Ascendancy Origins Trilogy

by Bradford Bates

  When he spoke, the words had an edge to them I had not heard from his voice until now. “You will also be indebted to me, for one favor to be called upon at the time of my choosing. It seems you are popular down below, and being able to call upon your services has a substantial value attached to it.”

  This time, Joshua did more than nudge me. He spun me around full circle. His hands were resting on my shoulders, his fingers digging hard into the flesh of my back. “You can’t possibly be considering this, John. It is our only job to make sure filth like this doesn’t get to survive. You cannot make a deal with this thing, even to save her! No one life is worth more than our cause.”

  Reaching up, I slapped his hand away from my shoulders and pushed him away from me. “I will do whatever it takes to save her, whatever it takes! Her importance to our cause is just as vital as my love for her. If you do not have the stomach to do what is necessary, then you can wait for me outside.”

  Elijah continued to smile; he knew that he had won. I would do whatever was required of me to save her. Joshua walked toward the door. He looked back at me once and said, “What you are doing is a mistake; you are putting all of us at risk.” Without looking back again, he exited the shop, slamming the door closed behind him.

  His concerns were not enough for me to leave. “You have your deal, warlock, now get to work.”

  He held his hand out to me. “Shake on it.”

  The creature’s hand was cold to the touch now, his bargain with the Demon already fulfilled. As we shook hands, I pulled him closer to me. “Know this, warlock. If this potion doesn’t work, I will find you and kill you. Our bargain will mean nothing to me.”

  He broke our handshake and walked through the door into the back of his shop. Over his shoulder, he called, “Wait here.”

  Wiping my hand off on my pants, I let out a sigh. This might be the end of my life in the Ascendancy. It was less than a week ago that Adam had been talking to us about being the heads of any location we wanted. Now here I was breaking one of our most cardinal rules. Everything in my gut told me that I had made the wrong choice, that instead of making this deal, I should let her go. My heart screamed at me louder, filling me with the sense of righteous purpose. There was no way I could live my life knowing that I had not done everything in my power to save her. If that meant I had to be under the thumb of this insignificant little man, then so be it.

  All I could see from my vantage point was the closed door. I was tempted to go back into his workshop, but did I really want to know just what he was putting together? A cold red light pulsed under the door, and the sound of an incantation reached my ears. It was in a language I was unfamiliar with, guttural in nature, and unpleasing to the ear. The sound of bottles being moved around came to me as the chanting faded. The red light faded and then was gone completely. There was a small hiss, and then shuffling footsteps coming back toward me.

  Emerging from the back room, the warlock stepped toward me. He handed me a clear vial full of a thick, purple liquid. It seemed to swirl and bend with the light. I watched him, unsure of what to do next.

  That wide, disgusting smile reached epic new proportions. Our deal had been sealed. He started ushering me toward the door. “Pour half of this liquid into her mouth and the other half where she was wounded. The potion should react very quickly; the results will be painful but should save her life.”

  “Should? Remember what I told you warlock; if she dies, I am coming for you.”

  The smile slipped from his face, if only for a moment. “Then we should know by tonight what fate will bring for us all.”

  With that, he placed a hand on my back and shoved me out of the door. I heard the door slam behind me, and the bolts being thrown into place, as if a locked door could stop me from coming back in. Now I was just wasting time, still upset that I had made the bargain at all. Would it be worth it to save her life? I hoped so. Joshua was already waiting in the car as I jogged over; we headed back to Sarah in silence.

  12

  John

  The large gates to the base swung open on our arrival. I was surprised to see that Adam was there waiting for us. He should have been with Sarah, unless I was already too late. I felt my heart sink with the thought. Joshua let out a sigh beside me, and I knew then that he had found some way to get Adam a message while I had dealt with the warlock. I was angry with him, but at least that meant that Sarah was still alive.

  I got out of the car and rushed toward Adam. I needed him to assuage my doubts and fears. “Why are you not with Sarah, is she okay?”

  Adam gave Joshua a quick glance and then focused on me with a new fire burning in his eyes. “Tell me that you did not make the deal with the warlock! Assure me that you did not offer it a favor in return for helping you.”

  I tried to brush past him without giving an answer. “I don’t have time for this; I must see Sarah at once.”

  Adam moved to stand in front of me, blocking my way to her. “John, nothing is more important than our war against the Demons. Sarah would rather die than see you under their thrall. We all swore an oath.”

  He continued to stand in my way. “It’s easier to uphold that oath when you are the one dying, harder for those of us that have to keep on living with the memory of letting her die. Now get out of my way and let me live with the burden of my choices.”

  Adam stepped aside, and I ran toward the door of the healer’s room. I could hear Adam and Joshua following behind me, but neither of them could match the intensity of my need to see her. If they tried to stop me from using the potion, then I needed to be ready to do whatever it took to get it to her. I had not made this deal lightly, and I would not let it go to waste now.

