Ash and Stone (Hidden Truth Book 1)

by Rose Alexander

  Ash and Stone

  Hidden Truth Book One

  Rose Alexander

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  About the Author

  More by Rose Alexander

  ©Rose Alexander, 2020

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Editing: Muddy Waters Editing

  Cover: Everly Yours Cover Design

  Created with Vellum

  This book is dedicated to everyone who couldn’t find their name on a keychain as a kid. Yes, I’m looking at you, Meghan.

  1

  Ash

  I shuffle down the long corridor of level four. It’s time to report to work, which today means torturing the greedy. I feel a sense of pride in punishing the wicked. The people that spent their lives hoarding wealth while watching others suffer. They deserve everything that’s coming to them.

  As I step through the door, I shake my head at the scene in front of me. I’m in a large open room and on one side is a pile of gold and jewels. On the other side are the souls we are torturing. They are in a large cage, allowed to look at the treasure and not reach it.

  “Thank Lucifer you’re here.” Cael, a tall, red-skinned demon with black horns stands up from his seat next to the treasure. “This has been incredibly boring."

  “Then why did you keep them in the cage?” I lift an eyebrow and smirk.

  “What do you have in mind, Ash?” His forehead creases as he tries to work out my plan.

  “Just watch.” I wink as I pull my powers to my left hand.

  I close my eyes and picture the scene playing out in my mind then release my power into the room. The cage disintegrates into ash around the souls and they begin frantically fighting with one another, trying to be the first to reach the treasure in front of them.

  “I still wish I had your abilities.” Cael frowns and my cheeks redden.

  It’s such an intrinsic part of me, I forget I’m a freak among my own kind. There are rumors some of the older generations could do it, but no one my age has the ability to conjure out of thin air. Another startling difference is my appearance. While most demons are various shades of red, my skin is as pale as a human’s. Hell, if it wasn’t for my horns and eyes I could pass for one. The only other demon with that ability is Liith, and she used to be one, though her skin is quite dark in comparison.

  Chaos ensues as they pull at each other, fists fly as fights erupt, no one wanting someone to reach the prize before themselves. Cael grins as his head whips back and forth between the scene playing out in front of us and the treasure hoard. I grin back knowing what’s going to happen when one of them eventually reaches it.

  Finally, one of souls breaks free from the pack and dives towards the mound of gold. He rubs his hands together then reaches out and picks up the first bar. A smile crosses my face before it turns to dust in his hands. A look of pure horror replaces his smile as he grabs for a large ruby. As soon as it’s in his hand, it too dissolves into a pile of dust. The man lets out a wail of despair, which ends the fighting behind him. They all look up to see what’s going on then rush forward, no longer worried about who reaches the pile before them.

  Cael is watching in rapt fascination, a look of pure joy on his face. Why can’t I be normal like that? I go through the motions, but I don’t feel deeply. It’s as if my emotions are muted somehow. Pride is probably the strongest emotion I feel.

  “You certainly are creative, Ash. I’m glad I stuck around to watch.” He walks over and stands next to me. “Maybe we could get together after your shift and discuss working together?”

  “I don’t know. I might be too tired.” I bat my eyelashes at him.

  “Don’t be like that.” He sticks out his bottom lip in a fake pout.

  “Stop by and we’ll see what we can do.” I smile and shake my head.

  I watch as he leaves the room, which is a nice sight. That man has a nice ass. I sigh as the door closes and I turn my attention back on my work. The treasure is nearly all gone already and I roll my eyes. You would think they would learn after the first few pieces, but greed knows no bounds. I settle in my chair and get ready for a long afternoon.

  As the last of the gold and jewels disappear, I snap my fingers, resetting the scene. The souls are back in the cage and the pile of treasure is bigger than ever. I let them wait for a while, allowing the want to build until I let the cage melt away again. As before, they descend into chaos.

  Souls are so predictable. They are so caught in their sin that they can’t see what’s in front of their face. I sometimes wonder if it’s how they were in life, or if it’s forced upon them in death. I don’t really know much about humans as a species.

