NOVEL NEXT 4.24. Price of Ascension
James gritted his teeth as he slowly opened his eyes. Pain coursed through his body as he woke from his restless slumber. Zenaria was still by his side, rubbing his chest as she watched with a growing frown.
"It isn't getting better?" she asked.
He tried to shake his head, but failed miserably. His bones creaked as Zenaria helped him sit up. It had been nearly a week of recovering, and he had hardly been able to leave his bed. Each passing day showed that the damage to his soul was permanent. Until he reached the next stage of his soul, he wasn't going to be able to do much, let alone fight and maybe even walk.
"The monsters are cleared out," Zenaria announced. "Amber has taken a group of dragons to the nest and should be arriving today."
"She left already?" he asked, his thoughts muddled. When was the last time he had seen her?
"Yes, she's the only one that can approach the nest and remove its power without you. Priest is with her in case he needs to kill everything again. Mother sent Father to aid her as well as a few of the other adults. She'll be fine."
Wincing, he nodded and ground his teeth together. A moment later a glass of water was lifted to his lips. The golden water was from their tub of all places and eased a bit of the pain in his soul.
"I have you," she whispered. "When Amber gets back we'll be ready to move. We are going to avoid all towns and cities on the way to Australia. Mother has already volunteered to carry you."
"Okay," he said weakly before falling back into the bed. "I hope we can arrive in time."
"I do too." Leaning in, she rested her cheek against his chest. "I won't leave your side. I'll be on Mother with you."
"Thanks," he whispered. Shifting his arm to rest on her back, he groaned in pain. It felt like his body was actively ripping itself apart at the seams. His soul was on fire, burning him up from the inside as it continued to change. He was approaching the immortal soul whether he wanted to or not.
Grabbing his arm, she wrapped it around herself and held him tight. "Just rest for now. Do you want me to sing to you?"
Smiling, James closed his eyes. "If you want. I think I'll…"
Darkness consumed him as he struggled with his last words.
***
Zenaria sighed as she released James's arm and placed it on his stomach. Her mate was sleeping once again. For sixteen to eighteen hours each day, he slept, barely coming to attention every few hours, only to writhe in pain.
Looking at his soul, she let out a trembling sigh. His usual violet soul was thinning and turning clear in sections before brightening and wavering. It was in a constant state of change, with each passing moment hurting him that much more. Until his soul was given the energy it needed to fully cross over, he wasn't going to recover.
A knock on their door made her climb out of bed. Coral opened the door a second later, her smile faltering. "No change?"
Zenaria shook her head. "He was a wake for a little longer this time but I convinced him to go back to sleep."
"Should we travel overland to reach the next rent?"
Shaking her head, Zenaria stepped out of the room with Coral. "It won't work. The path to Australia is one of islands and no way to cross. We would need ships."
"The dragons can fly," Coral reasoned.
"Not with James they can't. He won't be able to hang on and if something goes wrong while we are in the air, we'll be unable to help. What if we are in between islands and he has an episode?"
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Gritting her teeth, Coral let out a weak sob before tears sprang up in her eyes. "How is he going to be able to defeat the next rent? How are we even getting through it?"
Crossing her arms, Zenaria hugged herself. "I'll talk with Amber and Mother and we'll make a plan. It's likely that all of us will move up the rent together and storm the facility. You and Priest are going to have to help carry him to the energy."
Nodding, Coral wiped her eyes. "I'll be ready. Just tell me what to do."
"Rest for now." Running a hand through her hair, Zenaria sighed. "Amber will be fighting the nest any minute now and will return tomorrow. We'll be on the move early, so relax and prepare yourself. If we run into any of The Pact members, we are going to have to think quickly. Amber and I won't hesitate to kill them if they think James is an easy target."
"Understood." With one last sigh, Coral returned to her room. The fort was quiet as Zenaria slipped back into her room and returned to James's side. He would sleep for a few more hours before waking. She needed to make sure he drank something and if possible, eat something. His body was breaking down and he needed everything he could get.
***
Luna cracked her eyes open after what felt like seconds. The shifting walls of the temple made her groan and close them again.
"Are you feeling any better?" Jamie asked.
Opening her eyes again, Luna groaned. "Just kill me…"
"You're already dead, love. But what is happening?"
Forcing herself to lift her head, Luna answered, "James's soul is changing to that of an immortal. The process has started and won't stop until it fully transitions. Whether that be in days, weeks, or even months. Hell, it might be a few years. If he doesn't get more energy soon, he's not going to be able to fight, let alone survive."
Jamie gasped. "What do we do?"
Luna shook her head, every little movement sending pain coursing through her body. "We pray. Amber and Zenaria will protect him. They will head to the next rent as fast as they can. We have to count on them now."
Rubbing her shoulders, Jamie frowned. "I don't like this, Luna. There has to be something we can do."
"Visit him in his dreams," Luna said after a minute. Taking a deep breath, she added, "tell him that I'll see him once he brings me back. Now go, I can already feeling sleep trying to claim me."
Nodding, Jamie kissed her brow before tucking her back in. "I'll be back to check on you soon."
A small grunt escaped Luna before the darkness overcame her.
***
Amber stopped her group before they entered the city. They weren't there to kill everything. She just needed to get to the nest and back out as quickly as possible.
"Ready when you are," Priest stated.
Turning to the midday sun, Amber grunted. "It never gets easier, does it?"
"No, because even if you weren't trying to save the world, you would be making the world better for your children. Your work will never be done."
Rubbing her head, Amber turned to the two dozen dragons with her. "Father, spread out to the nearby streets and burn them down. Once I reach the nest, everything will come for me."
"Understood," Father grumbled before spreading out with the other dragons.
"He's growing beyond what anything this world has ever seen," Priest said softly.
"We always joked that he's a god," Amber started. "What if he truly is becoming one? What's going to happen with his skills once he transitions? Will he simply wave his hand and his enemies will disappear?"
Shrugging, Priest tried to answer, "if he becomes a god, then he'll be the god of souls. He won't be able to create matter out of thin air, but anything living should respect him."
"People will be terrified. They already are when he shows up. The moment his control slips, people pass out."
Chuckling as if the comment was a fond memory, Priest said, "I don't think that will be a problem for him. His soul and body are changing. I have a feeling that once this is done, he won't have a physical body like we mortals do. He'll be pure soul energy with perfect control. I don't doubt that he'll be able to wave his hand and build the temple that he has in his soul."
"That's real?" Amber questioned.
"Yes. Your family are staying in a temple in his soul. That temple will become real when this is done. Once he's ready to set it down."
"He really is becoming a god." Uncrossing her arms, she started walking into the city. Weak monster souls were spread out across the city, but the dragons were already handling them.
"I think I'll make a good babysitter," Priest said suddenly.
Stopping, Amber turned to him with furrowed brows as her words failed her.
"What?" he asked. "I helped raise his mother. I like kids."
Shaking her head, Amber started walking again. "Let's just hurry and finish this. I want to get back to my mate and ensure he's resting."
"He's going to be fine, Amber," Priest said confidently. "Having you by his side will see him weather this storm."
Humming, Amber scanned the city and found the nest already reacting to them. The mass of flesh was still a few miles into the city and it knew she was coming for it. With a chuckle, she latched her Siphon onto all of the approaching monsters and pulled.
The pathetic monsters dropped dead as energy flowed into her. The attack was a stark reminder that she had the power to keep James safe. With Zenaria by her side, they would ensure he reached the next rent.
Focusing on her task, she marched toward the nest with anger in her heart. She would finish this fight in a moment before returning to James. The sooner they could get on the road, the happier she would be.