Redemption (Ascendancy Legacy 6)

by Bates, Bradford

  “I’d go pretty slowly for your first couple sips.”

  It was probably good advice, but I was just so thirsty, and the water felt so good going down. It wasn’t long before I was spluttering, and then a coughing fit took me. He had been right. Of course he had. I still couldn’t feel most of my body, but I hadn’t had the courage to look yet. I remembered reading somewhere that people missing limbs could feel them sometimes. If that was true for me, I was missing all of them. If that was the case, they should have just let me die.

  John held out the glass again, and I took a few more sips. I was finally starting to feel like I might be able to talk again. Before I did, I had to know if I was whole or not. I opened my eyes and looked at John’s smiling face. Doubt he would have a smile that large if his only son just lost all of his limbs. The look filled me with the confidence that I had been sorely lacking.

  I blinked a few times, closed my eyes again, and then looked. Yep, they were all there. Both of my arms and legs were in harnesses. Had they been broken? My feet and hands were covered in gloves and socks. I remembered the white light and the feeling of being burned. Had that really happened? Was I hideous now? It almost seemed like too much to think about. Maybe I was vain. Maybe it was just the thought of everyone treating me differently, but I didn’t want to be scarred.

  “It’s good to have you back with us.” He sat back, and I noticed for the first time he was in a wheelchair and had bandages wrapped around his chest and stomach.

  “What happened to you?” I wanted to ask about me, but I had to know other things first. Were the rest of my friends ok? Jesus, was anybody ok?

  “Took a sword through the belly.” He said it almost as if it was nothing, but I knew it meant more than that.

  “How did Mom take it?”

  “She crushed the demon’s head like it was a watermelon and then rushed me to the healers.”

  “Not so good, then?”

  He shook his head. “Not so good. It didn’t help that just after that, they found you on the battlefield.”

  “I don’t even remember coming back.”

  “I read the reports. They said one minute you weren’t there, and then you were. No portal, no anything.”

  “All I remember is a white light.”

  “Well, whatever it was, it did a number on you. Burned about ninety-five percent of your body.” He must have seen something on my face that was close to terror. The machine next to me started beeping faster. “Don’t worry about it, kiddo. We’ve been able to heal burns for a millennia. It will take a while, but you’ll be good as new.”

  Thank God. I knew it seemed petty, but I was just so happy. I still couldn’t move my arms and legs around, but this felt like a step in the right direction. As long as there wasn’t a mirror around, I could just pretend like I was normal. “And what about the others?”

  “Everyone else is ok. Your friend Alby got a hell of a cool scar on her arm, but other than that, we remained mostly whole.”

  “Mostly?”

  “We lost thirteen members of the Ascendancy and had over thirty wounded. Alby lost fifteen men. It would have been worse without their help. Adam pledged to help them with whatever they needed. That Alby’s grove would have the full support of the Ascendancy behind it.”

  “And the demons?”

  “Some of them escaped, but we got most of them. As long as you got your target, they won’t have anywhere to go.”

  “I got him.” I frowned, thinking about those last few moments. “It was more like he stopped himself. In the end, Lucky was finally able to take back control.” I felt a tear streak down my face. It was tragic, really. I didn’t even know the full story, but I felt for him. I had felt the presence inside of him when it tried to take over my mind. It wasn’t nice, and he had to live with it for hundreds of years. He had been all alone, trapped inside of himself. That was the worst torture I could ever imagine.

  John wiped my tears away and sat back. “Just rest. We’ll be out of here soon.”

  The door opened behind him, and an anxious-looking doctor came in. “There you are, Mr. Blackthorn. Is it too much to ask that you actually stay in your own room? You’re going to give the nurses a heart attack.”

  “Just had to check on my boy, Doc. I’ll head back to my cell right away.”

  The doctor threw a hand on her hip. “This isn’t a prison, Mr. Blackthorn, but I can make it feel like one if I need to.”

  “I’m already rolling, Doc.” He flashed me a smile and rolled out of the room.

  The doctor looked at him and shook her head. I could see her smiling. My dad had that kind of effect on people. He knew just the right buttons to push and how far to push them. The doctor turned back toward me, and her eyes widened. I could tell by the look, she hadn’t expected me to be awake.

  She rushed forward and grabbed the chart. She looked at it and looked at me. She still looked shocked that I was awake, or maybe it was that I had my eyes open. “So how are you feeling?” She asked it hesitantly, like I was about to tell her something awful.

  “I’m feeling ok, but I can’t move my arms and legs.”

  “We will have to do a few tests first, but if everything looks good, we will take them out of the straps and get you started on some physical therapy.”

  “How long have I been here?”

  “About a week. We can also start talking about getting you some visitation. People have been asking to see you, but only your dad’s managed to sneak in.”

  I doubted that. April, Marcus, and Britta probably could have snuck in here at will. “How long before I’m ready to go home?”

  “Months, most likely.” I must have made a sour face because when she continued, she was using the same stern voice she had with my dad. “Just be thankful you get to go home at all. A lot of people with your injuries don’t ever get that chance.”

