Ascent

by Bethany Adams

  “I’m afraid I don’t have enough training for that,” Maddy replied. “Sorry. I’ll have to learn a lot more about how viruses affect the body first.”

  Anthony glanced up from his notes. “Need any textbooks? I have a few old ones the bookstore wouldn’t buy back.”

  As Maddy and Anthony started talking about the price and type of texts he had, Anna’s unease grew. She scanned the room for any sign of trouble, but calm blanketed this place—everywhere but inside her. She reached for Maddy, gripping her hand. Too tightly, if her expression was anything to go by.

  “What’s wrong?” Maddy whispered.

  “I don’t know.” Anna forced her fingers to relax. “Something is off, but I don’t think it’s here.”

  Maddy’s lips turned down, and Sparrow and Anthony both went quiet. “Could it be that Rianehd guy again?” Maddy asked.

  “No. The energy isn’t the same.”

  Abruptly, the discomfort surged into pain—emotional, not physical. Anna shoved her palm against her forehead and rubbed. The resonance reminded her of Fen, but it might have been her imagination. Had he gotten her text and freaked out? Her plan to confront Rianehd was daring but sound. Or could there be danger? God, she hoped it was her imagination.

  “Do you…”

  “Fen,” Maddy said, apprehension pinching her face. “I thought it was my own nerves before. We…we need to go.”

  Anthony and Sparrow exchanged confused glances, but Anthony set his notebook aside and hurried toward the door without asking any questions. “I hope everything is okay,” he said as he held the door for them. “And keep in touch? It would be cool to have friends with similar interests, you know?”

  Though nausea was creeping in, Anna did her best to smile. “Same here. Sorry to rush off.”

  “No worries,” he said. “Y’all go help Fen.”

  Hopefully, they could. Whatever was happening in the outpost, it didn’t seem good.

  Chapter 26

  “Fen!” Vek’s voice sliced through the memory, jolting Fen back in the present. “Snap out of it, or I’ll use the shock spell Dria showed me.”

  Shakily, Fen settled his arms onto knees he hadn’t remembered raising and then lowered his forehead to rest atop them as he searched for his equilibrium. What the hell had happened to him? He’d had plenty of nightmares over the years, but he’d never been drawn into a memory so vividly. His heart pounded, and acrid fear coated his mouth.

  “Or I could always break your video game system.”

  “I already went back and got it,” Fen said, his voice rough and low. “What kind of dumb as fuck threat is that, anyway?”

  Vek huffed. “I wasn’t going for the truth. I wanted results, which I would say I got since you’re talking now.”

  “Typical.”

  But Fen found himself smiling slightly despite it all. It was typical, and normalcy helped to steady the weird tumult that had claimed him. With a groan, he lifted his head to face his uncle’s worry—and maybe censure. They had serious work, and he’d just disrupted it.

  “Stop with the ‘someone is about to hit me’ look, Fen.” Vek slumped, his expression wearier than it had been after hours of performing magic. “I should have considered that you would react poorly to such an idea. Your work with earth magic is always so seamless that it didn’t occur to me that you still had issues.”

  Fen slid his palms against the cave floor and sighed at the trickle of warmth that filled him. “I once vowed to work for the Earth’s benefit, but I betrayed that when I was caught up in Kien’s plan. I’ve spent hours in communion, seeking atonement, and I believe that has mostly been granted. I’m able to work with my element, though I don’t dare to delve too deep. But I am the one who harvested the crystals that Kien used for his poison. Me. I have never asked to be granted such a precious piece of the Earth again. These days, I only claim gemstones I happen to find. If you’re thinking to use a crystal to anchor this spell, it would require calling forth something special.”

  His uncle nodded, no sign of disappointment in his demeanor. “Then we’ll use the old method. Dria might be able to contribute energy since I am linked to her, but if not, it should cause little hardship for me to renew the spells myself when needed.”

