Page 209 of The Ascended
"How long has it been?" I asked, ducking beneath a low-hanging branch covered in small white flowers.
"Two years," he said, his voice carrying a hint of regret. "Maybe three."
We turned down a narrower waterway lined with flowering bushes that trailed their branches into the canal. The water was so clear I could see tiny fish darting between water plants with trailing roots. I glanced up as we approached a large cottage set slightly back from the water on a small rise of land. Unlike the others, this home was surrounded by a garden—tall stalks with broad leaves, bushy herbs with tiny white flowers, vines climbing into crevices in the cottage’s exterior.
Before we reached the door, it swung open. A woman stepped out—tall and regal with walnut skin and black hair woven into elaborate braids. She wore a dress of deep indigo embroidered with patterns in gold thread. Her eyes fixed on Xül, and she smirked, crossing herarms.
"So, the wanderer returns," she said, her voice carrying an accent I couldn't place.
Xül inclined his head slightly. "Amara."
The woman studied him for a long moment, then broke into a wide smile. "It’s been a while, Prince."
To my shock, she stepped forward and pulled Xül into an embrace, which he returned without hesitation. When they separated, her gaze shifted to me.
"And who is this you've brought to our doorstep?"
Xül said. "She's?—"
"He’s my mentor," I interjected, not entirely sure why I felt the need to define our relationship so quickly. “I’m Thais Morvaren.”
Amara's eyebrows rose as her gaze moved between us. "Thais." She smiled again. "Well, any guest of Xül's is welcome in our home. Come in, both of you."
As we followed her inside, I whispered to Xül, "Who is she to you?"
"A distant relative," he replied.
His arm brushed against mine as we entered the house, and fire licked its way up my spine. It had been like this since that night—every accidental touch charged with the memory of his hands in my hair and his eyes drinking me in.
The interior of the home opened into a large central room filled with light from windows that faced the canal. At least a dozen people of varying ages moved about, preparing what appeared to be some kind of feast. Unfamiliar spices filled the air.
Conversations in that same language flowed around us, punctuated by laughter. Everyone had similar deep brown skin in various shades, many with features that reminded me of Xül and his mother—the particular shape of their eyes, the angle of their cheekbones, the way they gestured when they spoke.
"Xül!" A deep voice boomed across the room. A man with broad shoulders and gray-streaked hair twisted into thick locs pushed through the crowd. "About time you showed your face around here!"
"Teller," Xül greeted him, clasping forearms. "Still making trouble for Amara?"
"Every chance I get," the man replied with a hearty laugh, clapping Xül on the shoulder. His eyes found me. "And who's this?"
"Thais," I said before anyone could answer for me.
“I’m her mentor,” Xül added, glancing quickly over at me.
"Interesting." Teller's eyebrows rose as he glanced between us. He extended his hand to me. "Teller, Amara's long-suffering husband."
"He means I've suffered long because of him," Amara said dryly as she moved past us toward the kitchen.
Children raced over, calling out to Xül in their language. An elderly woman rose slowly from a cushioned chair by the window, her face creasing into a maze of wrinkles as she smiled. Two young men abandoned a game they'd been playing to join the growing circle around us.
"Children, give our guests room to breathe," Amara commanded, though her tone was gentle. "Nuri, come meet Thais."
The elderly woman approached, leaning on a carved wooden cane. Her white hair was braided and piled atop her head, adorned with small wooden beads.
"So," she said, her voice surprisingly strong despite her age, "this is the one you've chosen to train." Her eyes studied me. "She has fire in her."
"She’s certainly something.” The side of Xül’s mouth twitched.
"Much like you, then," she replied with a wry smile before turning her gaze back to me. “Are you as big a troublemaker as this one, here?"
