Page 28 of Shadows Ascend (Remnant Archives #2)

I narrowed my eyes when I saw our cub slowly slump in her perch. She had been riding with such ease for the past two hours that I hadn't given a moment’s thought that she had been tiring until now.

Tucking my chin over my soulmate’s shoulder, I growled low. "We should stop fora bit. Riella is not used to this type of travel."

Remnant nodded. "I agree, a break is well needed." Leaning forward, Remnant softly patted the death hound between her ears. "Sadhbh, let us rest for a few, beautiful one."

The cù-sìth hound barked once before slowing to a trot. Following her mother, Blaithin fell into step beside her, taking her new role seriously although she could not contain all her excitement by the way her large black tail wagged, stirring up the sands that rose up to inspect us.

Dutifully staying on the silver path, I vaulted off the beast that had finally come to a halt and landed lightly in a crouch, my feet only a whisper on the smooth reflective surface.

I rose to my full height and looked up expectantly.

Never to be one upstaged by my antics, Remnant did not disappoint.

Dismounting on the silver path with a graceful flip in the air, she landed in front of me with a sultry smile on her lips.

"Well done, little umbra," I purred.

She grinned and winked, her hips sashaying as she walked over to the cù-sìth pup to assist our daughter down. I licked my lips, suddenly back in the Wildwoods, that first day when she truly smiled at me, life igniting in her eyes—sweet goddess I would never tire of seeing her this way—

Distracted by my mate there was no way for me to avoid the large black tail crashing into my face. Cursing, I was sent stumbling sideways, spitting out a mouthful of coarse hair.

Did I just get fucking slapped to Faerie and back by a damned cù-sìth tail?

Righting myself, I met the innocent eyes of Sadhbh, I snorted at her facetious demeanor as if she hadn’t just purposefully annihilated my face with her powerful tail for drooling after my soulmate.

"Mother, my body hurts," Riella whined, as Remnant steadied her wobbling legs.

"That makes two of us," I muttered, rubbing feeling back into my bruised face.

A huffing sound came from the death hound mother and I quirked a brow at her, shocked to realize that she was laughing, amusement sparkling in her bright red eyes.

“You played your card now, Sadhbh. I am on to you.” I winked at her and winced inwardly at the soreness it caused.

Shaking it off, I peeled our bag of supplies from my shoulder, and reached in feeling exactly what I was looking for.

My shadow brother was more clever than I thought, an enchantment on the bag delivering whatever my thought desired.

Opening a canteen of water, I knelt before Riella and handed it to her.

"Drink, my cub. Your body will heal soon.

When you are done with that then walk around to ease the soreness. "

Riella nodded, her crown creating reflective rainbows on the silver surface and white sands.

I frowned, weary of the beacon its shimmer created but admittedly was inclined to heed the death god’s words.

If the crown served to protect her then it stayed on her head no matter what.

There was no telling what kind of creatures lurked here.

Standing I handed Remnant a canteen, noticing she was scoping the area just as much as I had been since we stopped. She took a long sip watching the shifting sands and glittering twilight before handing it to me.

"It's calmer out here than in the city," Remnant said slowly, watching as the waves of sand crested up to the silver path and then crashed back down away from us.

Then her eyes fell on Riella. Our daughter was walking around the happy cù-sìth pup scratching and petting her into a panting slobbering mess.

Taking a long swallow of the sweet clear water, I capped the canteen, grunting. "I've noticed some flickering lights out upon the sands but just as my eyes settle on them they disappear, could be wisps but you are correct. Even the cosmos above us seems quieter, the star dust less."

"I've noticed them too and I don't think they are wisps," she frowned and tilted her head. "They have an enticing pull, as if they want us to come towards the light."

I snorted, offering the water to Sadhbh who shook her dark head at me and laid down with a soft huff, her red eyes closing to rest. "Well that just sounds like trouble we don't have time for.

" I tossed the canteen back into the bag and reached for a pen and paper and began scribbling my thoughts upon the parchment.

