The Ascended — Chapter no 56

Chapter 56

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THE WORLD SNAPPED INTO FOCUS—SOUND CRASHING OVER ME, DRAGGING me up from the darkness. My skull throbbed where Aelix's curse had struck, but that pain was nothing compared to the burning at my wrists and ankles.

Priest ropes.

They had bound me with priest ropes.

Fire licked at every point of contact, not just binding but draining. My power was being leached. Each heartbeat pushed more of it through the enchanted bonds, leaving me hollowed out and shaking with rage.

I jerked against the restraints, testing. The chair beneath me groaned but held firm.

"—what the fuck is going on? What were you trying to do?"

Marx's voice cut through the red haze. She crouched in front of me.

Behind her, Aelix paced.

And Xül.

He leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, narrowed eyes burning holes through my skin. As if he had any right to look at me.

My power surged against the bonds, trying to answer my rage, and fresh agony lanced through me. I bit back a scream, tasting blood.

"Why would you attack him?" Marx pressed, searching my face. "What were you thinking, Morvaren? They won't tell me anything."

She looked between Xül and me, but his stare never wavered. The weight of it made me want to claw my own skin off. How many times had

those eyes looked at me with fake concern? How many lies had that beautiful mouth spoken while I'd fallen for every one?

I met his gaze with every ounce of hatred I could summon. My voice came out raw, scraped thin by betrayal. "Don't pretend to be ashamed. Tell her."

Aelix stopped pacing, moving toward Marx. "Okay, you've seen that she's fine and awake. You need to go now."

Marx let out a laugh that didn’t bother hiding its contempt. "Nice try.

I'm going nowhere."

"I'm serious, Marx." His hand closed around her upper arm, lifting her with insulting ease.

"So am I." Power crackled around Marx's fingers—just enough to make Aelix release her and step back. She moved to stand beside me, and my heart twisted in solidarity. "I don't think Thais is suicidal enough to try to come at your prince for no reason. So, what happened?" Her eyes narrowed

on Xül. "Did he hurt you?"

Yes, I wanted to scream.

Instead, I looked at Aelix. "Did you know?"

His solemn expression was answer enough. Of course he knew.

"If you don't want Marx to be in the same danger that you are right now for knowing what you do,” Aelix interrupted, command ringing in every syllable, "then I suggest you don't say another word until I get her out of here."

"I'm not interested in your riddles," Marx snapped, and I loved her for it. "I'm staying. I don't give a fuck what any of you say."

"Marx—"

"I'm not going anywhere until someone tells me what just happened,"

Marx growled.

I yanked against the ropes, ignoring the searing pain as I leaned forward.

"I'll tell you what happened," I hissed. "I trusted him. I trusted him, and then I found a letter in his study." My voice caught, raw with fury and betrayal. "About killing my brother."

Marx went still. Aelix's eyes fluttered closed.

And Xül—Xül didn't even flinch. That perfect, terrifying calm settled over him, and I wanted to scream until my throat bled.

"What?" Marx's voice came out strangled.

"Wanting to do something and being told something must be done are two very different things." Aelix's words were too careful, too measured.

"Oh, that's rich. That's fucking poetry, Aelix." I leaned forward as much as the bonds would allow, feeling them burn deeper into my skin. "Tell me —would you fuck the sister of the man you’re helping to murder?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Aelix's mouth fell open. Marx gasped, the sound echoing off stone walls. And finally—finally—Xül moved. Just a fraction. Just enough for me to see the muscle jump in his jaw, to watch his knuckles go white where his arms crossed his chest.

"You didn't." Aelix and Marx spoke in perfect unison, her horrified eyes on me, his on Xül.

"Okay, hold up." Marx raised her hands. "This is a lot of information at once."

"You couldn't wait until she ascended?" Aelix asked Xül, and I saw red.

"Of course not." My voice broke on the words, fury and grief tangling in my throat. "Much harder to sleep with a woman in mourning, isn't it?

Better to fuck her before she loses her last living family member?"

Xül pushed off the wall in one fluid motion. When he crossed the distance between us, I forced myself not to flinch. When he leaned down, his voice soft as silk and twice as dangerous, I made myself meet those treacherous eyes.

"I guess you know me, then. Through and through."

