Page 158 of The Ascended
My hesitation was answer enough. I nodded, the movement feeling wrong.
"I suspected as much," she said, leaning closer. Her voice lowered. "No ordinary blessed has power comparable to yours. Or your brother's." She trailed off, studying my face.
I remained silent, my heart hammering so hard I was sure she could hear it. How much had she guessed? How much was safe to confirm? One wrong word and everything could unravel.
"You'reright," I said.
Marx squinted at me, those keen eyes missing nothing. "Your mother..."
I tensed, then nodded. Just the barest movement, but enough.
Marx simply blinked, understanding filling her eyes. She didn't have all the pieces yet, but she was assembling the puzzle faster than I'd anticipated.
"Well, shit," she said, leaning back on her hands.
Despite everything, I laughed. It burst out of me, surprising us both.
"That's one way to put it."
She shook her head, a strand of dark hair falling across her face. "No wonder Xül is so... invested in your training. Does he know?"
"Yes." The admission felt dangerous. "He figured it out."
"And he's keeping your secret." It wasn't a question. "Interesting."
Before I could respond, the sound of leaves crunching underfoot echoed through the clearing. But the stride was too heavy.
Marx heard it too. She was on her feet in an instant.
"Aelix?" I called, rising with care.
Silence.
"Something's wrong," Marx whispered, her eyes scanning the treeline.
We stood back to back, turning in a slow circle, watching for any movement.
"Aelix!" I called again, louder this time.
Nothing.
And then?—
The trees at the edge of the clearing didn't part so much as recoil. They bent away from what emerged, their trunks groaning in protest. It was Kavik.
Behind him, Aelix stumbled into view. His hands were bound behind his back with chains that glowed with sickly light. His face was a ruin of bruises and blood, one eye swollen shut.
And flanking Kavik on all sides were beings I'd never seen before.
Their bodies were composed of flame. They shifted and reformed, no two moments the same, leaving scorched footprints that went deeper than they should. The grass didn't just burn where they stepped, it melted, leaving wounds in the earth.
"Thais," Marx breathed, horror bleeding through her voice. "Those are fire elementals."
Kavik's lips curved into a cruel smile. His face might have been carved from stone for all the mortality it showed. "Ladies," he greeted us, his voice pleasant. "What a fortuitous encounter."
"What the fuck is this?" Marx demanded, her stance shifting to full combat readiness. Every muscle coiled, ready to explode into violence. "What have you done to Aelix?"
"A temporary inconvenience," Kavik replied with dismissal. "Don't worry, Marx. You're not the one I'm here for." His gaze shifted to me, and I saw nothing behind those eyes. No recognition, no emotion, just emptiness. "I've come for the star-wielder."