She eyed me curiously. "Taking notes, shifter?"

I shrugged, holding my face impassive, "Someone needs to keep adding to The Unaccounted Life of the Last Shadow Fae." I blew on the paper, this was only partially true. What I was writing was much more important.

She snickered and looked away, her gaze getting lost in the distance. Folding the parchment and I placed it back into our pack and slung it over my shoulder, watching as her dark brows furrowed deeper on her beautiful face.

Chuckling, I shook my head. "You're thinking about investigating them aren't you?"

When she didn’t answer, I stepped closer, cupping her face to look up at me and eased the frowning wrinkles away with my fingertips.

"I would be the first fae to volunteer to go with you on this, little umbra. But we have a job to do and very little time to get it done. Besides, your father said to stay on the path."

Her emerald eyes glittered mischievously. "And you were planning on following his orders were you? "

I grinned ferally down at her. "Of course not, but the first part of what I said is still valid."

"I can't help but feel like they are important somehow." She sighed, ensnared by the distant horizon again.

"Riella, don't step off the path," I scolded seeing our daughter step a small foot onto the shifting sands.

Startled, her head snapped up with wide eyes but her voice was strong, "I know father, but look, I see something."

Instantly, Remnant and I were by her side, following where her small hand pointed straight ahead to a high sandy dune in the distance.

"There atop that far hill," she whispered, "Do you see?"

Sniffing at the air, I smelled the forest and sun first, then I spotted what she had.

My fangs bared and my claws unsheathed, I reached over my head to the pack where two swords launched into my hand.

"I do," I said softly, handing the second sword to Remnant, all the while not taking my gaze off my target in the distance.

Two crystal blue eyes stared hard in our direction and just like the pull Remnant described moments before, it was almost like it wanted us to come to it.

A gentle pat on my leg from my daughter's delicate hand gained my attention.

"I think it wants us to go to it," Riella said softly to me, her swirling green and gold eyes wide and innocent.

Remnant raised her sword, her dark hair falling over her shoulder, her body shifting defensively. "Emon…"

Looking back at the penetrating blue eyes, I snarled. My entire being wanted to take care of this threat head on and I knew Remnant felt the same, but we had Riella now.

"It seems content with just watching us for now," I growled. "Let us rouse the hounds and move on." I frowned at them, surely they would have been alerted to it if it truly was going to harm us.

Remnant nodded, lowering her blade but not her stare. "I agree."

Riella pouted at me as I scooped her up and walked towards Blaithin who barked happily at our sudden attention. "But father, I do think it wants us to go to it."

I looked down at her innocent face, the sweetness there with her little crown and dark hair flowing around her face. "I know my cub, but we cannot risk it right now. Let's see if we can learn more from afar first."

Sighing, Riella nodded, gripping onto the black fur as I placed her on Blaithin's back. Settling into her perch with her back straightened and her face set with disappointment, she looked down upon me so regally that I had to blink hard in order to verify what I was seeing.

But by the time I opened my eyes again, she had looked away, leaning low to pet the pup, giggles escaping her as Blaithin attempted to slobber her hand.

"Shifter?" my soulmate said from above the giant cù-sìth beast.

Hissing, I crouched low before launching myself high up into the air, my soulmate’s hand captured my own and swung me steadily up behind her. Immediately, I inhaled her scent, calming my animal instinct to rip whatever it was watching my family to utter threads.

"Abeamus Sadhbh," I snarled.

***

We rode as far as Riella could manage, then pulled her atop Sadhbh with us, and rode longer still.

Silently we all watched as the twilight of Eithne dimmed and lightened, the white sands rose and fell, and the lights flickered on and off in faraway distances.

When we finally did stop to rest again, it was only because the young cù-sìth pup was falling behind.

But it was all for naught, I could still scent the same smell as before…it was of the forest and sunlight and when the bright crystal blue eyes appeared again atop another dune, my fangs lengthened.

