Embers of Blood

Silence cut the mountain like a blade.

Ren's own breath froze in his throat as he gazed at the man in front of him. The years had remade him—more angular, more distant—but the cheek scar, the color of his eyes. he was certain.

"Ace?" Ren hardly breathed.

The man did not respond. His lips curled into a lopsided smile, half-smirk, half-sadness. "That name's dead, Ren.".

Sera stared between them, shocked. "You never told me you had a brother."

"I thought he was dead," Ren said quietly, moving slowly forward. "We were ambushed when I was ten. Our house burned. They said—"

"They lied," Ace cut in, his tone harsh with years of bitter resentment. "Ashborn found me. Took me. Broke me. And made me what I am today.".

The blue flame within Ren's chest throbbed, angrily responding to the closeness of Ace. It sensed the connection, the common birth. The blood. The agony.

"Was he the one who hurt you?" Ren questioned.

Ace extended his hand, and within it, a leaping black flame danced.

"He gave me this," he said, observing the flame twist like a serpent in its death throes.

"Told me I was special. Told me that I was the first vessel to survive. And then he filled my head with screams."

Kairo approached hesitantly, regarding Ace the way one might regard a wild animal. "You're the prototype."

Ace ridiculed a laugh. "Is that what I am now? A failed experiment?"

"No," Ren stated firmly. "You're my brother."

Ace's expression set. "No. I was your brother. Before the fire. Before the god within me destroyed everything I was."

Kaela's muscles tensed, her knife still clutched in her hand. "He's not stable. We have to knock him out before—"

"Touch me," Ace said with cold menace, "and I'll burn this mountain to nothing."

The threat lingered in the air, but Ren raised a hand, restraining Kaela. "He won't. If he was going to kill us, he'd have done it by now."

Sera stepped forward, words soft. "You spared Ren last time. Why?"

Ace did not glance at her. His gaze stayed on Ren's. "Because I saw me. And for a moment. I remembered."

Ren's words were torn. "Then join us. Help us."

You don't understand," Ace growled, his flames burning. "Ashborn did this to me. All that I am because of him. Every scream that I've ever heard, every soul that I've ever killed—there is no turning back."

"You don't have to turn back," Ren said to him. "You can still choose.".

For an eternity-seeming length of time, nothing moved. Wind screamed around them, whipping ash like whirling spirits along and up the mountain. Ace shut his eyes, and when he opened them again, tears had formed at the corners—but fell not.

"Even if I tried." he gasped, "he's still within me."

Kairo drew nearer, his face granite-hard. "We can release him. Or break the bond at least. There is a ritual—ancient, unlawful. But if it works, we could cut Ashborn loose."

"You assume I haven't tried?" Ace snarled. "I've prayed to be freed."

"You weren't worshipping the right gods," Kairo said, already rooting through his pouch for chalk.

Kaela observed the battle warily. "This is a trap. Has to be."

But Sera placed a hand on Kaela's arm and took it. "No. It's something else. Something broken."

Kairo etched a complicated pattern of runes along the stone that bound Ace. The instant the final symbol was drawn, the flame that bound Ace's hand began to fade.

Ace stared down, amazed. "What… did you just do?"

"Make the ship fast to his anchor," Kairo commanded. "You're on Ren's strings. So long as he's calm, so are you."

"I'm not sure that's reassuring," growled Ren.

Ace pushed forward reluctantly, the flames burning out now. "You want to hear what really happened with the Blue Flame? Well, you'll have to hear it from start to finish."

They entered the half-ruined temple, the beam of their torches dancing on broken stained glass and shattered marble. As the group clustered around a cracked altar, Ace started to talk.

"There were three of us," he said. "Three vessels to bear pieces of Ashborn's soul. I was the first. You, Ren… you were the second."

Ren's fists tightened. "Who's the third?"

"I don't know," replied Ace. "They kept us separate. I only saw her occasionally at training. A girl, I think. But even Ashborn was afraid of her power."

Sera moved forward. "Why three?"

"Because Ashborn could no longer control himself. He was breaking. Too much power, too many minds. He needed vessels to share the burden."

Ren felt ill. "Then why not kill us as well?"

Ace's face grew darker. "Because he didn't create us to die. He created us to evolve. He wants one of us to live—to be the next version of his will."

Kaela laughed. "Guess what: the strongest sits on the throne?"

Ace nodded. "It's a sick game. And with every time we employ the Blue Flame, we become him a little bit more."

Kairo's face was ashen. "That completes the feedback loop. You and Ren aren't bonded. You're speeding each other to corruption."

Ren felt ill. "So if I just keep using the flame."

"You lose yourself," Ace said harshly. "Piece by piece."

Sera squeezed her hand around Ren's, her knuckles bunched. "We won't let that happen."

Kaela grumbled, "Maybe time we incinerated a god out of being."

Ace looked down at his own hands. "If you're serious about stopping Ashborn… you'll need more than hope."

"We'll need allies," Ren said. "And if there's a third vessel…"

"We find her," Sera finished.

Kairo stood, wiping ash from his robe. "Then we depart at dawn. There is a temple to the south of us—one of the last centers of ancient power. If anyone is aware of where the third vessel might be found, it will be the Oracles there."

Ace paused. "And you?"

Ren looked at him.

Then nodded.

"You're accompanying us."