The words sliced deep. My eyes burned with tears I refused to shed. Not here. Not for him. He knew what I'd been through. Knew what had happened to Sulien. What had happened to my mother.

"I thought I did," I whispered, hating how my voice cracked.

I could have sworn he winced at that, but it was gone so quickly I couldn't be sure. Then he turned, giving us all his back.

Another sigh from Aelix. He studied me, and I wanted to spit at his feet.

"There's a lot you don't understand, Thais. Context you're missing."

I shifted in the chair, using the burn of the ropes to stifle my rage. "I need answers. Real ones. And you're going to give them to me."

Aelix's eyebrows rose slightly.

"How long?" I demanded. "How long has this plan been set in motion?"

Silence.

"Answer me!" The chair creaked as I strained against the bonds.

"Weeks," Aelix admitted finally.

"Who ordered it?"

Aelix glanced at Xül, who remained facing the wall.

"It's complicated."

"Then uncomplicate it." I wasn't playing their games anymore. "No more riddles. No more half-truths. I want to know exactly why my brother is on this hit list, and I want to know now."

Aelix hesitated, then began slowly, "Contestants form bonds with their mentors. More often than not, those bonds become alliances. This is why we're directed to choose contestants with powers similar to our own— makes the eventual domain selection simpler."

"I don't need a lesson in divine politics."

His jaw tightened. "Sometimes, mentors choose contestants for different reasons. Strategic reasons. When they see potential leverage. A useful game

piece."

"Spit it out, Aelix," Marx snapped.

"Strange things are happening in Voldaris," Aelix continued.

"Allegiances forming that shouldn't exist. Specifically, between War and Order. And potentially others that we don't know about."

I forced out a sigh, even as my chest felt crushed beneath the weight of betrayal. "I'm aware. Your point?"

He glanced at Xül's still form. "Do you know what your brother has been doing?"

"Let me guess," I bit out. "Preparing for Trials designed to kill us both?"

"In Sundralis. With Olinthar."

My heart seized, but I kept my face carved from stone. I hadn't known that it had evolved so much. Not to this level.

But I'd die before I gave them the satisfaction of my surprise.

"If Olinthar gains Thatcher as an asset," Aelix said quietly, "the power balance in Voldaris will shift dangerously."

"And that justifies murdering him?" I pulled against the bonds, fresh fire racing up my arms. "Just to satisfy some balance you don't want disrupted?

Gods, you're all fucking monsters. All you care about is power and who wields it. He's already the King of Gods. He's already the Lord of Voldaris.

You all already answer to him."

"You don't understand. We cannot afford for Olinthar to get stronger than he already is."

"Why?" I demanded. "What aren't you telling me?"

Aelix exchanged another look with Xül, who had finally turned back to face us.

"Before I say anything else," Aelix said carefully, "I need to know what you know."

A spiteful laugh escaped me. "Absolutely not. I've had enough of your games. You don't get to keep holding all the cards."

"This isn't a game, Thais—"

"Isn't it? The powerful playing with lives like pieces on a board?" I felt my power surge again, tasting death on my tongue as the bonds sizzled

against my skin.

Xül finally stepped forward. "Thais—"

"Don't." The single word held every ounce of venom I could muster.

"Don't speak to me like we're still—like you didn't betray me."

Pain flashed in his eyes. Maybe it was even regret. I didn't care.

Couldn't care.

"We can't have someone with Thatcher's abilities allied with Olinthar,"

Aelix pressed. "And that's where this is headed. Your brother will be loyal to Sundralis."

The laugh that erupted from me was wild, unhinged. These idiots. These fucking idiots.

"You think you understand what's happening?" I cocked my head to the side. "You think you know my brother? Know what he's doing?"

Aelix raised an eyebrow, waiting.

I shouldn't tell them. Every instinct screamed to keep our secrets buried.

But Thatcher's life hung in the balance, and I was out of options.

"Thatcher isn't forming some alliance, you moron. He isn't being manipulated or converted or whatever paranoid fantasy you've concocted."

My voice rose with each word.

"We have spies in Sundralis, Thais. You haven't seen what we have."

Xül's voice cut through my tirade. He'd turned back to face us, and the fury in his eyes made my breath catch. "Or what he's done."

A chill crawled up my spine at his tone. "What are you talking about?"

"Your brother killed a Shadowkin. Yesterday. On Olinthar’s order."

