The time for the Gifted to stand alone was over. We needed allies to win this war, and that meant we had to set aside old feuds. The rest of the Council did not want to lose any of their accumulated power or control in Europe, so I had been strongly shouted down. That is when I had moved my operations to America and founded the Ascendancy. With no one to answer to but myself, I had started to forge alliances that the rest of the Council strongly forbade. I was making one enemy in exchange for what I hoped would prove to be new allies.
I quickly dressed in my Council robes and headed toward the meeting chamber. I knew that we had one thing going for us, and it was that even if the Council acted now, it would months before they could send people to oppose us here in America. We had a large fighting force spread across the entire West Coast. I doubted they would risk sending people against us, but I could never be completely sure. I had sent Henry to get word to our Lycan partners. Fearing that the Council’s wrath would be more likely pointed at them, I wanted to make sure they could get the word out to others in Europe. The Lycans here in America were under my protection, and any harm done to them would have grave consequences.
The Council had refused me in Europe when I wanted to forge an alliance with one of our oldest enemies. It was only by pure luck that I had been able to form one here in America. Even now, that alliance was tenuous at best. The only thing making us stronger was the time we spent fighting together. I had given many Lycans high-ranking positions inside of the Ascendancy, forging many small partnerships by pairing every one of my Gifted warriors with a Lycan. They lived and died together for the same cause. Bleeding together to keep the world safe would only serve to make us stronger over time.
The Lycans knew the risks on both sides, working with the Ascendancy to kill the Demons, and what the Council would do if they thought the Gifted were in danger. Remembering that it had been our goal to wipe their entire race from Europe back in 1349—using the cover of the Black Death to burn their villages to the ground—it continued to surprise me even now that the Lycans that fled to America had been willing to work with the Ascendancy to stop the rise of the Demons.
As I entered the chamber, I was shocked to see the ethereal forms of the other seven Council members waiting for me. I poured a small amount of magic into the meeting stone so they would see me in their chambers as well. “Gentlemen, did I miss my summons for my testimony? Was I mistaken when I heard my assistant say that you were making a ruling?” I spoke the words with quiet authority. Having been in charge of the Council for a millennium meant that I did not have to raise my voice. I could see some of the Council bristle at my feigned ignorance of what was happening.
Byron was the first to speak. Having come from one of the oldest magical families, he was pompous and full of self-worth. “There is no need for your testimony, Adam. We have already come to a decision.” I could see the thinly veiled malice in his smile. Looking around the room, I could see that at least some of the Council had the dignity to look ashamed about what was happening, but none of them spoke out. It was easier to do the wrong thing when the person you were doing it to was half the world away.
Now I raised my voice to make sure they understood the severity of their decision. “So you have made a decision on a Council matter without hearing testimony from one of its members and without letting me speak as is my right as the current head of this Council.”
I noticed the smile turn into a frown on Byron’s face. Did he really think that I would step meekly into the night?
His smile returned as he started talking, his eyes alight with joy as he tried to humble me. “That would be true if you were still leader of this Council, not to mention a member of it. Our decision includes your removal from this Council and strips you of your title. For the crimes of consorting with and promoting others to consort and work with the subhumans known as Lycans, you have been found guilty of subverting your duty to your people. Furthermore, by continuing to spread lies about Demons rising from the depths with no substantial proof, you will pay a fine and be forced to publically denounce these lies. Although, because of your service to all of us in founding and maintaining the Council bond for so long, you will keep your place as head of the Ascendancy in North America.”
There were snickers from some of the other Council members at this. The Ascendancy apparently was not looked at as the threat that I thought it was. In the Council’s eyes, the Ascendancy must have seemed very weak, indeed, for them to leave me in charge of it as a punishment. It was a huge lapse in judgment for them to think that the power remained with them in Europe.
Byron continued to speak now, simply enjoying this final moment to talk down to me. “We will grace you with some of our youth so you can train them in America. The best and the brightest shall remain here in Europe so they can receive a proper education and training. Training that will reflect the values of the Council and of the predominant Gifted. Students shall be taught how to defeat the real threats to our race such as the Fallen and the dogs you love so much. A small annual stipend will be paid to you for your service. Outside of these miniscule payments, all further funding for the Ascendancy has been revoked.”
I bowed my head in feigning defeat. I wanted them to think that I had been truly brought down. The truth of it was they could have tried to do much worse. I had expected them to go as far as sending men to try and oppose me here in America. Something that I had not considered was the fact that they would not take the Ascendancy as a serious threat to their power. I also knew that I now had the chance to proceed as I wished as long as I could keep the true purpose of our organization hidden. By the time the Council started to take the Ascendancy seriously, our power would be too great for them to deny. “I accept the terms as you have laid them out before me.” When I looked up, I could see the disbelief on two of their faces, those would be the ones I would reach out to privately for information. The other five members only looked smugly satisfied to see their mightiest rival brought so low.
