Ascent

by Bethany Adams

  Maddy sighed. “We both know Fen’s new house is perfect for all of us, as long you’re really okay being so close to the water, and he said he was happy with whatever. I hate to sell this place, though. It has a lot of good memories.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t,” Anna said thoughtfully. “You never know when an extra apartment could come in handy, and you have enough in savings to afford the mortgage and any upkeep.”

  True enough. Her father earned a great deal of money selling jewelry, and he’d set up an account for Maddy at an early age in case something happened to him. But she didn’t rely on it. For one thing, her fae blood meant an extended lifespan, complete with the need to relocate every few decades and reinvent her life. She’d done her best to add more to her funds than she took away so she wouldn’t have to stress about money when it was time to move on. Did she want to expend some of that cushion on the condo even if she wasn’t living there?

  “Oh!” Anna’s slight frown morphed into a surprised smile. “Here’s an idea. What if we leave a few basic furnishings and rent the place out? It could be a safe vacation condo for the fae or something. Or a place for allies to gather instead of drawing attention to our homes.”

  Maddy let out a relieved breath. Finally, a solution for one of the problems spinning in her head. “Good idea. Something like that would have been handy when Ralan was searching for his brother, Kien. Hey, instead of an Air BnB, we can have a Fae BnB.”

  “Sounds like a great way to share some of the happiness this place has given us.”

  “We can see what Fen thinks, and if he agrees, I’ll talk to my dad about setting up a business.” Maddy squeezed Anna’s hand. “Thanks, my love.”

  Maddy’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she tugged it out to find a message from Anthony. Finally. Sparrow said if you want to check her again, that’s fine. I don’t think she was too sure about your friend’s uncle. Can you swing by after nine? I know it’s late, but she has to work.

  “You feel like going by Anthony’s place later?” Maddy asked Anna. “He said Sparrow is willing to see me, but it won’t be until nine-ish.”

  Anna smiled. “Why don’t we go by your parents’ house on the way? It’s Sunday, so the shop is already closed.”

  “Without Fen?” Maddy typed a quick answer to Anthony and shoved the phone back into her pocket. “It doesn’t seem right to announce our mating with just two of us there.”

  “I know, but…” Anna bit her lip. “Your mom is likely to be upset, considering how she reacted at the shop. Maybe fewer people would make it better?”

  Maddy shook her head. “Together. Let’s finish packing what we want to take tonight, and if Fen’s done in time, we’ll go together. If not, we’ll wait until tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” Anna said with a nod. “But I’ll have to call my parents since they’re out of town.”

  “True.”

  After Anna gave her a kiss and left, Maddy flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, trying not to let her thoughts return to all that could go wrong. Instead, she inventoried the furniture and made a list of what she would prefer to take instead of leave. Though she supposed she would have to talk to Anna and Fen so they could agree on a plan for the new place.

  It was about to become theirs and not just his.

  Chapter 25

  Fen followed Vek through a gap in the cave wall, the narrow gash disappearing in the shadows at the end of the hallway where Fen had his room. He’d explored the entire cave system with his magic at this point, so the spot wasn’t new to him. Unlike the thin, snaking corridor his uncle had created beyond the natural opening. He must have added this before the Seelie envoy’s arrival.

  Bemused, Fen slipped sideways through a tight spot and inched along until it opened into an area just large enough for him and Vek to stand side by side. “Nice handiwork.”

  Vek scowled. “But heavy on the energy. Why do you think I wanted you to help carve out that other room? Now I won’t have to take much from Dria.”

  “I thought your mate was more than willing to donate.”

  “Oh, she is.” Vek’s expression turned even darker. “But not during sex. She’s afraid I’ll lose control of the life magic after Aris’s warning.”

  Fen shouldn’t laugh. He really, really shouldn’t.

  So of course, he did.

  “Sucks for you,” Fen joked. Then he laughed harder. “Or not.”

  Vek flashed his fangs. “Shut the fuck up, Fen.”

