Page 60 of Crown of Ashes and Desire

“What’s mine?” Erlik repeated the words thoughtfully. “An interesting choice of phrasing. Tell me, my son, what is the purpose of your binding to the light-bearer?”

I frowned slightly. The question seemed…odd. Surely he knew. “To strengthen the shadow realm through her power. To create a conduit between light and dark that will?—”

“No.” Erlik's voice carved through my words, sharp and unforgiving. “Try again.”

Confusion flickered through me. “The Crown of Ashes Ritual,” I said slowly. “To harness her divine light for the shadow realm’s benefit.”

“Better. And what does this ritual require, exactly?”

The question pressed down on us, suffocating. Around us, the shadow court had fallen silent, their attention focused with predatory intensity on our exchange.

“The…the complete binding of her light to my shadows,” I said, though uncertainty crept into my voice. “The joining of our essences to create unprecedented power.”

Erlik’s laugh was soft, almost fond. “Oh, my dear boy. You still don’t understand, do you? The memory spell was more thorough than I thought.”

Ice formed in my veins. “What do you mean?”

“The Crown of Ashes Ritual doesn’tbindher light, Hakan.” Erlik descended the steps to his throne, and moved to circle me slowly. “Itconsumesit. Completely. Irreversibly.”

The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet. “Consumes?”

“Every drop of divine light in her bein, drained into the shadow realm. Her essence, her power, her very life force—all of it transferred to strengthen our domain.” His smile was cruel, satisfied. “Her death, my son. The ritual demands her death.”

The revelation shattered something fundamental inside me, as if my very soul had been cleaved in two. My knees nearly buckled, and I had to fight to remain standing. Around us, the shadow court watched with hungry eyes, feeding on my shock like vultures.

“No,” I whispered, then louder: “No. That’s not…the texts never mentioned…”

“The texts you were allowed to read,” Erlik corrected smoothly. “I made sure certain details were…omitted from your research. The memory spell helped with that, of course. Made you more pliable, more willing to accept incomplete information.”

My mind reeled, pieces of a horrible puzzle clicking into place. The gaps in my memory, the way certain passages in the ancient texts had seemed to skip over crucial details, the growing unease I’d felt whenever I tried to visualize the ritual’s completion.

“You forced the spell on me,” I breathed, the truth freezing the blood in my veins. “You ripped my memories away when my regret became too much, when I questioned your commands.”

“I did what was necessary,” Erlik corrected coldly. “Nine months after you drove her away, your sentiment was becoming a liability. You were weakening, questioning everything I’d taught you. So I took those troublesome memories and discovered something…enlightening in the process.”

“Imagine my delight when, while sifting through your pathetic emotions, I discovered exactly who your precious light-bearer truly was. Gün Ata’s daughter. My ancient rival’s blood.”

The revelation crashed over me with devastating force. He hadn’t just stolen my memories—he’d discovered Ada’s true parentage during the process, turning my pain into his opportunity for revenge.

“The binding was no longer just about your weakness,” Erlik continued, and savored horror. “It became the perfect instrument of vengeance. My son would claim the daughter of my greatest enemy, and through her death, I would finally have my victory over the God of Light and Love.”

“You manipulative bastard,” I snarled, my power exploding outward.

Several shadow lords stumbled backward as my magic lashed through the chamber.

“You stole my memories, discovered her identity, and orchestrated everything—all for your petty revenge.”

The temperature in the chamber plummeted, but I pressed on, my shadows rising to meet his overwhelming presence.

“Did you enjoy it?” I demanded, and took a step toward the throne despite the crushing weight of his displeasure. “Watching me bind myself to her while knowing you’d made me into the perfect weapon for your vendetta? Knowing I’d have to destroy the daughter of the entity you hated?”

“You will watch your tone,” Erlik said softly, his voice carrying the promise of absolute destruction. “And you will complete the ritual as planned. Because the alternative is watching her suffer far more than a quick death could provide. Because if you refuse me, I will make her pay for your defiance in ways that will haunt you for eternity.”

I tried to summon my power, to push back against his overwhelming presence, but it was like trying to hold back the ocean with my bare hands. The spell he’d cast on me, the binding to his will that had erased my memories of loving Ada—it was still there, still binding my soul in iron shackles.

“Seven weeks,” Erlik continued, his voice almost conversational now. “The winter solstice. When the boundaries between realms are thinnest and the ritual’s power will be at its peak. Seven weeks to prepare yourself for what must be done.”

“I can’t,” I said, and I hated how broken my voice sounded. “I won’t.”

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