Page 8 of The Ascended
The words hit like a slap. My cheeks burned. "I wouldn't?—"
"You're being reckless." His voice cracked slightly, and desperation flickered across his face. “The walls you've built around that power are starting to crack. And alcohol doesn't strengthen walls, Thais. It tears them down."
"I think that's enough," Thatcher said quietly, but neither of us paid him any attention.
"I've been careful," I protested, hating how defensive I sounded. "All of this time, I've been careful. I've hidden what I am, I've stayed quiet, I've done everything you asked?—"
He shook his head, shoulders sagging. "I won't lose you tothem. I can't."
"Father," Thatcher said, standing up from his chair. His voice was gentle but firm. "I'll go with her tomorrow night. Keep an eye on things. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." He shot me a meaningful look. "Right, Thais?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
"You're both good kids," Sulien said finally, settling back into his chair with a weary sigh. "Better than I deserve. I just..." He looked up at us, and I saw the exhaustion there—not just physical, but the bone-deep weariness of a man who'd already buried the woman he loved, who'd spent decades raising children that weren't his blood, living in constant fear that the gods would come to claim what they'd left behind. "I just need you to be smart. Especially now. Can you do that for me?"
"Yeah," I managed, my voice thick. "Yeah, we can do that."
He nodded once, then picked up his book again, but I could see his hands shaking as he turned the pages.
I stood there for a moment, watching him pretend to read. My chest tightened. The cottage was suddenly too small, the walls pressing in on me.
"Where are you going?" Thatcher asked as I headed for the door.
"For a walk," I said. "I need some air."
The evening breeze hit my face as I stepped outside, but it didn't help. I could still feel the weight of Sulien's terror, the way he'd looked at me like I was a loaded weapon about to go off. Maybe I was. Maybe that's all I'd ever be—a danger to everyone I cared about.
I pressed my hands to my eyes, trying to sort through the tangle of feelings. The need to remain vigilant, to keep my powers hidden,to protect our family's secret—it all coiled around my chest like rope pulled too tight.
Sometimes I envied Thatcher's easy freedom, his ability to act without the crushing weight of consequence sitting on his shoulders.
I started walking without thinking about where I was going. I needed... what did I need? Not to be alone with my thoughts, that was certain. Not to go back inside and pretend everything was fine.
I needed to feelnormal.
I foundMarel at the carpenter's shop. He was there after hours, bent over a piece of wood. Shavings curled around his feet like pale flowers, and the air smelled of cedar. He looked up as I entered, his face lighting with the kind of uncomplicated pleasure that I’d come to know so well. As selfish as it was, this thing between us, temporary and guarded and filled with lies, brought comfort.
"Thais." My name sounded warm in his voice. He set down his carving knife and looked at me. "You look like you've had a day."
I settled onto a stool beside the workbench, suddenly drained. "Working late then?"
Marel's cheeks colored. "You know I’m not working." He smiled, picking up the piece he'd been carving—a delicate seabird. "Just needed to come here and think."
It was exquisite, every feather detailed, the wings positioned as if the bird were caught mid-flight. "It's beautiful."
"It's nothing," he said, but I could see the pride in his eyes. "Just something to keep my hands busy."
Like me, Marel had grown up here in Saltcrest, working the boats since he was old enough to handle a line. But his true passion had always been this.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked, his hands still for once.
He had always been perceptive—one of the things that bothdrew me to him and made him dangerous. His sun-bleached blonde hair gleamed in the evening light streaming through the shop windows, and those hazel eyes of his seemed to see straight through whatever mask I was trying to wear.
"I heard you went out with Jorik's crew today," he continued when I didn't answer immediately. "That must have been different from the oyster beds."
"It was good," I said, and I found myself actually smiling. "I may have shown off a little."
Marel laughed, the sound rich and genuine and exactly what I was craving. "I'm sure you did. You never could resist a challenge." He leaned back against his workbench, studying my face. "But something's bothering you. You've got that look you get when you're trying to work out a problem."