  “Oh, no, not me, too,” Fen was able to get out. “Put those fangs away before I end up pregnant.”

  If Vek had ever planned to do Fen harm, he surely would’ve done it now. But then his uncle’s expression turned mocking. “You don’t have to worry about life magic yourself, but you do have two mates now. Both women. And the Felshreh tend to be fertile if precautions aren’t taken. I’m sure you remembered that earlier.”

  That cut through Fen’s humor, and his laugh turned into a choked groan that had his uncle smirking. Not that Fen cared. Damn. None of them had considered birth control the first or second time, which meant both women could end up pregnant. Sonofa… He’d barely started getting his own shit together. Having two infants dependent on him at the same time was scarier than any danger he’d ever faced.

  And he’d spent years evading Kien’s torture sessions.

  Vek slapped him on the shoulder. “Relax. I was only joking.”

  “It…might be an actual concern.”

  “Well, hell,” Vek said. “I didn’t intend my jest to hit you so harshly. For what it’s worth, I think you would make a good father, and you have family and allies to help. Your mother hasn’t even truly disowned you, you know.”

  Fen hadn’t known, but at the moment, he didn’t exactly care. “Great. Can we get this stupid spell over with so I can return to Maddy and Anna? They might want to think about this lovely bit of news themselves.”

  With a shrug, Vek slid the pad of his thumb across his fang until a bead of blood welled up. Fen watched carefully as his uncle wiped the drop of blood across a jagged section of the stone wall, activating a spell he must have already imbued inside. A piece of the wall swung inward, and Fen peeked over Vek’s shoulder at the small chamber.

  Smaller than Fen had expected, honestly. Three or four people could stand comfortably in the cylindrical room—a couple more if they were really friendly. A handful of mage lights were embedded in the walls, illuminating the space well enough to make it seem less stuffy. The floor was level beneath his feet as he followed Vek inside, and no rough edges poked his ass when he sat on the ground.

  “You’ve been practicing your earth magic,” Fen said as the stone door slid closed.

  Vek lowered himself to the floor. “I had to do something with all that spare time now that I don’t have you around to pester me.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Fen’s lips twisted at the guilt trip. “Because we spent every moment together before I decided to go out on my own a whole two days ago. And really, I spent almost no time alone at your house while you enjoyed having a new mate. Practically had to chase you off.”

  A surprised bark of laughter slipped from Vek’s lips. “Point taken. And for what they are worth, you do have my apologies. I hadn’t intended to neglect you or to make you feel like a child these last couple of weeks. It might take Ara longer to accept your words, but I get it. Maybe you are still angry at me, but there is no need for us to be at odds. You were right to seek your own home and your own life. However, there are still things I must teach you. Learning has no age limit.”

  “Fair enough. I hadn’t intended to give up on learning about my heritage.” Fen sighed. “And I do accept your apology. I was more hurt than angry. Can’t promise you won’t piss me off again, but we’ll see.”

  Vek smiled wryly. “I can’t promise that, either.”

  “Also fair.” His tension easing, Fen glanced around the room. “I assume this blood portal is one of those things you want to teach me
.”

  “Partially.” Vek shrugged. “More than that, you should be included. Where I have a home, so do you. If Dria decides to return to Moranaia, we’ll set up a gate there, too. But I don’t see that happening in the near future.”

  Fen barely registered the last part of his uncle’s statement. He was too busy fighting back the rush of warmth—and guilt—that filled him at the first part. Frustration really had made him be a little too hard on Vek, though the cause behind their argument was true. He should have seen how many of his uncle’s actions were born of love, not condescension. Maybe a simple discussion would have solved their problem instead of an argument.

  “Are you paying attention, Fen?” his uncle asked, frowning.

  “Ah, yeah. I just…”

  Vek waved his hand. “Never mind. Let’s get this over with so we can return to our mates. The initial spell is easy enough, once you know the trick of it, but it’s also one that should be well guarded. And I’m not referring only to the knowledge of it. We’ll have to layer a great many protections through it since anyone with enough of our blood and enough skill could crack through the base spell otherwise. I’ll begin with shielding.”