This was how the true Ascendancy was born, from the ashes of the Council and a society that I had founded in Europe. We had forged a new order that all members of the Ascendancy could be proud of. “Norvus Ordo Seclorum.” A new order of the ages. So for the Council’s eyes, I would keep up appearances in Europe. I would do as they asked by denouncing the Demons and their attacks on the Gifted. I would publicly break my alliance with the Lycans in Europe. I would sell the fact that the Ascendancy would bow to the Council’s new directives. I would let the world think that they had broken me.
In reality, I would use this time to strengthen my bond with the Lycans in America. We would need each other now more than ever. I would handpick members of the students the Council sent to us to grow and swell the ranks of the truly ascended. We would also have our pick of any of the Gifted born here in America. The influx of new blood to the Ascendancy would keep us strong for years to come. I would continue to grow its influence right under the Council’s very noses. I would work to ensure that when the Prophecy came to pass that we would be ready to act. Not all of the Gifted believed in the Prophecy, but I had spent my whole life as a believer, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the Prophecy became a reality.
One day, a boy would be born who would herald the final rising of the Demons. He would be born between a union of wolf and man. After his eighteenth year, he would kill a man, and this death would ensure the rise of a Demon lord from the depths. This Demon lord known as the Voice of the Abyss would try to prepare this world for the rise of her overlord. Once Adramelech had risen and the subjugation of humanity had begun, the world would be ready to fall. If the Gifted were to be vanquished, the Devil could easily make this reality his new playground. We would never be able to stop the Voice of the Abyss from rising, but we would be able to stop the Demons from taking our world. I have known for the last six hundred years that this day would come. I have dedicated my entire life to the fight. If they think that a few words will change that, the Cou
ncil is sorely mistaken.
Long live the Ascendancy.
Epilogue
Adam
The Ascendancy had started to work with the United States government back in 1906, shortly after the great San Francisco earthquake. There were Pretenders and Gifted still dedicated to following the old ways here in America, committing crimes against humans and abusing their powers. Our goal was to capture these abusers and create a place where the Ascendancy could hold them.
How to hide them, contain them, and question them securely was one of our greatest concerns. Keeping them inside a prison located next to any human city seemed too risky, and building a large-scale facility without the help of the government to hide it was unlikely. It came to my attention that there were rumblings in the government that the military base on Alcatraz was going to be converted into a military prison.
Through our hidden operatives in the military, we came up with a plan to build our prison under the buildings being converted to house military prisoners. We would use magic to fortify the island to make sure it was stable enough for us to dig deeper into the island’s heart. We also shrouded a small Island about a hundred yards off the shores of Alcatraz in an illusion to make it appear to be just a few sharp stones poking out of the water. We would use this island as our base of operations. It is where a prisoner would start his journey to our newly created facilities. The island itself would house our specially trained guards and would serve to dock our vessels when we transported prisoners to and from the facility.
A tunnel was constructed underwater to serve as our main access to the prison, but was one of two ways to enter or exit the prison. The other entrance was through the new cellblock being built by the government. We had created a secret door as an emergency escape for our guards if the prison was deemed to be a total loss or under a serious attack. We had magical safeguards set in the tunnel that would blow it out into the ocean, flooding our part of the prison and drowning anyone left inside of it. The warden of the prison was the only one who could activate the explosion. He could control it by the runes placed on his arm, or in the event of his untimely death, it would automatically flood the prison.
All of the guards were trained members of the Ascendancy. Almost all of them were Gifted, but we had also included five Lycan guards in order to maintain complete transparency with our new allies. Five guards had been stationed at the island entrance. Another twenty had been selected to patrol the prison itself. The guards worked on one-week-on, one-week-off scheduled rotations. This way, we could ensure that the guards were always fresh and well rested. We had also imbedded multiple members within the military to watch over and ensure the safety of our emergency exit. At no time were there less than ten guards in the prison with an additional five covering each exit.
The prison itself had separate security measures in place. It was solely created to house those of the Gifted that had gone astray and offered a temporary holding area for Pretenders we were questioning. Once received on the island, Gifted prisoners were fitted with a rune-covered silver bracelet. The runes and silver acted to dampen their abilities, and when combined with the runes etched into the prison’s foundation and walls, it completely nullified their ability to use their gift.
The prison was the first step in a long list of things I hoped to accomplish in America. Something that would set it apart from the way the Council ruled in Europe. We had a chance to right old wrongs and to create a better future for all of us. My goal was to convince the Pretenders to unite with Ascendancy. Until we all stopped trying to fight this battle independently, the Demons would be able to pick us off one at a time.
