Page 7 of Shadows Ascend (Remnant Archives #2)

"He'd kill me if I showed them to you, but perhaps that would be better than this empty life," he muttered more to himself than to me.

Emon's warm hand cupped my shoulder and I glanced at him worriedly, seeing that he was studying my brother with intense scrutiny. Past him Riella sat quietly on the bed, a sad expression on her face.

"If I am following you correctly, your sister…our daughter, they both have God blood and because of that they are awake…so why am I, Kade?"

Kade turned and arched a dark blue brow at him. "How indeed? Anything you'd like to share, shifter king?"

Emon's supportive touch on my shoulder never changed even as a low warning growl vibrated from his chest. "Be very careful with what you are implying, shadow brother ."

“Fuck you shifter, I’m not the one that needs to explain my misgivings. It is because of you we are all stuck here in the first place!” Kade sneered.

I snapped, lunging forward without thought, my fist connecting with my brother’s face hard enough my hand broke.

Shaking it out, watching Kade stumble with satisfaction, I felt my bones quickly heal.

Although the act would have been much easier with the use of my shadows, I had to admit the actual physical punch was a bit exhilarating.

I frowned, except a well aimed punch wasn’t going to take out Deirdre. I needed to find a way to get my powers back and I knew there was only one person that had the answers I needed.

Shea. My bastard of a father.

Emon’s proudful voice broke my thoughts. “I could watch that again one hundred times over and it still would be just as satisfying.”

Kade straightened slowly, sniffing through the bruising on his face, he snarled, “What the fuck Remnant.”

Refusing to feel guilty, I hissed through gritted teeth, "There is only one person who is responsible for all of this and that is Deirdre. Should you lay such ridiculous blame on my soulmate again, I swear on the goddess it will be more than my fist laying into you Kade.”

Kade's eyes roved over my face with his brows drawn. "You cannot honestly mean that, Rem. I kept a death god from breathing down on you for the past five hours…and even worse, I kept our own mother away. You know how hard that fucking is."

My fists curled again, the anew urge to punch him raging inside of me. "I am not the one acting differently, you are. Evidently a lot has changed and you are no longer the brother I thought you were."

His nostrils flared and his eyes burned.

"And who's fucking fault do you think that is Rem?

You chose her over us all those years ago and look what it fucking brought us.

" He waved his hand at the city rising into the stars, "You said you'd always be there Rem Rem, and then I was alone…

you weren't there…you haven't been for years. "

Feeling his words like a blow, I stepped backward, seeing my brother all those years ago on the balcony of the City of Light, the look of disgust on his face when I told him I vowed to serve the crown, leaving them behind.

He never knew I did it for him, for our mother, the shadow court. I thought I was playing the game correctly and I did…until I didn’t, until I fell in love with Deirdre.

A roar ripped from Emon and he blurred across the room, sending Kade crashing into the glass by his throat.

Snarling, Emon’s fangs descended and snapped in Kade’s face.

"Too fucking far, shadow brother. Take your hateful anger out on me all you want but never—" Emon slammed him into the glass again, Kade's head whipping backwards with a loud crack, "fucking never at her. Understand me?"

Kade didn't even bother to acknowledge Emon's threat, instead he chuckled, blinking to orient his vision. “I didn’t know I signed up to be everyone’s punching bag today. No wonder Shea agreed to leave you to my care. The bastard must have known you’d be violent.

” His amused eyes settled on me and then widened at the tear that fell down my face.

Kade had never seen me cry. Until Emon, I had never felt safe enough to do so. Looking away, I swiped at my wet face angrily. While meant to be hurtful, Kade's words were true. I had left them, and I had been wrong, so fucking wrong.

“Don’t let him get to you, little umbra. He is angry and confused. Your brother loves you, he just doesn’t know how to express it anymore.” Emon didn’t look back as he spoke, but I felt his love wash over me just the same.

"Fuck, sister." Kade whispered.

I could not bring myself to look at him, more than ashamed I could not hold back my sorrow, realizing all my sacrifices had never truly saved my brother from the cruelty of this world.

