Page 6 of Shadows Ascend (Remnant Archives #2)

" W hen is my mother going to wake?"

I heard my daughter’s worried whisper as I struggled against the remaining effects of Deirdre's spirit hold, panic accelerating my heartbeat, while I attempted to open my eyes.

It felt as if the weight of the world would keep them shut forever and perhaps that would be for the better… but I fought it just the same.

I owed it to my daughter.

"Knowing your mother, it won’t be much longer."

I scowled inwardly at the sound of my brother's low tone. He had stood by, he watched , he knew Shea’s plan and he let it happen.

And in doing so…he made my family vulnerable, he made me vulnerable.

A condition Deirdre wasted no time in taking advantage of, pulling me into the spirit realm to spin her tales of deceit and half truths.

My voice wheezed through dry lips. “Away. Riella—get away from him.”

I could feel rather than see my brother’s frown and Riella’s shift to my side, crying out and falling into my chest. “Mother!”

Mother, the sound whispered inside me—my new title, the sweetest, softest, most treasured kiss upon my soul.

She had only used it a few times since waking and despite Emon and I discussing with her that we did not want her to feel the pressure of using such an honored title, she still bestowed it upon us anyway.

"You know, I would never harm a child, sister, let alone yours. She is safe. "

Desperately, I attempted to move. "I don’t know you anymore," I hissed back, ignoring the ache it caused to say those words. I thought the day I’d see my brother again would be a joyous one but now it was riddled with distrust and betrayal.

Finally able to peel my eyes open and feeling my body heal, I dragged myself upright, the pain jolting as I moved my numb limbs. Wrapping Riella as fiercely and protectively in my arms as much as my weakened body would allow, I gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

“I am happy you are safe, my little chickadee.”

She rubbed her face into my chest. “I was scared but Kade promised that you would wake up and so I decided to be brave like you.”

I smoothed her hair back from her shoulder, the strands like the softest satin in my hand. “I am so sorry you were scared, little one.”

Kade’s sigh drew my attention to him, his hands rubbing down the front of his leathers, his expression still dark. “I promise you, Remnant, Riella has been safe the entire time."

“Depends on your definition of safe, doesn’t it brother .”

He pressed his lips firmly together, his emerald eyes flashing brightly at me in the dim twilight of the room. “You’re angry at the wrong fae, sister .”

If Riella wasn’t in my arms, I would have him pinned to the dark glass wall that surrounded us right now. I knew exactly who to be angry at.

Baring my teeth, I hissed back. “Where is Emon?”

Narrowing his eyes at me, he nodded down to the bed next to me. “Your soulmate is safe, beside you.”

Moving as quickly as my body would allow, I turned to my sleeping soulmate in all his bronze glory and studied him. His breath was steady, his power still radiating warmth like his body next to me, laying formidably upon black silk sheets despite his unconscious state.

Just like a fairytale, a sleeping beauty…oh how I would kiss him now and never stop, especially if that was where happily ever after was for us.

“Will he wake?” My hand trembled and I couldn’t keep it from my voice either, reaching out to brush his light brown hair from his brow.

“I’ve been told he would,” Kade bit out.

“Oh, I am, don’t you worry, Kade Dark,” Emon croaked, then his lashes fluttered open with gold eyes blazing up at me. “Hey little umbra.”

“Shifter,” I whispered at the same time as Riella flew from my arms onto his immobile body.

"Father!" she cried, landing heavily on him and I grimaced when he grunted, having just experienced the same numbing pain.

But he only chuckled, strength returning, his arms moved lethargically enveloping her. “My sweet cub,” he purred, rising next to me, his hand reaching out to cup my face. “Are you unharmed?” He growled in my mind.

Inwardly I melted, wanting nothing more than to lean into his steady touch and soak in his powerful unfailing strength.

Except we were not alone, my brother watched us broodingly in the darkened shadows of the room.

“I am unharmed, Emon.”

Leaning in he kissed me softly, sending fire burning into my blood, bestowing the very strength that I had just been aching for.

Riella giggled between us.

“Let us make sure it stays that way.” Dropping his hand from me, he glared over at Kade, placing Riella between us protectively. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t tear you into shreds and burn this place down.”

I just caught the pain in my brother’s eyes before he bared his teeth at Emon, folding his arms across his chest. “Because we both know I am not the one you want to truly tear apart,” leaning forward his eyes gleamed, “and if it is Sheol you are looking to burn down, shifter, I’ll gladly help you do so. ”

“Why?” I snapped, “you seemed more than content to let him weaken us before now.”

