Dark Ascension

by J. D. Brown

  Jesu scoffed. “Nikolas agreed to this deal to see that my father was taken care of. Ema has done that part, yet you do nothing to honor her. You just keep adding dangerous missions for her to do, dangling the contract over her nose like a carrot. Are you hoping for her demise?”

  “Of course not,” Brinnon growled. “I’m doing everything I can.” The King leveled his gaze with Jesu’s. “She might not have my army, but she is not alone.”

  Something passed between them, some kind of silent conversation. Jesu narrowed his gaze, and the two men stared each other down.

  Ema certainly wasn’t alone. She had a Hunter, even if she didn’t know it. She had Jesu and Maria and Naamah—some of the most powerful vampyres this side of Europe.

  Jesu’s gaze softened by a tiny increment. He put his hands on his hips and sighed. “No. She cannot do it. She is preg—”

  “That’s enough,” said Ema. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not sitting right here. Besides, I’m going to China.”

  All three men looked at her.

  Her hands wrung in her lap and she avoided meeting anyone’s gaze directly. “I’m going to China,” she repeated, and then drew a deep breath. “Maria found an alchemist there. I’m going to see her to... Well, to make another stone. And don’t you dare argue.” She gave Jesu a stern look. He worked his jaw, but Ema didn’t give him the chance to come up with a response. “While I’m there, I’ll ask Shénshèng if she knows how to draw Lilith out. When I get back, we can discuss a plan.”

  Shénshèng? I cringed. Mother wasn’t going to like that.

  Brinnon nodded slowly. “That could work.”

  Jesu still stood. He looked uncomfortable. No, he looked troubled. He put a hand on Ema’s shoulder and—as if he couldn’t believe he was saying it—murmured, “You should get the ring now.”

  “Right.” Ema stood and exited the office. Jesu followed at a much slower pace. At the door, he turned slowly, and looked right at me.

  Sonofabitch.

  That made three times now. How was he doing it? I was invisible! I had no scent. No pulse, no breath. Nothing at all to give me away. Jesu didn’t even have the ability to phase himself. My molecules buzzed in frustration.

  As if he could sense my anger and wanted to taunt me further, Jesu reached under the collar of his shirt and pulled out a thin length of brown leather. He lifted the necklace just high enough for me to see the talisman attached to the end. With a smirk, he hid the totem safely under his shirt, and then left the room.

  My blood boiled.

  I knew that talisman. Everyone in my family knew it. The claror was a piece of lilac wood with the Jumlin symbol of clarity carved into it. Whoever wore the totem could detect my kin even when we were phased.

  “Go,” said Brinnon. His Germanic tone drew my attention. He was speaking to the only other vampyre left in the room, his new Second. “Give the ruby to Tancred.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing. If Ema dies in this quest, we’ll have a very angry trio of vampyres to deal with, not to mention a provoked succubus.”

  “Then we’ll deal with it,” Brinnon growled. “Now go.”

  The man crossed the room and then showed himself out.

  I stood in the corner, torn. Every fiber of my being burned in conflict. I wanted to solidify and tell Brinnon he was an idiot, that he needed to listen to Tancred and get rid of Ema before he ended up following his father into an early grave. But right now, I had a ruby to steal.

  I turned my proverbial back on Brinnon and followed his kin into the corridor. I waited until we were alone—several stairwells and hallways later—then I pushed my power outward, filling air around him with a purple haze.

  “What the—?”

  He turned, found me standing firmly in the third dimension, and opened his mouth to scream. I cocked my brow. So pathetic, a vampyre yelling for help. Oh well.

  “Sleep,” I whispered.

  His scream died in his throat. I caught him in my arms just before he hit the floor, and nicked the stone from his shirt pocket. The ruby was about the size of the fingernail on my pinkie, and perfectly round. I rolled it between my thumb and finger, held it up to a candlelight, and looked at the glimmering red edges.

  “Like a genie in a bottle,” I chuckled. “How’d you like to see your crazy nut job of a sister again?”

  I looked at the vampyre sleeping on the floor, decided it wouldn’t do to leave him out in the open, and then dragged him into a nearby broom closet. I shut the door, and then looked at the ruby again. “Let’s go get your ring now, eh?”

