The Ascended — Chapter no 16

Chapter 16

Blood and Bargains

NEARLY A WEEK HAD PASSED SINCE THAT FIRST BRUTAL LESSON ON THE beach, and my body bore the evidence of every single day. Purple bruises bloomed across my ribs. Fresh cuts layered over half-healed ones, creating a map of pain across my arms and shoulders. My muscles screamed in protest with every movement, yet somehow I kept getting stronger.

Each dawn brought the same ritual—Xül lounging against his rocks while I faced whatever horrors he summoned from the black sand. Soul after soul clawed their way from the earth, weapons drawn. And each day, I cut them down.

He hadn't summoned Thatcher again. Not once since that first lesson.

Just the mindless, empty souls.

My skill had improved dramatically—faster than should have been possible. My body learned the deadly dance of combat. Parry, riposte, strike. Duck, roll, thrust. My star-sword moved like an extension of my will.

At least Xül was keeping his promise. I was being forged into something dangerous.

But I hated every minute of it. Hated him for his taunting commentary as I bled. Hated the way he watched my struggles with detached amusement. Hated that yesterday, when a soul's blade had found my throat and I'd dropped my weapon in exhaustion, the creature had simply… stopped. Pulled back instead of finishing me.

It’s not that I wanted to die. But living by the grace of Xül’s mercy wasn’t exactly enticing either.

Now I sat at the far end of the massive dining table, picking at roasted meat, appetite completely gone. Xül occupied the opposite end of the room, long legs propped up on the polished wood, absorbed in whatever book held

his attention tonight.

Neither of us bothered to speak.

A servant appeared from the corridor, approaching Xül with a sealed envelope. He accepted it without looking up from his book, but I caught the slight raise of his eyebrow as the servant scurried away.

The sound of tearing parchment cut through the quiet. Xül's golden eye moved across whatever message lay within, his expression unreadable.

Then, with casual dismissal, he tossed the letter down the length of the table. It slid across the polished surface, coming to rest just within my reach.

"First trial," he said, not bothering to look at me. "Davina and Thorne."

I stared at the elegant script, trying to make sense of the formal language. "What do you mean?"

Xül's sigh carried the weight of profound irritation. "Must I explain everything to you as if you were a child?"

I bit back the sharp retort that wanted to spill from my lips. I needed information more than I needed the satisfaction of telling him exactly what I thought of his attitude.

"The Trials," he said, words clipped, "are overseen by pairs of The Twelve.” He turned a page with deliberate slowness. "Four pairs, eight gods total for each cycle. Olinthar selects them himself—a privilege he reserves as King of Gods."

"Only eight?" I asked. "Not all twelve?"

"Some sit out each cycle. It's… political." His mouth twisted in distaste.

"Those who've fallen from favor are excluded. Those whose powers Olinthar wishes to showcase are included. The combinations shift each time, ensuring that what worked in previous Trials becomes useless knowledge."

"So how do we prepare for something we can't predict?"

"We don't." Another page turned. "We make educated guesses based on the personalities and domains involved, then hope we've anticipated correctly."

I leaned forward, studying the letter more carefully. The formal seal, the precise handwriting, the date that was only seven days away. "We only have a week."

"Your powers of observation are truly remarkable."

The sarcasm made my jaw clench. "What would Davina and Thorne create together?"

Xül closed the book he'd been reading, setting it aside. "Actually, we're lucky with this pairing." Satisfaction dripped from every word. "Nature and alchemy—it's something I can train and prepare you for."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by his sudden shift in tone. "You sound almost optimistic."

"Don't mistake pragmatism for optimism, starling." He sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other trial combinations are too ambiguous to properly teach you anything specific at all. They have a

tendency to prefer that."

"So what do we focus on?" I asked.

"Davina values respect for the natural order above all else," he said, his tone suggesting I should already know this. "She despises those who seek to dominate rather than harmonize with nature. Her Trials typically involve survival skills, adaptation, proving you understand your place."

"And Thorne?"

"Artifice. Alchemy. The transformation of base materials into something greater." Xül's fingers drummed against the table. "He appreciates clever use of tools. Innovation. His challenges usually require contestants to modify or combine magical implements in ways they weren't originally designed for." Xül picked up his book again. “Thorne is easy enough to read. He’s Pompous. Obsessed with showing off his intellectual superiority."

