Page 83 of Shadows Ascend (Remnant Archives #2)

I shivered on a frozen summit.

We were finally within the Sanguine lands, knocking on the former queen of Faerie’s doorstep with six glass coffins laid before me.

The lilin had delivered us here before disappearing again to transport Kade and our people back to Faerie. The shadow fae had officially returned from the dead, no longer soulless, and the City of Night was no longer empty.

I was also no longer the last of my kind and my heart beat wildly with joy at just the thought of seeing my people again…someday.

Squeezing Riella’s hand, I surveyed the frozen tundra that stretched for miles beyond the looming shadows of the Red Cap Mountains which stood regally behind us.

The lands were still here, frozen in time just like the fae who slept under its frigid sky where a permanent eclipse covered the moons.

If anything did hunt these summits they were not awake now, but that did not stop my vigilance.

Popping into a large inky cloud before me, I tilted my head at the shadows with a small smile on my face, “I take it it went well?”

The shadows swirled around us both excitedly, drawing a small giggle from Riella.

I reached out to them, running my hand through their darkness, sighing, “Are you ready for round two then?”

They shimmered over my hand and then gently tugged me forward to the first glass enclosure.

My hand trailed over the cool transparent surface, staring down at the gorgeous mocha skin and petite frame of Penina.

Her piercings still glittered and I could almost see her deep brown eyes laughing at my intense study of her.

I had missed her, more than I would have ever felt possible.

Lifting the lid carefully, I touched her brow and then looked up at the shadows, nodding to them. Diving into her chest, a sharp gasp left her pierced lips, her body bowing off the platform.

Another exhale released the shadows and Penina’s lashes fluttered before her warm brown eyes blinked open.

A bright jovial smile crossed her face, "At least you aren't naked this time."

I laughed, and then threw my body over her, holding her tightly in my embrace. "I have missed you, my friend."

Her arms squeezed me tightly back, "I sense it has been a long few days for you," she teased but then hugged me tighter anyway.

I sniffed and then released her, pulling her into sitting, "As if you don't already know. You have a lot of explaining to do, shifter."

She grinned again, "Haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about."

"Nina!" cried Riella who wasted no time crawling into the shifter assassin's lap. "These are for you," she smiled, shouldering up to her the heavy provision bag packed for each one of them.

Penina took it and arched her brow. "Please tell me there are at least some rainbow unicorn furs in here."

Riella giggled. "Don't be silly, Maedere says we must remain hidden from the queen. All our attire is gray and white." She waved down at her thick white hide snowsuit and gray boots. A trim fur lined her hooded cloak framing her bronze cherub face.

Penina wrinkled her nose, "White you say…I do like white." Opening the bag she rummaged through it with pursed lips. "I suppose I can work with this."

My lips twitched and I snickered, "Work quickly then if you can, I still need to wake the others and you are the one who knows the most about these lands. I don’t particularly care for our exposure."

Penina's eyes glowed deep brown as she looked out into the tundra, "At least it is not night yet, there are caves along this summit that we can seek shelter in and then start in the morning. We have some time before the worst of the Sanguine comes out to play."

Setting Riella beside her, Penina quickly began to undress, muttering under her breath over Riella’s rambling story about our recent adventures.

"Honestly, it’s a crime to be wearing the same outfit for three days in a row.

And it’s wrinkled of all things!" She gave my daughter a horrified look that caused her to giggle.

Shaking my head, I moved towards Riley.

"Wake Bane next," Penina called out, shoving a long sleeved shirt over her head.

I turned to arch a brow as she hopped off the platform and shimmied into a thick pair of white leather pants.

Feeling my questioning look, she added. "Bane is a fire elemental, he can keep us warm and his lightning may be needed to protect us.

He will be our best defense against the beasts of this land, as much as I hate to admit it.

He will also take the most time adjusting to the shock of returning here…

not that I care but we cant have a frozen fire elemental fossil when it's colder than the goddesses tit out here," she growled, shoving an arm through a long gray coat.