  Not no hardship, of course. That would have been a lie, and they both knew it. This type of Felshreh-exclusive transportation gate would get more use than the one in the Unseelie realm since Fen couldn’t cast the other type of portals Vek, Dria, and the other mages used at the top of the outpost. His uncle might claim that this effort was in the name of security, but Fen suspected it was for Fen to have easy access. And he couldn’t even get up the nerve to help set up an energy renewal method.

  Dammit. No. Kien had taken much from him, and the rest Fen had thrown away. This was another thing he could reclaim, if he dared to reach out. Maybe he would be rebuffed, but the cave had granted him its memories a couple of days before when he’d been moping in the bathing room. That could have been a sign. If the Earth hated him, he wouldn’t be able to work with it with such ease.

  “Let me try,” Fen said.

  Scowling again, Vek leaned forward. “After that? I don’t think so.”

  “I thought you were going to stop treating me like a child,” Fen retorted despite his uncle’s dark expression. “Now that the surprise is over, I believe I can do this. Allow me the chance.”

  Vek studied him for far too long, but Fen didn’t flinch. He was tired of cowering, evading, and denying. He’d made it through the dark memory, and he would make it through all the others. Now, he had a purpose—mates to care for and an Earth to protect from future poison. Everyone needed a starting point for their ascent.

  This could be his.

  Finally, Vek nodded. “If I have to shock you with Dria’s spell—”

  “It’ll be straight to the balls,” Fen finished for him. “Considering how often Dria threatens you with that, I’m guessing that’s how you learned the spell in the first place.”

  “I assure you she has a better use for my balls.” Vek smirked. “Now stop being an asshole and get to work.”

  Tuning out his uncle, Fen closed his eyes and let himself sink downward until he merged with the cave. A shallow link, at first, but one he gradually strengthened. Bit by bit, until he was lost in the story of the mountain’s creation once more. He cycled through the minerals he detected, most of them useless for his purposes. But…fluorite. It held energy well, and there was an abundance of it in the area.

  If the Earth would grant it.

  Fen took in a deep breath and held it for a second before releasing the air in one long rush. Breathe in. Breathe out. He could do this. As he had once done so easily, he let himself go completely until there was nothing but the heartbeat of the ground beating in his chest. The slow, immortal spirit of Earth wrapped around and through him.

  This is what I need, Fen sent out. And this is why.

  It might have been moments before he received his answer, or entire continents might have formed around him. It didn’t matter. Slowly—so slowly—the cave answered his call. Beneath his hands, the ground hummed and warmed as bits of fluorite ascended like wood bobbing up in the water.

  As the floor became bumpy beneath his hands, Fen opened his eyes. In a rough circle between him and Vek, a solid patch of fluorite had risen. He barely had time to marvel at it before Vek was directing him on how to link earth energy through the fluorite to the shielding and then the transportation spell itself. The Earth had answered.

  Following Vek’s command, Fen slid his fang across his forearm, just enough to draw blood, and spilled the precious liquid onto the stones for the last part of the spell. He didn’t feel the pain. Honestly, he was too numb with shock to do more than participate by rote.

  The Earth had answered.

  Maddy and Anna reached the shop in record time, and for once, Maddy didn’t care what anyone on the street might think about people entering well after business hours.
She barely remembered to set the security system behind them before leading the way to the break room that held the embedded gate to the outpost.

  In moments, Maddy had the spell activated and waved Anna through before following. It didn’t matter that the turmoil she’d sensed from Fen had faded—they had to find him now. Unfortunately, she’d forgotten the guard stationed at the door that exited into the rest of the outpost. She and Anna came to an abrupt stop when the woman drew her sword and took a step forward.

  “Halt,” the warrior commanded.

  “We’re here to find Fen,” Maddy hurried to explain, though she was careful to keep her hands lax, palms outward, at her sides. “Dria keyed me into this gate herself after my last visit.”

  The guard didn’t yield. “I’m afraid I’ll have to check on your claim.”

  Maddy wanted to groan with frustration, but it wouldn’t do any good. The woman was just doing her job, and it was Maddy’s bad luck to arrive when a guard she hadn’t met was on shift. “Fine. But please hurry.”

