Page 238 of The Ascended
The Lord of Death. The Lord of Fate. The Goddess of Dreams.
Lyralie's words drifted into my mind then. What she'd said at the Proving.
Not all who serve the divine realm agree with every tradition we're asked to uphold.
"And Davina, soon," Aelix murmured, looking back at Xül.
Of course. Nyvora. The marriage. It was to secure an alliance.
"You're planning a coup." The words left me, unreal even as I heard them.
A treacherous thought slithered through my mind, unwantedand painful. Had Xül and I been working toward the same goal this entire time?
The realization sat like acid in my stomach. We both wanted Olinthar gone. Both wanted his reign to end?—
No. I forced the thought down before it could confuse things further.
Because I would burn every world to ash before I let Thatcher die due to their miscalculation. And Xül—Xül had been willing to let it happen.
"Eventually," Aelix confirmed. "But it has to be done carefully. Precisely. One wrong move and Olinthar will slaughter us all—and anyone even suspected of being involved."
"And my brother?" My voice came out strangled. "He's what—collateral damage in your divine civil war?"
"When he looks at Thatcher, he only sees Vivros," Xül said quietly. "An opportunity that slipped through his fingers before. He wants a second chance."
"If that happens, the resistance would be crushed before it could even truly begin," Aelix finished. "They want to eliminate that possibility before he ascends and gains full access to his power. And this is the best opportunity. With Vorinar overseeing the final trial."
"Murdering an innocent," I said, the words bitter as poison. "Sounds like a great way to start such a noble cause."
"From their perspective, it’s one death to prevent thousands," Aelix said grimly. "If Olinthar's power grows unchecked, if he gains allies like your brother... the bloodshed would be unimaginable."
"Well, he's certainly not loyal to Olinthar. So can we call off the bounty on Thatcher's head then?" My delivery was pointed, but it couldn’t bury the panic behind it.
"That's where I was today. What I was doing. Trying to reason with them,” Xül said, his voice still terrifyingly controlled. "As I have been trying to do every time the plan has been presented.”
I stared at him. "You expect me to believe that? That you were trying to save him while you were—" I cut myself off, the memory oflast night too raw. I couldn’t shake the convenience of the situation. Would he have ever told me if I hadn’t found out on my own and confronted him? My mind and my heart were at war.
"Believe what you want," he said, that calm never wavering. "It doesn't change the truth."
“Let’s say I do believe you. Were you successful in your efforts, Xül? Did you convince your father not to eliminate my brother in the final trial?”
He simply looked at me, jaw clenching. “No.”
"Take me to Morthus." The words burst from me. "Now. Let me plead for his life myself."
Silence crashed through the dungeon. Even Marx looked shocked.
"No." Xül's response was immediate, absolute. The temperature in the room plummeted. "Absolutely not."
"I don't care what you?—"
"Think, Thais." His voice dropped to something lethal. "The moment you ask to plead for your brother's life, you reveal that you know too much."
My blood ran cold as the implications hit me.
"He will know that you're aware of the resistance." His eyes blazed. "And then he'll kill you to protect the secret."
"But—"