  CHAPTER 11

  I ran my hand over the frazzled mess of damp hair on my head, and then knocked on Maria’s door. My gaze went to the ever-watchful guards and their curious looks. My clothes had mostly dried, but were stiff and awkward against my skin. I touched the thin intricate rose links around my wrist and bit my lip.

  How on earth am I going to pull this off?

  How could I not? Making the contract a law solved everything. Brinnon thought I could do it—that I could kill Lilith—but why? What made him so confident? Just because I had Maria and Naamah’s help? Jesu was right, going after Lilith would be nothing like it was with Apollyon. I had never seen Lilith’s power in action. I had no idea what she was capable of. But I knew she was strong. I could feel it in my bones. Still, I couldn’t pass the opportunity to talk to her again. Lilith was the one person who could help my babies.

  The door opened and Maria faced me. She wore a long-sleeved sweater and dark pants. Covering her scars. A lump welled in my throat. Vampyres didn’t scar unless the wounds were inflicted by magic—the same kind of magic that had left a brand above my navel.

  “Is everything all right, darling?” Maria took in the appearance of my damp hair and crumpled clothing. A line creased her brow.

  “Tancred met with some of the Council members,” I said.

  Maria gestured for me to come inside. Naamah was still with her. He had changed into a black business suit and was in the middle of stringing a tie around his neck.

  I told them what Brinnon told me; how Tancred used my heritage to make the Council doubt my motives, and how Brinnon negotiated a deal that involved giving up the stones and murdering the mother of succubae. My hands wrung over each other as I spoke. The silver bracelet scraped against my wrist, feeling too foreign and too exposed. I told myself I just wasn’t used to wearing it on my arm, but who was I kidding? When I handed the jewel to Brinnon, it felt as though I’d given him my entire limb; like I’d ripped off some deeply embedded part of myself. Even now, my nerves felt raw from the loss.

  “No.” Naamah shook his head after I finished speaking. “I will have a word with the Council. They cannot possibly expect you to go through with it.”

  “In the meantime,” said Maria, “it is probably best to give them the ring to show some cooperation.”

  “Do you really think the Council can be reasoned with?” I asked.

  Naamah’s bearded mouth teetered in a kind smile, but there wasn’t much enthusiasm behind it. “Of course.”

  Maria went to the wardrobe and dug through a drawer. She lifted a small package lined in Adder’s Tongue and plastic wrap. I grimaced as she handed it to me.

  “I told Brinnon I was going to China to make another stone.”

  Husband and wife looked at each other with unspoken worry.

  “That might not be a bad idea if Shénshèng can manage it,” said Naamah.

  “It’s a terrible idea,” I said. “The last thing we need is another philosopher’s stone in existence, but I needed an excuse to see Shénshèng. I can’t tell Brinnon the real reason for the trip until the contract is official.” I gestured to the occupants in my womb.

  “Either way,” said Maria, “you should take the spell book with you. Maybe there is something in there she can use.”

  If she really is an alchemist. I bit my tongue.

  Maria pulled Leena’s spell book off a shelf and tuck
ed it into a satchel. She looped the strap over my shoulder. Something about the weight of the satchel against my hip sent a knot of emotion to my throat. I fiddled with the plastic wrap of the small box in my hands.

  “Well, I better get this to Brinnon.” I nodded my thanks, turned on my heels, and then showed myself out.

  How can I do this?

  It was one thing to give my ruby to the Council. No one could activate it except me. But were the rules the same for Apollyon’s jade? Hesiodos had said my stone was a very simple model. It acted solely as a vessel able to trap a single essence. As far as I knew, my stone didn’t kill that essence. It just contained it. Apollyon’s stone was far more complex. He had thousands of years to perfect the craft. To make it lethal. I saw him shoot the damn thing like a laser gun and kill Nikolas. That’s why I kept the ring away from my ruby. What if putting them together allowed Apollyon to draw power? What if he found a way to free himself?

  My head spun with ‘what-ifs’ as I made my way to Brinnon’s office. I rounded the turn at the T-intersection and neared the door. Voices rose from within, and I paused.

