Ascension

by Jennifer Ann Reed

  Heat engulfed every inch of my flesh and a drum beat between my eyes. My body rocked back and forth before the feeling of weightlessness took over. Shouts pierced the air, but I was only focused on the war in my body as my wolf fought to gain the upper hand. Violet pulses flashed from my irises and I slammed my lids shut. My bones broke only to heal and break again. Fingers gripped my arms and legs, pushing me back against the solid surface. In this moment, all I wanted was death. Nothing could be as bad as what I felt.

  The room shook and a deep voice cracked the walls and sent everyone to their knees with their hands over their bleeding ears. “Well done chosen one.” My eyes cracked open to watch the others search for the owner of the commanding voice, but only I knew the truth. The Creator was pleased with my actions and acceptance of my job as his champion.

  When I thought death was imminent, a cool caress scooped up my wolf and cradled her in its healing light which spread into my limbs. Harmony of two separate worlds forged its hold between both sides of my heritage as the light settled into my soul, making me whole. My wolf was no longer worried, and neither was I, so I let the black spots dancing at the peripheral of my vision consume me.

  Chapter 9

  I WAS TRAPPED IN A pit of lava, melting from the fiery temperature. I struggled to get free, but my legs were bound, locked together. I attempted to roll to dislodge my tangled feet, but a hard wall slammed into my face. I punched the surface with all the strength I had, and an oomph wheezed from the quaking shell. I followed with another jab only to meet binding resistance around my wrist as laughter filled my dampened hearing. Why in the world did a wall laugh? Mint and fresh cotton mixed with sandalwood spread down my throat with each inhale. Caden and Ryn were here? Where were they? I spun, but all I saw was blackness.

  More noise broke through the fog in my brain and I realized it was voices and my awakening ceremony came back in a painful, aching haze. My bones were cemented to the bed and I cracked my lids open as I kept my breathing even. I was curled into Caden’s side and my body hummed with awareness of Ryn at my back. Why were they in my room? Allie’s giggle pulled my attention across to the far wall to see the rest of my friends holding vigil in chairs scattered around my bed in an arc.

  I surveyed my body for injury, but only found soreness and I wished I could escape the heat of being caught between my two soulmates.

  “I think someone is playing opossum.” Linc shook my foot and tried to tickle my toes, but I yanked my knees to my chest. “It’s what she does best.”

  “Shut it, Linc.” My tongue was a cracked lead block as the blanket jail cell released me enough to sit up. Austin passed me a glass of water which I gulped greedily without stopping to breathe.

  “How are you doing there, Sparkles?” Ryn rubbed circles between my shoulder blades and I winced at the tender spot. I expected to hear Caden’s usual disapproving rumble, but all I saw was concern pulling his features taunt while he examined my rumpled bed head.

  “Kitten, are you hurting?” His fingertips skimmed my temple as if I were glass. “Your eyes are a lighter purple now and we heard a disembodied voice during the ceremony. Do you know who it was or what it said?”

  I shook my head. “I’m just a little sore that’s all.” He and Ryn looked me over again and an unsatisfied glance passed between them. I wasn’t supposed to mention I was the Creator’s Champion and kept my secret buried. “I promise I’m fine, but I remember a noise that could’ve been a voice. What do you think the noise was?” My body was vibrating with energy, electricity hidden just under the surface of my skin.

  For once in my life, I wasn’t the girl trying to figure out where she belonged. My wolf lounged docile, covered in swirling purple tendrils that she swatted at playfully. I was finally complete without a single part of me missing, but something new resided in my soul, throbbing against the walls of my heart as I remembered my mission to find the weapon and end Aelfric’s reign.

  “I don’t think any of us have ever been so scared.” Wetness filled Gwen’s chocolate eyes as she walked to the foot of my bed. “I thought we were going to lose you, but I almost wet myself when I heard that voice call you the chosen one.”

  “Kitra has a knack for the dramatic. Be glad you weren’t here when a Dark One tried to strangle her.” Linc caught the pillow I threw at him as his attempt to diffuse her emotions fell flat.

