The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“Why would he pretend to be a deity if he was a god?”
Casteel demanded.
“Because he grew tired of being held in Iliseeum while
the children, generations removed, were allowed to explore
beyond the Mountains of Nyktos, and he could do just that.
Nyktos’s children were born in the mortal realm, just as his
Consort was.”
I jolted, remembering what Nyktos had said about the
Primals’ powers in the realm beyond Iliseeum. Only those
born within the realm could retain their powers here.
I spared a brief glance at Casteel as she said, “Come
now, you do know your own history? I lived it, Casteel. How
do you think Malec managed to kill the other deities? Seize
power like he did? A deity couldn’t have done that, not even
one descended from Nyktos. And there were no deities of
that line. There has only ever been the two sons.”
A long moment of silence passed, one where I could feel
the chains of disbelief loosening and falling away as we
stared at the Blood Queen, who clearly was not a vampry.
“Did my mother know what he really was?” Casteel
forced out.
“That is at least one lie she didn’t tell. And as I said, I
am not a vampry, and I am not a deity.” Her gaze focused
back on me. “Because a god Ascended me, I became one.”
“That is not how that works,” Casteel growled, and while
I didn’t know much about the gods, I had to believe he was
right. One couldn’t just be made into a god.
She raised a brow. “It’s not?”
Vonetta and Lyra inched toward Casteel and me, just as
Naill and the others were also doing—and had been
attempting for several minutes. Their loathing and fear
matched that of Delano and Kieran, and that said
something. If she truly was a god, wouldn’t they be drawn to
her like they were to me?
“But back then, many of the Atlantians didn’t know that,
and when they started Ascending others, they just assumed