  Thankfully, the warrior didn’t have to. Dria rushed through the door and waved the guard off. “I sensed your gate activate. What’s wrong? Fen didn’t tell me you were coming by tonight.”

  “We weren’t,” Anna said, her hand wrapping around Maddy’s. “Until we felt Fen in distress. Where is he?”

  Dria cast a quick, meaningful look back at the guard. “The other room. Come on.”

  Even though Dria didn’t appear to be upset, Maddy’s anxiety cranked up at the vague answer as they followed the mage into the large room beyond the door. Maddy slowed in surprise to see that a carpet lined the walkway between the natural stone columns. There was even a sitting area with chairs and a massive mirror over to the side. Hadn’t this room been empty when they’d last visited?

  But she didn’t stop to ask. Instead, Maddy followed Dria and Anna out to the spiral staircase that connected the various floors of the cavern. Only when they descended a few levels and slipped into the more informal meeting room did Maddy lose patience.

  “What’s going on?”

  Dria lifted her shoulders. “I have no idea. Vek and Fen left to create some kind of Felshreh-specific spell some time ago, but neither one has contacted me. As far as I know, everything is fine.”

  “Then why the secrecy up there?” Anna asked, gesturing toward the ceiling.

  “Vek doesn’t want anyone to know the details about his spell with Fen,” Dria answered. “Seems kind of pointless since only a Felshreh can activate it, anyway, but you know how the Unseelie are.”

  Maddy tapped her toes inside her shoes. “We’re Fen’s mates. Surely, we’re allowed to approach.”

  “I don’t see why.” Dria stared at her with an unflinching gaze. “I’m Vek’s mate and the leader of the outpost, but I’ve been asked to stay clear, too.”

  Anna slipped her hand into Maddy’s. “But something is wrong.”

  “Not to be rude,” Dria began, “but are you certain? Vek would have called for me.”

  The door swung open, and the two men in question stumbled through, both surprisingly pale even for them. Fen froze, alarm filling his gaze, as Vek closed the door with a trembling hand. Anna let go of Maddy and rushed forward, reaching Fen’s side before Maddy could react.

  “What’s going on?” Fen asked.

  Maddy almost wanted to laugh. “You’re asking us that?”

  “We were going to meet at my house. Or our house now, maybe.” Fen rubbed his knuckle against the bridge of his nose. “I’m too tired to figure it out.”

  “You were upset,” Anna said as she slipped her arm around his waist.

  Fen lowered his own arm over Anna’s shoulders. “You felt that?”

  Vek snickered. “They’re your mates, idiot. I should have sent Dria a warning.”

  Maddy barely gave Vek a glance. She was too busy trying to get her legs to work, but her body felt frozen by the aftereffects of fear. What was wrong with her?

  “I’m fine, loves,” Fen said softly. “I had a panic attack, but it wasn’t Vek’s fault. Just the price of having shitty memories to relive.”

  The pain in his words gave Maddy the energy to move. Uncaring about her audience, she dashed across the space between her and her mates. Anna and Fen pulled her in, and they stood together, absorbing and sharing the pain until it settled into something dull and distant.

  “I was afraid my text upset you,” Anna said softly as they finally separated.

  “What would have upset him?” Maddy asked, confused. Nothing bad had happened to her or Anna while they’d been parted. “He already said he didn’t care which house we chose.”

  Anna blanched. “Oh, no. I was going to talk to you about it after we packed, but I got distracted by checking on Sparrow and then rushing here. I’m sorry.”

  “Hell,” Fen muttered. “I haven’t even seen the text, but I get the feeling we’re going to want to sit down for this discussion.”

  Uneasiness curled through Maddy at the worried look on Anna’s face. This wasn’t going to be something simple. Would they ever find a semblance of normal?

  With the spell completed and the euphoria of victory fading, Fen would have rather collapsed in his bed next door than have a discussion. Hell, he hadn’t even noticed Maddy’s and Anna’s energies nearby, despite the worry radiating off of them. But he was aware of them now, and there was no way he could sleep without finding out what was wrong. Not with the thread of guilt he’d heard in Anna’s voice. So once again, he found himself stretching out in one of the meeting room chairs when he would prefer to be in bed.

