Ashes Remain

by Alethea Stauron

  This is an impression of fiction. All of the listed characters, organizations, and events depicted or described in this novel are either portrayed products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any unforeseen coincidences in this work are not purposefully intended.

  Ashes Remain

  Copyright © 2019 by Alethea Stauron

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Cover Design by Ampersand Book Covers

  Font Design used in accordance with Copyright permission

  from Davys, Foglihten, FoglihtenDeH04, FoglihtenDeH02, Aquifer

  Independently Published by Alethea Stauron

  ISBN 978-1-7336868-3-9 (trade paperback)

  ISBN 978-1-7336868-4-6 (trade e-book)

  ISBN 978-1-7336868-5-3 (trade hardcover)

  1. Fantasy. 2. Supernatural—Fiction. 3. Suspense.

  4. Psychological Thriller. 5. New Adult / Romance.

  6. Mystery 7. Science Fiction.

  A hint of fresh cold tickles his nose. Lucius patrols outside Josephine’s cabin, eyeing the remnants of a harsh winter. A winter he oft tries not to daydream could’ve been warmer. He activates sub-dimensional vision, omitting barriers of a wall between him and Josephine with a single thought. Limestone and cedar vanish completely for him. Her hair passes the threshold, shimmering the cool light of day until a darkened foyer shadows her highlights. Josephine places groceries away. As always, in her irrational placement of absurd high kitchen cabinets and unreasonable shelves.

  Lucius bowls his eyes. “Those shelves never should’ve existed.”

  Her placement logic doesn’t bother him anymore. But responding helps him feel closer to her somehow. It heals his ache in a way. Her little idiosyncrasies are moments he’s grown to love. The tiny things that warm him when patrolling outside. He misses those small arguments when helping her in the kitchen. The teeny sideways jabs of name-calling she’d do when prying for information from him. The moments from their days and hours of her company he remembers, painfully so, while they were dating.

  Why are you doing this to yourself, he thinks, you’re gonna tear up thinking like this. “Pay attention.”

  Lucius resituates his feet, and stares again. Josephine sneaks a Valentine’s cookie from a heavily sticker covered container. He smiles, passing by a few trees. Chilled fingertips massage a pain over his chest, “Gotta enjoy that sweet tooth she occasionally gets.” He glances at a break in clouds, “Spring’s just around the corner.” He activates his weather shield, “Still a little nippy. But I’ve gotten better at controlling it. I won’t have trouble interfering with the weather anymore.”

  A flicker of light sprinkles over budding clover and catches Lucius’s attention. He glances back, as Artie trolleys from an overgrown portion of hiking trail. “Just checking in,” nodding his chin, “You need anything?” Artie pinches a lock of Lucius’s hair, “Maybe a haircut?”

  “My hair’s not that bad.”

  “Not that bad?” He bahs like a sheep, “It’s bah-ah-ah-aad over your ears is what it is.” He gives Lucius an assortment of different breads. “I made the biscuits this morning. Should be warm.”

  With a swift movement, “Thank you, Artie,” Lucius gathers a seat on a limestone boulder and takes a hearty bite. He nearly folds the biscuit in half stuffing it over a starved tongue.

  “No problem. Must’ve been hungry.” Artie crouches down beside him.

  “I stopped biting my nails.”

  “You mean you’re eating your rations to deal with your break-up.”

  “It wasn’t really breaking up.” Lucius lowers his eyes, “I mean… I was but I told her—

  “Don’t worry about it. I brought more comfort food.” Artie hunches his watchful eyes forward, so Lucius can finish a peaceful meal while on patrol. “Any new hiccups?”

  “Relax…” Lucius shakes his chewing jawline, “they haven’t made a move yet. Only the occasional scouts. It’s been three months. I think they’ve exhausted every resource available with that last attack.”

  “She still hung up on you?” Instantly travelling his palm up, “Not that that’s a bad thing. I’m just asking. I want to know how tempted you are.”

