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“I’m in the City of the Gods?”

“Maybe I don’t need to worry that much about your intelligence,” he quipped.

My gaze flew to the narrow windows. I’d only seen the sparkling city from a distance.

“You seem troubled by the knowledge.”

Only because I had a feeling it would be harder to escape a whole damn city than one palace. “I didn’t think the city was in use.”

“And exactly why did you think that?” Placing his dagger on the low table, he sauntered to the cage. “Let me guess? Nyktos told you such?”

Actually, he hadn’t. He’d just told me that many had taken to calling it the City of the Dead. I just assumed that meant it was vacant and no longer in use. But before I could respond, the embers suddenly hummed in my chest. My attention shifted to the doors. A Primal was near.

The gown swayed around my feet as I took a step back from the bars. The doors opened no more than a few heartbeats later, proving that I had been right about the feeling.

Kolis entered, his crown in place, and he wasn’t alone.

A woman wearing a green silk gown followed him, her skin a medium shade of brown, her hair dark and chin-length.

“Your Majesty.” Callum bowed as they drew near.

Kolis nodded at the Revenant as the attention of the one who followed him fixed on me. The silvery glow of eather pulsed behind dark eyes. She was a goddess. Her gaze quickly darted away.

A nervous goddess.

Kolis glanced over the table of food. “Did you enjoy your supper?” he asked warmly.

“Yes,” I answered, softening my tone.

Callum’s head snapped in my direction, his eyes narrowing behind his painted mask.

“Good.” Kolis snapped his fingers, and the Chosen entered from the hall.

They approached the cage as Callum came forward to unlock the door. Clasping my hands together, I stepped back several feet, not wanting to incite any of them to hurt one of the Chosen.

“Leave the drinks,” Kolis instructed. “I believe we will be in need of them when we’re done.”

The Chosen neither nodded nor spoke as they carried out his command. Within a minute or two, they had left the chamber, and the doors were once more closed.

But the one to the cage remained open.

That sweet and stale scent increased as Kolis entered, followed by the goddess. “I would like to introduce you to someone. This is Ione. She serves in the Court of the Primal Keella,” he said, a bit of disdain tainting the Primal’s name.

I wasn’t surprised to hear that, as I didn’t expect Kolis to favor the Primal of Rebirth, who’d aided Eythos in hiding Sotoria’s soul. But what was one of her gods doing here?

Ione gave a curt bow as she folded one arm over the black rope at her waist. “Your Highness.”

“Come and sit,” Kolis said to me, gesturing to the divan.

Aware that those in the chamber watched, I went to the couch and sat on the edge.

“Ione is unique to the gods of the Thyia Plains,” Kolis said, speaking of Keella’s Court, while the goddess appeared to find something fascinating on the floor. “Not many are left that can do as she can.”

Warning bells started to ring. My gaze shot to Callum. The bastard was grinning now, and it dripped with…feral anticipation.

“What…” I swallowed. “What can she do?” I asked.

“See into your thoughts,” Kolis answered.