Total pages in book: 401
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
These Ascended were already nothing like the ones I’d seen at Wayfair or Castle Redrock in Oak Ambler. Or even in Masadonia. They looked…ordinary.
Malik cleared his throat.
Across from us, Emil’s head jerked up as the male Ascended turned and stopped moving. The card game halted. The book in the woman’s lap was forgotten. They all stared with dark eyes, and even though I couldn’t feel anything from them, it was clear they were either nervous or afraid.
I quickly glanced at Casteel and found him looking around the chamber. Stepping forward, I reached up to lower my hood. “Hello,” I said, because I honestly had no idea what else to say.
The Ascended moved at once. All of them. I’d frozen, but Delano moved forward, hand on his sword as if he believed they might attack.
They didn’t.
All of them lowered to one knee on the floor as they bowed their heads and placed one hand to their chest and the other on the thick carpet.
I continued to stare.
“This is…unexpected,” Casteel murmured.
“I told them it wasn’t necessary,” Emil announced. “That it would probably just make things awkward. But here we are. No one listens to me.”
Delano’s head tipped as he pinned a look on the Atlantian.
Malik stepped to the side. “Allow me to introduce you. This is Queen Penellaphe, as I’m sure you’re all aware.” I jolted at hearing myself addressed as such—I would never get used to that. Malik turned to Casteel. “And this is my brother, Casteel. The King.”
Several of the Ascended trembled when Casteel stepped forward and lowered his hood.
“This is Mira,” Malik said, nodding at the woman with the book and the dark curls. “The blonde is Raina.” The woman who had been playing cards lifted a hand in acknowledgment. “Beside her is Regis,” he continued, referencing the male Emil had been speaking to. “The other two men are Everett and Wesley. And…” Malik leaned forward, looking toward the back of the chamber, where a broad-shouldered male with deep-brown hair knelt. “That is Heath.”
“Your Majesties,” Mira spoke, drawing her gaze back to mine. Her head was still bowed. “It is an honor to meet you.”
Slowly, Casteel looked at me.
I shook my head. If he was at a loss, I had no idea where he expected me to be. “Um…thanks?” I said and immediately cringed. I gave my head another shake and managed to pull myself together. “I’m sorry, but why is it an honor for you to meet us?”
Dark curls toppled over shoulders adorned in a simple sweater as the Ascended lifted her head. “We may be Ascended, but you are a god. It’s an honor.” She paused. “Especially since none of us thought we’d ever see one.”
Several heads nodded.
I supposed that made sense.
“You may rise,” Casteel said, his features unreadable as the Ascended obeyed.
They stood before us as silence filled the chamber. Finally, Mira spoke again. “Thank you for coming to see us.” She clasped her book to her stomach. “We wanted to thank you.”
“All of you,” the dark-haired Regis added, his olive-toned skin lacking the typical warm, golden undertones found in it.
I stiffened. “For what?”
“For taking the capital,” he said.
“And killing the Blood Queen?” Casteel questioned.
“Especially that.” Raina nodded.
My brows lifted in surprise. “You’re…happy about that?”
“Yes,” Everett answered with an eager nod. “Extremely.”
I was sure I’d fall over if even a gentle breeze flowed into the chamber. It took several moments for me to collect my thoughts. “Can you tell us why you’re not bothered, Mira?”
She glanced at Malik, and he nodded. She seemed just as nervous as Helenea had been. She cleared her throat. “At one time, I would’ve been saddened to learn of her demise—all of us would’ve been.” There were several nods of agreement. “But that was before we learned what the Blessing truly was. And that we had been lied to.”
“And exactly when did you all come to this realization?” Casteel asked, crossing his arms.
“None of those given over in the Rites—not the second or third sons and daughters—know the truth,” I reminded Casteel. “They only learn after the Rite.”
“Oh, I know,” he replied.
“I wish I could say it changed the very night of our Rites,” Mira said, glancing at the others, “and that we were…smart enough to realize then that we were being lied to when no god appeared before us.”
A twisted, brittle smile formed on Regis’s face as he picked up the conversation. “Instead, what awaited us was confusion, pain, and death. And…this.” He extended his arms. “A life where the only sun we will ever look upon is the one I painted.”
My gaze went to one of the faux windows. A sun shone brightly beyond the oak limbs.
“They didn’t tell you what was about to happen?” Delano asked.
Raina shook her head. “They hardly said anything at all.”
“One would think the absence of gods would be all it would take,” Casteel said dryly. “That should’ve been all you needed to know to realize you were being lied to.”