  “Don’t worry Gwen.” I gave her the biggest smile I could. “I feel better now than I ever have.” A rise in temperature in my irises made her take a step back.

  “I…I’m going to get Mauve.” Allie rushed to the door. “Before Kitra 2.0 sears us.”

  “I heard that!” My eyes flashed again and the electricity under my skin crackled to the surface. Maybe she was right. It wouldn’t hurt to make sure I wouldn’t combust and take everyone with me.

  “You said I was called the chosen one. Why do you think I was called that?” I couldn’t look any of them in the eyes, but I wanted to hear what they thought it meant. I would deal with the prickles of power I felt with a renewed push to get to Oberon’s Forest?

  “I’m not sure. Maybe we were all hallucinating.” Ryn adjusted some pillows behind me.

  “What if I told you that I know we need to find the weapon now more than ever?” I picked at my blankets, searching for unraveled threads. “Aelfric’s dangerous nature is suffocating me, cutting off my air and I know I sound crazy, but we’re running out of time.”

  “Kitra, I think the awakening has worn you down.” Ryn put his wrist to my forehead. “Maybe you need more rest.” No one disagreed with him, so I kept my mouth shut. I’d talk to the adults about our trip if my Guardians weren’t going to listen to me.

  *************

  When Aunt Mauve arrived with Lucian, Uncle Kalen, and Lilly in tow, she made everyone leave the room after they were positive I wasn’t going to disappear. She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to her. I crawled next to her and she wrapped an arm around me with her cheek pressed against my head. We stayed in the same position for several minutes, listening to each other breathe.

  She inhaled deeply and turned towards me. “I’m proud of you, Kitra.” She grabbed my hands. “But I’m also scared for you.” Why would she be scared? Was she afraid of my potential power as a hybrid? No one knew for sure how I’d be affected after the awakening. “You need to tell me about the voice during your awakening.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. I heard a noise, but I was in so much pain at the time.” How on earth could I avoid answering her question? I couldn’t tell any of them about the voice or what it meant. Only Elder Dylan knew the truth and I didn’t want to put my friends and family in more danger.

  “I’ve heard it before, Kitra.” Aunt Mauve’s head dipped to look me directly in the eyes. “With your mother, but she’d never tell me what it was. I don’t know if it was why she left the castle for long periods of time, but the burden of that voice distanced my sister from us, leaving her lonely, even in her marriage. I don’t want any of that for you. If you know something, tell me, or any of us. We’ll help you.”

  “Aunt Mauve, I swear I’ll tell you if I find out anything about the noise I heard.” Her face dropped, and I knew she was hearing my mother’s denial all those years ago, but I wasn’t telling them everything. Elder Dylan warned me against their involvement. “Aunt Mauve, I’m sorry I don’t know what else to tell you. I wish I did.” The secret was tart on my tongue, and I wanted to spit its vileness from my lips. I hated keeping this from them, but I kept telling myself it was for the best. It’d keep them safe. When it was the right time, I’d confess everything.

  “All right.” Her lips pulled down at the corners and I squeezed her hands. “Let’s see what you can do then. Shall we?” Hattie appeared and passed me some brown pants and cream tunic before disappearing again. I changed quickly and followed Aunt Mauve out the door.

  She led me down to the Royal Guard’s empty arena and we spent the next cou
ple of hours going through different exercises to pull my fae magic forward. I was able to levitate without a thought, form glowing orbs that exploded anything they touched, and ignite my entire body into violet flames without harming myself. No matter what she requested, I was able to do it without trying too hard. My magic answered my call like it had been unlocked and used since birth.

  Aunt Mauve got a peculiar look on her face as her head tilted and her fingertips tapped a beat on her chin. “I want to try something different. Your Guardians mentioned you had tried this before, but it didn’t end so well.” I gulped with my eyes the size of saucers, knowing what she was going to say next. “Let’s try calling forth your magic while you’re in wolf form.”

  “Okay.” Air dragged into my lungs and my chest heaved. My hands quaked while I moved away from her. No need to take her out, but I hoped she had great insurance on this castle.

