I arched a brow as an intense bolt of eather slammed into her back. The spitting, silver wave of light swallowed her whole. Nothing remained when the glow receded.
The Primal.
My lips curled up in a tight smile as I walked out into the space where the hall veered and turned right. The passageway was narrower and painted with destruction.
Blood sprayed the walls that still stood. A good portion of the left side was missing large chunks, as if something large had punched through it. Bodies and piles of ash were scattered about, some lying across the broken stone. But one still stood. At the end, behind them, where only half of the wall remained intact, and a single door hung from a beam, creaking as it swayed in the wind, was a Great Hall bathed in muted sunlight.
I wanted to be in there.
Needed to get in there. Because that was whereherscent was the strongest.
But the god before me stood in the way.
My attention shifted to her as I gave her a cursory glance. She was unremarkable, but she was different.
The god didn’t stumble back in shock upon seeing me. Her eyes didn’t widen. But those eyes… They were black and threaded with crimson essence as the realm split open behind her.
Death.
And her scent? It smelled like him: stale lilacs.
I prowled toward her, eather ramping up.
The god smirked as she stepped back. I shot forward, but she slipped through the opening. Icy fury pounded through my veins—
“Holy shit.”
My head shot toward the Great Hall. A god stood a few feet inside the chamber. I could see nothing of his features beyondthe hood of the fitted black coat he wore, but he was old, and the essence in him was different. It didn’t carry the mark of death.
“Fuck my life,” another voice muttered—the one that had been demanding that they leave.
My gaze shifted behind the hooded god as he started backing up. Two stood inside. I saw the female in white armor first. Tall and striking, with rich-brown skin and tightly braided hair, I knew immediately that she was the Primal I’d felt. I didn’t even need to see the silver eyes to know I was right, but I did look, noticing the tears glistening against the eather lighting up the veins beneath those eyes.
My gaze flicked to the one who had an arm shoved out in front of her. He was half a head taller, with auburn hair and golden eyes. I eyed him, sensing something dark and shadowy in his essence, reminding me of when we stood outside of the City of the Gods, and Nyktos briefly made an appearance. He wasn’t a Primal, but he was very, very old.
I quickly scanned the Hall—or what was left of it—as I walked forward. The domed ceiling was gone, several pillars supporting the alcove had been broken, and half the second level had collapsed to the main floor. Red was smeared along the cracked marble tiles.
“What are you?” the faceless god spoke as I stalked forward.
“Not really important,” the auburn-haired one bit out as the Primal stared, the god’s chest heaving behind the armor.
“Disagree,” the other replied, remaining rooted where he stood.
I focused on him, inhaling as my senses reached out. My chest vibrated with a low, rumbling growl. It wasn’t his essence that caused the ice in my chest to harden. It was the scent that soaked him.
Blood that wasn’t his.
Blood that smelled of jasmine.
My chin lowered, and my upper lip curled.
“Thierran,” the Primal uttered, voice low and urgent.
The god’s head cocked. “What are you?” he repeated.
“Death.”
The two behind him stiffened. The auburn-haired one called for Thierran again, and he started to move then. But I was fast—faster than I’d ever been.