"That doesn't mean—"

"He didn't just kill him, Thais." Xül's voice dropped lower, colder. "He obliterated him."

My stomach dropped.

"You're lying," I yelled.

"I wish I were. The Shadowkin was one of mine. And your brother turned him to bloody mist while Olinthar looked on."

Marx sucked in a sharp breath. Even Aelix looked grim.

"If you’re telling the truth, then there was a good reason for it," I spat.

“Or he had no choice.”

"Thais…" Marx murmured, crouching down next to me again.

"My brother is playing a role. Gathering intelligence," I hissed. "He's taking advantage of the situation and learning what he can about Olinthar and Chavore. And Sundralis. Anything you think you've seen is merely the mask he's wearing. Anything he’s done is necessary to maintain appearances."

"And how could you possibly know that, Thais?" Xül asked.

"Because unlike you," I snarled, "my brother doesn't lie to me."

Silence.

"Why is he playing this role?" Aelix asked carefully.

I took a shaking breath, weighing my options. This secret had been buried for so long, kept even from Marx. But if it could save Thatcher…

"If I tell you this, I want something in return." My voice was steady now, cold with purpose.

"You're hardly in a position to negotiate," Aelix pointed out.

"I'm in exactly the position to negotiate." I met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Because what I know could change everything about your plot."

Xül stepped closer, shadows curling at his feet. "What do you want?"

"A guarantee. Thatcher lives. No matter what."

"I can't promise that," Xül said immediately.

"Then I have nothing to say."

"Thais, be reasonable—"

"Reasonable?" I laughed, brittle and cold. "Is any of this reasonable, Xül?"

His face went white with anger or pain—I couldn't tell.

"Listen, Thais. If there’s something you know," Aelix cut in, "something that could change things, something that could help us negotiate for your brother’s life, now would be the time to tell us."

“Negotiate with whom?”

They only stared.

“We will show our hand if you show yours,” Aelix offered.

I looked at him, then at Xül, then at Marx. The only ally I had left in this room.

The secret had been mine and Thatcher's alone, buried deep since the moment we'd made our vow. To speak it aloud now felt like betrayal—but wasn't silence the greater betrayal if it meant Thatcher's death? My mind raced. They already planned to kill him. What did I have to lose? And what might I gain if they understood that Thatcher wasn't their enemy? That he hated the same monster they feared?

It might be the only thing that could save him now.

I made my decision, and took a deep breath.

"When we were brought here—after the Proving, after Thatcher's abilities manifested—we made a pact."

Xül's eyes narrowed to slits. "What kind of pact?"

I didn't look at him. Couldn't. Instead, I focused on Aelix, on the

growing confusion in his golden eyes.

"To kill Olinthar."

There it was. Our secret. Bared to the world.

Xül's knuckles cracked. "So, you do have a death wish," he growled.

His posture stayed calm, but there was only rage in his eyes.

I ignored him.

"I don't understand," Aelix said finally. "Why would you—"

"Because of what he did to us." The words came out raw, bleeding.

Understanding dawned in Marx's eyes. "Shit, Thais."

But Aelix still looked lost, glancing between Xül and me. "Can someone please explain what everyone seems to know except me?"

My eyes snapped to Xül, letting every ounce of contempt show. "I'm surprised you kept that a secret. Or did it not come up during all your plotting?"

"Thais," Xül warned, but I was beyond warnings.

"Olinthar raped our mother. He's our father."

Aelix went utterly still.

His gaze crawled to Xül. "You knew this?"

Xül's silence was answer enough.

"Does your father know?"

More silence.

"I'm assuming that's a no." Aelix dragged both hands through his hair.

"We need to tell the others—"

"Others?" Marx cut in.

Aelix and Xül exchanged a look.

"Marx," Aelix said slowly, "what I'm about to tell you… if you repeat this to anyone, we're all dead. Do you understand? Not imprisoned. Not

punished. Dead."

Marx's face paled, but she nodded.

Aelix took a deep breath. "There are some in Voldaris who have grown tired of Olinthar's tyranny. Tired enough to act. Those who wish for

change."

My heart stopped. "Who?"

"Morthus. And he is backed by Vorinar and Syrena. Including their followers.”

The Lord of Death. The Lord of Fate. The Goddess of Dreams.