  “I haven’t broken any rules, Artie. But I visit her in her dreams. I told you I would.” His expression falls, nibbling on his third biscuit. “I don’t want her to move on. And I don’t know how long the persuasion will last. They screwed it up the last time.” His jaw jostles as he rubs a painful sting. “I couldn’t live with someone else holding her, Artie. I was willing to give her everything to keep that from happening. I wanna make it right.”

  “I wish there was a way,” half shrugging, “You know… letting her know you still think about her. That way your time limit of persuasive interference won’t fizzle out. She’s not… you know… justifying her actions with someone else.”

  Lucius strikes an upward palm through the air, “Enough of that. Thanks.” He nods, “Yes. I know. I know how the mind works with persuasion.” His eyes broaden. “Wait… there is.”

  Artie taps into his thoughts. “No,” fervently shaking his answer with a definitive, “No… don’t make me.”

  “It would only be a second and you could tell her I sent you, but I’m on duty.”

  “No, Lucius.”

  “Just let her know I can’t be with her right now. Help me restart my time limit. The testimony of another person strengthens her belief. She’ll stay faithful to me.” Lucius stretches a pleading arm out, “Come on. You can wing it. I’m sure this happens all the time when those kids with special gifts see you.”

  “That’s not the same thing.” Artie points his chin forward, “Usually, mommy walks over there and junior is laughing because the funnyman is making faces. Mommy says, so-and-so has an imaginary friend.” Artie’s arm swings out, “And they walk off. It’s not the same thing. I’m not punished for their ability. I’m not authorized to go talk to your assignment.”

  “But you can get away with it,” motioning at her chimney, “Say, I sent you to clean the nest out of her kitchen fireplace. If she sends you away…” His eyes sink toward the cool ground, “I’ll know. I’ll know my time limit has already exceeded and… what she dreams at night isn’t the same as when she’s awake.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I’ll know she doesn’t want me for sure and my persuasion dreams aren’t working any longer. They’re just dreams to her. Artie, she thinks about me. But things are different in real life. What if she wants to do… whatever women do?”

  Artie shakes his head, “That doesn’t matter.”

  “It does if I lose her and lose my temper out here. I need to make sure my persuasion’s working and she knows I’m gonna come back. I’m coming back for her.”

  “Lucius, I need special orders for that. I can’t just show up unannounced and hand her a paper…” Artie signifies an ink pen, “Do you like Lucius… circle yes or no. No more letters. She’s not my assignment and it stirs things up. It confuses her. Add in a calamity at any time during my answer.”

  “I’m ordering you.” Lucius presses shoulders back, “Do it for me.”

  Artie’s jaw drops and his expression flattens, “That’s an abuse of power.”

  Lucius glooms downward, wearing the saddest display of a nod, “You’re right…” pitifully dragging steps as if he’ll fall over any moment. His feet m
ust weigh a thousand pounds each. “I couldn’t ask you to do it as a friend… either.”

  Artie massages the bridge of his nose, “This isn’t fair.”

  ◆◆◆

  Twenty minutes later, Artie stands at her front door wearing Lucius’s civilian disguise. He glances back beyond cedar trees and aloe plants with a shake of his head. “You owe me a big one,” and knocks. Artie studies new doorframe, realizing Josephine had fixed it since the breakup.

  Josephine pulls a heart-shaped cookie from her mouth, “I’m coming.”

  “I better not get reprimanded for this,” Artie mumbled.

  Josephine pulls the door and is greeted by a tall figure with golden eyes and a rather large portion of nervousness. She recognizes the purple plaid outfit. Her ear leans over a curious shoulder, and her eyes peek through a slim line. “Can I help you?”

  “Hello.” Artie struggles to smile. “I know this is weird,” closing his lids, “really weird…” A breath later, he focuses, “but… I was sent here by somebody to check on you.”

  Josephine’s brows weave together. “Who?” She controls a loosened breath, staring at the same plaid she’s memorized.

