Page 13 of Shadows Ascend (Remnant Archives #2)

G rinning, I raised my brow at the death god, watching him fumble to say any words, his eyes saying the opposite of what was caught in his throat.

“I—” he snarled, snaking his tongue across his teeth with glaring eyes in my direction.

Eve’s arms crossed her chest, darkness pluming around her, moving in tandem with her dark hair. “Anytime now, my love ,” she mocked, the hard edge to her voice unmistakable.

Sparing her a glance and seeing no mercy in her stare, he turned back to me, pinching the bridge of his nose and huffing out a breath.

The rings on his hand flashing in the moonlight.

“I apologize for my godlike behavior earlier, even though that is what the fuck I am.” Pulling his hand away, he sent his soulmate an irritated look before glaring at me.

“I didn't think you’d be so delicately emotional about it.”

I chuckled darkly, “Thank you Shea,” I said while ripping the sleeves off the newest piece of clothing he bestowed me.

Thank fuck Riella was too occupied with her cake to notice because I was going to end up with a stack of rainbow colored shirts that she loved.

“For such a heartfelt apology,” I added, drawing my sharp claw down the front of the monstrosity of dyed fur, freeing my torso once more.

Remnant snickered next to me and even Kade let loose a dark chuckle.

"A vest. Clever shifter, Penina would be so proud—” The moment Penina's name left my soulmate's lips, her sweet laughter died off like the stars falling from the evening sky—it was just as painful to see as the sight of my sister laying lifeless in a glass tomb.

And now I battled with time, an unknown clock ticking down the moments I had left before I suffered the same fate as her and the rest of my family.

I tightened my arm around Remnant’s shoulder, drawing soothing circles with my fingertips on her exposed skin.

“I think we both have had our fun for now.” Turning my fierce gaze on Eve, I addressed her simply. “You said you would provide us with answers and we are here now seeking them.”

Sending one last scathing glare in Shea’s direction, her calm voice carried across the table like a soft breeze. “I will do my best, Daemon but know some things…” her eyes turned inward, “some things I am bound by the universe to not speak of, if I do it could mean catastrophe for the rest of us.”

I grunted my agreement but Remnant did not.

Her fist connected with the table, causing even Riella to look up with wide eyes, chocolate smeared all over her face.

Kade leaned in and whispered something in her ear that made her giggle.

I had been right about him and even though he didn’t know it yet, Kade Dark would soon become part of our ragtag family.

Remnant seethed, “that’s not good enough, not even close. Not when it comes to my family.”

Shea’s deep voice rumbled and he looked down at Eve. “Now where have I heard those words before?”

Eve’s eyes widened. “That was a long time ago Shea and—”

“And I broke the universal rules for you my love,” he interrupted with a smug smirk.

“Our very world was at stake,” she snapped back.

Shea reached for his own glass of ambrosia, “As it is now once again.”

Eve narrowed her eyes. “Your sister was dying and called for your aid, you refused.”

“And she sent you to convince me…except you had an even bigger secret, one you thought I knew nothing about—our daughter,” he sipped from his glass, totally forgetting that the rest of us were still watching.

Remnant’s body stiffened and my hand resumed its soothing strokes over her skin.

Eve sighed, relenting. "I shall never live this down."

"With all due respect to you both," Remnant said through gritted teeth. "I don't care to hear about your tragic love story. I care about what is happening to my soulmate and how I can stop it."

Eve’s green ringed eyes turned on us both, her gaze patient. "A pity daughter, since our love story holds the answers to the questions you desperately seek."

The truth snapped into place and I gave her an assessing look. "You’re alive. The sleep has not taken you." A singular claw rapped on the table. "Unless I am mistaken you hold no God blood in your veins, and yet you have not become soulless. How do I stay the same?"

Shea sipped on his drink once more, sniffing. "Not the dumb witted animal I assumed you to be."

My fangs lengthened in a silent snarl and Remnant's face darkened.

Snickering, Kade rose from the table with a sigh.

"Well before the morning repeats itself, I think that is my cue.

Rem, if you can trust me enough, there is a herd of camphor below, not quite the unicorns my little niece has been wishing to see but I thought they'd be close enough to entertain her while you four work out… whatever the goddess this is."