Lyralie's words drifted into my mind then. What she'd said at the Proving.

Not all who serve the divine realm agree with every tradition we're asked to uphold.

"And Davina, soon," Aelix murmured, looking back at Xül.

Of course. Nyvora. The marriage. It was to secure an alliance.

"You're planning a coup." The words left me, unreal even as I heard them.

A treacherous thought slithered through my mind, unwanted and painful. Had Xül and I been working toward the same goal this entire time?

The realization sat like acid in my stomach. We both wanted Olinthar gone. Both wanted his reign to end— No. I forced the thought down before it could confuse things further.

Because I would burn every world to ash before I let Thatcher die due to their miscalculation. And Xül—Xül had been willing to let it happen.

"Eventually," Aelix confirmed. "But it has to be done carefully.

Precisely. One wrong move and Olinthar will slaughter us all—and anyone even suspected of being involved."

"And my brother?" My voice came out strangled. "He's what— collateral damage in your divine civil war?"

"When he looks at Thatcher, he only sees Vivros," Xül said quietly. "An opportunity that slipped through his fingers before. He wants a second

chance."

"If that happens, the resistance would be crushed before it could even truly begin," Aelix finished. "They want to eliminate that possibility before he ascends and gains full access to his power. And this is the best opportunity. With Vorinar overseeing the final trial."

"Murdering an innocent," I said, the words bitter as poison. "Sounds like a great way to start such a noble cause."

"From their perspective, it’s one death to prevent thousands," Aelix said grimly. "If Olinthar's power grows unchecked, if he gains allies like your brother… the bloodshed would be unimaginable."

"Well, he's certainly not loyal to Olinthar. So can we call off the bounty on Thatcher's head then?" My delivery was pointed, but it couldn’t bury the panic behind it.

"That's where I was today. What I was doing. Trying to reason with them,” Xül said, his voice still terrifyingly controlled. "As I have been trying to do every time the plan has been presented.”

I stared at him. "You expect me to believe that? That you were trying to save him while you were—" I cut myself off, the memory of last night too raw. I couldn’t shake the convenience of the situation. Would he have ever told me if I hadn’t found out on my own and confronted him? My mind and my heart were at war.

"Believe what you want," he said, that calm never wavering. "It doesn't change the truth."

“Let’s say I do believe you. Were you successful in your efforts, Xül?

Did you convince your father not to eliminate my brother in the final trial?”

He simply looked at me, jaw clenching. “No.”

"Take me to Morthus." The words burst from me. "Now. Let me plead for his life myself."

Silence crashed through the dungeon. Even Marx looked shocked.

"No." Xül's response was immediate, absolute. The temperature in the

room plummeted. "Absolutely not."

"I don't care what you—"

"Think, Thais." His voice dropped to something lethal. "The moment you ask to plead for your brother's life, you reveal that you know too much."

My blood ran cold as the implications hit me.

"He will know that you're aware of the resistance." His eyes blazed.

"And then he'll kill you to protect the secret."

"But—"

"You do this, and you sign your own death warrant."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" I yanked against the bonds, desperation clawing at my throat. "Just let him die?"

Silence.

"This is a risk I'm willing to take!"

"Well, I'm not!" The words exploded from him, swirls of death energy slamming into the walls. "I won't watch you die!"

The silence that followed was deafening.

"If you ever cared about me," I said, my voice raw. "If any of what happened between us was real, you'll do this for me."

The words rushed past him. Agony streaked across his face.

"Don't." His voice was barely a whisper. "Don't use that against me."

Tears burned my eyes. "You say there's no way, but at least give me the chance to try."

He stood frozen, wrestling with himself. When he finally spoke, his voice was hollow.

"You would use my feelings against me so easily?"

"To save my brother? Yes." The admission hurt, but it was true. "I'd use

anything. Anyone."

"You're determined to die for him."

"I'm determined to try to save him," I corrected. "If that means dying, then yes."

A long silence stretched between us. Xül looked as though he'd just lost

a war.

"Fine." The word was clipped, lifeless.

"Xül," Aelix asserted. "You can't be serious."

"Untie her," Xül commanded, ignoring his friend's protest.

This had all started with me on my knees at the Proving, begging them to spare Thatcher. If it ended the same way—with me pleading for his life while mine hung in the balance—so be it.