Ashes to Ashes

by A Lonergan

  I piled my plate high with bread and the various cold meats we had. I skipped out of the wine while the others drank their fill. I wanted my wits sharp tonight. I wanted them sharp every night I spent with Ara. I wanted to be in control. I didn’t want to be muddled with alcohol.

  Ara rounded the corner and my jaw dropped. Her hair was still wet and hung around her shoulders in loose waves. The dress was light pink and fell well above her knees. It was held up with two thin wisps of material on her shoulders, it reminded me of the silver gown for a second. Her feet were bare and she looked decadent. It was the only way to describe her. She looked comfortable and laid back. It was a new look. I had never seen her like this before. In the palace, she always wore gowns and makeup. Her hair was always fixed. All she had here were clothes and a few hair ribbons. When she passed me, she trailed her finger along my back and I got a whiff of my soap on her skin. My mouth watered and I wondered if we would even make it through dinner.

  All I could think about was feeling her against me and her lips on mine. This was dangerous. Beyond dangerous.

  Forty-Five

  Arabella

  Interacting with the men had gone over better than I had imagined. They were sweet but crass and I didn’t mind it one bit. For once in my life, I wasn’t just the Princess. I felt like one of the guys and it was endearing, to say the least. I tied my hair up in a ribbon and straightened another dress the mice had gifted me. All the others were small, flattering things but this one was long and passed my ankles. The material was a cream color and it pinched at the waist. The low cut front was covered with an apron and they fashioned me little flats to go with. The mice were truly magical.

  I could hardly believe my eyes as I took a turn in front of the mirror. I looked like one of the village girls and I adored it. I felt cozy and like I belonged. I wrapped a handkerchief around my hair next.

  * * *

  Alister was waiting for my outside when I was finished. He smiled and held his arm out to me. I hoped the villagers wouldn’t recognize me but there was a chance, even if it was slim. I had stumbled upon the town months ago and I hadn’t fit in then. Would I do better blending in today? Today was my day to meet my people, to interact with them. To let them get to know me without knowing who I was. Maybe in the coming weeks they would learn of my identity or maybe they wouldn’t remember me at all. The plan was to do this in all of the sectors but we had to be careful. Patrols with the undead were becoming more common in all of the sectors and Alister had a feeling they were on the search for me.

  I took a deep breath, tucked my hand into his elbow and we walked to the market. Today it would be busy and I would have a chance to see my people in all their glory. But as we came upon the market, there was something different in the air. It was quiet besides some sniffling nearby.

  Alister frowned and put his arm around me. People would simply think we were courting but I knew he was on the defensive. His body was taut with anxiety as we rounded into the middle of the empty marketplace.

  “This isn’t right,” Alister whispered. “The market should be thriving right now.”

  A scream rang out and we both took off toward the sound. Alister’s hand tightened in my own and I couldn’t breathe. The sound brought us to the town square where one of the guards held a blonde woman up by her throat for the gathering crowd to witness. His words were guttural as he spoke, “A blonde will be killed at noon of each day if you don’t give up Princess Arabella Charming. We know she hides among you and we want her. Queen Tremaine will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”

  The undead held the blonde woman higher and then a crack rang out. Her lifeless body crumpled to the ground. The monster walked over her and headed straight to the castle. Alister gave me a warning look and shook his head.

  What could I do? These people couldn’t die for me. This would happen daily unless I did something to stop them. The crowd parted and people ran to their homes. Alister tucked me under his arm again and we headed back to the treehouse. Or I thought we were. He took a sudden turn and we ended up at a huge cottage in the middle of an overgrown field. The home hadn’t seen any care in possibly a year.

  “Where are we?” I whispered.

  “We are being followed. This is the safest place we can go without giving up the rest of the men.” Alister whispered back as he pushed through the tall weeds. My heart was beating away in my chest. It was worse than when we had been running through the trees. I would have much preferred that over this. Chills lit over my body and I heard the footsteps of several people behind us.

  Alister unlocked the front door to the manor and shoved me through the threshold. “This is my home. If they are suspicious of us, we will be able to stay safe here. We can act as newlyweds if anything.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I mean, they haven’t seen me in town for months and I have been absent from this home. I will need to have a story for when they knock. I married you from sector five. You’re an engineer. It will explain the scar. I married and lived with you for the last half of the year. We are expecting and figured it would be best to come home.”

  I nodded my head. I didn’t know much about the sectors in the kingdom but I would try my hardest to play along. The knock echoed around the house and I placed my hand on my trembling, flat stomach. Could I fake this? Would I get us killed?

  Everything was covered in dust and I wondered why he hadn’t taken the time to at least place sheets or blankets over everything. Then it hit me, he had never planned on returning here. It was a failsafe, like days like today. The door squeaked as he opened it. “Can I help you?”