  I charged through the door, intending to dump the potion into her wound before they could stop me. The sight of her brought me sliding to a halt. Her body was emaciated, like she had been starving for weeks. Black veins stood out against her pale skin. Was I too late? Had the bargain only been a ploy to waste my time? I stepped toward her, placing my hand on her feverish forehead. I brushed the hair gently away from her face and placed a kiss on her lips.

  Adam burst into the room, shouting for me to wait. The words died on his lips as he saw me bent over her. I looked at her with love, she was still beautiful, still mine. I hoped that she could hear me as I mumbled words of love into her ear.

  I looked up at Adam, tears streaming down my face. “Tell me again why I should wait, Adam. Explain to me your plan for saving her. Tell me there is something left for you to do.” The woman I loved lay dying in front of me, and he wanted me to watch it happen.

  He reached out and placed a loving hand on my shoulder. It took all of my strength not to knock it away. I knew he was trying to offer me comfort, while silently asking me to make a decision that I could not make.

  When he spoke, the words came out softly, almost as a whisper, “There is nothing left that I can do for her. The choice is yours to make. Just remember that nothing is freely given by the Demons. You have placed yourself at their mercy, and possibly doomed us all. What will you do if this potion does something worse, what if it places her under their control? Would you be able to stand against her then, or would you join her?”

  He removed his hand from my shoulder and stepped back, offering one last bit of wisdom. “You know this isn’t right, John. End this madness.”

  I stood and pulled the vial from my pocket, half tempted to shatter it against the wall in frustration. For a lifetime, I had been working to stop the Demons at any cost, but now that cost was too great. I could not bear the burden of her death as Adam had asked me to do. Sarah would have never given up on me, no matter the cost to herself. I would not let her down.

  I popped the cork from the top of the vial and poured the liquid on her wounded leg. It started to bubble and hiss as it made contact. I could only assume that meant it was working. Moving back toward her head, I tilted it gently back and emptied the rest of the contents into her mouth. Laying her b
ack down, I covered her mouth with another kiss. I whispered my only thought into her ear, “Come back to me.” And then I stepped away.

  The deed was done now, and I heard Joshua behind me let out a not so silent swear. Adam only let out a sigh. I knew he was thinking of the risk I now posed to all of us, and if he could even keep me around until my bargain with the Demon was fulfilled. If he could even take me back once I had done whatever they had asked. They were the same thoughts that swirled around my mind as I watched Sarah for any kind of reaction.

  The wound on her leg still bubbled; the purple liquid flowing out of it was now tinged with black. The veins around her leg started to fade. It was working. It had to be. Her body began to shake on the table, slowly at first and then with a more violent urgency. I rushed forward holding her down, thinking of what I would do to the warlock if his potion had failed. I was terrified that I had put my faith in such a creature, and now I could be paying the price.

  A groan escaped her lips and her body went limp. The moment grew into seconds, and turned into minutes. She still had not moved. I could no longer feel her heart beating in her chest. I fell to my knees, tears streaking down my face. Uncontrolled sobs ran through me. How could I be forced to live without her, what kind of cruel God would wish that upon me? My tears were finally spent; I stood back up and climbed onto the table beside her. I pulled her cold body into me for what would likely be the last time and kissed the back of her neck.

  I murmured into her ear, “Fight for me, my love. This is your last chance to fight for us.”

  I pressed my face against her neck, and I could feel the tears coming again. Adam had started to move forward to take me away. I raised a shield of power over the two of us. Nothing would end my time with her before I was ready. The tears began to fall again, washing away the anger that was building. My life had been reduced to rubble; it was over before it really had the chance to begin. I kept my arms wrapped around her, hoping that she would somehow wake up.

  I must have fallen asleep for a moment. My grief had overwhelmed me. I moved to get up, and I felt a small bit of warmth from where I touched her skin. Had my body just kept it warm as she had passed away? I reached down and touched her hand. It was warm. I pressed myself against her again and could feel the gentle rhythm of her chest as it rose and fell against mine. This time, when the tears came, they were tears of joy. She was alive; it had worked. Damn the costs. Even if I died tomorrow, it was worth it. I released the shield from around us and climbed off of the table.

  I looked back and Adam was still there, the same emotional rollercoaster had just rocked him. I was surprised to see that he had been crying, after over a thousand years of life, he still could find compassion inside of himself. Joshua had a look of shock on his face. Adam moved toward him and whispered something in his ear. Joshua gave me one last look and walked from the room.

  Adam came and stood next to me. I still had not let go of her hand. I did not want to stop touching her until she was awake again. I looked at Adam. “Promise me no matter what happens to me, or whatever decision you make about my fate, that you will always keep her safe.”

  For the first time since I had come back from making my deal with the warlock, a smile touched his face. It helped to ease the worry marks on his creased brow as he spoke. “She will always have a place here with us. I am glad that she is recovering; I thought that despite your efforts, she had slipped away. We will have to talk about what you did; it was reckless and put all of us at risk. I need your word that no matter what the Demon asks of you, that you come and tell me what it is before you act upon it.”

