Ascension (Unbound Prophecy Book 1)

by J. L. Jackola

  “You see, there will be no union for Sinow and me, now nor any time soon, and I don’t know how long it will be or what blood will spill before it does happen. My people’s blood and the blood of the land will be on my shoulders.” She laid her head in her hands, horrified at even the contemplation of her words.

  “Violissa, you don’t nor can you ever know what will happen. All you can do is wait and watch. It’s all any of us have done for thousands of years. No one can know the consequences of each choice we make nor would we want to. Now, if the Fate says we will have war then so be it. Our people are resilient and most of all, they adore you. They would not think to ever blame you. Don’t think of this future as a punishment. What good does that do our people? Think of it as a second chance.”

  “How so?” she asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks and searching his eyes hopefully.

  “You’ve been given a second chance with the king, and a better one at that. No more are you under pressure to marry by a certain time. The ascension has passed, use this time now to discover one another, build a true friendship with each other so you can accept what’s in your heart as can he, without the confusion. Think of how wonderful it will be now if you two have time to fall in love instead of being told to and only lusting for one another.”

  A smile came over his face as he saw her smile touch her eyes.

  “That’s my girl. And just think, perhaps the prophecy was meant to be written this way in the first place. The result is still the same no matter what path we take to get there.”

  He was forced to stop talking at that point as she’d run over to him and thrown her arms around his neck.

  “I knew I could count on you, Cyric, thank you!”

  “Anytime, my dear. Now, I do believe you have a meeting to plan for. Don’t be too hard on the boy. He’s got a lot on his shoulders right now, and I suspect that some of his doings are not always his own.”

  He kissed her forehead and turned back to his book. Violissa stood a moment, pondering the meaning of his words until she noticed his hand waving her out of the room. Best to leave him to his books and think about the meaning of his last words later. She looked back at him again, shook her head and smiled, then shifted away to plan for her meeting with Sinow.

  Twenty-Five

  Sinow shifted to the front hall of his castle. He took his cape off and dusted the soil from his hands. A servant took the cape from him, bowing quickly and scurrying from the room. He knew he looked quite the terrifying state. He’d spent the morning on the outer edges of the realm. The southern fringes seemed to attract the seedier of his people. It was assumed that since these towns were further from his sight, they could get away with more. They never learned that the crown and the Council could detect when things were awry. His father had always sent Council to deal with the riff-raff, but he preferred to go himself, at least for the time being. It was a release for him and helped fortify his image as a king to be feared.

  Contrary to the belief of the Cirillians, most of his people were good, decent folk. When those of less honorable means surfaced, if they brought too much attention to themselves, the punishment was death. Tenebron was ruled by fear, and they had reason to fear their king. This was the way it had been for as long as history had been recorded. As a result, order was kept and laws weren’t often broken. Sinow had taken the task of addressing these situations himself. Where the people had been frightened of his father, they were terrified of Sinow. They’d always been and now that word was spreading of his quick and painful punishments, it was standing knowledge that one didn’t dare go against his laws. People understood that he was more powerful and threatening than his father. Today he had shown his wrath once again. A gang of wanderers had settled among one of the southern towns and were terrorizing its residents. Murder, rape, robbery; all severe crimes that were not tolerated. People knew the Darkbearers and their king were swift to act when one was accused of such crimes.

  Sinow stretched his neck and rubbed the muscles in his right shoulder. He felt tense even after such a release of power. It worried him that he’d gleaned so much pleasure from torturing those men before killing them. He’d taken his time doling out their punishment, making sure he was well removed from peering small eyes of children but still within sight of the adult villagers. Word of mouth would spread fast, and he wouldn’t need to make any visits to other towns anytime soon.

  He wiped a spot of blood from his arms and headed to his study to contemplate the ease at which he’d tortured the men he’d so easily tracked down. Keary interrupted his thoughts and his path.

  “What is it, Keary? I’m not in a civil mood right now, so make it quick.”

  “We’ve received word from the Lightbearers. The queen would like to meet with you on a matter of business.”

  That stopped him. He hadn’t thought much about Violissa in the past few moons. To be honest, it was more like he avoided thinking about her. The sound of her name nearly knocked the wind from him. His heart started racing, “Really? When was this communicated to us?”

  “We just received the message. The Council recommends you go. She’d like to meet with you on the morrow.”

  “Send word that I won’t be meeting her.” He began walking away to avoid discussing it further, but Keary followed him. The last thing he wanted right now was to see Violissa, especially after his momentary lapse with Tynan the last time her name had been mentioned. He wasn’t sure how he’d react to her. That soft-hearted side of him was not something he had time or patience for anymore.

  “We strongly recommend you meet her, Sinow. The prophecy has not…” He didn’t have time to finish.

  “The prophecy is bullshit created by the Light to weaken us. I’ll have no more talk of it. Now, send word I won’t be there.”

  Keary was much more obstinate than the others, and Sinow thought of him more like a brother than a friend which is why he didn’t anger when Keary refused to back down but instead confronted him. He knew the man would challenge him; it was inevitable.