  There was shuffling on the porch. I tried to continue to back up until I connected with something solid that hadn’t been there before. My heart stopped. There was no breathing but there was someone in the room with me. My hand slipped into the pocket on the front of my apron and my fingers tightened around the hilt of my throwing knife. I was in much closer proximity than I wanted. But I could do what I had to protect myself. I turned around slowly and came face to face with one of the guards that had been stationed at my door for years. His face had been unrecognizable before. He was merely apart of the sea of blue coats but now? I would remember those faces because the one staring at me was definitely dead. I held in a scream and crouched.

  I knew Alister was speaking to someone, but I couldn’t hear him over the roaring in my ears. Then the undead guard spoke. “I don’t want trouble, Princess.”

  Then I heard the people Alister was speaking to. “The Princess? She’s here!” I couldn’t focus on them. I needed to focus on the task at hand. There was only one guard. He had obviously followed us and the town’s people as we had fled the square.

  “I don’t want any trouble either.” I replied.

  “Good, then come with me without a fight.” His words were garbled like his tongue wasn’t functioning correctly. It probably wasn’t even there anymore.

  “I don’t think so. They must not have told you about me. I fight everything and everyone. I am defiant and I don’t listen. You will not take me to the castle.” I twirled the knife around my fingers and backed up.

  “More will come for you.”

  “More will die, again.” I smiled. He made a move toward me and I sunk the knife into his neck with the flick of my fingers.

  Alister finally made it to me and stared at the mess I had created on the floor. Black goo leaked from the wound I had left on the undead guard. The town’s people were right on his heels. They didn’t worry with staring at the guard, their eyes wouldn’t leave me.

  They all dropped down to their knees. “Your Highness.”

  I touched their shoulders gently. “None of that now. Come on, up up.” I motioned for them to stand and they looked at me in awe.

  “How is this possible?” the big burly man asked. His green eyes sparkled in the dark as he looked at me. “I can’t believe my eyes.”

  “There is much that I don’t
understand, but I will not return to that castle until I can put a knife in Tremaine’s neck.” I said.

  The woman beside him put her closed fists on her ample hips. “They want us to turn you in.”

  I bent over and yanked my throwing knife from the guard’s neck. “I dare you to try. I will fight my way through all of you. Don’t think for a moment that I won’t do what I can to escape every single one of you for the better of the kingdom. If you want to turn me in, fine, but you will not win. If by some chance, you give me away, you will bring nothing but death and destruction to your people. They will kill me, just like they did my parents. I am your only hope.”

  Forty-Six

  Arabella

  All I could think about was the raid. I felt like all I did was eat, sleep and raid. This was my first one and it was consuming me. All I cared about were helping the villagers. They had helped us and let us go, the least I could do was show that I could make a good change for them. That I would make good changes for them, in and out of the castle.

  Alister squeezed my shoulder before he climbed up the tree. I was close on his heels and everyone else followed behind me. My hands gripped the rough bark and screamed in protest as I held onto the branches as I went up. My legs were still a little sore from our last mission and seeing the castle, but I could do it. I knew it was all in my mind. If I knew where we were going, I would have tried to pass Alister. I needed to prove it to myself and everyone else. Most importantly me though.

  I bounced from one tree to another and felt the euphoria sing through my veins. I hadn’t felt this way on the first trip out, but now something was different. I wondered if it was because my purpose changed. It didn’t matter.

  Alister looked over his shoulder and pulled his mask down. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded once. There was no point in a break or stopping. All I could feel was the adrenaline rushing through my body. I smiled behind my mask and took a deep breath. I could hear the horses in the distance and knew we were getting closer.

  Apprehension sung through my nerves as I realized how close were to the castle and the fiery wall that surrounded it. I shook my head. This wasn’t going to be good. It was going to be a close call. Alister stopped and tilted his head, listening to the woods around us. Everything was quiet.

  He held his hand up then opened it. All the men dropped down from the trees except for Alister. He waited with me and pulled his mask down. “What’s up?”

  The men were silent as they dropped down from where we sat. There wasn’t any noise as they dismantled the carriage but there was disappointment flowing through me now. It had replaced the adrenaline and excitement. Something wasn’t right.

  Then out of the corner of my eye, I could see them. It was a trap. There were too many guards waiting for us. Panic caught hold of me and all I could do was point. All of the men were surrounded.

  Alister shook his head but I let go of the tree and dropped down there with them. I couldn’t let them face this alone. I needed to help. Alister was a few seconds behind me as I rolled on the forest floor. He gave me a warning glance as he engaged with one of the undead. The guard that approached me smiled and I realized that these men were very much alive. The steel of my weapons felt good as I let them fly through the air.

  The first knife sunk into the forehead of the nearest man. I tried to not think of the fact that I had just killed a man, but as more started to come my way, the death count started to rise. How would I recover from this? It had been easier when they were already dead, but now?