  I bet she was really thinking, my God, now I have to deal with two of them, but I was willing to let it go. “Don’t worry about me, Doc. No one is happier to be alive than I am right now.”

  She gave me a look like I was finally starting to understand the importance of what happened. “You won’t feel that way when Felix shows up.”

  “And Felix is?”

  “The rehabilitation specialist.” She said it with a smirk.

  I was starting to understand why my dad liked to push her buttons. She was the kind of person who could dish it back with a smile. I was starting to like this doctor. It was too bad for her that I would be out of here well before that, with a little help from my friends. She would probably wonder about it for years.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Jackson

  Three months had passed since I had woken up in the hospital bed next to my dad. The doctor had been right; those months hadn’t easy. Half the time, I wanted to quit working, and the other half, I hated everyone around me. That was over now, though. For better or worse, things were back to normal.

  My skin had healed faster than they had expected; my hair had started to grow back. My body moved the same way it had before I’d been injured, and last week, April stopped taking it easy on me in the ring. It felt good to be me again, and those months spent working back from nothing had been worth it. April had been my biggest supporter, as always. It was funny to think back on the first time we met. She gave me a look that would have wilted flowers. She thought I didn’t want her to train me because she was a woman. The thought hadn’t even occurred to me. The truth was I had been afraid she would kick my ass. I had been right, and she had been kicking my ass for years now.

  Today she had beaten me into submission more than was good for my fragile male ego. Three hours in the ring, and she had beaten me every single time. I was getting closer, though. Things were starting to slow down again when I fought. It wouldn’t be too much longer before I could win at least three out of ten. Well, maybe on a good day.

  We were sitting in the stands, and I was holding her hand. I found myself doing t
hat more often these days. It was almost like I was afraid to let her go. She didn’t seem to mind, which made it easier than having to explain why I was doing it. I loved her with all of my heart. She was a part of me, and I couldn’t wait to tell her how much she meant to me. At the same time, I was terrified. You never knew if they would say yes until they actually said the words.

  “Damn, Britta got him good that time.”

  I looked back down into the arena to see Marcus standing up and brushing the sand off of himself. Britta was dancing around him with her hands in the air, celebrating her victory. I had the feeling Marcus had let her win, but I couldn’t know for sure. She was getting better, after all. Not only that, but since they had been training together, there might have been hints at a spark developing. Of course, that could always lead to nothing, or it might turn into something wonderful. I didn’t care either way. It was just nice to see them happy.

  John and Sarah were away again, tending to the cleanup efforts at the battle site. You would be surprised how much effort and coordination it took to remove that many corpses without being seen. That, and there was one giant demon who had to be blown up a few times before the pieces would even fit in a truck. Amazingly, the whole thing had escaped media attention, except for the freak lightning storm that people happened to have caught on camera.

  Alby was coming to join us for dinner tonight. It would be good to see her again. I hadn’t gotten to talk to her since the battle, although she did send me a care package full of my favorite candies. It was a good thing it was almost impossible for me to gain weight because of my wolf. That bastard was always hungry.

  Next month, on the full moon, I was going to get to do my first pack run. I was excited and a little weirded out. I still wasn’t quite so comfortable with the thought of walking around naked with a bunch of strangers, but my mom assured me the embarrassment would fade and the run was worth it. April promised to come with me, so I felt a little bit better about the whole situation.

  “Let’s go save him from further embarrassment.”

  April tugged me to my feet, and we started to head down the stairs to the arena floor. Britta had now resorted to twerking right next to Marcus. As much as he pretended to be angry, I saw where his eyes were, and I knew he was loving every second of it.

  “Nice win, sister,” April shouted.

  Britta stopped dancing and ran over to give her a high five. “It was, wasn’t it?”

  “She didn’t actually win,” Marcus said.

  I elbowed him in the side, and he shut up right away. It didn’t matter if he let her win or not. That argument only led to one place, him losing. It just wasn’t worth it. One day, he would learn.

  “So you guys will be at our place at seven?” I asked, trying to deflect a little bit of attention from the daggers Britta was shooting at my buddy.

  “Seven works for me,” Marcus said.

  “I’ll be there at six fifty-nine. That way Marcus can lose again.”

  He was about to say something else, and I elbowed him again. Maybe he wouldn’t actually learn. If he didn’t, his life was going to become a real interesting place, especially if things ever got serious.

  “Are Nikki and Nitro going to make it?”

  Britta shook her head. “They are on the outs again. You know those two. They are either hot or cold. By next week, it will be flowers and makeup sex again.”

  Marcus tilted an eyebrow. Britta just looked down at the sand. Something was happening there, but Marcus hadn’t filled me in on it yet, and I sure as fuck wasn’t going to ask him about it now. “All right, guys, we will see you tonight.” I took April's hand in my own, and we headed back to our place.

  When the door opened, I was happy to see Alby. My dad was right; she had a cool scar on her arm. It almost looked like a lightning bolt. She told me it came from the serrated teeth of a demon. If anything, it added a little bit of fierceness to her perfectly polished exterior. What I hadn’t expected was for her to show up with a man on her arm. It was a pleasant surprise.