Kade shifted, raising his booted foot upon his knee. “The sleep was going to happen whether Shea was involved or not. It was a mistake to not inform you though, one I warned him you would not take kindly to.”

“What do you mean sleep?” Emon growled.

Kade’s eyes shifted to my soulmate, his nostrils flaring, the same distrust in his own as there was in Emon’s. “Sheol is meant for the dead, shifter. But I promise you, your court is well enough. They rest in another tower.”

Emon’s teeth bared, but I steadied him, my hand resting on his knee.

I understood how he felt, but I also could hear the truth in my brother’s voice. Frowning, I looked around me, taking in the room we were in for the first time. "Tower? Where are we exactly?”

Heavy transparent black glass walls surrounded us, pitching upwards into a spiraling peak straight into space, stars surrounding us on all sides, shimmering against the glass.

Behind me, Riella gasped, pulling on my sleeve and pointing wide eyed at a bright fiery comet shooting across the sky, casting shadows within the room in its bright light.

Reluctantly, I had to admit, this part of Sheol was breathtaking.

Kade grinned at my unveiled awe, "Welcome to the Voltum of Sheol, a city within the Eithne, where our mother and Shea live.”

My brows rose, "Not you?"

Kade's eyes darkened. "I wouldn’t call it living, but yes, I stay here as well. Someone has to.”

Emon’s claws slashed in the dark and he leaned forward. "I sense you are playing games, Kade Stellan Shea Dark. Are you sure this is where you want to take this?" he hissed.

Riella broke the tension between us, her question bursting from her loudly as if she could no longer hold it back in her tiny body.

"You are so lucky you get to stay here!” She peeked around my body, “You get to eat all the stardust you want!” Hand placed on the bed, she leaned further towards Kade. “What does yours taste like?”

Kade's eyes widened and then a small smile formed on his lips. It was the first time I saw him without darkness in his expression—the Kade I used to know.

Clearing his throat, he winked at Riella, “I think I’ll keep that one a secret little niece.”

She looked up at me, “What is a nice?”

“Niece,” I corrected her, “it means you are the daughter of his sister, which is me. You would call my brother Uncle, but he has yet to earn that title,” I sent him a sharp look.

Kade’s brow raised, “Indeed. Everything must be earned with you.”

Both Emon and I growled our warning in unison.

“When it comes to my daughter, yes, brother,” I snapped.

“Well then,” he dropped his booted foot to the ground and winked at Riella, “I should start earning my keep so that your little bird may call me Uncle someday.”

Taking a deep breath, I moved to drop my legs over the side of the bed and leaned into his space. "In that case, start talking Kade," I hissed.

He was far too relaxed for a fae that knew what I was capable of, brother or not.

Studying my face, he snorted and leaned back in his chair, slinging his arm over the top and stretching his dark gray shirt over his well defined physique—his build, I suddenly realized, was much like our death god father.

"Sheol is the land of the dead…and it is only for the dead…unless you're a god, then you may live amongst them," he frowned then, "if you call it living."

The ghosts were back in his eyes and it sent a chill down my spine. "What of the others? What about our court? Are you telling me that…that they are dead? Is this what will happen to our family?"

Emon inhaled sharply next to me and Riella whimpered.

“Mother, they can’t die.”

Emon slid forward next to me, pulling Riella into his lap, purring, “Of course not, my cub. We would never let that happen.”

My brother sighed, his hand rubbing across his lips. "No. Not dead, they won’t die. Not yet anyway, but not alive either. They are asleep…just."

My movement was quick, hauling Kade’s body out of the chair by the collar of his gray shirt, I snarled into his face. "You are making this extremely difficult, Kade, and you are upsetting my daughter. I care not for your dark mood. Give us answers or leave. With or without you, we will have them."

Emon chuckled behind me, "I love the vicious side of you, little umbra."

Ignoring my soulmate, I shoved Kade away from me, watching him stumble with shock, before he regained his balance, his eyes cutting angrily in the abrupt space between us.

"What is your choice, brother, are you with us?”

He snorted and looked away. His eyes narrowed on the city of towers. "Even a straight explanation would not be enough, you would have to see it for yourself."

"See what Kade?" I ground my teeth, following his transfixed gaze, more goddess damn riddles, as if I didn’t just throw him across the room demanding answers.