  I kept Sarah’s hand in mine, only thinking that I did not want to let her go. I knew Adam was waiting for my answer, but it just seemed so trivial compared to what I was doing at that moment. Hopefully soon we could be alone again. “I promise you that when that day comes, I will tell you whatever it is, no matter how small the task.”

  Adam gave my shoulder one last squeeze and started heading toward the door. “Only time will tell how much your decision has cost us.” His statement hung in the air like a dark cloud as he left the room.

  I picked up Sarah in my arms and carried her back to our rooms. I knew she would be more comfortable waking up in our bed than on the healer’s table. She was as light as a feather. Once she woke up, we would have to see about fattening her up. It would most likely be a slow road to a full recovery, but we had all the time in the world.

  I stripped her out of her blood- and potion-soaked clothes and laid her down on the soft white sheets of our bed. I covered her with a blanket before getting undressed and crawling into bed with her. I pulled her body close and fell asleep.

  I woke up to the feeling of a hand stroking through my hair. My heart was pounding as I turned to face her. She was awake, and her beautiful brown eyes were locked onto mine. The color had already started to return to her skin, and the wounds she had suffered in our battle with the serpent were healed. Where the serpent’s tooth had pierced her leg, there was a faint scar. I doubted that it would ever go away. It would stand as a reminder to me of just how close I had come to losing her. She continued to run her fingers through my hair as we lay there looking at each other. I leaned in and gave her a kiss. “I love you.”

  Sarah’s eyes had never left my own when she pulled me into another kiss. As our lips broke apart, she mumbled against them, “I love you, too.”

  She tried to get up from the bed then, and I pulled her back toward me. “Just where do you think you are going?”

  She pointed down at the grime and blood still covering her. “I think I need a shower, and from the smell, so do you.”

  “That’s a real nice thing to say to the man who saved your life.”

  “I didn’t say I wanted to shower alone.” She walked away from the bed toward the bathroom, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I lay back down for a moment and thanked my lucky stars. Since the day she entered my life, it had only gotten better each and every day. Not wanting her to get all of the hot water, I pulled myself from bed and followed her into the shower.

  Water had always seemed to be able to wash the weight of the world off of my shoulders. Standing in the warm water, the emotions from yesterday slowly washed down the drain. Everything was right back to where it needed to be, and I had Sarah back in my life. She was healed, and we were together. That would always be enough for me. I pulled her into my arms and gave her a kiss. The warmth of her body made the shower water feel cool to the touch.

  I leaned over further to kiss her neck. “You are never allowed to leave me.”

  She looked up into my eyes, water streaming around her face. She hooked an arm around my neck pulling me into her for another kiss. Her lips were like fire, the smallest touch made me shiver. She breathed into me, “And I never will.”

  Her legs found their way around my back, and I leaned forward using the wall to support us. Slowly our passion consumed us, we rocked against each other sliding down the wall to the floor of the shower. Our embrace never broke. The glass walls of our shower fogged from the heat we were creating, our bodies moved together as one.

  Slowly we pulled apart; our passions had been satisfied for the moment. The comfort I felt just being in her arms consumed me. There was nothing that I would not do for her; she was my world. I kissed her again, and energy seemed to ignite around us. It was as if our souls had joined together. Having almost lost her once, I couldn’t keep myself from needing to touch her again. I lifted her into my arms, and still dripping wet from the shower, I placed her gently into our bed. There I fell into her again, and we were united as one.

  13

  Adam

  Sitting at my desk, I was still trying to put all the pieces together. Joshua had come to me this morning and told me about the visions Edward had given him. As to how he had crafted such a spell while in a prison designed to dampen his use of the gift was beyond me. How secure would it be for us to house other prisoners going forward? Why
would he have taken the time to show Joshua those moments, if his only plan was to escape? Just how he was connected to the Demons was also weighing heavily upon me.

  Something here was just not adding up for me. Obviously, Edward had grown more powerful than I had imagined over the years. Where did that power come from? I had known how powerful he was when I sent him to that village, oh so long ago. The aftermath had been devastating, and the Council would not listen to reason. Edward had been a good man, and they had broken him. Out of fear for his power and fear that one day, he would be strong enough to replace one of them. In their quest to protect their power, they had created the very monster they had been afraid of.

  How had Edward been able to speak with the Demons to orchestrate his release? Just how far had he slipped into their waiting arms, and was this the same path John was on now? The Demons had risked a powerful minion on earth to save him, and that meant Edward was the key to something, but what? All of these thoughts kept bobbing to the surface, and yet I still couldn’t see the answers. Time would reveal all, hopefully before the world burned.

  Now I also had a new problem to deal with. Stillman’s report on what John had done, making a pact with a Demon, presented its own issues. To give a Demon that kind of power and control over you was reckless. Whatever favor it wanted would surely make us weaker. John had promised to tell when it called on him, but now his promise was worth as little as dust on the wind. We did not make deals with the Pretenders. We regulated them, we punished them, and when they stepped too far over the line, we killed them. Having this favor, a bond with Demons looming over our heads, was just another thing to account for. In a sea of multiplying variables, I was lost.