"Rest now Blaithin," I purred, patting her head affectionately while she curled up beside her mother, never taking my eyes off the watchful entity.

"It's still there, father," Riella whispered to me, leaning into my side.

I nodded, running my hand through her hair soothingly. "Yes, my cub, I see it." I narrowed my eyes, finally making out a shape of the creature in the distance.

"Here, my love, have some dragon fruit. I do believe your uncle packed it just for you," Remnant said, kneeling down to place the pink skinned fruit into her hand.

"My favorite!" she squealed, breaking it open its pod with ease and munching on the soft flesh with enthusiasm.

Remnant rose beside me, her arms crossed over her chest, the toned muscle in her arms making her scrolling tattoos ripple. "It hasn't dared to come closer, can you make out any further what it may be?"

I ran my hand through my hair, grinding my teeth at the way the pink fabric of my shirt restricted my movement.

But it was necessary for as long as I could make it that way.

"It's a predator feline of some sort." I tracked the long twitching tail, "it's not stalking in a way that is threatening… but—"

"It's waiting for something," Remnant said grimly.

I nodded with a low growl. "Or someone."

"Look! The pookah!" Riella cried, dropping her dragon fruit in shock the moment a black bunny appeared before her with glowing red eyes.

Reflexively, I kicked out at the rodent while Remnant pulled Riella away, but it was faster than even my shifter speed, disappearing and then reappearing on top of my daughter's shoulders.

"Hey!" Riella exclaimed as the pookah ripped the crown from her head, and launched itself into the sand, turning to hiss at us through its large front teeth, its ears twitching. "That's mine! Give it back!"

I growled, stalking the edge of the silver path. "Listen you little shit, give my daughter back her crown or I'll be roasting you for dinner tonight."

But the damn pest only hissed back again, before it turned to run away, heading straight for the crystal blue eyes that continued to watch from afar.

"Give it back now!" Riella raged before her raven haired head shot past me in a blurring speed straight into the white sands of the Eithne— off the silver path.

"Riella no!" Remnant cried, running after her.

Roaring, I tore off after them both, surpassing Remnant quickly. Despite her speed and prowess, my soulmate wasn't equipped for speed like I was and I loved a fucking chase…and roasted rabbit.

But this time the stakes were different. My daughter was involved and currently was goddess damn racing straight into the danger—at a speed that was not normal for a mere faeling.

Riella was fast.

Faster than she should be. Frowning, I blurred across the white sands to stop her, no crown was worth her being delivered into the hands of whatever was stalking us, and it was clear this pookah pest was setting the trap.

I roared into the night for Riella to stop, even pulled on our bond, but she shoved it aside, moving faster as I scented her hot fury and indignation towards the creature that dared take her crown. "Riella stop now!"

At last she listened, but it was too fucking late. The pookah spat the sparkling crown out upon the sand, then vanished. Snatching it up with a snarl, Riella looked up only to gasp at the large snow leopard grinning lethally down at her, its crystal blue eyes twinkling in the twilight.

Roaring again, I slid to my daughter, wrenching her away from the creature and easily tossing her yards behind me where I knew Remnant would be following to catch her.

My momentum didn't slow as I continued forward, attacking the great cat head on, but it simply leapt away, leaving me to slide on my hands and knees, sand rippling upwards around me.

Spitting out the grit and shaking it off my body, I rose to slowly stalk around the creature that gazed patiently back at me.

The pookah reappeared again between the snow leopard's great spotted paws and hissed.

The warm sun and forest scent was strong now, and even in my rage it was soothing, calming me when I did not fucking want to be calm, and it was way to fucking familiar. "Who the fuck are you," my voice rattled, straining against the calm inducing feeling and my raging snarls.

The snow leopard chuckled and I stilled at the familiarity of the sound and the voice that came after it.

"Language my cub…I know I raised you better than that."

I swallowed hard, slumping to my knees, and sinking into the sand. "Fuck…Jar?"