"At least whoever packed this had good taste. "

I shivered again, not from the cold this time but from the image of Bane's broken look when he failed to save both Lova and Calliope.

The shadows rubbed against me softly and I patted their dark tendrils thankful for the comfort.

It was clear Penina knew very little detail of the circumstances surrounding her birth, and I was goddess damn sure the fool of a swordmaster would never tell her.

All she had ever revealed was the brutal way she was born but she knew not of the tenderness of Bane carefully wrapping her in his own furs, covered in blood and ash, forgoing his own warmth to hold her in his arms, cooing and soothing her while grieving a great loss of two friends.

Riella's giggle pulled me back. "It was grandfather Shea and grandmama Eve that packed for you. They said maedere could not be trusted."

Penina nodded, "Yes, that makes sense, I heard Eve always did have excellent taste, it is only right that her mate would as well.” She glanced over at the sleeping swordmaster with pursed lips, then back towards me with a wink, “Unfortunately, they are right, that talent did not pass down to your mother. "

I snorted, shaking my head while I approached Bane's coffin.

Waving towards the shadows, they wasted no time throwing open the glass and driving straight into his chest. Switching to my aura sight I watched as his soul returned.

The deep navy color returning, the color of a troubled guardian, one who had lost much but could not stop himself from protecting others despite the pain it caused.

Grimly, I released the sight, and stepped back, preparing myself for his awakening.

He did not disappoint. Where Penina was joyous, Bane was reactive . His eyes snapping open with fire igniting over his hands. Instinctually, he rolled from his platform onto the ground, shooting flames straight towards our heads.

Flicking my hand, I guided the shadows to intervene. They hissed their displeasure, snuffing out the blaze just seconds before it seared my furs clean off.

I sniffed. "Nice to see you too, swordmaster."

"What in the fucking goddess' hairy cunt have you gotten us into Dark!" he roared, popping back up into standing, his blue eyes cutting towards me and then widening as he surveyed the frozen tundra around us. “Fuck.”

"Quiet down you old fossil before you get us all killed. We are in the Sanguine, you bloody fool," Penina hissed, standing fully dressed with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Bane's sharp blue eyes glared back but I did not miss the paleness to his face. "I know where we are girl, what I want to know is how and why?"

I sighed, "It's probably for the best that I wake you all first before I explain. I'd prefer not to tell the tale twice."

Bane's dark brows rose, "What do you mean wake the others?"

"You cannot be this daft Bane Steelhead.

Isn't the number one rule of any training to take note of your damn surroundings?

" Penina snapped, waving her hand at the five other glass enclosures that had the swordmaster's eyes widening in shock before she continued, "Have your eyes stopped working along with your brain?

Did I truly make a mistake in requesting you to be woken second before the others… ?"

Bane growled, "Enough girl—" he frowned, bright blue eyes honing in on her, " You requested for me to be woken?"

I stilled at the vulnerability in his tone.

Penina hissed, stamping her foot, "Of course you foolish fossil.

You are a fire elemental, we are freezing our asses off in the cold and you wield lightning which will protect us from what lurks in the red haze of the eclipsed sky.

I should not have to explain that to you," she waved her hand at his bare muscular arms and his thin flowing pants.

"I mean look at you, you're barely shivering and it's well below freezing. "

Bane's eyes flashed with fire before he crossed his arms. "Fine. I'll stand guard and wait."

Shifting into shadow, Riella reappeared and dropped a bag briefly in front of him. "Here is your bag, swordmaster Steelhead," she blinked her swirling gold green eyes up at him, her lashes fluttering on her innocent face. Bane's own softened, petting her head awkwardly, "Thank you, little cub."

Riella grinned widely up at him, "You are welcome.

" She waved her hand and her shadow spear appeared within it.

Biting her lip she fluttered her lashes again from beneath her fur lined hood.