  I shook the nerves out of my hands and my head fell forward. One breath later, it lifted with my wolf reaching for the surface as my eyes flashed. Aunt Mauve took a step back while my head rolled from shoulder to shoulder and my fingernails extended to sharpened claws. I dropped to all fours and my body rippled, sprouting downy white fur. Within seconds, my wolf sniffed the air, tasting the different scents around her. The saltiness of the sea close by had her ready to explore, but I pulled back control. The pale pink sand glittered in the sunlight; I saw the tiny prisms it created. My vision had never been this sharp before. A crash of plates from the village caused me to shake my head. Even my hearing was better, and my wolf loved her new abilities. Was this due to the awakening? Was my fairy side enhancing my shifter side?

  I kicked up some of the pink sand and hesitated to call forth my fae side. I didn’t want to hurt my aunt or anyone else, but I knew this could help me fight Aelfric at least until we found the weapon to stop him.

  I felt for the imaginary band circling my heart and pulled it forward. Instead of the fight for dominance, my wolf embraced the force moving within her, melding into one. Purple flames erupted over my fur without charring me and my canine snout opened in a silly smile. I did it! My wolf raced across the arena, leaping at a wooden training post. I targeted the flames to the center and an arc of fire shot from my wolf, landing where I told it to. Claps pulled my attention as I watched my Guardians and the rest of my group materialize from the shadows.

  “She did it!” Linc’s wolf burst forth and howled as he raced to my side, butting my head.

  The rest of my Guardians shifted into their wolves and Austin fell into a defensive stance at my side. We spent the next hour running exercises, allowing me to use my magic to fend off Uncle Kalen, Lucian, and Aunt Mauve. Allie and Gwen trained with Lilly beside the exits just in case the boys and I got too carried away in our make-believe battle. My body was lighter than it had ever been while training. I wasn’t worried about making a mess of things anymore and was ready to stand on my own two feet.

  I walked to the awning and shifted back to two legs. Lilly passed me a water bottle and I pushed my soaked hair behind my ears. The liquid was crisp and icy as it traveled down my parched throat. My lungs expanded after being closed off for almost a minute and I watched the others finish their skirmish. Everyone wore a smile as my Guardians shifted back to standing and excited chatter echoed off the walls of the arena. The one thing we had been missing since Aelfric almost sacrificed me had returned; hope. It floated in the air in a pure white haze and coated our skin; a promise of things to come if we only believed.

  Caden prowled closer to me, embers dancing in his eyes. His gaze raked over my form and the corners of his lips lifted. “I’m going to go get ready for our picnic. I can’t wait to get you all to myself, Kitten.” He stepped into my personal space and my breath caught in my throat. He bent, touching his cheek to mine and sniffed next to my ear. A rumble vibrated his chest before he turned abruptly and left. Uncle Kalen was making an entirely different noise and sent a knowing look to Aunt Mauve, while Allie fanned herself and Ryn looked like he swallowed a lemon.

  “I…I better go.” A red tint spread to my toes and I escaped from all their varying gazes.

  Back in my room, I slammed the door and collapsed against it, breathing hard. Hattie popped up out of thin air and scrutinized my behavior. Why couldn’t I get one minute to process my feelings for both the men in my life?

  “Get cleaned up.” Hattie moved to the armoire. “I’ll pick you out something for your date.” A fly trap formed in the middle of my face.

  “How…How did you know?” My scarlet coloring got even darker.

  “Hattie knows everything.” She waved me away.

  I walked into the bathroom, eyeing the death trap known as the calming pool and bathed in record time still afraid of the fairy bath dragging me to a watery grave. After drying off and wrapping myself in a robe, I met Hattie back in my room. She handed me a white shift with ruffles around the hem and wrists to change into as she pulled out a ruby dress. Hattie cinched braided cords through metals loops on both sides until it fit my natural shape. Matching cords were threaded in crisscrossed patterns down to my elbows. There the velvet fabric draped in bell shapes past my hands. The top scooped below my collar bone and the skirt circled my waist, splitting under my hips to show a hint of the shift underneath. I jumped at the knock on my door, thinking Caden was already here. Aunt Mauve poked her head in as Hattie slipped leather sandals on my feet.

