Page 277 of The Ascended
Temple of Darkness
The temple'scorridors swallowed me whole, darkness pressing against my skin like a living thing. I crawled forward on hands and knees, stone scraping my palms raw, each movement careful and deliberate. The air tasted like dust, decay, and a metallic tang that set my stellar powers writhing.
Then I saw it. A glint of light ahead, barely visible through the oppressive dark.
I froze, pressing myself against the cold wall. My heart hammered so loud I was certain whoever was ahead must hear it. But no one came. No footsteps echoed through the stone passages. Just that steady glow beckoning me forward.
Inch by inch, I crept toward the light, peering around the corner into a vast cavern in the heart of the temple.
My blood turned to ice.
On a raised dais in the center of the chamber, Thatcher lay bound and unconscious. His shirt had been torn open, exposing his chest to the cold air. And standing over him, a figure in dark robes traced patterns on his skin with one pale finger.
I didn't think. Couldn't think. The stars were inaccessiblehere—separated by tons of stone and earth, but that didn't matter. I pulled from the power within me—that well of light that had always burned at my core. It rushed through my veins stronger than ever before.
A dagger of pure starlight materialized in my palm. I drew back and hurled it at the robed figure with everything I had.
The figure waved a hand without even looking up. My dagger dissolved into nothing.
"I wondered when you'd be joining us." The voice was cultured, amused, and entirely unfamiliar.
Fuck subtlety. I launched myself from the shadows, sprinting toward the dais, toward Thatcher. I made it three steps before an invisible force slammed into me like a battering ram. The impact drove me back against the temple wall with bone-shattering force.
I heard the crack before I felt it—ribs splintering under the pressure. The pain was immediate and absolute, driving the breath from my lungs as I crumpled to the floor. But even as I gasped for air, I felt it. My bones shifted, realigning themselves. Sinew stretched and reknit. Muscle stitched back together as if guided by invisible hands.
A scream tore from my throat as my body forcibly healed itself.
"Fascinating," the figure murmured.
I pushed myself to my knees, spitting blood onto the stone floor. "Get your fucking hands off him before I rip them off."
In response, the figure pressed harder against Thatcher's chest. A bead of blood welled up beneath his finger.
"I cannot be interrupted," he said, voice carrying an edge of irritation now. "My window of opportunity grows short."
I staggered to my feet, gathering starlight once more. This time I didn't form just one blade—I formed a dozen, hurling them at the figure in rapid succession. His barrier caught most of them, dissolving them to nothing. But one slipped through, slicing across the arm of his black robe.
He laughed. "Careful, child. If you damage the vessel, your death will be much slower and far more painful than necessary."
"What the fuck are you doing to him?" I demanded, already forming another blade. But not in my hand this time. My powers had evolved beyond simple manifestation—I could feel their reach extending, their control sharpening. A dagger materialized in the air directly above the figure's head. "Who are you?"
I sent the blade crashing down.
It dissolved the instant it touched his hood.
The figure's hand snapped up, and I was slammed against the wall again. But this time, invisible bonds held me there, pressing against my wrists and ankles, pinning me like an insect to a board.
"I'm impressed you found this place," he said conversationally, finally looking up from Thatcher's unconscious form. "You truly are your father's daughter."
I thrashed against the bonds, feeling them burn my skin. "Who the fuck are you?"
"Something far older than anything you know, child."
"Why are you doing this?"
"How disappointing." He tsked softly. "Your mentor didn't teach you your history."
"History?" I snarled. "What does Xül have to do with this?"
