Page 204 of The Ascended
When I emerged an hour later,Xül was waiting in the entrance hall. He'd changed as well, foregoing his usual elaborate attire for something far less flashy—though he still looked every inch the divine prince he was.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Can you at least tell me what region we’re visiting?"
"In time." He extended his hand, and I took it without hesitation. "Close your eyes."
I did as he asked, feeling the now-familiar pull of portal magic wrap around us. The air crackled with power, and then?—
Heat. Dry, searing heat against my skin. And air that tasted different—cleaner, lighter.
I opened my eyes to find myself standing in an endless expanse of desert, golden sands stretching toward the horizon in every direction. The sky above was a brilliant, painful blue.
I inhaled deeply, savoring the familiar quality of the air. It had been so long since I'd breathed it that I'd almost forgotten how it felt in my lungs.
Xül was already striding forward across the dunes, his boots leaving barely a trace in the sand. I hurried to catch up with him.
"When exactly are you going to explain any of this?" I demanded.
"All will be revealed in due time," he replied, not slowing his pace.
I scowled at his back. "That's the most insufferably mysterious thing I've ever heard."
"Then my reputation remains intact."
"Who is this master of fate? Why isn't he in Voldaris? Why are we trudging through a desert to find him?" The questions tumbled out of me as I matched his stride.
"She asks, as if I would suddenly change my mind about revealing everything just because she demands it with increasing volume," Xül mused to no one in particular.
"You’re infuriating," I hissed.
"And you’re observant, starling."
As we crested a dune, a small village appeared in the distance, shimmering. Mud-brick buildings in warm ochre tones clustered around what appeared to be a central well. Palms provided patches of shade, and colorful awnings stretched between buildings to shelter the narrow streets from the punishing sun.
As we approached, people came into view—women carrying clay jugs, children playing in the sparse shadows, merchants calling out their wares.
As we entered the village proper, I noticed how the residents reacted to Xül. They didn't scream or bow, but they definitely recognized him as somethingother. They gave him a wide berth, eyes cast downward, bodies angled away.
Xül, for his part, seemed to enjoy their discomfort, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
"They’re afraid of you," I said quietly.
"Of course they are," he replied. "All mortals fear death."
We finally reached what appeared to be a temple at the far edge of the village. Unlike the simple mud-brick structures of the homes,this building was made of pale sandstone, its façade carved with swirling designs. Robed figures moved in and out of its arched entrance, their garments a soft gray.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
Priests. Even if they weren't the white-robed followers of Olinthar, they were still priests—servants of the divine, enforcers of the gods' will among mortals. My heart began to race, my palms suddenly slick with sweat that had nothing to do with the desert heat.
Xül turned, one eyebrow raised in question before understanding dawned on his face. He moved closer, his voice pitched low so only I could hear.
"These are not like the priests you knew," he said. "They serve Vorinar, and they harm no one. Their purpose is to observe and record, not to hunt or capture."
I watched as one of the robed figures walked past us, head bowed in quiet acknowledgment of Xül. Unlike Olinthar's priests with their cold, searching eyes, this one's face was serene, almost contemplative.
"I'm not going in there," I said, my voice distant.