  Artie takes in a deep lungful and presses out, “He has big blue eyes, chestnut hair, wears something like this minus the gloves, and…” Artie wrestles to keep from running. He knows that someone is glaring from under the shaded tree line behind him. Lucius would tackle him before he could escape. Finally, he finishes what he’s been taught during rehearsal, “…he deeply loves you.”

  “Lucius?”

  Artie barely nods, “Yes. Please… don’t say his name but… he wants me to knock a nest out of your fireplace. Or help with something.”

  She gasps and rolls her hand inward. “Come in. Yes, come in.”

  “I can’t stay long.” He crosses her threshold. Artie listens to Lucius’s breath celebrating in the background, and Artie closes the door behind them. “I’m not allowed to give my name. I believe he was thinking of any excuse to check on you and that’s why he sent me.”

  “Any friend of his is welcome. When is he coming back? When did you see him? Does he talk about me?” She gestures toward her kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink? Is he okay? Did he say how long he’ll be gone? How do you—

  “Please…” Artie floats his hand gracefully and a calm enters the room, “Josephine… I can’t answer your questions. I could get a lecture from multiple people being here like this.” He exhales deeply. “But…” tapping his thigh, “I could tell you this… he’s doing a mission. It could take a long time. He doesn’t want you to worry about him, but he wants to know if you would accept him. If —

  “Don’t tell her if,” Lucius speaks telepathically. “Don’t say that. Tell her, when,” gnawing his nails, “say, when, Artie.”

  “I’m sorry… when,” Artie looks at her, “when he comes back, would you receive him, or are you moving on?”

  “Don’t give her any ideas.”

  “You wanna do this?” Artie replied.

  Lucius grunts.

  “I accept. I accept.” Josephine closes her eyes. “I accept him. Always. Even in my dreams. Every day of my life. He should know I’ll always love him.”

  Lucius is nearly hyperventilating his instructions. “Tell her I love her, Artie. Tell her I love her. I’m in love with her.”

  “I did,” Artie answered.

  “Tell her again. And happy Valentine’s Day. Tell her I said happy Valentine’s Day, and I’m in love with her.”

  “How many times do you want me to tell her?” Artie straightens his lips and partially smiles. “He wanted me to tell you…” and takes a moment, “he loves you… and… happy Valentines.”

  “He’s so sweet.” She tangles her fingers together and clasps her collarbone. “He did?” She stretches her chin. “Tell him I love him when you see him next.”

  Lucius tells him, “I love hearing her say that.”

  “I love him,” she said. “Tell him I miss him and want him to return to me safely.”

  Lucius grabs a tree trunk as he hears her confess openly. He knows his time limit no longer matters. She’ll be faithful. “Tell her I think of her every day, Artie. And I’m working really hard on my mission… so she can see me again. I’ll return to her.”

  “I’m not saying it exactly like that. She can’t know you’re here telling me what to say.”

  “She won’t.”

  Artie nods with a scratch to his temple. “And he wanted me to tell you that he thinks of you every day. He’s trying to finish his mission, so he can return to you.”

  “Tell her she can’t look for me though…” Lucius rests against bark and gazes through the walls. Her smile beams onto him, “and that I think she’s beautiful. Tell her she’s beautiful to me.”

  Artie tells her, “You can’t look for him because he’s on a mission, but —

  “And that she’s beautiful to me, and I wanna hold her.”

  “No. I draw the line… I’m not saying that, Lucius.” Artie smiles at Josephine. “You’ll see him when he’s done…” moving a finger toward her, “…but it could take some time. You can’t go looking for him because you won’t find him. He doesn’t want you broken over it either. I will say he’s faithful to you.” Artie nods a sure twitch. “Very faithful.” He nearly rolls his eyes when saying, “and… he’s alllllways talking about you.”

  “Yes. Thank you. Say that. I want her to know that.”

  “Obsessively,” Artie flinches at her, “some might say… very obsessively.”

  “I’m faithful to him to,” she says. “So… he didn’t wanna leave. I knew he didn’t wanna leave.”