“Sounds familiar.” I said under my breath, but I knew he heard me.

"So what do we—"

Voices echoed from the corridor outside, cutting through my question.

Xül's eyes flicked toward the doorway with mild annoyance.

Aelix strode into the dining hall, that bright smile already in place.

Behind him followed a young woman I recognized from the Choosing—tall and willowy, with sharp features and long black hair pulled into a severe braid. Everything about her radiated controlled menace, from the way she

held herself to the cold calculation in her slate-gray eyes as they swept the room. When her gaze landed on me, I felt like prey being sized up.

She didn't speak. Didn't even step into the room. Instead, she leaned against the doorframe.

"I assume you received the correspondence?" Aelix asked, settling into one of the chairs without invitation.

"Unfortunately," Xül replied with elegant disdain.

"Excellent. I thought we might take Thais and Marx tracking tonight."

"How tedious," Xül murmured. "I'm sure you can manage without me."

Aelix's gaze shifted to me, and reluctant pity crawled across his features. "The Grief Hounds are particularly active tonight. Perfect conditions for learning to read signs and move quietly."

"I said no."

The dismissal hit me like a slap. Here was an opportunity to actually learn something useful, and he was refusing it out of what—laziness?

Spite? I stood before I could think better of it.

"I'll go," I said, my voice ringing with determination. "Even if he won't."

Xül’s eyes met mine. A subtle smile curved his lips. "Do enjoy yourselves," he said, rising from the table. "Try not to get eaten."

And with that charming encouragement, he walked down the hall, leaving me alone with the two of them.

THE PATH beneath our feet had turned from manicured stone to packed earth, winding between trees that towered far above our heads. Silver bark caught the moonlight, throwing strange shadows that shifted as we passed.

Behind me, Marx's footsteps made no sound. I turned to check if she was still there and found her watching me with those dark eyes. When I stumbled slightly over a root, she didn't react. When Aelix pointed to a broken branch and explained how the break indicated direction of travel, she gave one sharp nod. That was it. No commentary, no questions.

"Watch the moss pattern here." Aelix knelt beside a fallen log, running his fingers along the bark. "See how it's been scraped away? Something large brushed against this recently."

I dropped down beside him, squinting at what looked like perfectly ordinary wood to me. "I don't—where?"

"Here." He guided my hand to a section of bark. Under my palm, I could feel the difference. A bare patch. "The Grief Hounds den in the deeper groves. They're not necessarily hostile, but they don't appreciate trespassers.

And they're large enough to tear a mortal apart without breaking stride."

A chill ran down my spine. "How large?"

Instead of answering, Marx made a sound—barely a whisper of breath, but I figured it was amusement. Or maybe mockery.

"Tracking takes practice," Aelix said, either not hearing her or choosing to ignore her. "You're looking for patterns that break the natural flow."

The next two hours blurred together in a flash of broken twigs and displaced stones that all looked identical to my untrained eyes. Aelix's patience seemed infinite as he pointed out sign after sign that I couldn't see.

We went deeper in the forest, following what Aelix claimed was a game trail. I was on my hands and knees again, staring at marks in the soft earth that could have been made by anything, when the forest went silent.

No bird calls. No whistle of wind. Even the whispering rustle of leaves in the canopy had stopped.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

A growl rolled through the trees—low, resonant. Another answered it.

Then another.

My blood thickened as glowing eyes appeared in the darkness around us. Not just one pair. Not even a handful. At least a dozen burning gazes materialized from every shadow, surrounding me.

"Don't. Move." Aelix's voice cut through my rising panic. "Don't even breathe."

The largest of the creatures stepped into a patch of moonlight, and my breath caught in my throat. It was enormous—easily the size of a small horse, with midnight fur and eyes like molten gold. When it pulled back its lips, it revealed teeth that could crush.

My heart hammered so hard I was sure it would taunt them further.

The largest one’s burning eyes locked onto mine. It took a step closer.

Close enough for me to see the muscles bunching beneath its dark coat.

The creature's ears flattened against its skull.

Suddenly they were all moving.

"Thais," Aelix said, his voice tight with warning. "Stay exactly where you are."