  “This isn’t what we agreed to,” Maria scolded.

  My breath caught. How the heck did she get here before me? Oh, right. Phasing. I really missed that ability.

  “She doesn’t have any training,” Maria continued. “At least wait until she is Elite, then send her to kill whoever you want.”

  “You think I want this?” Brinnon kept his tone clam. “My hands are tied.”

  “Bullshit. You’re doing this for the incubus.”

  Brinnon gasped.

  Maria scoffed. “That’s right, I know all about your fraternizations with the enemy.”

  “This is Tancred’s doing,” Brinnon argued, but could I have imagined the slight waver in his voice? “Now remove yourself from my sight before I shackle you next to your pathetic Prince.”

  Something in my blood drove me to act. I gripped the knob and flung open the office door. “This isn’t your choice!”

  My words were meant for Maria, but Brinnon and I were the only ones in the room, the air thick with the scent of nitrogen. Brinnon stood behind his desk. He grabbed his father’s armchair, combed a hand through his hair, and then sighed into the seat.

  “I’m glad you feel that way,” he said.

  My brow furrowed. What did Maria mean? The question balanced on the tip of my tongue, but I suspected I already knew the answer. The Adder’s Tongue in Brinnon’s room... It made sense now.

  “How long has Valafar been here?” I demanded. “The last time I saw him, he—”

  “Did you tell Maria?”

  I narrowed my gaze. “No. I kept my promise.”

  “You told someone.” He growled to the side, his features pinched into a grimace.

  I refused to believe Jesu would snitch. He had no reason to. “Maria’s smart. Maybe she figured it out on her own.” When the King didn’t react, I marched into the room and slammed the package on top of the desk. Brinnon glared at me. “How long?” I repeated. “And why didn’t you tell me? He must know everything by now. The contract. Tancred. China.” I shook my head and scoffed. “Lilith will know I’m going to China.”

  Brinnon blanched and his gaze widened. “You don’t think she’ll attack first, do you?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “But I have to assume Valafar knows about the task the Council wants me to do for them.”

  Crap; nothing we said here was safe.

  Brinnon glanced around the room and pulled his lips between his teeth. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I made a mistake.”

  Something else worried me, too. I glanced at the package. “Jesus Christ, Brinnon, tell me you’re not going to give that to him.”

  “What? No. Never. I am on your side, Ema, I swear it. Roman will be back any second. The Council will lock the stones away. They’ll be safe from everyone. Even...”

  Even an incubus whose specialty is putting vampyres to sleep? Or killing them with the blink of his violet eyes?

  What choice did I have? Jesu and Maria were right; giving the stones to the Council was the easy part, and the more I co-operated, the better the chances Naamah had to convince them to retract their order to murder Lilith. I didn’t want to kill her. I needed her help.

  However, it might do good to let her believe I wanted her dead—to let her come to me when she thought I would be completely alone and helpless. An idea took shape in my mind. I leaned over the desk and looked Brinnon in the eyes.

  “Make sure they keep the stones apart. Lock them in separate containers on opposite ends of the continent. Apollyon should never be within a hundred miles of his ring, understand?”

  Brinnon’s Adams apple bobbed as he nodded.

  I straightened my posture and smiled sweetly. “Good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a flight to catch and a succubus to flay.” I went to the door, hoping with every fiber of my being that Valafar was in the office listening to us. “Oh,” I added over my shoulder. “Get another incense burner for your office.”

  Brinnon looked like he might throw up. I marched out of the room, feigning confidence. My nerves rattled so hard, I had to focus just to stay vertical. I still had no idea how I was going to pull off this shoddy plan, but for now I had to play the part of the willing assassin. Valafar’s spying ass changed everything. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He’d promised. Maybe, just maybe, he came back for Brinnon. But if Valafar really cared about the King, he would have stayed away.

  No. I knew enough about vampires and sire bonds to know that Valafar wasn’t in charge of his own actions. He was Lilith’s pawn. And he did his job well—turning my most important connection against me. I was going to wring his neck for using Brinnon.

  VALAFAR

  I waited in the shadows until the office door closed behind Ema.