  Fen’s head spun with worries about possible fatherhood and doubts about his recent reactions to Vek, but he pushed his inner turmoil to the back of his mind, at least as much as he could. “Okay. Show me what to do.”

  After connecting psychically with Vek, Fen closed his eyes and settled into his role as an observer. First, his uncle pulled forth a dark energy Fen had only seen him use in combat. The dull bundle of power sat above Vek’s palm, hissing as it strained to be set free. This was void magic, designed to eat through shields and destroy defenses. What good would that do in a shield?

  “Have you learned to use this type of energy?” Vek asked absently, his focus on his task.

  “No, but I think I followed what you did.”

  Fen held out his hand and closed his eyes, searching for the place in his mind he’d seen his uncle access. It took him a moment, but as soon as he found the channel, he activated it. Power filled his hand in a rush, until he instinctively cupped his other palm around the bundle to try to contain it. He cursed as his personal protective shields crumbled beneath the caustic magic. He hadn’t even considered the possibility of that.

  Vek’s magic swirled around Fen’s, steadying the power. “Sorry. You’ll need to learn how to integrate void magic into your shields, but this task should be helpful for that.”

  Fen watched as Vek merged the energy balls and wove another strand of magic through and around it. Studying the second type had Fen’s eyebrows lifting. The other stream did consist of the same type of void energy, but it was blended with Vek’s energy signature combined with a hint of blood magic. What was the point?

  He quickly found out.

  Without warning, Vek expanded the ball outward, somehow passing it through them without doing damage as he merged the power into the walls. “Void is excellent for hiding things from view, so long as you control it instead of letting it own you. It takes practice.”

  Fen chuckled. “It was a bit of a fail for me.”

  “Not at all.” Vek’s smile held none of its usual mocking glint. “You pulled out a reasonably steady amount of it. You’ll have it perfected in a few more lessons, perhaps even without my help. You mastered earth magic alone.”

  True enough, but Fen hadn’t had a choice in that. As long as he could remember, the Earth had called to him in gentle whispers he’d been helpless to resist. He’d started trying to use that magic early, and his skills had grown along with him in ways he would never be able to teach. Except for gleaning magic from blood, his Felshreh abilities hadn’t been that natural.

  “I hope you’re right,” Fen merely said. “That shit’s dangerous.”

  Vek nodded. “Very. While I’ve every confidence you could figure it out for yourself, I would rest easier if you work with me to master it. Or someone else trustworthy.”

  “I don’t want to stop training with you,” Fen muttered. “You’re going to be sore about this for a while, aren’t you?”

  “Perhaps only a decade,” Vek answered, chuckling. Then he gathered more energy between his hands. “Now. This wasn’t part of the original spell you saw in the Unseelie caverns, but it is a type of elemental shielding that seems prudent. Can you tell what it is?”

  Tentatively, Fen probed the magic his uncle held and discovered an interesting mixture. Water, earth, fire, air, and spirit were all blended and merged until the ball of energy contained each permutation. The cool slide of mud, the creeping hint of lava, the brush of mist against skin, the burning ache of passion—no element stood alone, except when it did. He’d never seen anything quite like it.

  “I’m not sure I can do that,” Fen admitted.

  “I picked this up from a mage I drank from a few years ago, so maybe not.” With a deft surge of power, Vek expanded the ball out and joined it with the edges of the void spell. “We’ll test your abilities later and see if you’ll need an alternative. I’ll have to find one myself once the borrowed skill fades.”

  Fen didn’t bother to comment, too busy watching as Vek layered shield after shield into the walls and floors of the room. Surely, this many spells would need frequent renewing. Magic untended often seeped back into the earth, losing its potency. Countless types of energy entwined to create this level of shielding? They would have to pour power into this place yearly, if not more often.

  “How are we going to maintain this?” Fen asked after his uncle finished the last shield. “What has kept the one in the Unseelie stronghold from sputtering out?”

