I had no idea what that meant, but Kolis sure did. The flesh of his arms thinned as he snarled. “Fuck the Fates.”
Kolis spun, his gaze locking with mine. He shot forward—
A bolt of eather crashed into him, spinning him into the air. He flew back, eather lighting up his veins as he smacked into a pillar. The stone cracked and shuddered. He hit the floor on his knees, but he didn’t stay down. He was on his feet in a breath and coming straight toward me.
“You don’t know when to stop.” Another blast of eather left Theon. “You never did.”
Kolis ducked, but the eather struck his shoulder, spinning him around. Hitting the edge of the dais, he threw out his hand and caught himself.
“Ouch,” Kolis gritted out. “That stung.”
“It did more than just sting.” Theon stalked forward, coming into focus. He had daggers strapped to his chest, and beneaththe black-and-bronze helmet, his eyes glowed with silver fire. “There’s a hole in your shoulder. In case you didn’t realize it.”
Gods, I wished the hole was in his head.
“Just a flesh wound.” Kolis straightened and lowered his chin. Golden-blond hair fell forward, brushing the sides of his face. “Which won’t be what I say about you when I’m finished.” He flashed me a smile that bared his teeth and fangs—fangs covered with my blood. “We’re not finished,so’lis.”
Fuck you.
I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. My tongue felt too thick and heavy. But based on the way the essence flared in his ruby eyes, he knew what I was thinking.
A loud groan sounded as the pillar Kolis had hit toppled forward. My heart stalled as it fell toward me. Gods, I had a feeling I would definitely feelthatwhen it landed on me. Desperate, I tried to summon the essence, but the weak pulse did nothing. I couldn’t even lift my arms—
Suddenly, two leather-encased legs were in front of me. A web of silver eather erupted from the fingertips of one hand as eather formed in the other, the essence lengthening and taking the shape of a spear. “Get her out of here,” he commanded.
A heartbeat later, a blur burst out of the alcove, racing across the hall.
“Youdidbring a friend.” Crimson-streaked shadows climbed over Kolis’s shoulders as he laughed. He lifted his hand, and dark eather powered down his arm.
“Friend?” a deep voice scoffed as the newcomer dipped under the streak of eather and went down on a knee, sliding across the floor. He skidded to a halt beside me. A dark hood obscured his face. Even when he turned his head, I still didn’t see much. I caught a glimpse of skin somewhere between sun-kissed and olive, and eyes so deep blue they bordered on amethyst. Andscars—two deep, straight cuts that started in the center of his forehead and ended at the corners of his lips.
I couldn’t…feelwhat he was, which I thought should concern me more than it did.
“I’m not his friend,” the newcomer—who had to be a god—responded.
“Don’t lie.” Theon laughed, spinning as he launched the spear-shaped eather. “You’re mybestfriend.”
The god huffed. “Just wait until you sleep,” he muttered, and I was beginning to think I was hallucinating the conversation. The stranger turned his head to mine, and even though I could no longer see his features, I felt his stare. “Hello.”
My lips parted, but all that came out of my mouth was a wet cough that caused my chest to seize.
“Don’t try to speak,” he said softly. “Don’t need you choking on blood.” The hooded head tilted. “Well, more than you already a—” A flash of bright eather streaked overhead, stinging my eyes. He swore, his head jerking up as Theon went flying backward. “Fuck.”
He started to rise, as if to go to him, and then stiffened. He cursed again, wrenching his body around. “Come on,” he said gruffly. “We’ve got to get you out of here.”
He worked his arms underneath me and lifted, igniting a wave of pain. A weak whimper escaped me as the realm flickered in and out of focus.
“Sorry,” he muttered, adjusting me so my head rested on his shoulder.
A crack of energy jerked my attention upward as the god rushed us across the Hall. Everything was blurry as he turned, but I could make out Kolis and Theon. They were high above us, near the highest point of the dome, crimson and silver Primal mist swirling around them in dizzying speeds as they exchanged blows with their hands and eather.
A pained shout echoed, causing my chest to squeeze. Darkness crept into the corners of my vision as the chamber seemed to tilt. Above us, Kolis and Theon almost appeared as if they were embracing each other. That was how close they were. The pulsing, crimson Primal mist stilled, and the air all around us…vibrated. Kolis had his fangs buried in Theon’s throat and his hand… Kolis’s hand wasinsideTheon.
The Primal’s body jerked, his head kicking back as a crimson glow lit up the veins of his cheek and throat. I dug my fingers into the god’s coat—
Theon flew backward, hitting the wall, but he didn’t fall as his arms stretched out to his sides. The front of his shirt was torn open and—oh, gods—so was his chest. The glow in his veins pulsed and grew, and Kolis…he was holding something lumpy and red in his hand. It fell to the floor below with a wet, mushy splat that turned my stomach as stone cracked along the dome, making it sound as if something was digging at it from outside.
Kolis struck, moving so fast that he was on Theon in less than a heartbeat, grabbing him by his mangled throat. With a roar, Kolis sharply twisted his arm, tearing through muscle and bone.