  “Sinow, I understand you’ve changed since the ascension. I realize what it has done to you, but you’ve lost the sense and personality you had before that made you so unique compared with kings of the past. It’s time to bring it back and stop acting like your grandfather.”

  Sinow looked angrily at his old friend then suddenly, for no reason he could find, he burst out laughing.

  “Keary, my old friend, you are the only one who has enough nerve to face his king, especially one as powerful as I am, and not piss his pants in fear while doing it!” He paused to catch his breath. “All right, I’ll hear you out. Tell me why I must meet with the queen.”

  Keary had started laughing, too, whether from relief or humor, Sinow couldn’t tell. He’d bet on the latter though. They’d had that type of relationship for many centuries now.

  Keary took a moment to catch his breath then continued. “It is imperative that you do so, Sinow. If you decline, it will be seen as an insult. To preserve the treaty, it is expected that the leaders of both realms meet at the fullness of the north moon at the very least. She has called you early but to refuse may provoke war.”

  “Tell me, Keary, since when has keeping within the bounds of any treaty ever been a priority to our people until now? I understand the importance of this one, but as I see it, there is no real reason for me to obey by said treaty. The queen and I did not unite, and all seems quite fine. What does this treaty do for our realm?”

  “Have you lost all sense? Or has your brother been bending your ear lately? I do hope it’s not the latter. The thought of you paying your brother any heed is frightening. So, with the idea that you’ve lost your sanity, let me remind you that we have benefited from the treaty. The Lightbearers have aided us on more than one occasion when illness has threatened our villages. They have provided cures and remedies we lacked. Since the queen’s youngest days, our c
rops have been fruitful every season. They ask nothing of us but to respect the treaty and the prophecy. So as your Council, I insist you meet the Queen, and, as a concerned friend, I recommend you see her. She has a way of calming your demeanor, which would be a valuable thing for you now. All things considered.”

  Sinow ran his hand through his hair and tried to keep his calm. Keary was right, he needed to meet with her. As much as he wanted, he couldn’t avoid it. The ire rippled through him at the thought, but deep within him ran a desire that he’d tried to keep buried since the ascension. He felt the subtle race of his heart at the thought of her.

  “You make valid points, Keary, as I knew you would.” He sighed and looked at his old friend. “I surrender, when does she want to meet again?”

  Twenty-Six

  The day had come. The sun shone high in the sky above them, the warmth taking the chill of Sinow’s glare from her bones. Their distance spoke volumes. There they stood, each with their own pride, their own demons, each too afraid to make a move so both maintaining the distance.

  Violissa decided to speak first. She couldn’t take his eyes boring into her, seeing right through her, anymore. He seemed so changed yet still the same, so familiar. He was amazing to look at, his new powers enhancing his looks, if that were at all possible, making him seem menacing yet irresistible at the same time. She knew she’d never seen a man so beautiful. She brought herself back to reality and focused on the task at hand.

  “Sinow” was all she could muster. Oh, how she hated how helpless she felt in his presence. She’d come here determined to yell and threaten about what he’d done, and now here she stood speechless, that overwhelming need for him pushing her to rush into his arms and run her hands down his taut chest.

  “Violissa,” he returned, his voice deep and powerful, “you requested my presence. I would assume you have some urgent matter to discuss with me.”

  He looked so calm it made her want to run over and smack him. But then she noticed his hands. They were in tight fists as if he were fighting some desire to attack her. It was then she understood the internal battle with his new powers was still happening. It must have been incredibly hard for him, that small part of him the Fates had endowed with goodness fighting to survive. The struggle to keep that piece of himself with the onslaught of Darkness that had invaded him must have been overwhelming. For any other of his line, she reasoned, it hadn’t been as difficult, but he was different, cut from a unique mold according to the Fate. With Violissa, it had been an easy transition. She’d accepted the powers as they only enhanced the Light within her. Sinow had more to wrestle with and apparently hadn’t found a comfortable middle ground.

  “How are you, Sinow?” she asked without thinking.

  He eyed her suspiciously.

  “Really, how are you? We haven’t seen each other since the ascension, and you seem so different.”

  “I wasn’t aware you knew me well enough to quantify a difference, Violissa,” he returned gruffly.

  She continued paying no mind to how he spoke to her. She moved closer to him, still leaving a divide but closing the distance a bit. She noted the concern that crossed his eyes.

  “You’ve changed,” she said, gazing into his eyes, “but I can sense you’re still there. The old you I mean. Sinow, I’m the only one who knows what you experienced, please talk to me.”

  “Know?” he asked angrily, “You know what I’m going through? Look at you, Vi.” She caught the quick change of her name as he continued, “You don’t act any different. Oh you’ve definitely changed physically, as if you could have been any more alluring. But you can’t know the constant torment, the need to see pain and destruction, the desire to cause it. You can’t know how hard it is to stand here and not attack you. The need to hurt you right now is overwhelming.” He stopped and ran a hand through his hair before continuing. “Ahhh, and the damned effects of that prophecy, that stirs up the need to have you. It’s impossible to want you and detest you and your kind at the same time, but it’s happening to me as we speak.”