But the largest hound was still advancing, its massive form blocking out the moonlight. I could see intelligence in those glowing eyes, an awareness that made it infinitely more terrifying than any mindless beast.

Fuck. I was going to be ripped apart by wolves before the Trials even started.

My breathing grew ragged despite my efforts to control it. One more step and those teeth would be at my throat.

I started to reach for my power— Marx stepped forward.

She was at my side instantly, drawing attention to herself. Slowly, she raised her hands. Her fingers curved just slightly, tracing invisible patterns in the air.

The largest hound's head swung toward her, those burning eyes narrowing.

A faint distortion permeated the air around Marx, like heat clinging to a summer road. A pungent, rotten odor wafted off her. Decay.

The hound's growl faltered. Its massive head tilted, nostrils flaring.

Marx's lips curved in the barest hint of a smile. Still silent, still motionless except for those almost-invisible movements of her fingers. But the air thickened around her, charged with a power that felt like spiders

crawling over my skin.

The largest hound took a step back.

Whatever she was doing, it was working. The other hounds began to shift restlessly, their aggressive postures wavering into uncertainty. One by one, they started to withdraw, melting back into the forest as silently as they'd appeared.

But I could see the cost. Sweat beaded on Marx's forehead despite the cool night air. Her breathing had grown shallow. Whatever power she was channeling, it was taking everything she had to maintain it.

The largest hound remained for a moment longer, its burning gaze fixed on her face. Then it too turned and padded away into the shadows. And I sucked in a giant breath.

Only when the last of the glowing eyes disappeared did Marx let whatever she'd been holding collapse. She swayed slightly, one hand bracing against a nearby tree. Aelix took a sharp step toward her.

"Marx—"

"I'm fine." Her voice was hoarse but steady. She straightened slowly, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

“Thank you, Marx.” I managed, at a loss for words. “I thought for sure I

was…”

I stood in silence for a moment.

"Well," Marx said finally, her voice carrying the faintest hint of humor.

"Haven't had that many eyes on me since my last orgy."

A snort escaped me. Then another. Within seconds I was doubled over, shaking with laughter I couldn't control, adrenaline finally finding its release. My sides ached, but I couldn't stop. The absurdity of it. It was insane. She was insane.

Marx's lips twitched in what might have been satisfaction.

"Absolutely reckless," Aelix said, but his tone carried more exasperation than anger. "You could have killed yourself."

Marx agreed with a shrug. "Didn't though. And now we're all still breathing instead of decorating the forest floor."

"You’re not going to make it to the Trials if you continue to behave like this, Marxene."

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t call me that.” She pushed away from the tree, apparently recovered from whatever toll her magic had taken. "We had a problem. I solved it. Everyone survived. What more do you want?"

Aelix ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body.

Marx started walking back toward the castle, leaving us to follow in her wake. But I caught the way her hand trembled as she brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.

"Is she always like that?" I asked Aelix quietly as we fell into step behind her.

"Unfortunately." His voice carried a hint of admiration. "Marx doesn't just risk her life—she gambles with it."

I watched her moving through the shadows ahead of us, silent and graceful. "What’s her deal?"

Aelix was quiet for a long moment. "Her story to tell," he said finally.

"She certainly hasn’t explained any of it to me."

We walked in comfortable silence for a while, the castle's lights growing brighter through the trees.

"Can I ask you something?" I said eventually.

"Depends on the question." He smiled.

"Why do you even know this stuff? Tracking, survival skills. Why would you need to learn how to read animal tracks or move quietly through a forest?"

Aelix's laugh was warm, genuine. "Honestly? Because I enjoy it. It's a hobby of mine—always has been. There's something satisfying about tracking prey, matching wits with creatures that don't want to be found." He gestured to the forest around us. "I could simply feel the location of any animal in this wood, but where's the fun in that? The challenge is in the pursuit. Divine senses be damned."

I frowned, trying to understand. "But you could just… know where everything is. Instantly."

"I could," he agreed, raking his hand across the bark of a tree.

"Sometimes the mortal way of doing things is more rewarding than the divine shortcut." He continued on, brushing dirt from his hands. "It has a purity to it, I suppose."

