“No.” A muscle ticked in my jaw. “She’s been gone. If she cared enough, she would’ve been here.”

  Something akin to pain flickered across her face as she sucked in a sharp breath, but I figured I had to be imagining it because I wasn’t sure Millicent was ever in the right frame of mind to experience that.

  “You have no idea what I do or don’t care about,” she fired back.

  “And you know what? I don’t—” A deep moan cut me off, drawing my gaze to the empty, dark hall behind her. Remembering the thudding sound, I took a step forward. “Millicent?”

  She clasped her hands in front of her. “Yes?”

  “What was that sound?”

  “Why would you think I know what the source of the moaning in your haunted castle is?” she countered.

  My father started forward, obviously at his wit’s end. “I’ll check it out.”

  “No. No need.” Exhaling loudly, Millicent rolled her eyes. “I’ll go get him.”

  “Him?”

  She was already moving down the hall…humming.

  My father looked over at me.

  “I don’t even know what to say about that. Her.” I shook my head. “Whatever.”

  Luckily, Millicent didn’t take her time. She disappeared around the bend in the hall and then reappeared a second later, dragging a…person-sized sack along the wall.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I muttered. What now?

  “You know, I could use a little help.” She dragged what was clearly a person straight into the base of a heavy pedestal. “Oops.”

  My father met her halfway and took the rope from her. He started to lift whoever was in the sack.

  “I wouldn’t waste precious time or effort on him,” Millicent said, her arms swinging at her sides. “Thank you, kind gentleman.”

  My father only looked at her and then dragged the sack a bit more gently as she skipped back to the atrium.

  “Who is he?” I asked as my father let go of the rope.

  “He is why I’ve been gone.” Millicent knelt and untied the rope at the top of the sack. Pulling the burlap back, she revealed matted, blood-streaked golden hair and—

  “Callum,” I spat.

  “Yep.” She rose. “I’ve been chasing him clear across the kingdom as he tried to get back to his daddy.”

  “Daddy?” My father frowned.

  “Kolis,” I said. “It’s not really his father but…” Picking up on another set of footsteps echoing from the corridor opposite the Hall of Gods, I dragged a hand down my face. Who now? Knowing my luck, it would be Reaver. “Where did you find him?”

  “Somewhere between Lockswood and it doesn’t matter,” she replied as Callum’s pale face tensed. “Hold on.”

  Before I could say a word, she reached between the halves of her cloak and spun. There was only a brief glint of crimson—bloodstone—before she plunged the blade into Callum’s chest.

  My father’s brows lifted as the Revenant’s body jerked once, twice, and then stilled.

  “Bloodstone burns like a bitch.” She wiped the blade on the burlap and rose, sheathing it. “I figured if anyone knew anything about Kolis, it would be him. He’s a fucked-up treasure chest of fucked-up information.”

  I stared at Callum. Having him here a few weeks earlier could’ve changed everything. I kept that to myself. The less conversation with Millicent, the better. Glancing over to the hall, I spotted Malik.

  A barely-there smile appeared on Cas’s brother’s face when he saw my father. It did little to soften the harshness of his features, but there was some measure of relief in his expression.

  “Malik,” my father called after a deep inhale.

  Seeing Malik was almost like looking at Valyn—a man he’d known his whole life. It had to be hard.

  And he hadn’t even seen Attes yet.

  Millicent stiffened, muttering under her breath, “Fuck my life.”

  Malik was still several feet from the mouth of the hall, but he heard her. His already bloodless face paled further. He jerked to a stop as he entered the atrium, his wide eyes finding her immediately.

  His chest rose sharply as he came forward as if in a trance and stopped a few feet from us. “Millie.”

  Millicent’s arms once more crossed over her chest. “Prince Da’Neer.”

  Malik flinched. It was quick, but I saw it before his expression smoothed out. “Where…?” He suddenly seemed to notice Callum. His gaze flicked back to her. “That’s where you’ve been?”

  “What’s it to you?”

  He raised a brow. “I could’ve helped you.”

  “I didn’t need your help.” Her head cocked. “Clearly.”

  “You could’ve told me,” Malik said, undeterred. “You could’ve told anyone. I’ve been worried—we’ve been worried.”

  “We?” Millicent laughed.

  “Yes. Me.” Malik knocked back strands of his hair. “Your sister.”

  “My sister doesn’t even know me,” she replied. “So, how—?”

  “I don’t have time for this,” I interrupted before I lost my shit dealing with this. Because I was about ready to. I looked at Malik. “Fill her in.”

  “I’d rather be filled by those faceless half-dog things that crawled out of the ground—wait.” Millicent’s nose scrunched in an all-too-familiar way as Malik’s jaw hardened. “That didn’t come out right.”

  “You don’t say,” my father murmured.

  “I’d rather be filled in by a horde of rabid draken,” she said, pausing as she turned her cheek. “Well, come to think of it, if the horde of draken was in mortal form and rabid, I wouldn’t exactly mind being f—”

  “We get it,” Malik bit out, his cool golden gaze turning to a blazing amber.

