Page 296 of The Ascended
Because I loved her more than my own freedom. More than any future. More than anything.
"I'll do it," I said quietly. I pressed my lips to Thais's forehead, breathing in the scent of starlight and storm, memorizing it.
Pride flickered in Morthus's eyes, and I wanted to hurl myself at him.
"You have my word. She'll be under my protection."
"She's worth more than that," I said softly, adjusting my hold on her as she pressed closer to my chest, seeking comfort even in her broken state. "Worth more than your ambitions, your greater good, your perfect pantheon."
"Love makes fools of gods and mortals alike, my son."
"Then I'll gladly be a fool." I looked down at her vacant eyes, at the woman who'd never know the bond I’d carved into my skin to make sure she’d always be safe—so that I could always find her. She’d never know that my soul was tied to hers. That my heart bled for her, more and more every passing day.
This was the price of her survival. And I'd pay it a thousand times over, even if it meant watching her from afar for eternity, belonging to another while she lived and breathed and maybe, someday, smiled again.
Morthus moved to Olinthar's body, dark power gathering around his hands. "We need to make this convincing. It must run deep enough that no one questions my involvement."
Death magic poured from his hands, seeping into Olinthar's corpse. The blood turned to tar, the peaceful expression twisting into a rictus of agony. Shadows crawled beneath the skin, leaving marks of dissolution that spoke of slow, deliberate murder. When he finished, Olinthar looked like he'd been tortured by death itself before the final blow.
"His essence is transferring to her," I said, my voice tight. "How exactly do you plan to explain that when the others arrive? They'll sense it immediately."
"They'll sense something," my father conceded with a slight nod. "But this is unprecedented. Even more so with one of the Twelve."
"And your claim that you killed him?"
"Will be believed because it's what they expect," Morthus replied, his eyes calculating. “But the power..." He gestured to Thais. "All of this is theory, of course, but I don’t believe it would have transferred to me even if I had been the one to strike the killing blow. Death and Light are fundamentally opposed. I'm not compatible."
"But she is," I said, looking down at her vacant form. "Light calls to light."
"Precisely. Her domain is the same as his. The power naturally seeks her." His expression darkened. "Which means she'll need to learn to suppress it quickly. To hide what she is becoming."
My jaw tightened. "In her current state? She's barely conscious."
“We’re going to take advantage of the unknown and the chaos surrounding the situation. Now…" Morthus said, wiping his hands, "we summon the others. Let me do the talking. Xül, don't leave her side, but don't appear too protective. We need them focused on me, not wondering about your involvement."
I nodded, adjusting my hold on Thais. She'd gone completely limp, eyes open but unseeing. Shock, grief, and nascent divine power made a dangerous combination. I could feel Olinthar's essence settling into her bones, trying to remake her into something she'd never wanted to be.
"It's going to be alright," I whispered against her hair, rocking her gently.
"Thatcher," she murmured, barely audible. "I need to find Thatcher."
"I know, starling. I know."
She didn't respond after that, just stared at nothing while I held her. Her body was present but her mind had retreated somewhere safe. I'd seen this before in torture victims—when the pain became too much, the mind simply... left.
The game was beginning. And all I could do was hold her and pray to powers older than prayer that somewhere in that broken mind, she was still fighting to return.
But as I felt her sit there, vacant and still, I knew the truth.
I'd already lost her too.
Just in a different way.
Chapter 68
Hollow Victory
Two weekssince I drove a blade through Olinthar's heart. Two weeks since the tear swallowed Thatcher whole. Two weeks of forgetting he was gone when I woke, then drowning all over again.
