Page 36 of Awakened Destiny (The Dark Ascendant #3)

Brigid

Marius takes my hand, and we slip from my room into the corridor. The academy is quiet at this hour, most students either studying or are already asleep. We move through the hallways, Marius leading me through passages I ’ ve never noticed before.

"How long have these been here?" I whisper as we duck behind a concealed door into a narrow tunnel.

"Since the beginning," Marius replies. "The academy has always had its secrets."

We emerge outside, the night air cool against my skin. The mist that perpetually shrouds the academy seems to part before us as Marius leads me away from the main grounds, deeper into the surrounding forest.

The path grows narrower, wilder.

"How much farther?" I ask, stepping carefully over a gnarled root.

"Not far now."

The trees begin to thin, and soon I spot a small clearing ahead. In its center stands a cottage, so modest it seems almost deliberately unremarkable. Smoke curls from its chimney, and warm light spills from its windows.

"This is it?" I can't keep the surprise from my voice.

"The best hiding places are often in plain sight," Marius says, squeezing my hand. "Ready?"

I take a deep breath

"Ready."

But I'm not. My stomach churns with a sickening mix of anticipation and dread. These people have been fighting against the Council for years while I've only just learned about my powers weeks ago. What if they reject me? What if they see me as an imposter? A girl playing at being queen with powers she doesn't deserve.

My shadow magic pulses beneath my skin, responding to my anxiety. I try to rein it in, knowing that losing control now would only confirm their worst suspicions.

"They'll listen to you," Marius says, reading my expression. "But not if you show fear."

"I'm not afraid," I lie.

Marius smirks, seeing right through me. "Then stop strangling my hand."

I release my death grip on his fingers, not having realized how tightly I'd been holding on. The cottage waits, silent and watchful. Inside are people who could become my strongest allies or my deadliest enemies. This moment could shape everything that follows. My reign before it even truly begins.

"Whatever happens in there," I say, "thank you for believing in me."

Marius looks at me with an intensity that makes my heart stutter. "Always."

We cross the clearing together, and Marius knocks on the door, three sharp raps.

The door swings open. I step inside.

The cottage interior is larger than it appeared from outside. A single room holds about a dozen people, all of whom turn to stare at us as we enter. The fireplace casts their faces in sharp relief, hard expressions with guarded eyes. They stand in a loose semicircle.

A man separates himself from the group. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a face that's obviously seen more than one fight. A jagged scar cuts from his left temple to his jaw, and his eyes are cold as they sweep over me.

"So," he says, "this is her?" He looks me up and down and sneers.

Before I can respond, Marius steps in front of me. I recognize the deadly readiness in his stance.

"Watch your tone, Kieran," Marius warns.

The man—Kieran—spits on the floor.

I place my hand on Marius's shoulder and step around him, ignoring his subtle attempt to keep me behind him.

"I can speak for myself," I say, meeting Kieran's gaze directly. My voice comes out steadier than I expected. "And I'm not asking for your respect. I haven't earned that yet."

A murmur runs through the assembled rebels. Kieran's eyes narrow, assessing me with new interest.

"At least you admit that much," he says. "Most who come claiming power don't acknowledge what they haven't earned."

Marius moves beside me. "You all know who I am. What I've sacrificed for our cause." His voice rings through the small room.

A woman with a shock of white-blonde hair crosses her arms. “ You turned your back on our king. You denied him his vessel.” Several heads nod around the room. “ You ’ re nothing but a fucking traitor.”

I look at Marius with alarm as I sense the heat rising in the room.

“ I did what I had to do. There ’ s more at play than we ever knew. I don ’ t know if the Raven King knew that too, but I suspect he did. We ’ ve been pawns too long. But it can end, now.”

“ We would be in control now if it weren ’ t for your betrayal, boy.” Kieran steps closer to Marius, but Marius stands his ground.

“ Would you have, Kieran?” Marius tilts his head. “ Because I ’ m the one who has the king inside him still. And he never had any intention of doing your bidding. The only thing the Raven King ever cared about was himself, and her. He would slaughter your children and walk over their corpses to get to the Morrigan.”

“ The Council already slaughters us,” Kieran retorts. “ We could have taken them out. Stopped the hunts and the executions.”

“ The Council isn ’ t a problem anymore. Brigid is stronger than they are.”

Snorts and unkind laughter ring out in the small room.

"I wouldn't bring Brigid here if I didn't believe in her." Marius gestures toward me. "She is the one who carries the power of the Raven King. She holds the power of the Morrigan. Consider what this means."

He steps forward, commanding the attention of everyone present. "For generations, we've fought against the Council's tyranny. Hunted. Persecuted. Isolated, and that's exactly what they wanted."

I watch the rebels' faces. Some still wear skepticism like armor, but others listen intently.

Marius continues. "She doesn't just wield powerful shadow magic. She controls the threads of fate themselves. She can unite us all. No more persecution."

Kieran scoffs. "Pretty words. But we've heard promises before."

"This isn't a promise." Marius's voice drops lower, more dangerous. "It's a statement of fact. The Council fears her because she represents everything they've tried to prevent—our factions united under a single banner."

My heart pounds against my ribs. I know this is my moment to speak, to convince them.

"I understand your skepticism," I say, stepping forward. "I'm not what you expected. Not what was planned." I look at each face in turn, meeting their gazes without flinching. "For decades, you believed Marius would become the Raven King. That I would be nothing but a vessel for the Morrigan."

A tall man with copper hair shifts uncomfortably. I address him directly. "You see me as a disruption to the promises and plans you've built your lives around."

"You're damn right we do," he mutters.

I nod. "I would feel the same. But consider this. Perhaps the plans were wrong. Perhaps they were incomplete."

I move closer to the center of the room, feeling the weight of their attention. "I never asked for these powers. I spent most of my life believing I was human, ordinary. But now I stand before you with abilities that terrify even the Council."

Taking a deep breath, I continue. "I won't pretend to understand all the politics and history between your factions. But I do understand oppression. I know what it means to be feared for what you are. To be punished for powers you didn't choose."

The room falls silent. Even Kieran seems to be listening now.

"I will fight for your rights. For your freedom to practice your magic without persecution. For a world where your children don't have to hide in the shadows." My voice grows stronger with each word. "But I can't do it alone. I need allies who understand this world better than I do."

I look at Kieran. "I don't ask for blind loyalty. But give me the chance to prove that together, we can create something the Council has never seen before. A unified realm they can't divide and conquer."

A murmur ripples through the gathered rebels. I watch their faces carefully, searching for any sign of acceptance. The woman with black braids exchanges a glance with the man beside her, a slight nod passing between them. Across the room, another uncrosses his arms, his posture relaxing.

"You speak well," Kieran says, his rough voice softer now. "But words are cheap in our world."

"Then judge me by my actions," I answer.

A young woman with dark eyes steps forward. "I want to hear more about this unity you propose. How do we fit in with the High Fae? With the elites?"

"As equals," I answer without hesitation. "Not subjects. Not servants. Partners in creating a new balance."

I notice more nods now, cautious but present. The hostility in the room has shifted to curiosity. Maybe even hope.

"The girl has spine," an older woman says from the back. "And power. That's a start."

Marius moves to stand beside me. "She's more than you know. More than even she knows."

I'm about to respond when movement in the shadows behind the rebels catches my eye. The darkness seems to separate, revealing a familiar figure. My breath catches as Professor Azareon steps into the light.