Ascent

by Bethany Adams

  Ascent

  Bethany Adams

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Other Books in Series

  Character List and Dictionary

  To Andre Norton:

  It took twenty years,

  but I finally followed your advice.

  Thank you.

  Acknowledgments

  First, I owe thanks to my family, especially my patient husband and children. I really couldn’t do it without you!

  * * *

  As always, I owe massive thanks to my critique partners and friends, C.S. Hale, whose Bánalfar series is awesome, and Shiloh Carroll (check out her amazing work on GRRM and medievalism). Thank you so much for putting up with my crazy!

  * * *

  Many thanks to my editor, Jody Wallace, my cover artist, Melissa Stevens at The Illustrated Author Design Services, and my formatter, Gaynor Smith. The magic couldn’t have happened without your help. Thank you for all you do.

  * * *

  Big thanks to the kind and talented Amy Petty for letting me use a quote from “A Promise’s Demise” at the beginning of the book. Her music is beautiful, and I love to listen to her songs while I’m writing. This particular song is just perfect for Fen.

  * * *

  And as always, thank you to my wonderful readers. You are the best! I adore getting notes and emails from you. I can’t tell you how much that brightens an author’s day.

  * * *

  Special thanks to those of you in my Worlds of Bethany Adams group for your kind support and encouragement. You know more than most what a crazy ride working on this book has been, and you’ve been with me for every dip and climb. It means more to me than I can express.

  * * *

  I absolutely know there is someone I’m forgetting to mention by name. I’m sorry! Finishing a book is hectic, so know that you have my love even when my memory isn’t functioning.

  Author’s Note

  I’ve done my very best to make each book in my series capable of being read alone, but now that we’re on the seventh book, I thought I’d give a brief summary of the previous books. I’ll also include a character list and short dictionary in the back (handy for all these new Unseelie curse words). If you’re new to the series, only read the rest of this section if you’re okay with spoilers!

  * * *

  In SOULBOUND, half-blood Arlyn confronts her elven father, Lyr, after traveling to his world. He’s surprised to find that the woman he left on Earth bore him a child, but he welcomes his daughter. But things are far from easy. Not only is Arlyn drawn into a soulbond with her father’s friend, Kai, but her arrival prompts Kai’s father, Allafon, to hasten his plot against Lyr. Arlyn only has time for a little training with new magic teacher, Selia, before she, Lyr, and Kai are taken captive. In the end, Allafon is defeated, but Lyr is injured, and Arlyn’s grandmother almost dies.

  * * *

  SUNDERED continues the story from Lyr’s point of view. Though Allafon was defeated, the person behind his actions was not. Banished Prince Kien is creating havoc amongst the fae with poisoned energy, and the Neorans, vassals of the Seelie Sidhe, petition Lyr for aid when their city is overrun by disease and madness. As Lyr struggles to help them, another faction of fae, the Ljósálfar, arrive from Alfheim—brought by Meli, his potential soulbonded. Lyr sends Kai to help evacuate the Neorans, but when he arrives, the inhabitants have been massacred. Eventually, Arlyn and Kai manage to destroy the spell causing the poison, but they are captured by a Seelie lord, Naomh, who turns out to be Kai’s true father.

  * * *

  The novella EXILED features Delbin, a young elf who was sent from Moranaia to Earth when he was a teenager in order to escape Allafon. The scout Inona is sent to check on Delbin. Soon after her arrival, Prince Kien tries to recruit Delbin to join his group of half-bloods. Delbin refuses, and he and Inona eventually track down and capture Kien. Kien escapes, but Delbin is allowed to return to Moranaia and becomes the student of Prince Ralan, a powerful seer.

  * * *

  In SEARED, Ralan leaves his daughter Eri on Moranaia and returns to Earth to track down his brother Kien. Plagued by visions foretelling his death, Ralan is nevertheless determined to stop Kien for good. In the process, he meets his soulbonded, Cora, who owns a shop where fae can trade gold or jewels for human clothes. Her friend and employee, Maddy, is kidnapped by Kien’s minions, leading Cora to join Ralan in the quest to defeat Kien. With the help of Vek of the Unseelie and his nephew, Fen, Kien is found, although he ultimately escapes to Moranaia. Ralan and Cora confront Kien at the palace. Kien nearly kills Ralan, but Cora manages to save him. The king beheads Kien, but in the process, a mysterious surge of power is released.

  * * *

  Though Kien was defeated, he used his death to release poison into a barrier that withheld magic from Earth. In ABYSS, the dragon Kezari senses that poison through her link to Earth and goes to retrieve her rider, Aris, only to find him being tortured by his potential soulbonded. After she saves him, Aris agrees to accompany the dragon to Braelyn, the estate of Lord Lyr. Aris doesn’t know that his wife Selia, who believes him to be dead, accepted a position there a few months before. He struggles to deal with his trauma as he longs to reunite with his wife. Although a mind healer helps, Aris must overcome his darkness in time to prevent the barrier from shattering, releasing a catastrophic amount of energy at once. He, Kezari, Selia, and Kai manage to prevent disaster, but in the process, a direct portal is created between Moranaia and Earth, one that will need guarding in the future.