Instead, I focussed on the wisps fluttering just beyond the glass, bitterness burning at the back of my throat while another tear fell.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean—" my brother’s voice broke, "please don't cry Rem Rem."

A soft warm hand threaded through my own, Riella's musical voice whispering upwards. "Please don't cry, mother."

Exhaling, I smiled down at her through watery tears and dried my face again.

"I am okay, little chickadee,” I said, squeezing her hand reassuringly before turning back to Emon and my brother, with another sigh, the fight inside me dwindling, I signaled to my soulmate to release Kade. “Emon put my brother down, please."

Emon glanced back at me with his head tilted to the side and his lips thinning across his fangs. "Are you sure, little umbra? Personally, I would very much like to see if he can fly like you can…it would be so easy to throw him off that pretty balcony right over there."

I smiled sadly, looking out at the majestical balcony that inserted into the cosmic sky. "The thought does have merit, shifter, but I doubt that would be helpful to our cause."

"Oooo…can you really fly?" Riella spun to look at Kade, words tumbling from her mouth so quickly they were barely recognizable. "Can you teach me? Please! I’ve always wanted to fly!"

Kade stared at her in bafflement for a moment before he grinned, not even bothering to undo the grip my soulmate had on him.

"Of course, I can show you how to fly, little bird, but I wouldn't want to show you from here.

That drop is quite vertical and one can never trust the sands around here.

Now if your father would be so kind as to release me on solid ground. "

Riella squealed and jumped up and down, tugging at my hand while she looked up at me, “I am going to learn how to fly!”

Emon leaned into Kade, his hair falling over his eyes with his cold predatory gaze as he whispered harshly to him, “consider this your only warning, shadow brother,” then with a quick jerk of his hand, he released him, forcing him to stumble along the black glass wall.

Tilting my head to the side with curiosity, I regarded my brother who was now adjusting his clothing to its rightful place, grumbling to himself. "How high up are we exactly?"

Kade’s head snapped up and he smiled like the sibling that I remembered from our past mischief. "Thinking of jumping yourself? Only the tallest towers are for the Dark family, sister. Go have a look for yourself."

Releasing Riella’s hand I stepped across the room towards the crystal balcony covered by a thin barrier of glass, while the others watched on. As if it sensed me, the barrier shimmered and I raised my brow—it was an illusion .

Tentatively I pushed my hand through the transparent black wall, seeing it slide through with ease.

Nodding to myself, the rest of my body followed and I was instantly bathed in an aurora of rainbow twilight that was Sheol’s skies.

Glittering stardust continued to fall, welcoming me in a gentle snow-like dust as it cascaded over the multiple towers of Sheol’s city of Voltum.

Their reflective surfaces spiraling upwards to sharp points that disappeared into the darkness.

I pursed my lips, knowing the others had followed me out into the night.

"This glass—" I ran my hand along the smooth black surface, "it is the same as the onyx throne room, Lord Oberon’s work.” The ancient elemental fae’s work was well known, his precise control over fire and earth made him a master craftsman of glass.

There was no one better and he had passed on before I ever met him, in the Blood Wars.

I felt Emon approach, his warming power and delicious chocolate spice scent temporarily overwhelming my senses. His claw rang across the balcony’s rail. “You are right, little umbra but how can that be?”

Riella rushed between us, leaning over the rail with her arms outstretched for more stardust without fear of the endless plunge below.

My soulmate grinned back at me, his gold eyes flashing. "Our cub is fearless and has a sweet tooth."

"Turns out Oberon is a friend of our father’s and after his death, Shea granted him peace within the Eithne in exchange for building this city for our mother and our court. Voltum—the city of desires, wishes, hopes, and vows. Everything you would want in the afterlife right?" Kade said dryly.

Turning I regarded my baby brother as he stood leaning against the balcony entrance with his arms crossed, his stormy darkness back once more.

My brows pinched together. "Our people live within? These are their homes? I don’t understand…they are not gods…"

Kade’s face turned a shade darker and he shrugged, "Homes, shrines, stairs to the eternal…" pain flashed in his eyes, "tombs," he whispered.

Emon rumbled next to me, pulling Riella back from the railing the same time my command left my lips, "Take me to them, take me to my court—and my friends. Now."