  She had flinched at his words but didn’t stop. Her instinct told her this was what he needed just as she had needed to break down to Cyric. She quickly thought about how to proceed. If she said the wrong thing, it could turn horribly bad, but he was controlling it, and she knew she could make it easier for him. She silently wove a calming spell and slowly, very slowly released the spell into the air around them. She hoped he wouldn’t notice and prayed it was enough to ease his tension, enough to pull his true self out.

  “You’re right, I didn’t know how it was for you. My transition was much easier. But I do know how it feels to detest everything about you, Sinow, to want nothing more than to aim every bit of my power at you and watch you crumble. And I know the madness that desire creates in my head when pitted against that Fate-driven need…” she stopped, not wanting to give too much away. He was looking at her with his eyebrow cocked in surprise. “I guess this means our union is off again?” she said jokingly to break the tension, a smile on her lips, a coy look in her eyes.

  He stood frozen momentarily then a smile started to form, and she noticed his hands loosen their grip. He laughed. “Yeah, I suppose it wouldn’t do for the happy couple to destroy one another on their consummation night.”

  Violissa smiled and added, “Well we would survive, but I can’t say the realms would be in good shape.”

  He smiled and her heart skipped. “How did you do that?” he asked.

  “Do what?” she said, trying to breathe steadily.

  He ran a much more relaxed hand through his hair again. He was more himself now; she could sense the change in his aura.

  “How is it I’ve been fighting this for moons, and in a matter of minutes, you calm the storm within me? It’s as if you’ve hit a switch and turned off the Darkness within me. I haven’t felt this good since before the ascension.”

  “I don’t know. I guess the Fates work in more ways than we know or maybe that side of you that despises me so much decided to go underground until I leave.”

  “That very well may be,” he said with a chuckle. “Now, while I have a bit of self-control, I do believe you called this meeting and correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think your intention was to give me relief from my inner demons. What did you really want to discuss today, Vi?” He kept his distance, but she noticed he’d moved a little closer to her. She was hoping the next conversation wouldn’t throw him back over the edge.

  She dropped her gaze and with a wave of her hand the meeting table appeared. She walked toward it and waved her hand again. A map of their lands appeared spread out across the table. She looked back up at him. He had walked to the opposite side of the table and looked questioningly at the map then back at her.

  “It’s the western forests that border your realm,” he said. “The ancient forests that are sacred to your people, so I’ve been told. Why would that be of concern to me?”

  She thought for a moment on how to approach the subject then spoke, “You’re right, the ancient grove was divided in two when the boundary was established. It is sacred ground to my people as legend says the last war was fought there. Much blood was spilled on that land. Legend also says the groves hide the Hidden Realm where the last king gave his life and that of many of our people to protect the prophecy.”

  “Interesting tidbit but I don’t think you brought me here for a history lesson, Vi. I would get to the point as I can feel the ire building in me quickly.”

  She decided to go straight to the point. “If you know of the ancient grove, Sinow, why are you destroying it?”

  His eyes darkened, and she felt the aura around him change.

  “What? Are you accusing me of something, Violissa?”

  The hairs on her neck bristled, and she felt her power surge in response to his.

  “I am simply saying the Dark lands on this border hav
e been cleared. The sacred trees felled, and the ground stripped. These lands are far from any village or town, so why would it suddenly be cleared and why would you commit such a sacrilege against the land and me?”

  A low menacing growl escaped his throat. “I have done no such thing, Violissa, nor would I. How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I explicitly stated that those lands were not to be touched.” He slammed his fist onto the table, splitting it in two, the map dissolving in air. His eyes were blacker than the dead of night.

  “Sinow,” she said softly, weaving another spell of calming with her voice as she spoke, hoping he wouldn’t notice. “I believe you. But if you didn’t, then who did and why?”

  He flexed his fists and mumbled threateningly, “My brother. He wanted to…to expand the villages closer to the border, but I denied his request. He apparently had trouble listening.”

  He was covering something up, but Violissa couldn’t tell what and didn’t want to push him.

  “I’ll rectify the situation. There will be no more destruction of those woods.” He began to turn away, but she reached over and grabbed his hand. The action was instinctive; she didn’t want to leave until she’d restored those woods. She didn’t expect the spark she felt when their skin touched; the heat in his hand that sent her blood rushing. Sinow looked back at her defensively, holding onto his rage.

  “Please, Sinow…” she stopped as his eyes softened, lightening slightly. “I need to see the grove, to…” She didn’t know how to explain what needed to be done, the balance within the land that needed to be corrected, and the ache in her heart at the loss. “I must…”

  He interrupted her. Looking at her as if he could feel her pain and see straight into her soul he said, “Yes, of course you would need to.” It was all he said, all he had to say. It was as if he understood the depths of her soul without as much as a word being said. He muttered a quick spell and the table no longer separated them. He stepped closer than he’d been able earlier, and she felt her heartbeat quicken. Only a small distance remained between them.