Page 284 of The Ascended
His eyes flashed dangerously, power crackling beneath his skin. "Times were vastly different when I met your mother. The realm was stable. We had the luxury of choice."
"Did you? Or did you simply take what you wanted, consequences be damned?"
He was on his feet in an instant, shadows writhing around him. "Be very careful how you speak to me, son."
"I’ve shown you the utmost respect." I met his fury without flinching. "I will not sacrifice her happiness, or mine."
“The nuptial contract only covers a thousand years. You can simply negotiate to renew or end it when that time comes. You haven’t lived long enough yet to understand how quickly time will come to pass.”
“A thousand years?—”
Pain erupted through my side—bones splintering, cracking, the wet snap of ribs giving way. My hand flew to my chest, fingers searching for the cave of crushed bone that should have been there.
Nothing. Solid. Whole.
I doubled over, my ribs screaming in sympathy even as they remained intact. It painted itself across my nerves—every break, every splinter, every impossible angle bones should never make.
"Xül?" The anger vanished from my father's voice, replaced by immediate concern. He was beside me in an instant, supporting my weight as my knees threatened to buckle. "What's wrong?"
I couldn't answer. The pain intensified. But underneath it, threaded through the agony like a golden wire, I felt her. Thais. Her terror, her desperation, her?—
"She needs help." The words scraped raw from my throat as I straightened, already moving toward the door. "Now."
“Who?”
“Thais.” I stumbled through the doorway.
"How could you possibly know that?" He followed as I broke into a run, all pretense of dignity abandoned. "Xül, answer me."
The ancient words pulsed through my mind with each heartbeat.
Sel dravira en ti. Niv valen, niv asra, niv loyeth. El atanen en ti. Vah serané.
She wasn't in Sundralis's main palace where I'd left her. No. She was somewhere else—somewhere that tasted of rot and corruption.
We reached the main portal chamber, and I began tearing atreality itself, pushing power into the space between worlds with desperate force.
The portal showed me glimpses—ancient stone, darkness, the taste of corruption—but it wouldn't stabilize. Wouldn't lock onto her location. I tried again, adjusting the parameters, but the image kept shifting, sliding away like oil on water.
"Why can't I find her?" I snarled, pouring more power into the attempt.
"Xül." My father's voice cut through my concentration, deadly quiet. "What have you done?"
I stopped, turning to face him in the empty chamber. His expression had shifted from concern to dawning realization, and the fury building behind his eyes made his earlier anger seem like a gentle breeze before a hurricane.
I bind myself to you. My life. My soul. My Loyalty. Forevermore. I’m yours.
"The Sev'anarath," I growled out.
The temperature plummeted until our breath misted in the air.
"You bound your soul to her?" Each word was clipped.
"Yes."
“And she to you?”
“No.”
