The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

The Queen nodded. “It didn’t happen often, but deities
did create children with either Atlantians or mortals. When
that happened, the eather of the deity often manifested in
the child in one way or another. Of course, that
manifestation was stronger if the other parent was
Atlantian.”
“The children? The ones from those who were mortal?” I
asked, my need for answers great. “They were still mortal?”
She nodded as she picked up her small white cup from
the table. “From what I remember, they healed faster than
most mortals from injuries, and they were not often sick,”
she explained as she looked to her husband, taking a sip. I
had always healed fast, and I rarely ever got sick. “But they
remained mortal—aging the same as any other. They
probably would’ve lived slightly longer if it weren’t for their
need to chase after death.”
“What does that mean?” Casteel asked.
“Those who carried the blood of the gods were often
warriors—the first to stop a fight, and sometimes start one,”
the King explained. “They were the bravest men and women
I’ve ever known, fighting in the trenches alongside Atlantian
soldiers. Most, if not all of them, died in the war or were
taken captive by the Ascended once they realized the blood
they carried within them.”
My stomach soured. They were probably fed upon or
used to create more Ascended, facing a brief but no less
horrific taste of what Casteel had suffered, and his brother
currently lived. My lip curled as I shook my head. “Gods.” I
swallowed hard as Casteel squeezed my hand. “How long
have the Ascended been doing this?”
“As long as they have breathed,” the King said, and I
shuddered. “They have committed atrocious sins against
Atlantians, mortals, and the gods.”
None of what he said was an understatement.
“The thing is, though,” his father continued as he
rested his elbow on the settee, “not even the children of a