  He was tall and good-looking. I pegged him for another fey right away. When Alby looked at him, her eyes sparkled. That told me all I needed to know. He gave me a quick handshake and headed inside, giving Alby and me a moment to catch up.

  She looked perfect, almost as if she had stepped out of a magazine. She was naturally long and lean, with platinum blonde hair. It was like hitting the genetic lottery. Her sapphire blue dress did just enough to accentuate her in all the right places. If this guy wasn't the right one, she would still be able to break a lot of hearts before she settled down.

  “You look fantastic.”

  “Thanks, Jackson. So do you. I don’t know, I was expecting a little bit more of the Freddy vibe when I saw you.”

  “That’s cold, Alby.”

  “Well, you always did like to play with fire.”

  I pulled her into a hug. “I was happy to hear that you made it out alive.”

  “And you got my care package.” She smiled.

  I rubbed my stomach when I answered. “I sure did. Nothing motivates a man like chocolate.”

  “I wanted to come and see you, but I’ve been busy with the other groves. They want me to justify my actions.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Our people haven’t bled beside yours before. Not everyone was comfortable with the fact that I chose to stand with you.”

  “Are they coming around to your way of thinking?”

  “You could say that.” She looked over my shoulder at her man as he talked with April. “I’m going to save your girl from being bored out of her mind.”

  Alby walked away, and Britta came in through the still-open door. She gave me a big hug and a smile. “It’s been so long since we’ve done this.”

  “Too long. It’s going to be good to have everyone together again.”

  “Oh, is that Alby?”

  “It sure is. Why don’t you go and say hi?”

  Britta moved into the house. I heard the women laugh as she introduced herself. At least that had gone well. It was crazy to think that Britta hadn’t been there when we worked side by side with Alby to secure her grove. I had the feeling they would get along just fine.

  Marcus rolled in next. He was kind of dressed up, which was new for him. I’d also noticed that he had lost a few pounds. Typical behavior for a guy when he was trying to court a girl. Granted, it could have just been all the extra training sessions.

  “What up, bro?”

  “Notta, man.”

  “So what’s on the menu tonight?”

  “April had it catered from somewhere. She promised me it’s delish.” I looked back at everyone else to make sure they were busy. “Did you bring it?”

  Marcus passed me a small package. “Everything looks good. Let’s get this party started.”

  It felt good being back in my family’s home. I hadn’t realized just how much I missed this place. It still felt a little weird making it my own when I could see my parents in my memories. I knew they would want me here. So when we weren’t busy training, we normally spent our nights here.

  Dinner had been awesome, and dessert was sitting in the middle of the table. I poured the last glass of champagne and handed it to April. Everyone was looking at me expectantly. It wasn’t like me to toast or to give long-winded speeches. I liked to blend in, to sit in the back. I was more of a homebody than a go out and do stuff kind of guy. Now if you wanted to talk movies, games, or TV, I could go for hours. Let’s check politics and drama at the door.

  So everyone kind of knew something was coming when I started to talk.

  “I’m so happy we could all be together tonight.” That earned me a few raised eyebrows. “It was three years ago when I found out rather unexpectedly that I was one of the Gifted. My life has mostly changed for the better since then. I'm surrounded by incredible friends and people I love.”

  “Here, here,” shouted Marcus.

  That earned him a few snicker
s, which I am sure is what he was going for.

  “But there is one person in my life who means more to me than anyone else, and tonight I wanted to let her know just how much she completes me.” I took April's hand and dropped to one knee by her chair. Reaching behind me, I removed the package Marcus had given me on his arrival. “April, there is no life or future that I see for myself that doesn’t have you in it.” I opened the box. “Will you marry me?”

  She jumped out of her seat and tackled me to the ground. Kisses rained down upon my face. “Of course I will.” She squealed as she stood up and slipped on the ring. She looked at it in the light, moving her hand back and forth, trying to see it from every angle. I just lay there and watched her. She was the most beautiful girl in the world. She was my everything.

  The girls had all crowded together and were staring at her ring and talking. Marcus cut himself a slice of cake and was just taking his first bite when a knock sounded at the door. I rolled over and climbed to my feet, wondering who it could be. It was one of the new first-year students at the door. He must have been pretty handy with magic if he had opened a portal close to here. I’d be damned if I could remember the kid's name, though.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Henry sent me, said they need to see you in Adam’s office.”

  “Jesus, can’t it wait? We’re having dinner.”

  “He just told me to tell you it was your turn in the rotation and not to dawdle. He said something about a vampire attack downtown.”

  Well, that was almost no detail at all. I was going to have to get Henry a fucking cell phone. If he would have called, we could have avoided this awkward interaction. “Anyone ever tell you that you aren’t very good at this messenger thing?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “All the time.” He turned and walked away.

  Well, damn, life never really seemed to stop, did it? At least we had a good crop of new students, and damn talented ones too. I was looking forward to spending some time training them once things slowed down a bit. Since the demons had left, some of our other old friends had been making moves and trying to consolidate their power again. It was going to be a busy year.