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“What a thrilling prospect,” Ash stated.

Dragging my gaze from the two draken, I remembered the other draken Attes had spoken of. “Where’s Basilia?”

“Still making sure Kolis’s draken are busy,” Attes answered, his smile deepening as he turned from Ash. One dimple appeared. “Lailah, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.”

“Has it?” the goddess remarked nonchalantly.

“It has.” A hint of a fang appeared as Attes strode past Kars, who gave him a wide berth. “The last time I visited the House of Haides, Theon claimed you were indisposed.”

“I was.” Lailah raised a brow as I saw Saion start to grin while his cousin scratched at his short, cropped hair. “I had a headache.”

“A headache?” Attes repeated.

“Yes.” She shifted her weight. “Strangely, it’s starting to return.”

The Primal laughed, and both dimples appeared. “I do believe you are insinuating that I am the cause of this headache.”

“You’re so incredibly astute.” She blinked her wide-set gold eyes. “Perhaps you should’ve been the Primal of Wisdom.”

“I detect sarcasm. You wound me.” Attes pressed his hand to his chest. “Deeply.”

“Not deeply enough,” muttered Lailah.

I tugged on Ash’s shirt again as I whispered, “Are they aggressively flirting?”

Ash’s eyes narrowed on them.

Lailah and Theon were from Vathi. How they’d ended up with Ash was a story not yet shared with me, but the way Attes eyed the goddess had me thinking there was history there that might also involve…aggressive flirting.

Ash faced the stairs. A moment later, Keella appeared, lifting a hand as everyone started to bow again. “Not necessary,” she assured the gods, but Kars and Rhain stilled bowed. She smiled at them. “I hope all is well?”

“Perfect. One second, please.” Ash’s head snapped to where Attes was currently circling Lailah. “Knock it the fuck off.”

Attes looked up through a lock of sandy-brown hair. Quiet fell across the Temple as Keella clasped her hands in front of the pale blue cloak she wore.

“She no longer serves in your Court,” Ash reminded him.

“Thank fuck,” Attes replied. “I would’ve lost complete control of my Court if she still did.”

That statement piqued my curiosity and then some.

Lailah’s response didn’t help. “It’s okay, Nyktos. I know how to handle him.”

“I can one hundred percent confirm that,” Attes said, sending a wink in Lailah’s direction. “With the fondest memories.”

Lailah’s eyes rolled.

Okay. Now, I was really curious.

“Yes.” Keella lifted her chin. “Everything seems completely…perfect.” She turned from them. “Attes filled me in. You have The Star?”

Blinking, I stopped paying attention to…well, whatever was going on. “I do.” The moment Keella’s stare landed on me, I did everything to keep from thinking about the last time she’d seen me. I lifted the wrapped diamond. “And he told you everything?”

Keella nodded as she glided forward, her sorrow-filled eyes lifting to Ash.

“So, back to the important stuff.” Bele hopped off the stone, tossing her apple core toward the draken. Nektas moved to catch it, but Aurelia got there first. “What is a star?”

“I assume it’s not what’s in the sky,” Rhahar said as the apple core—or half of it—got flung toward Nektas.