detail.” He chewed his food as neatly as he carved it. “I figured you would have questions.”
“Should I? You said I would be crowned before high-ranking gods and Primals.” I squinted. “Actually, you said that the attendance of other Primals was only a possibility.”
“I lied,” he admitted without shame. “I figured learning that Primals would be there would make you nervous.”
“It doesn’t.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Okay. It makes me a little nervous, but it’s not like that news is something I can’t handle.”
“When we first discussed the coronation, you’d just been brought into the Shadowlands and discovered that it was not I who had made the deal that forced you to become my Consort. Your entire life, whatever it may have been, had just been upended right after you were whipped,” he stated, his eyes flashing to a steely gray. I quickly shifted my focus to the bare shelves. “Even one as strong as you can only take so much.”
“You never know how much you can take until you can’t take more,” I said. “But I…I appreciate the motivation behind the lie.”
Nyktos chuckled. “Sure, you do.”
“So, there is more than just me being crowned and calling it a night?” I asked, looking up at him.
“Is that how Kings and Queens are crowned in the mortal realm?”
“Gods, no. There are days-long celebrations. Feasts and parties. Fireworks.” I smiled. “I do enjoy fireworks.”
“There will be no fireworks.”
I pouted. “That’s disappointing.”
His fingers partially hid his smile as he scratched his chin. “Nor will there be days-long celebrations.”
“I’m relieved to hear that.”
“But there will be a feast after the coronation.”
“Here?”
“No. The coronation will be in Lethe, at the Council Hall,” he said. “And we won’t see each other tomorrow. It’s tradition—a belief that not seeing one another before the start of the coronation will ward off bad luck.”
“You believe in that?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“You know, I’d rather not take any chances, so I will honor the tradition to the best of my ability.” He tipped his head back. “I will meet you before the ceremony. We will ascend the dais together, and it will be I who crowns you and bestows a title upon you.”
Realizing I hadn’t seen him with a crown yet, I wondered exactly what it looked like and if I would be expected to wear it. Crowns looked absurdly heavy. “So, what is my title?”
A wry grin appeared. “Not sure yet.”
I arched a brow. “Nice.”
“I’ll come up with something,” he promised. “If the Fates find us worthy and everyone behaves with the decorum that is expected, the feasts will begin.”
“And if they don’t?”
“You will be heavily guarded throughout the entirety of the event,” he shared. “I will not allow any harm to come to you.”
“I don’t need you to keep me safe.”
Thick lashes lifted, and those wisps of eather fragmenting the silver in his eyes were brighter than I’d ever seen them. “But you do.”
“I think I proved on more than one occasion that is not the case,” I replied, tensing.
“You showed no fear with the dakkais and didn’t hesitate when the entombed gods were freed,” he said as my gaze dropped to my hands. “I know you’re strong and can fight. That you’re brave. Needing me or anyone to look out for you doesn’t mean you’re weak, that you can’t defend yourself, or that you’re afraid. We all need someone to watch over us.”
Heat crawled up my throat. “Do you?”