Kronos stumbled backward and sa nk into his throne.

 

"My lord?" Ethan started forward.

 

"I — " The voice was weak, but just for a moment it was Luke's. Then Kronos's

expression hardened.

 

He raised his hand and flexed his fingers slowly as if forcing them to obey.

 

"It is nothing," he said, his voice steely and cold again. "A minor discomfort."

 

Ethan moistened his lips. "He's still fighting you, isn't he? Luke — "

 

"Nonsense," Kronos spat. "Repeat that lie, and I will cut out your tongue. The

boy's soul has been crushed. I am simply adjusting to the limits of this form.

It requires rest. It is annoying, but no more than a temporary inconvenience."

 

"As ... as you say, my lord."

 

"You!" Kronos pointed his scythe at a dracaena with green armor and a green

crown. "Queen Sess, is it?"

 

"Yesssss, my lord."

 

"Is our little surprise ready to be unleashed?"