  * * *

  In AWAKENING, Ralan appoints his sister Dria to be in charge of the new outpost on Earth guarding the portal to Moranaia. In the meantime, the Unseelie prince Vek is tasked by his father to kill the leader of the outpost and claim the power stored there. Beholden to the Moranaians, Vek seeks to find a way out of this order, and while researching, he discovers that the new leader of the outpost is his mate. When the outpost comes under attack, Dria and Vek work together to find the person responsible. They eventually uncover a plot that involves the Unseelie king and the Seelie lord Meren. Dria challenges the king to combat, but Vek’s sister Ara ultimately defeats him, becoming the new Unseelie queen. Meren later attempts to kill Vek but is thwarted.

  A promise is a promise and

  a promise is to keep.

  But a squeaky soul and self-control

  I've sold for so cheap.

  So ask me no more questions

  and I will tell you no lies.

  Because I can't promise anything

  but a promise's demise.

  * * *

  ~Amy Petty, "A Promise's Demise"

  Chapter 1

  A muffled shriek sounded through the door just as Fen shoved his key in
the lock. With a quick burst of magic, he scanned his uncle Vek’s house for any sign of danger. The place should have been empty, but—no. Vek and Dria were there. Another shriek echoed through the wood, and the cry didn’t sound like it was made in pleasure.

  Vek might do many unusual things, but torturing his mate wasn’t one of them.

  After another sharp twist of the key, Fen finally got the damned lock to budge. He barged through the door, ready to mess up anyone who dared to attack his family, only to freeze. His keys dropped out of his hand with a clatter.

  This was…not what he was expecting to see.

  On the television on the far wall, a banshee darted around a decrepit building, and another piercing scream filled the room. Vek cursed, his fingers struggling to find the correct buttons on the game controller as the banshee headed straight for his avatar. Beside him, Dria let out a wicked laugh as her own character blasted the enemy with a stream of flame.

  “Thank the gods for that mana potion,” she said. “Too bad Lial can’t mix one of those up in real life.”

  Fen’s mouth dropped open. Those fuckers were playing his copy of the new Death’s Curse 3. The very game he’d bought yesterday so he could continue his gaming marathon with Maddy and Anna. Not that he was going to tell his uncle that part. Vek teased Fen too much about his possible mates already, and that was without knowing how much Fen had been hanging out with them—despite neither woman having a clue about their potential three-person bond. He’d barely managed to tell Maddy that she could be his mate. He hadn’t been brave enough to reveal the whole of it.

  “What the hell?” Fen yelped. “I hadn’t even opened that yet. That’s bad gamer etiquette, Vek.”

  His uncle didn’t even have the grace to look away from the screen. “You wanted me to introduce Dria to human technology.”

  “And you thought my new game would be the way to go? Seriously?” Fen snatched up his keys before slamming the door closed. “You could have picked literally anything else. There are at least ten other games that aren’t shrink wrapped, for starters. Hell, there’s a whole world of human technology out there.”

  “This game was on top.” Vek shrugged before casting him a meaningful look. “I wanted her to relax and take her mind off her duties at the outpost. According to you, this is the best way.” The banshee let out another scream, incinerating Vek’s avatar. “Not sure I see the appeal.”

  “I’ll avenge you,” Dria said cheerfully.

  But the hint of sadness around her eyes bellied her tone, and Vek’s actions suddenly made sense. It had only been a couple of weeks since her friend Gessen had died defending her and Vek during an attempted invasion of the underground elven outpost. There hadn’t been any further attacks, but that also meant there were no distractions.

  “I didn’t think you could leave the cave for very long,” Fen said. “What if something happens?”

  “We brought Fedah through so she would know where to build a portal if necessary,” Dria answered.

  Fen’s steps slowed as he neared the couch. His uncle was unlikely to appreciate his suggestion, but he was going to offer it anyway. Because portals might be a quick way to travel, but they were a terrible way to notify someone of an emergency. And not even Delbin, the strongest telepath among them, could send a mental warning from the cave to Vek’s house.

  “You guys should get cell phones,” Fen said as he sat down on the other side of the L-shaped couch.

  Vek’s eyes narrowed on the screen when Dria’s character was defeated and both their avatars respawned. “Let’s cut down the alley this time,” Vek said to Dria.

  Fen assessed the scene and grimaced at the mistake his uncle was about to make. Decrepit buildings? Check. Creepy ambient lighting? Double check. There was probably awesome loot down that alley, but there would also be about a million mobs. A pro could do it, but Vek? When it came to gaming, Vek had noob written all over him.

