Page 109 of The Ascended
I hesitated at the threshold. “Why can’t you just tell me?—”
“Starling.” His voice carried that dangerous edge. “Either step through willingly, or I’ll carry you through myself. Your choice.”
With a final glare, I stepped through. Cold engulfed me, a thousand invisible fingers trailing across my skin as darkness consumed my vision.
Then, solid ground materialized beneath my feet, and I staggered forward, gasping for breath that suddenly seemed too thin.
We stood on dark wooden docks. Massive ships with black sails lined the piers, while smaller vessels dotted the harbor. The airsmelled of brine and a metallic tang that coated the back of my throat.
Xül emerged behind me, the portal sealing shut.
“The Outer Docks,” he announced, already striding forward. “Five hours by land from the Bone Spire.”
I hurried after him, irritation building with each step. “Why are we here? Why not portal directly into the city?”
“All twelve domains have specific protections in their capitals,” he explained, his tone suggesting I should already know this. “Only Morthus can create portals directly into the Eternal City.”
He gestured toward a sleek obsidian vessel at the farthest pier. “We’ll take my ship the rest of the way.”
“Your ship.” I blinked. “You have a ship.”
“Did you think I walked everywhere?” A hint of amusement colored his voice.
“I thought you just... appeared. Dramatically. With unnecessary flair.”
“Only when the situation calls for it.” The almost-smile that touched his lips disappeared quickly. “The journey takes about an hour. Try not to fall overboard.”
I rolled my eyes, following him down the pier. “You still haven’t told me why we’re going to the city. Or why I had to come with you.”
“I’ve been spending so much time away. From you. From training. I figured it might be a lesson in itself if you joined me this time.” He nodded to a group of Shadowkin servants who materialized from below deck, their shadowy forms solidifying.
“Besides.” He strode up the gangplank, his coat billowing behind him in the salty breeze. “We have business in the city that can’t wait.”
“What business?”
“Starling.” He paused, looking back at me. “Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions?”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re insufferably cryptic?”
His lips twitched at the corner. “Perhaps a few times.”
Then he stalked off towards the wheel, hurling commands at the Shadowkin crew, leaving me alone with my frustration and the unsettling certainty that something far worse than a simple trip to the city awaited me at our destination.
The ship cut through the waves, its hull barely leaving a wake in the blood-dark waters. I stood at the railing, watching strange phosphorescent creatures drift beneath the surface—beings that resembled jellyfish but moved with disturbing purpose, trailing tendrils that glowed.
“They’re soul fragments,” Xül said from behind me, materializing as silently as the creatures below. “Pieces that break off during difficult transitions.”
I didn’t turn. “That’s horrifying.”
“They reintegrate eventually. Nothing is truly lost in Draknavor.” He moved beside me, his hands gripping the railing.
The ship banked slightly, responding to Xül’s commands.
“You seem surprised,” Xül called over to me, watching me watch his crew.
“I didn’t take you for a sailor.”
“There’s much you don’t know about me, starling.”