I nodded. "It's strange, thinking of the Aesymar having hobbies."

"We're not so different from mortals in some ways." Aelix glanced toward the castle, where warm light spilled from the dining hall windows.

"We have interests, passions, relationships that shape us."

The way he said it made me curious. "You've known Xül a long time?"

"Since we were children, actually." Fondness flickered across his features before disappearing. "We grew up together here in Draknavor. My parents serve as counsel to Morthus, so we became close at a young age."

I waited, sensing there was more he wanted to say.

"Xül wasn't always like this," Aelix said finally. "When we were young, he was… different. Although he was always far more fascinated with research and books than experiencing the world around us."

"Ah, so that’s why he’s such a pompous ass."

He laughed. “I’d be careful speaking so candidly.”

“I’m likely dying either way.” I shrugged. “Why stifle it?”

“I suppose that’s a fair point. And I will admit, it’s refreshing seeing him unnerved by your boldness.”

“He loathes me.” I sighed, kicking a loose rock. “And the feeling is mutual.”

Aelix was quiet for a while—so long, I wondered if the conversation was over. "He hasn’t had the easiest go at it. Growing up a mortal in Voldaris was rather… difficult. At times."

"I’m sure being a prince was very taxing."

"Kids are cruel. Even more so when they’re divine."

"That's why he's so—"

"Bitter? Cynical? Determined to isolate himself from the rest of the Legends despite his father’s desires?" Aelix shrugged.

"And what does Morthus expect of him?"

"I fear I’ve said too much already." Aelix paused at the castle gates, smiling softly. "But you might find you have more in common with the

Warden of the Damned than you realize."

“Oh, I highly doubt that.”

“You know, he was forced into the Trials too.” His eyes grew almost wistful. “Olinthar refused his ascension unless he battled it out with the rest

of the mortals.”

I said nothing, absorbing his words.

"Now that he’s ascended, the other heirs have started treating him with the respect he was always owed. Of course, that would feel hollow. How could it not?" Aelix's expression grew thoughtful. "He knows why they changed their tune. Now he’s the legitimate heir to the second largest domain in the realm."

I let the words wash over me, but I still couldn’t find it in myself to feel sorry for the god. Not after everything he’d done. "So, what you’re saying is that he’s extremely jaded. Understood."

“You could say that." Aelix smiled sadly, looking over his shoulder.

"And this is where I leave you for the night, Miss Morvaren." He turned on his heel, beginning to walk back in the direction we came from.

“Thank you,” I called after him. “For taking me out with you.”

He simply waved a response and disappeared into the darkness with Marx.

The castle corridors felt different in the deep hours of night—shadows longer, my footsteps echoing off stone walls. Exhaustion pulled at my limbs, but my mind buzzed with everything that had happened.

I rounded the corner toward my chambers and stopped short.

Xül lounged against my door, one shoulder pressed to the frame, arms crossed. He'd shed his formal jacket for a simple scarlet shirt that clung to

his lean frame, sleeves rolled up to reveal the gold rings adorning his fingers. His eyes bore into me, and that infuriating smirk curved his lips.

"Well, well," he drawled, voice low. "She returns. Tell me, starling, did you learn anything useful tonight, or did you simply provide entertainment for our neighbors?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Far more useful than anything you've bothered to teach me."

"Mm." His smirk slid into a smile. "Such fire. I do hope Aelix didn't coddle you too much."

He seemed far too eager to speak with me.

I stepped closer, close enough to see the way candlelight glimmered off the rings in his braids. "What do you want?"

"Such suspicion." He pushed off from the door. "Can't a mentor check

on his devoted protégé?"

"You've never checked on me before."

His golden eye glittered. "Perhaps I'm simply more subtle than you realize."

Before I could process that unsettling implication, he was moving past me down the corridor. "Come along, starling."

"Where—"

"The laboratorium." He glanced back, that wicked smile still playing at his lips. "Unless you'd prefer to stumble through tomorrow's lesson as blindly as you did tonight's tracking expedition."

I stared after him, completely off-balance. How would he even know— "Are you coming?" His voice drifted through the corridor, rich and all too satisfied. Like he knew with absolution that I’d obey. "Or shall I assume you've learned all you need from playing in the woods?"

Damn him. I followed.