  “He didn’t.” Artie admits, “Believe me. He didn’t. He was almost punished for it. He might not have ever seen you again… had he not left when he did.”

  “How do you mean punished,” sliding a sympathetic jawline against her collar. “My poor baby. Why would he be punished?”

  Artie’s brows crank up as his eyes broaden. “Well…”

  “Don’t say anything,” Lucius tells Artie. “I think you’re good. I know what I need to know.”

  But Artie says, “…everything’s a secret about him —

  “What are you doing, Artie?”

  Artie continues, “His name…” smiling with a tad of vindication as he blabs on, “where he lives —

  “What are you doing? You’re going off script.”

  “— His clothes. The food he eats, language he speaks, his brothers, his friends…” Artie twirls his hand and begins enjoying his situation more than he thought he would. “But of all the secret things about Lucius…” stroking his chin.

  “Oh… you’re gonna get it when you get back out here,” Lucius tells him.

  Artie chuckles, “His bossiness. He loves to order people around, telling them what to say and do… and, that’s no secret.”

  “Is that a fact?”

  Josephine nods a giggle of her own. “It’s true. He loves giving orders.”

  “You’re turning her on me,” Lucius said.

  Artie tells him, “No. I’m not and I’m leaving. She’s fine. You have your answer. Believe me, I’m not telling her anything she didn’t already know about you. I know it makes you tired but you owe it to me. Erase this moment from her memory. I don’t want this pinned on me. You know your crush still loves you.”

  “Thank you, Artie.” Lucius wipes spouting tears with his collar. “Thank you.”

  A commander’s footsteps abruptly stop beside a stone altar. His back is barely visible from those watching in bonds. Two sets of eyes from under a dim beam of light, knowing he purposefully remains a mystery. Their capturer’s silhouette looms over the stone alter. Grumbling, “They’re worthless nowadays.” He strokes a thin soiled mattress covered in mangled, bloodied sheets before wadding material between his clenching fists. “She was a screamer,” dropping the sheet, “Too bad she didn’t last long. I quite enjoyed her.”

>   A faint glow bleeds a golden color of off-white down a cylindrical opening in the ceiling. The focused light illuminates the top of the prisoners’ heads. The light only allows for the identity of the weakening huffs below. “You’re sick,” exhausted lips slurred from one of the prisoners.

  The commander’s silhouette sidesteps. “What was that? I thought I heard a prisoner speaking to me. I think I’ll call you freak number one. I’ve lost count of the number over the years. Let’s keep it basic, shall we?”

  “You heard… traitor. I said you’re sick.” The prisoner coughs, expelling most of his energy with a gasp.

  “Traitor? Huh. I’m the commander aboard this vessel. You think your death is a threat to me? Think about how powerless you are right now. All of you soldiers are the same… freaks with no personality. Easily fooled.”

  “I’m no fool, coward. Why don’t you show yourself?”

  “There’s no fun in that. And you are easily fooled? Only an idiot would leave tracks when he thinks he’s won. I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction of knowing who I am. Memories continue on and…” He walks the room while hugging the shadows. “… it’s easy to take women from all of you,” he chuckled. “You’re nothing but foolish soldiers… thinking you’ve already won the war.”

  “I didn’t start this war.”

  “Neither did I, petty soldier. And that’s all you need to know about me. I wasn’t your enemy to begin with… but now…”

  Blood trickles from the soldier’s lip, as he scarcely inspects through swollen eyes. “All you bastards are the same. Lying to yourself and your victims. You’re a coward. Thinking you have authority because…” grunting, “you took your power and ran. Calling yourselves commanders, kings, lords” wheezing, “or gods. In the end… you’re easily killed. Left as dust. You think it’s funny? These games? These lies you —

  “Games? Let me stop you right there, freak number one. Your voice is trailing off and…you’re a smart ass. I like the particular game you’re playing right now. Even with your last breath, you’re fighting. It’s stimulating. Don’t worry about fighting much longer. I’ll kill you in a minute.”