"Maedere says you are the best weapons master around.

Do you think you can teach me how to use my new spear? "

Penina snickered and leaned in whispering to me, "Oh she is good."

Bane's eyes widened before he shot me a death glare, "Dark are you aware your daughter is holding a bás fang weapon."

I grinned at him, "Very."

His eyes sparkled but his frown of disapproval was that of carved granite, even as he looked back down at Riella, "I suppose I have no choice but to teach you, lest you accidentally snuff someone from their entire existence before their time is truly up."

Riella jumped up and down excitedly, forcing Bane to step further away from her waving spear and I could not stop the small laugh escaping my lips.

A loving hand fell on my shoulder, Penina turning me towards her, "Allow me to help you, Rem. The quicker this is done the safer we will be." Her eyes flickered to my chest, “the safer Emon will be.”

I studied her deep brown eyes for a moment, fearful of the answers that I would find in them, how much she already knew about Emon’s fate. "Agreed."

Signaling the shadows to split between us, they obeyed without hesitation. "You wake Xi. I'll wake Riley."

Penina grinned as she opened up the glass and her eyes glowed happily with mischief. "Tyr will be so pissed he was not chosen to be awakened with them."

I shook my head, staring down at the wavy green hair of my best friend, brushing it off his brow. "Time to come back to me again, Ri," I whispered, dropping his soul into his body once more.

Hazel eyes blinked rapidly and shined brightly up at me.

"Hey Rem," his deep voice croaked before groaning loudly as he rose up.

My hand snapped out to ease his movement, feeling his body suddenly tense.

Looking up, I smiled at the way he stared at Xi across from him, her posture mirroring his.

"Hey terrella ," he rasped. Little earth in ancient fae, it was an endearment he only ever used in private with her.

To witness it now spoke volumes of their bond.

Xi's hair fell over half her face when she leaned towards him. "Riley," she breathed before launching herself forward and wrapping her arms around him.

Catching her, Riley buried his face into her neck. "It's alright, Xi. We are alright. Our general saved the day evidently," he looked around him, brushing Xi’s hair from her face, his lips smirking, "Although on second thought, I might retract that statement."

Xi sniffed and swatted at his chest, "Don’t even joke about that Ri.” Her gray eyes turned on me and then fell on the frozen lands. “Thank you for saving us, Rem. Is this…the Sanguine?"

The shadows dropped their provisions in front of them, making them both jump. "Yep!" I said with a bit of snark and winked, "Get dressed, I have three more shifters to wake and then we go to war."

Xi groaned, dropping her head back into Riley's chest, "Why is she always so happy about shit like this…that tone Ri , and you know it's never a good thing when it comes with a goddess damn wink."

Riley chuckled, squeezing her reassuringly, “Do not worry, I will endeavor to keep the blood from your hair this time.”

Xi sniffed, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

Penina and my eyes met, nodding, we moved on. Quickly restoring Asher and Tyr, their souls settling with ease and their awakening smooth.

"Fucking goddess. My balls are already half frozen," Tyr growled once he got his bearings, swinging his legs down to the ground.

Penina chucked his bag at his head, laughing. "Then put a hat on them before the only brain cells you have freeze off of you."

Asher groaned, as I helped him to sit, his head shaking with disapproval at the two seemingly childish shifters. "I swear it on the goddess, Skyler and I did try to raise them the best we could…with manners and sensibility."

I laughed softly, "I know you did Asher."

Turning to me, he studied my face and then his gaze dropped to my chest, "You are almost as sorrowful as my son was when he brought you home to meet me.

" Cupping my face in his strong hands, he purred, "Tell me my daughter in law, where is my son's body and why are you so unhappy when his soul resides inside you. "

Everyone grew quiet and suddenly, Riella shimmered to shadow, falling into my arms, wrapping around me, the fur of her hood tickling my face.

"Let us find shelter first," I rasped, "then I will tell you all what has happened."