“Every new life, every new being, has to start somewhere and with someone,” Holland said, drawing my gaze to his. “And you are that someone. You are the start of a new pantheon.”
Me?
The start of a new pantheon?
I could feel a slightly crazed-sounding laugh bubbling up my throat.
Lirian scoffed, the sound almost mimicking the one I’d made earlier. “That is yet to be seen.”
It also sounded absurd to me. “How am I the start of anything? There’s just me.” The moment those words left my mouth, I felt like a fool because thehowwas obvious. “I am so not planning to have children anytime—”
“While I’m relieved we will not be dealing with a newly Ascended Primal with child again…” Holland stated blandly.
I frowned.Again?
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” he continued as Thorne poured himself a drink. “You were not the only one to Ascend.”
Immediately, my mind flashed to Cas and the changes he’d spoken of—the changes I saw myself. The breath I took went nowhere.
Casteel and Kieran had Ascended. But into what? No answer came. Maybe it was because I was too close to them. All I could do was take an educated guess. “So, they are…Primals?”
Lirian made that huffing sound again, this time ending it with a low, mocking chuckle.
Control of my temper slipped because I’d just about had it.
My head swiveled to where he stood. “Did I say something that amused you?”
The pinpricks of eather in his eyes flared, streaking through his irises like lightning as a muffled laugh came from the direction of the other two Ancients. “Actually, you did.”
I faced him fully then, my hands balled into fists at my sides. “Then you should share exactly what that was.”
“And you should mind your attitude,” the Fate shot back.
Without looking away from Lirian, I laughed—and it wasn’t a nice one. It sounded like one of Isbeth’s scathing and dismissive laughs but colder and more shadowy. “Now,thatis humorous.”
Silver light lit up the veins beneath Lirian’s eyes as he stepped forward.
“I like her,” Thorne remarked.
“That’s enough,” Holland barked. “We don’t have time for this nonsense.”
I raised my brows at the Ancient, and the look he gave me said he wanted to flay the skin from my bones. Slowly.
Holding Lirian’s glare for a few moments longer, I slowly turned my attention back to Holland.
“Now I see Seraphena in you,” Holland remarked with a faint, fleeting grin.
The almost passing comment startled me, and I wanted to ask if he saw more of her in me. I wanted to know—
“If you’re done antagonizing Lirian,” Holland continued, “I will answer your question.”
I swallowed my additional inquiries and nodded.
“They are Primals,” he said.
I shot Lirian a smug look.
“I wasn’t finished.” Holland glanced down at his glass as if he wished it was something stronger than whatever he was drinking. “The first Primals were created from the very essence of the realms. They were not born. Instead, they Ascended in a way similar to a vampry or a demis.”