Riella bounced in her seat, chocolate frosting covering her face, hair, and hands while her swirling gold and green eyes implored us, "Oh can I please?"

Remnant’s eyes flashed with both interest and discord, and I hummed, drawing that conflicting gaze into mine. I knew Remnant would never deny our daughter the sight of any beast, having a similar passion for them herself.

Except now she was terrified, the anxiety of losing us at any notice so plain to see that indecision plagued her—her answer lost on her tongue.

“She is fae my love, and no fae ever survived being sheltered in this world. She will be safe with Kade despite your falling out and our daughter deserves to live freely just like you and I had at one time…or else what is it that we are actually fighting for?”

Remnant took a deep breath. “I know you are right…”

Leaning in, I kissed her shoulder softly and then turned to the pair both waiting anxiously on our answer, Kade looking like the young chocolate covered faeling next to him.

"Of course." Shooting Kade a warning look, I added, "Do I need to remind you of what would happen should anything happen to our daughter?"

Kade rolled his eyes. "Relax shifter, camphor are not dangerous here, they are but horned amphibian spirits searching for their lost water in this world. It's the nuckelavee you really have to worry about, those demon horses like feeding on their souls."

Remnant leaned in eagerly this time, all worry gone from her bright eyes. "There are nuckelavee here?" she whispered excitedly.

Riella's eyes widened even further as she glanced between her mother and her newfound uncle. I scrubbed my hand through my hair with a quiet groan.

Goddess help us.

Kade's eyes gleamed, evidently sharing the same interest as his sister. "Yes and they are much easier to catch than the nightmares of the Nocturnes."

Remnant smirked, "Do tell, brother. You have caught some yourself? Did they grant you the eternal flame?"

"Remnant…" I said with half irritation and half amusement. The eternal flame was a myth… wasn’t it?

Glancing back at me and seeing the amused worry now on my face, she reigned in her excitement and leaned back into my arm slung across her seat. "Don't worry yourself Emon, of course we will kill him if anything happens to our daughter on his watch."

Kade winked, “That’s the spirit.” Reaching for Riella who happily jumped into his arms, "But you’re old now sister, I don't think you can actually catch up to even attempt to kill me, Rem Rem.

" Shifting our daughter in his arms and attempting to avoid the chocolate massacre all over her tiny body, he looked down at her with a grin, "Ready, little chocolate bird? "

She nodded happily and then shadows swirled around them, shifting through the darkness leaving behind a singular tendril of black smoke floating on the air.

My soulmate stiffened and reflexively, I reached for Riella and I’s shared bond, the one she had solidified while in her healing sleep before I even knew her. Feeling her sudden euphoria like a bolt of energy racing through my body, I smiled.

Chuckling, I winked at Remnant. "She is ecstatic with her new beasts." Tucking a stray strand of hair from my soulmate's face, I trailed a single claw down her porcelain skin following the relief spreading over her fine features. “Just like her mother would be.”

Eve cleared her throat and a soft blush filtered through my soulmate’s face and I smirked, loving that color on her pale skin.

"You are different with your shifter, my little chickadee, and I am happy for you.

You are good together." We both looked up to see Remnant's mother studying us intimately.

She gave me an approving nod. "Which makes what I have to say that much harder.

To answer your question Daemon, I am awake because of the e xtremum vitae spiritum edere, to death I give my last breath. "

Remnant inhaled sharply, the blush immediately gone and her face paling.

"You forfeited your soul to him?" Remnant turned a hateful glare on the death god.

"That is worse than even a soulless sleep, mother.

There is no afterlife for you now, should death take you, you will cease to exist and we shall never be together again.

It erases you from the wheels of fate instantly. "

Her blue green eyes glittered with emotion but her features remained reserved, Shea more than deathly quiet next to her.

"Shea is my soulmate, daughter. We are already entwined, the only difference now is that I exist only because he does.

It was the only way for me to be here for you when the time came, otherwise I too would be in The Well and as your father so nicely pointed out, I am needed to break the rules…

" I didn’t fail to miss the subtle way her eyes flickered to me pointedly before falling back on Remnant.

Remnant's hand slammed down on the table again, the damned thing taking a beating with her frustration tonight.