In addition to policing our own, we were still battling the Pretenders who were not abiding by the Accord that we had put in place. This made it hard for us to reach out to the very people we hunted, now hat-in-hand asking for their help to rid our world of a new threat. I could not let the past stand in the way of what would need to be done. All of the Pretenders had initially rejected my offers of an alliance. A few brave Lycan eventually stepped forward, leading us down the path we were on today.
A knock at the door brought me back from my thoughts. “Come in.” It was late, so I was curious to see who Henry thought was important enough to see me at this late hour. Henry walked in, closely followed by another man. He had the appearance of a human of about thirty with light brown hair styled after the dandies of Europe. The tweed suit he wore was expensive from the cut of it, and the gold chain stood out in stark contrast to the color of his vest. Outside of being dressed very well and carrying an air of authority, the man was not impressive physically. He was skinny, though his slight frame might belie his strength. But I could tell he was not in the fighting shape we would expect from one of our warriors. His appearance and demeanor tickled my interest just enough for me not to send him away.
Henry stepped forward and placed a sealed envelope in my hand. A cursory review let me know it had been sent by the Council. After handing me the envelope, Henry left the office, and I noticed that the man was still standing beside a chair instead of sitting. I motioned for him to take a seat as I reached for my letter opener. “You will find we tend to stand on far less ceremony here than you are used to.” I slid the opener under the fold in the envelope and looked up at the man. He was now sitting but with his back firm and straight. He looked uncomfortable to be here and not just from the way he was sitting. From his somewhat surly disposition, I could tell I would not like the contents of the letter. “Before I start to read this, is there anything you would like to say?”
He looked down and then back up at me, trying to hold my gaze. I was impressed he had a little steel in him after all. “My name is Joshua Stillman. I was sent here by the Council to find a place in your operation. I have been assigned the distasteful task of reporting back to the Council with updates on a monthly basis for the foreseeable future.”
I gave him a final look and could see that he actually felt the distaste that crept into his voice while speaking. I decided to read the letter before addressing the rest of the conversation that I knew was ahead.
Adam,
I hope this letter finds you well and that we can truly count on you to fulfill your end of our bargain. The Council is counting on you to restore faith in our followers and renounce these so called Demon attacks. The Gifted have a sworn duty to perform in protecting humanity from the Pretenders. We are not to make alliances with the subhumans. It is our duty to destroy them when necessary. I have sent one of our rising stars to oversee your operation to ensure you comply with our sanctions. Mr. Stillman should be placed in a position of prominence and treated with the greatest respect. He is there and empowered with the full faith and power of the Council behind him.
Sincerely,
Byron Whitehorn, Judicator of the Council
Mr. Stillman must have felt the pull of my power and noticed the ruddy color of my cheeks, because he visibly tried to shrink into his chair. His reaction brought me back to my senses, and I let the power I had pulled into myself go. He visibly relaxed as he felt the power ease out of the room. When I finally met his eye, I was again surprised to see that he was willing to hold my eye. Most men could not look me in the eye, but Joshua Stillman held my look without complaint. “Did you know what was in this letter?”
A smile just touched one side of his mouth, but only for a second. “I did not get to read it, but I ascertained what it would most likely be about during my conversation with the Council.”
I was impressed again that he did not fold or try to lie. “What do you think I should do with you now?”
For the first time, I could see that he had a genuine smile break out on his face. “I think you should put me to work. I want to contribute here in a meaningful way, not to just be stuffed in an office and locked away until I return to Europe.”
His response seemed to be made in earnest. I decided that I would give him a chance. If it did not work out, he would suffer the same fate that I am
sure the Council expected for him when they sent him here, death. I looked back down to my desk and moved some papers around before speaking. “Mr. Stillman, I do believe I can find a spot for you here fighting alongside us. Before you accept, there are two things you need to know. The first is that the Demon threat here is very real, and there is a chance that while fighting, you could be injured or killed. Secondly, you need to know that I have no intention of following the Council’s wishes in breaking my treaty with the Lycans. So you have a choice to make. You can stay and fight beside us, falsifying your reports to the Council, or you can go back home.”
Joshua looked back at me, his smile never slipping from his face. He leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other, while steepling his fingers together in thought. “I think we both know that if I left this office, I would not be going home. I accept your offer to fight alongside of the Ascendancy. I will submit my monthly reports to you before sending them off to the Council. Thank you for not killing me outright; many people told me that bringing this letter would be the death of me.”
I stood up and held out my hand to him. He grasped it with a firm solid grip, giving it a light shake before he tried to let go. I pulled him toward me while tightening my grip on his hand. “I should have killed you the second this letter touched my hand. Never forget you are a tool for me to use as I see fit. If I think you are trying to deceive me in any way, I will not hesitate to put you in the ground.”
Stillman pulled away and brought his hands up to straighten the lapels of his suit coat. It was very clear by the expression on his face that he finally understood where he stood with me, and exactly where he was going to fit into our organization.
Ascendancy Origins Trilogy Page 10