  “I’ve contributed blood and energy to the effort over the centuries, but in this case, I have a different idea.” Vek tapped his knuckle against the stone floor. “And it has to do with earth magic.”

  Fen blinked. “Neither of us can draw power that way.”

  “True,” Vek agreed. “But I’ve been thinking about your connection to Earth. You might not pull energy from it, but you do resonate with this cave system in a way I’ve never seen. From what I’ve gathered, that’s how Kien exploited you. Didn’t you create a focal point for his poison spell? Crystals that the Moranaians learned to shatter.”

  Fen rubbed at the goosebumps popping up along his arms. This couldn’t be going where it sounded like it was going. “If you are thinking I’ll—”

  “Don’t say something you’ll regret,” Vek snapped. “You know very well I wouldn’t ask you to poison the outpost.”

  “No, I…”

  Bile scalded the back of Fen’s throat as the unexpected memories flooded his mind.

  “You agreed to help me of your own free will.” Kien smirked. “Tom.”

  The bastard knew that wasn’t his real name, but Fen was beyond challenging the mocking tone. The alias was all he had left to protect the ruins of his old life. “But you never said that punishing the full-blooded bastards who abandoned us here would hurt the Earth. If we have enough magic to rule over humans with the fae gone, why would we—”

  “I didn’t recruit you for your planning abilities.” Kien wiggled his knife toward the cave wall. “Pick a stone capable of holding the spell, or you’ll join all the others who have betrayed me. Perhaps I could use your blood to create the connection without having to deal with your whining.”

  Fuck. Kien would do it, too. He would carve Fen up and find a way to use his blood to make the situation worse. How did he always get himself involved in this shit? The only way out now would be death, and gods knew what a sicko like Kien could do with the energy he gleaned from killing a blood elf like Fen.

  He had to cooperate.

  Maybe he could find a way to mitigate the worst of it. At this point, he had no other choice but to try. “Forgive me,” Fen said around the lump in his throat. “I wasn’t trying to back out. I was hoping to have your word that my blood relatives will only be weakened, not killed.”

  Kien’s eyebrow ro
se. “You beg for mercy for the ones who abandoned you?”

  Not all of them had, but Kien didn’t know that Fen’s uncle had found him a few months before and tried to talk sense into him. “No. It is prudence. Weakened or not, the Unseelie assholes would hunt me down for sure if someone dies.”

  “Very well. You have my word.” Kien tapped the flat edge of his knife against his palm. “Now go harvest any crystals we’ll need.”

  Fen’s stomach roiled harder with each step closer to the cave wall. The Earth groaned beneath his feet in protest, almost as though it knew what it would be used for. Betrayal. This was the worst betrayal he could ever commit against the element that had always welcomed him unconditionally. How much would the land suffer for this poisoned energy?

  How many lives would be ruined because of him?

  If there was any sort of divine being out there, it had surely abandoned him, and for all he’d done, he deserved it. Oh, how he deserved it. As Fen settled his hand against the cave wall, a tear trickled down his cheek. At least Kien couldn’t see his face from this angle. Fen had to hang on as long as he could until he found a way to undo this.

  And he would never manipulate the Earth at another’s bidding again.

  After working, mating, and packing boxes, Anna’s body was heavy with exhaustion, but a strange restlessness had her tapping her hands against her knees as she sat beside Maddy on Anthony’s couch. It wasn’t the healing energy she could sense flowing between Maddy’s hands and Sparrow, and if there was anything wrong, Anthony didn’t seem to notice it. He was calmly studying on the loveseat. What the hell was her problem?

  Maddy’s magic cut off as she leaned back. “You’re clear. I guess Vek knew what he was doing after all.”

  “I just wish the actual cold had gone away with the poison,” Sparrow said with a sniffle.

  Anna ached at the uncertainty that crossed her love’s face, but at least there wasn’t the same level of pain Maddy usually displayed when she couldn’t heal someone. She still showed a touch of fear and regret, but not the agony of before.