from the numbness that has taken over my life.”
“Did you lead me here?” I thought briefly of the little ladybug who’d been following me around since I’d arrived in California.
“No. The power led you here. Just as it did your father so many years ago.”
I didn’t really want to know, but had to ask, “Did he do bad things here?”
“No. Dorien was incorruptible. Which I suppose is why he died in the end. Just like your grandfather Ruffman did.”
John Ruffman, leader of the first male revolt against the Dominion, was my grandfather? He created the organization now called the Ascendance. The group of male witches had given me nothing but trouble. First with Brock, then with Andrew Roman.
“Ruffman was very close to becoming the GreenMan, father earth. The Dominion killed him before he could complete the bond. Your father never aspired that high, but had the power to do it too. You have the power to become husband to the earth, living persona of virility and power.”
“Not interested.”
Max sighed. “This new generation has no ambition.”
“I have ambition. I just don’t want to hurt people.” Which was what anyone involved in the Ascendance seemed to do. “The Ascendance uses this circle.” It all made sense. The reason so many powerful males were popping up now was not because they were born more powerful than their predecessors, but because they used evil magic to boost their abilities. Just like Brock had when he’d killed people to steal their power. How many had died here in this very spot? Was the man found in the caretaker’s house part of this? A sacrifice, perhaps?
“I see you understand. The Ascendance was not always as it is now. There are very few males born with power. Not enough to make any sort of movement against a governing body as large as the Dominion. After Ruffman’s death, the few remaining members began recruiting. They used their magic to boost the power of the little ones. Corrupt only make for more corrupt.”
“What does that say about you?”
“I am not a witch. I am a vampire. I am one of the Ascendance supporters, leaders in fact, if you go just on the amount of money I provide them.”
“So you are helping them kill people.”
He shrugged again. “It used to mean something to me. I see it means a lot to you. You can change it. You have the power to take control and make it right.”
“They want me dead, don’t they?” Timothy had warned me that others wanted my power. They wanted me, and not as a leader of the Ascendance, but as a sacrifice to make more powerful male witches.
“Does that frighten you?”
I sighed. Yes, but it didn’t really surprise me. “What do you want from me?” He could probably move faster than I could shift, and even if I hadn’t, he could have easily caught me in lynx form and hurt me to begin with. This man had power seeping from him almost equivalent to a level-five witch. Max could be strong enough to take over the TriMega. The idea made me shiver.
“Destroy the evil and make the Ascendance what it should be. Protect and nurture the young men who have power.”
Sounded noble enough, but he was part of the Ascendance. Why hadn’t he fixed it already? “The Dominion is accepting males now. I have no need for the Ascendance.”
“They are accepting powerful males. What about the little ones, who don’t have much power? Girls with little power are accepted, treated like princesses, given every opportunity in life. But boys?” He shook his head. “I don’t believe you will toss them aside so easily.” He rose to his feet but didn’t approach me.
“Why do you want to help them?”
He appeared thoughtful for a moment. “Your grandfather was a close friend.”
“Yet you allowed his creation to become corrupt. You helped them.”
“I suppose. Revenge is a powerful thing, and a stupid thing. Not only did I fail to get revenge for his unjustified death, I failed to keep his dreams alive.”
His
“Did you lead me here?” I thought briefly of the little ladybug who’d been following me around since I’d arrived in California.
“No. The power led you here. Just as it did your father so many years ago.”
I didn’t really want to know, but had to ask, “Did he do bad things here?”
“No. Dorien was incorruptible. Which I suppose is why he died in the end. Just like your grandfather Ruffman did.”
John Ruffman, leader of the first male revolt against the Dominion, was my grandfather? He created the organization now called the Ascendance. The group of male witches had given me nothing but trouble. First with Brock, then with Andrew Roman.
“Ruffman was very close to becoming the GreenMan, father earth. The Dominion killed him before he could complete the bond. Your father never aspired that high, but had the power to do it too. You have the power to become husband to the earth, living persona of virility and power.”
“Not interested.”
Max sighed. “This new generation has no ambition.”
“I have ambition. I just don’t want to hurt people.” Which was what anyone involved in the Ascendance seemed to do. “The Ascendance uses this circle.” It all made sense. The reason so many powerful males were popping up now was not because they were born more powerful than their predecessors, but because they used evil magic to boost their abilities. Just like Brock had when he’d killed people to steal their power. How many had died here in this very spot? Was the man found in the caretaker’s house part of this? A sacrifice, perhaps?
“I see you understand. The Ascendance was not always as it is now. There are very few males born with power. Not enough to make any sort of movement against a governing body as large as the Dominion. After Ruffman’s death, the few remaining members began recruiting. They used their magic to boost the power of the little ones. Corrupt only make for more corrupt.”
“What does that say about you?”
“I am not a witch. I am a vampire. I am one of the Ascendance supporters, leaders in fact, if you go just on the amount of money I provide them.”
“So you are helping them kill people.”
He shrugged again. “It used to mean something to me. I see it means a lot to you. You can change it. You have the power to take control and make it right.”
“They want me dead, don’t they?” Timothy had warned me that others wanted my power. They wanted me, and not as a leader of the Ascendance, but as a sacrifice to make more powerful male witches.
“Does that frighten you?”
I sighed. Yes, but it didn’t really surprise me. “What do you want from me?” He could probably move faster than I could shift, and even if I hadn’t, he could have easily caught me in lynx form and hurt me to begin with. This man had power seeping from him almost equivalent to a level-five witch. Max could be strong enough to take over the TriMega. The idea made me shiver.
“Destroy the evil and make the Ascendance what it should be. Protect and nurture the young men who have power.”
Sounded noble enough, but he was part of the Ascendance. Why hadn’t he fixed it already? “The Dominion is accepting males now. I have no need for the Ascendance.”
“They are accepting powerful males. What about the little ones, who don’t have much power? Girls with little power are accepted, treated like princesses, given every opportunity in life. But boys?” He shook his head. “I don’t believe you will toss them aside so easily.” He rose to his feet but didn’t approach me.
“Why do you want to help them?”
He appeared thoughtful for a moment. “Your grandfather was a close friend.”
“Yet you allowed his creation to become corrupt. You helped them.”
“I suppose. Revenge is a powerful thing, and a stupid thing. Not only did I fail to get revenge for his unjustified death, I failed to keep his dreams alive.”
His
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