  Millicent’s head straightened as she locked eyes with Malik. “Are you sure? I have no problem going into very precise and obscene detail about how I’d prefer to be—”

  “I’m positive,” Malik cut her off.

  “Great. You both are on the same page,” I ground out. Millicent started to speak. “No,” I stopped her.

  Her eyes narrowed as she silently mouthed no.

  I glanced at Callum. His lashes were fluttering. “And do something with him.”

  Millicent looked down and sighed. Turning, she kicked the back of his head, definitely cracking his skull. “Something ordered.” She looked up with a smile that bordered on bizarre. “Something carried out.”

  I stared at her for a moment.

  Nobody responded as my father and I left the atrium.

  “She’s…different,” he commented as I led him back through the Hall of Gods.

  I snorted.

  Understatement of the year.

  “What’s up with those two?”

  “They’re heartmates,” I replied, walking under the arched doorway. I felt his surprise. “Careful. The vines are all over the floor in here.”

  There was no avoiding them as we approached the double doors to the Great Hall. They hissed as we crushed them under our boots. I stopped and snapped off some vines hanging limply from the gold trim.

  Facing my father, I took a deep breath. “No one but Attes is inside,” I told him. He’d been aware of the Primal god’s presence. But beyond that? I didn’t know. “He’s—”

  “I know who Attes is,” my father cut in, those few words heavy with meaning. “And I know who Valyn was to him.”

  I shouldn’t be surprised. My father seemed to know everything.

  I exhaled, glancing back at the doors. “You need to prepare yourself. Cas…he won’t be as you remember.”

  My father’s gaze met mine. “I’m ready.”

  I didn’t think he was, but I reached for the handles and pulled. There was resistance. Because, of course, there was. I had to grit my teeth and pull harder, only for the resistance to disappear without warning. Catching myself with a curse, I ignored the dark, smoky chuckle that echoed from the depths of the Great Hall.

  Cas…yeah, he was in his asshole era.

  I threw open the doors and stepped inside. A tall figure leaning against one of the columns straightened. It was Attes. He wasn’t bleeding. Which was a surprise.

  My father stepped in behind me, but I knew he wasn’t even aware of Attes yet. How could he be with everything else going on?

  Ravens flew between the thick, jagged icicles hanging from the domed ceiling, unaffected by the brutal cold of the chamber. Ice coated the tangled vines traveling across the floor, climbing pillars, and filling the alcoves. They were thicker in here and seemed more…alive, a glossy dark network of veins with a white sheen that stretched all the way to the dais and up its sides, then across the floor. They pulsed at Cas’s feet, surrounded by tendrils of deep-gray-and-crimson mist.

  He sat on a throne crafted by a dark rage.

  It loomed like an omen, its frame sculpted from the remains of those I suspected had served Kolis. After all, he had gone to Pensdurth. Each bone was fused together by the black vines that wove through ribs and spiraled through the eye sockets of the skulls that made up the back.

  And what sat on the throne was a being I barely recognized and couldn’t connect to through the notam. Couldn’t even get a read on it. It wore his clothes, and the fingers that idly tapped on an armrest constructed from what I guessed were the bones of actual arms moved like his. But what sat there wasn’t the man I’d known my whole life and loved deeper than a bond forged in blood.

  I heard the breath leave my father the moment he saw Cas—saw the face that was part shadow and part silver bone and flesh. Saw the golden eyes pierced by strands of dark crimson.

  In the days following Kolis’s attack, I had time—in between dealing with Cas—to think. That’s how I knew that what was before us was what the prophecy had foretold. The truth of what the Ancients had dreamed had been right in front of us the whole time. Inside us, but always a part of him.

  Poppy was the Harbinger, just as we’d believed. And Kolis was the Great Conspirator. But the death and destruction Poppy would bring to the realms was not what Kolis would unleash.

  It was the choices and actions of Kolis and of old gods long forgotten. Of the three of us. The Ancients had seen this but hadn’t understood.

  It could never be clearer than it was now.

  What the prophecy had foretold…

  What it had always warned would come…

  It had never been Poppy. Or even Kolis. It had always been him.

  Casteel.

  The wings were not visible, but a crown the color of the darkest night and shaped like jagged bone antlers rested upon his head. He sat upon the remnants of ruin and wrath, a throne of bone and ash.

  The Primal God of Death and Destruction.

  THE THRONE OF BONE AND ASH

  Blood and Ash, Book 7

  Poppy and Casteel’s journey has led them to the edge, and the stakes are higher than ever in the final chapter.

  With Kolis’s dark power growing, threatening everything they hold dear, and the Fates weaving their twisted threads, nothing is as it once was—and nothing will ever be the same.

  Because the prophecy has unfolded. A new god has risen, unleashing death and destruction, and everyone involved will be tested in ways they never imagined…

  THE OFFICIAL BLOOD AND ASH COLORING BOOK

  By Jennifer L. Armentrout

  Coming November 4, 2025

  Click here to purchase.