  This time, though, Maddy sat on the arm of his seat and extended her wrist. “Take some of my blood before you pass out.”

  “You don’t have to give me energy,” Fen murmured.

  Maddy rolled her eyes. “You obviously need it, and I don’t care. It’s not like you haven’t bitten me before.”

  His body heated at the memory of the last time he’d tasted her blood. Hell. He couldn’t look at her while he did this, or he would never get his dick under control. But he couldn’t resist trailing his fingers gently down her arm before cradling her wrist in his hands. With a quick brush of magic, he cast the spell to numb her skin. Then he pressed the tip of his fang against her flesh until the slightest drop welled up for him to taste.

  Sweet sunshine, just like Maddy. Fen smiled against her wrist as he drew in a little of her energy. Far from enough to replenish what he needed, but his exhaustion eased with the influx. Quickly, he sealed the tiny wound, but he twined his fingers with hers instead of letting her go. She tugged her hand free, only to slide into his lap so she wouldn’t be uncomfortable on the arm of the chair.

  Fen searched for Anna, half-hoping she would join the pile even though the chair wasn’t large enough, but she smiled hesitantly at them from the seat to their left. What could she have texted him to have her so worried? He pulled his phone from his pocket as Vek and Dria sat in the other two chairs. Based on Vek’s sudden strength, Dria must have been giving him some of hers.

  Damn, he really was tired—he couldn’t even summon the energy to make a joke at his uncle’s expense.

  Fen unlocked his phone and scrolled through his missed notifications until he found Anna’s text. He read it once. Then a few more times. She couldn’t be serious. Use herself as bait? His first instinct was to tell her no, but she was his mate, not his kid. She would do what she decided was best.

  “I’m not sure about this,” he finally said.

  The others gave him curious glances, since they hadn’t seen the text, but Anna’s nose wrinkled in reaction to his words. “I’m not either, but it makes sense.”

  “In a spy movie or suspense novel.” Fen let Maddy snatch the phone from his hand to read the message for herself. “Does that happen in real life?”

  Maddy’s fingers tightened around his phone. “I don’t think we should find out. Honestly, Anna, you’ve been writing too many mysteries lately. If this guy is M
eren—”

  “Meren?” Vek barked, leaning forward in his seat. Menace poured off of him like the void magic had earlier, raising the hair on Fen’s arms even though the anger wasn’t directed at him. “You have seen him?”

  Anna didn’t flinch as she met Vek’s gaze. “A man approached me at work earlier and offered to tell me information about my bloodline if I met him at the park. He used some kind of spell on me to get me to cooperate, so I followed through. He introduced himself as Lord Rianehd. Rianehd…Orsah? Orsad? I can’t remember exactly.”

  A curious blend of surprise and anger worked across Vek’s face. “Orsed, I would wager. The ancient line or ancient one is what it would mean in the Seelie Sidhe tongue, and it was the given name of Queen Tatianella’s father. Rianehd a Orsed, he said?”

  “That’s it,” Anna said. “I’m fairly confident.”

  “Then Meren or not, we may have a problem.” Vek tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair. “Someone willing to call himself ‘The Unknown King of the Ancient Line’ can’t be good news, especially not if he’s claiming to be the literal son of King Orsed.”

  Maddy shuddered, and Fen tightened his arm around her waist in reassurance. She was the only one of them with Seelie Sidhe blood, so she was most likely to be affected by turmoil in their court. Then again, Meren had some kind of plan for Fen, and the maybe-Meren stranger was toying with Anna. Who knew?

  “I still can’t believe I fell under his control,” Anna whispered.

  Vek flicked out a hand. “It can happen to anyone who doesn’t know the proper shielding, and that skill can be learned. Why do you think he might be Meren?”

  Anna shrugged. “He used water magic and claimed to be a Sidhe lord? It didn’t occur to me at the restaurant because this guy’s hair was short, and the person who attacked Fen in the river had very long hair. Apparently, lunch-rush me forgot the existence of scissors. And magic.”