Page 37 of The Ascended
"I don’t know." I leaned forward. "But this ismychoice. And you don't get a say in it."
"The hell I don't." Anger flared in his eyes, burning away the grief. "You think I'll just let you march off to die alone?"
"I think you'll respect my decision."
"Your decision to get yourself killed?"
"My decision to make him pay." My heart had relaxed to a steady rhythm. "They murdered our father, Thatcher. Butchered him like an animal while we watched. You want me to just... what? Accept it? Move on?"
"I want you tolive."
"In their world? By their rules?" I laughed, bitter and sharp. "That's not living. That's just a slower death."
"You're not doing this." Thatcher's voice had gone cold, final. "I won't let you."
"You can't stop me."
We stared at each other, neither willing to back down. The bond thrummed between us, a tangle of fear and fury.
Finally, Thatcher spoke. "Fine."
I blinked. "Fine?"
"If you're set on this suicide mission—" He paused, swallowing hard. "Then I'm doing it with you."
"No."
"Yes." He crossed his arms, and suddenly I could see Sulien in him—that same stubborn set to his jaw. "You don't get to make this choice for both of us and then tell me I can't make my own."
"Thatcher, please?—"
"We're twins, Thais. We came into this world together." His voice was low. "If we're going out of it, we do that together too."
"You’re the one who is supposed to survive this, Thatcher."
"Because you say so?" He grabbed my hands, holding tight when I tried to pull away. "If you're going after Olinthar, I'm going with you. We plan together, we fight together, and if we die—" His grip tightened. "We die together."
The protest faded in my throat. Because I knew that look. Had seen it in the mirror often enough.
"You're an idiot," I whispered.
"Must run in the family."
I wanted to argue more, to dissuade him from this path I'd chosen. But when I looked at him, I saw the same fire that burned in me. The same need for something more than just survival.
"For Sulien?" I asked quietly.
"For Sulien," he agreed. "And for us. On our terms."
I nodded slowly. "Then we'd better be smart about it. Make them think we're broken. Make them believe they've won."
"Let them underestimate us."
"Right up until the end."
"We're going to survive the Trials. We're going to learn everything we can about their world, their weaknesses, their fears. We're going to be vigilant and cooperative and perfect students. And when we finally meet Olinthar," I said, his name tasting like rot on my tongue, "we're going to end the force that started this in the first place."
Thatcher let out a slow breath. "And if we somehow manage to pull it off?"