  This is it. Game over.

  Brinnon released a long sigh. He reached across the desk and dragged the palm-sized package closer. I approached my ex-lover, still invisible, and watched as he tore into the plastic wrap. No wonder I couldn’t find the damn ring. Each layer of plastic unraveled a blanket of tightly packed Adder’s Tongue. Dried flakes stuck under his fingernails while other bits fell into his lap, like green snow. A magnetic pull tugged at my essence, drawing my body into the physical realm, giving it shape and anchoring my weight into my feet. No use fighting it, so I appeared.

  Brinnon swiveled in his chair and gasped. “Val?” His golden yellow gaze widened, not so much in shock as in sadness. His gaze lowered a moment then he wet his lips and looked up at me. “I’m so sorry.”

  I scoffed. He was sorry? I put my hands on my hips and scanned his Adonis-like physique. It hurt to look at him, but I refused to turn away. Knowing it would be the very last time; I grabbed Brinnon by the collar, pulled him to his feet, and kissed him. It was a selfish move, but I didn’t care. I gave him all I had, holding him tight, pressing against him.

  Brinnon froze. His tendons stiffened beneath my touch, his mouth unmoving. Then something surprising happened. He melted against me and kissed me back. Beautiful, gripping, and passionate. He didn’t hold back.

  Brinnon brought his arms around me and gripped the shoulders of my sweater in his fists. He still held the box in one hand, and the cardboard edges poked against my shoulder blade—a rude reminder of my true task. My chest tightened. A sharp pain sliced between my ribs and made a home in the soulless cavity of my body. I winced, breaking the kiss. It’s now or never. With the Adder’s Tongue dulling my powers, it would take everything I had to pull this off.

  Brinnon pressed his forehead to mine. He closed his eyes, and his lashes tickled my cheekbone, his breath on my lips.

  “Please,” he whispered. “Please don’t take it.”

  My mouth opened, but what could I say? He knew why I had to.

  This is stupid. Why am I still holding him?

  “Val,” his arms tightened as he rested his head on my shoulder, his breat
h on my neck, “please.”

  Emotion welled in my throat. Emotions that had no business being there.

  “You’re going to die,” I said.

  He stiffened in my arms, but feigned calmness in his voice. “What do you mean?”

  “Call off the witch hunt, love. Or you’re all going to die.”

  Startled, Brinnon began to pull away, but I refused to let this end with an argument. I wanted to end it with a kiss, and by George that was how it was going to go.

  “Val, I—”

  “Sleep.”

  My eyes squeezed shut as Brinnon went limp in my arms, and the box fell to the floor. The lump in my throat grew until I could hardly breathe, and my hands shook as I gently lowered the King into his armchair. My vision blurred at the sight of his beautiful, sleeping face. I let myself watch him for exactly three breaths. I let myself grieve for that long, and not a single moment more.

  I drew a deep, calming breath, and then pulled my sleeves over my hands so I could pick up the box.

  Careful to avoid the herb, I finished tearing the cardboard open. A glint of golden metal fell out. It landed on one of the fur rugs. Plucking the ring between my thumb and forefinger, I lifted it up and studied it. The jade at the center was about the size of a nickel, smooth and oblong. Seemingly harmless, but I knew better. Thinking of Ema’s prior warning, I pocketed the ring opposite the one that carried the ruby, and—against my better judgement—glanced at the sleeping King.

  He’ll never want to see me after this.

  But as long as he was alive, it didn’t matter. Brinnon would get over it, marry some lucky vampyress, and birth a dozen heirs like his father. His marriage would always be a burden, but he’d play the part. He would probably love again, in secret, with some young escort.

  Not me.

  Never me.

  For his own good.

  The woods dimmed as the thick treetops shaded the hidden alcove. The earth was a deep brown, rich with only a smattering of ferns, and surrounded on all sides by giant oaks. To anyone else, this particular section of the forest would appear to be a small clearing—the lack of growth easily explained by the thickly entwined branches overhead. But I could look through the glamour and see the clearing for what it really was. A small cottage sat in the middle of the dirt patch, invisible to everyone else.