  Bring the world of Blood and Ash to life—your way.

  From the desperation of golden crowns to the awakening of the Harbinger and the Bringer of Death and Destruction, this official coloring book invites you to journey through the captivating epic that began with a Maiden and a golden-eyed guard.

  Featuring over 50 stunning original illustrations inspired by the New York Times bestselling Blood and Ash series, this immersive collection captures the heart-pounding romance, fierce battles, and unforgettable characters that have enchanted readers far and wide.

  From stolen moments beneath a willow tree to vows forged in fire, step into the world of Poppy, Casteel, Kieran, and more as you reimagine iconic scenes from across the novels—and discover a few surprises along the way.

  Whether you’re a devoted fan or a newcomer to the realms, this coloring book is the perfect companion for those who dare to rise from blood and ash.

  DISCOVER THE FLESH AND FIRE SERIES

  BY JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT

  A Shadow in the Ember

  Flesh and Fire Series, Book One

  Available in hardcover, e-book, and trade paperback.

  Click here to purchase.

  #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns with book one of the all-new, compelling Flesh and Fire series—set in the beloved Blood and Ash world.

  Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.

  However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.

  Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.

  A Light in the Flame

  Flesh and Fire Series, Book Two

  Available in hardcover, e-book, and trade paperback.

  Click here to purchase.

  The only one who can save Sera now is the one she spent her life planning to kill.

  The truth about Sera’s plan is out, shattering the fragile trust forged between her and Nyktos. Surrounded by those distrustful of her, all Sera has is her duty. She will do anything to end Kolis, the false King of Gods, and his tyrannical rule of Iliseeum, thus stopping the threat he poses to the mortal realm.

  Nyktos has a plan, though, and as they work together, the last thing they need is the undeniable, scorching passion that continues to ignite between them. Sera cannot afford to fall for the tortured Primal, not when a life no longer bound to a destiny she never wanted is more attainable than ever. But memories of their shared pleasure and unrivaled desire are a siren’s call impossible to resist.

  And as Sera begins to realize that she wants to be more than a Consort in name only, the danger surrounding them intensifies. The attacks on the Shadowlands are increasing, and when Kolis summons them to Court, a whole new risk becomes apparent. The Primal power of Life is growing inside her, pushing her closer to the end of her Culling. And without Nyktos’s love—an emotion he’s incapable of feeling—she won’t survive her Ascension. That is if she even makes it to her Ascension and Kolis doesn’t get to her first. Because time is running out. For both her and the realms.

  A Fire in the Flesh

  Flesh and Fire Series, Book Three

  Available in hardcover, e-book, and trade paperback.

  Click here to purchase.

  The only thing that can save the realms now is the one thing more powerful than the Fates.

  After a startling betrayal ends with both Sera and the dangerously seductive ruler of the Shadowlands she has fallen madly in love with being held captive by the false King of the Gods, there is only one thing that can free Nyktos and prevent the forces of the Shadowlands from invading Dalos and igniting a War of Primals.

  Convincing Kolis won’t be easy, though – not even with a lifetime of training. While his most favored Revenant is insistent that she is nothing more than a lie, Kolis’s erratic nature and twisted sense of honor leave her shaken to the core, and nothing could’ve prepared her for the cruelty of his Court or the shocking truths revealed. The revelations not only upend what she has understood about her duty and the very creation of the realms but also draw into question exactly what the true threat is. However, surviving Kolis is only one part of the battle. The Ascension is upon her, and Sera is out of time.

  But Nyktos will do anything to keep Sera alive and give her the life she deserves. He’ll even risk the utter destruction of the realms, and that’s exactly what will happen if he doesn’t Ascend as the Primal of Life. Yet despite his desperate determination, their destinies may be out of their hands.

  Born of Blood and Ash

  Flesh and Fire Series. Book Four

  Available in hardcover, e-book, and trade paperback.

  Click here to purchase.

  The line between love and obsession has never been wider.

  While Sera is finally free of Kolis and back with those she loves, not everything is calm. Memories of all she’s endured still haunt her, but Sera finally has hope for a future with the other half of her heart and soul. Nyktos desires, loves, and accepts every part of her—even the monstrous bits she still battles.

  More than ever, Sera and Ash have everything under the realms to fight for, and Nyktos has no doubt Sera is fit to be the Queen of the Gods. But she must find that faith within herself if they hope to convince the other Courts to support them against Kolis and make Iliseeum and the mortal realm better, safer places for all.

  But as Sera begins to piece together the importance of her bloodline and the true meaning behind the foreboding prophecy, it becomes clear that everything that has happened and is yet to come is much bigger than Kolis and his dark obsessions.

  They cannot help but wonder exactly how much influence the Fates have had and what their ultimate goal is. What Sera does know for sure is that they can trust very few—including her.

  A battle between the gods is brewing, and heartbreaking losses are imminent with the true Primal of Death strengthening. With a family of the heart willing to battle by their side, can Sera and Nyktos stop Kolis before he destroys the realms, or will it all disappear in a fiery inferno of blood and ash?