  “I’ll take over from here, Hattie.” Aunt Mauve moved to my vanity and the brownie bounced in a curtsy and disappeared.

  I sat, and Aunt Mauve pulled my hair into a simple ponytail, twisting a piece around the elastic and pinning it in place. She hummed as she dusted my face and swiped gloss across my plump lips, leaving my features more natural. I missed spending time with my aunt not worrying about our troubles. Times like this showed me how much Aelfric had stolen from us.

  The wheels turned in her brain as her attention drifted to another plane of existence. “I think we need to have a talk.” She snapped back to the present and turned me in my seat. “Kalen told me about scenting and how it works. Have you let Caden scent you?”

  “W…What.” Now my body matched my dress. “No!”

  “All right.” She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.

  “I swear.” I stood up and began to pace in front of her, twirling the end of my ponytail and biting my bottom lip. “I can’t even begin to make a decision between Caden and Ryn, much less let Caden scent me! I have more standards for myself than that!” What was she and Uncle Kalen thinking? That I was some trollop patrolling the streets?

  Both of her hands rested on my shoulders, halting my movement. “Kitra, I know your feelings are all over the place right now and I don’t want you to make a rash decision and give yourself away.”

  “I’ve only kissed them.” My mouth opened and closed several times. “I’m not ready for anything more than that step. I don’t plan to give that part of me away until my wedding night.”

  Aunt Mauve sighed and pulled me into her arms. “Thank the Creator.” Her breath breezed through my hair as she shook, chuckling. “I’m not any good at this am I?”

  “Marginally better than Uncle Kalen.” My own shudder turned her chuckle into a full laugh, and I joined her, my skin returning to its normal color. “I’m taking your advice. I do need to get to know them better as friends.”

  “So, you don’t have any questions?” Aunt Mauve released me, her own cheeks red.

  “Nope. I think school covered it.” My tone rose as I looked anywhere but at her. I wasn’t having ‘the talk’ right before my picnic with Caden. I knew what was important and I was not going to throw my morals off a cliff over hormones.

  Another knock sounded and we both jumped before bursting out in giggles. “Remember, you can talk to me anytime. Go have fun.”

  I took a deep breath and slipped out the door. Caden was dressed in brown pants and a cream-colored tunic that highlighted his olive skin. Our gazes travele
d over each other and we both laughed until I snorted.

  “These clothes are horrendous. I’d give my left arm for a t-shirt and jeans.” His face sobered and he entwined his fingers with mine. “But I’d keep yours just like this. You’re beautiful, Kitten.”

  My lids dropped, and I bit my lip. “Thanks. You look great too.” He picked up a basket and we walked down the hall. “But I agree, Faerie is different. Sometimes, I feel like everyone here is being fake. They flaunt their gifts. I’m not used to seeing it and don’t get me started on our surroundings. Don’t you feel like Faerie is too perfect?”

  “Yes.” Caden’s grip tightened on mine. “It’s superficial, but danger lurks around every turn.

  “Exactly.” We reached some side doors leading outside. “Here the prettier something is, the bigger it’s bite.” Nothing in this world was what it seemed to be.

  We continued past a garden filled with statues of my ancestors. Roses, violets, and lilies were spread among the hedges. Caden led me down a path which wove through the trees. The damp earthy scent of the ground beneath our feet made me forget my anxiety as the apricot sunlight cast long rays through the canopy, lighting up the alien forest. My wolf was begging to be set free. She wanted to explore this new world with the wolf she’d claimed as her own.

  Tall ferns dotted the landscape and some even created walls that my wolf sight couldn’t see past. Movement caught my attention and I witnessed a dark silhouette melt into the leaves, only to peek out at us a few feet down. What was this shadow I kept seeing? After seeing its peek-a-boo act again, a chill ran down my spine as my fear spiked. What if it was a Council member or a Dark One?

  Caden sniffed the air and turned to me. “What’s wrong?” He stopped and faced the forest.

  “Do you see that?” The shadow revealed itself again. I pointed, and it was gone once more. We waited a few more minutes but it didn’t reappear.