  “I don’t think that’s a—”

  A loud shriek made all three of them jump. Three banshees floated from behind a dark, graffiti-covered trash container, and a pair of vampires dropped from the roofs on each side. At the end of the alley, countless red eyes glowed through the gloom. They were so screwed.

  Dria’s avatar blasted light at the vampires, a bold move considering how much power those spells took. But she’d already accessed her inventory for a potion and downed it before Vek even got his character moving. His giant warrior barreled down the alley like a modern Leroy Jenkins.

  The wolves at the end of the alley charged, and despite Dria’s quick spell-casting, she and Vek were defeated in moments. As the spawn point popped up on the screen, Vek cursed and smacked his controller down beside him. Huffing, Dria dropped her head against the back of the couch.

  “What were you trying to say before I got us killed?” Vek grumbled.

  Fen smirked. “I was trying to warn you not to go down that alley. Gotta say, Dria has promise, but you may be hopeless. You hadn’t even drawn your sword.”

  “I forgot the button.” Vek glared at the controller as though it was supposed to do everything itself. “But that’s not what I meant. You said something about a phone?”

  “It seemed like a good idea, but now I’m not so sure.” His uncle’s scowl deepened, increasing Fen’s amusement. Vek might know a great deal more about their heritage and blood magic abilities, but Fen was the master when it came to the human world. “There are a lot more buttons on a phone.”

  Straightening, Dria chuckled. “He’s not that bad. He showed me how to game, after all.”

  Vek scrubbed his hand across his pale face. “Something like that. Why do you keep playing this stuff? The story isn’t even accurate. The Bean Sidhe do deliver harsh news, but they don’t go out attacking people like that. Honestly, many of them live perfectly normal lives outside—”

  “Cut it, Captain Buzzkill.” Fen’s grin widened at his uncle’s blank stare. “Stop ruining the fun. It’s fiction. FIC. TION.”

  “Stressful fiction,” Vek muttered. “Anyway, I am no idiot. I can learn to operate a cell phone.”

  Of course his uncle could, but that wouldn’t stop Fen from pestering him. “Maybe,” Fen drawled. “If you can get past all of the controls, it would be useful. I bet you could both learn the spell to boost a cell signal. Or I could help set something up throughout the cave system. A call or text would be much faster than creating a portal to come find you.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Excitement lighting her eyes, Dria leaned forward. “How difficult is it to acquire one of these phones?”

  Fen shrugged. “An hour or two, probably. Damned store is always slammed.”

  Dria’s shoulders slumped. “We have to be back at the outpost soon. Kezari is traveling from Moranaia for a few hours to help fortify our protections against earth magic, and I believe she wants to scan for evidence of dragon magic after that report of a dragon sighting in the place called Scotland.”

  “Is she flying over there?” He’d met the dragon in passing a few times at the outpost, and she was…interesting. Though she was usually shifted into elven form when he saw her, he would never mistake her as one of the Moranaians. “Because Scotland is on another continent.”

  Dria’s eyes widened, but she didn’t comment on the distance. “I suppose that’s a dragon problem.”

  “Well, I can’t help with that,” Fen said. “But I can run by the wireless store and grab a couple of phones for you. It’ll cost me more to add a family plan, though. Turning good hasn’t been great for my bank account.”

  Vek waved a hand. “I will ensure you have ample wealth. Enough, I might add, to pay back those you have stolen from in the past.”

  Heat climbed up Fen’s neck. He’d been joking, but obviously his uncle thought he’d lived a life of crime. Sure, he’d done some fucked up shit after he’d made the mistake of joining Kien’s group, but he had never stolen anything he hadn’t needed for survival. Even that had been when he was far yo
unger.

  “Not cool,” Fen said softly before shoving to his feet. “You know what? You can get your own damned plan.”

  His uncle grimaced. “Forgive me if I caused offense.”

  “I’ve actually earned my own money for years, you know.” Fen set his shoulders. “Odd jobs here and there. Selling gems I mined and shaped with my own talents. But if you’d like to throw money at random grocery stores in my hometown, I guess you could pay them back for the food I stole when I first hit the streets.”

  “Fen—”

  “Sorry. Just…” Fen took a deep, calming breath. He’d been unusually sensitive since meeting his mother in person for the first time. He couldn’t seem to stop himself. “Just drop it. It’s been a long day, and I was hoping I could pop open my new game to relax.”

  After inviting Anna and Maddy over—but he sure as hell wasn’t mentioning that.

  His uncle’s somber expression didn’t fade at the weak attempt to lighten the mood, though he didn’t press for more discussion or waste time on another apology. Instead, Vek lifted the controller and jiggled it at Fen. “Fine, then. Come show us how it’s done.”