  A knife buried itself into the top of my arm and I howled in pain. The sting of the blade made me pause. I looked down at where it was protruding from my arm and scowled. In a few seconds, I had the one responsible on the ground with a knife in his neck. But it was only a distraction, the next one that came at me was a completely different story. He was far bigger than all the other men. His eyes were bloodshot as he came my way. I was out of knives and desperately trying to collect them off of the bodies I had dropped. Something was keeping the weapons in the men. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get them out. My chest heaved as I looked at my options. All the other men were in close combat, including Alister. They were fighting for their lives just as much as I was. Fear filled my belly and I snarled. I wasn’t going to be taken down so easily. My arm was wet with blood but that wouldn’t stop me. He rushed at me and I was a second too slow. He barreled toward my legs and knocked me off of my feet. Alister had only taught me a few moves, saying I would be in close combat with my throwing knives.

  Oh, how wrong we had been.

  Forty-Seven

  Alister

  I watched in slow motion as Ara was knocked off of her feet. That was all it took for me to be distracted enough for the warrior to get a jab in. His punch hit me at center mass and I doubled over in pain. Ara tried to scramble to her feet but I could see that she was struggling to breathe. She clutched her chest as she backed away from the burly man. She kept going until she was almost to the wall of flames. My opponent smiled at me as he swung his sword. I rolled out of the way just in the nick of time.

  And I was too late to warn Ara of the wall behind her. She let out a yelp as the flames licked at her arms before they fell away completely. The wall of fire vanished right where she was. The man she was facing off with stopped. His eyes grew big and he shouted. “Enough. Surrender.”

  All action stopped and the men we had been fighting ran through the fire wall and back toward the castle. Ara gave me a frightened look but was able to get up and run toward me. Blood was dripping down her arm but thankfully, she hadn’t taken the blade out of her skin.

  The dead were many, but we had to do our best to get them away from the castle. Little John had a few thrown over his shoulder and what we could carry we brought with us. The rest we set to burn. It was the least we could do to keep Tremaine from using their bodies. Black smoke billowed into the sky and pain ripped at my heart.

  I wished this day had gone differently but, in a way, it was a win. We had learned much. Tremaine didn’t just employ the undead soldiers, she had some from the neighboring kingdom as well.

  Their sigil was stamped into the breastplate on their armor. I would recognize the symbol anywhere. The men had been here when Ara had her engagement party. Rage filled my body but tears still filled my eyes.

  What could I have done to stop all of this?

  Ara clutched her arm, and gave me a sympathetic look. “Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do?”

  “Positive” I whispered as we trudged back to the treehouse. “Just keep your ears open. We don’t want to be ambushed when we are this vulnerable.”

  “Do you think someone will follow us?” Little John piped up.

  “I wish I could say for sure. We will burn these bodies closer to the camp and then circle around.”

  * * *

  We laid each man down in his own place before we started to pile sticks and logs over the bodies. Ara placed a single flower on each pyre before Little John lit them. The sky was black as we climbed into the trees and waited. The tears I didn’t know I had slowly dripped from my eyes and onto my mask. Pain like I had never experienced pulsed through my being. Little John kept an eye on Ara as we moved through the trees with Flick and Rink. The rest were high up in the treetops already, ready to be back to our home. I longed to lay my head down and grieve.

  Ara looped her arm through mine when we finally dropped down onto the top of the treehouse. I helped her down through the crawl hole and she wrapped her arms around me when we were safely inside. Flick and Rink gave me sad smiles as they disappeared. Little John lingered in the doorway and I knew he wanted to speak to me in private. I pulled on hood off and raked my fingers through my hair.

  “What can I do for you, John?” I leaned against the wall and Ara disappeared into my room. The lines were getting blurry with her. I didn’t know if I was welcome to go in there tonight or not.

  “I know you saw what I did when sh
e passed through the wall of fire tonight.” John whispered. I wondered if he was afraid of the other men listening, in case they hadn’t seen.

  “I don’t know what that was about,” I sighed. “But I plan on figuring it out.”

  Little John nodded. “We better figure it out soon. They’re going to close in on us.”

  “What should I do?” I bent over and placed my hands on my knees. My chest still hurt from the punches I was delivered earlier.

  “I think she needs to be captured.” His words knocked the breath out of me more than the blows had.

  “What?”

  “We didn’t realize she had an army, Alister.” Little John began to strip off his suit and shook his head. “If they close in on us, we will lose. All of us will die. All they care about is bringing her in alive.”

  “She isn’t ready to take them on yet.” I shook my head. I couldn’t do that to her. I wouldn’t do that to her.

  “I’m not saying she is and that’s not what I’m recommending. I think we need to figure out why the wall went down when we passed through it and then use that to get us in. She goes in and we play the rescue mission.” Little John shrugged.

  I wiped the sweat from my brow. “I don’t know if that is a good idea. What if Tremaine wants her dead? Plus, she was the only one that went through.”

  “She doesn’t. The guards have been ordered to bring her alive.” Little John sighed. “I think we should make a show of it at the next execution tomorrow. I’m sure we can each go through one at a time.”

  “I have to make sure this is okay with Ara. She is the one risking everything.” I frowned and the pit of my stomach filled with nausea.

  “We are all risking something, Alister.”