  We don’t really learn about what souls were before they die. When we are young, we are given a calling, then trained in our area of expertise. I spent my formative years competing to stay top of my class, determined to be the best. If I stay on my current career path I could be running the torture division in the future. The training program is tough, and not all demons make it through. Some are relegated to serving their own kind in medial tasks.

  The evening drones on, the same scene on repeat over and over again. There’s no use in changing it up again today. Part of the torture is the monotony of it all. As my shift draws to an end, I’m secretly thankful for having this room. It’s one of the least invasive forms of torture we do here.

  The door opens, and a young demon with grey horns struts in. I haven’t seen her before and she looks fresh out of school.

  “Good, I can leave this boring room now.” I grin at her.

  Her face drops at my words as she glances around. “How can torture be boring?”

  “You’ve got a lot to learn, kid.” Cael chuckles as he walks up behind her.

  Her head swivels back and forth between Cael and me, her eyes widening. “Did I report to the wrong room? This is my first shift.”

  “I’m just here to meet up with Ash.” He waggles his eyebrows at the young demon. “What’s your name?”

  “Mercy. My mom thought it would be ironic.” She rolls her eyes.

  “Mercy, huh. That’s different.” Cael grins. “What are you going to do for your shift?”

  Her eyes widen and she freezes like a deer caught in the headlights. How did she even make it through the program to get a position here?

  “I thought the pu
nishment was predetermined and we just make sure it plays out,” she stammers.

  “You’re allowed a creative license though.” I sigh. “There has to be a cage and gold.” I point over to the elements that had reset just before she walked in.

  I snap my fingers and the cage dissengrates for her benefit. Cael and I watch her reaction as the scene plays out once again. Her eyes widen as the first soul reaches the gold and she opens her mouth to ask a question, but Cael turns her back to watch just as the gold turns to dust. A smile grows across her lips and I chuckle as I snap my fingers again to reset the scene.

  “How did you do that?” She inspects me with envy. “Are you one of the older generation? I thought they all retired or moved up.”

  “Ash is powerful and unique.” Cael saunters over and slings an arm over my shoulder. “If you work really hard, maybe you’ll develop talents just like hers.”

  “I never considered we could come up with our own scenarios.” She taps her chin thoughtfully. “I’ll have to think about it tonight.”

  “Have fun and good luck.” I shake my head and smile as Cael and I leave the room.

  He marches confidently just ahead of me as we leave the fourth floor of the torture headquarters. He acts like he’s won a prize in getting me to talk to him. I roll my eyes. Cael is nice to look at, but beyond the physical, I have no interest in the cocky demon. He’s only after two things; my body and my ideas. It’s no secret that my creative forms of torture have me on the fast track to a promotion. I’m hedging on it. As you get higher in the ranks, there’s less actual torture. Some demons don’t aspire to those goals, prefering to be hands on, but for me, I would rather have the prestige the higher ranks bring.

  “You gave her false hope, which is hilarious.” Cael throws his head back and laughs.

  “That would be you. I never said she could develop it.” I snort.

  We make our way through the nearly deserted building and open the door to the outside. I take a deep breath as the hot, sulfur filled air hits my face. I smile as the smell washes over me.

  I follow Cael to the residential district wondering why I agreed to meet up with him. Am I so desperate to feel something, that I jump at the chance to flirt with the playboy?

  As we reach the enforcer neighborhood, where we both live, a woman is running up the street.

  “Ash! Thank Lucifer I found you. We must hurry.” Lilith stops to catch her breath when she reaches us.

  “Lilith? What’s going on?” I tilt my head to the side, trying to understand.

  She is the mother of demons. Why is she here? Why would she be looking for me? And why does she look so panicked?

  “No time to explain. Take my hand.” She looks at me with pity as she holds her hand out.

  “Sorry, Cael.” I glance over at him as I grab Lilith’s hand.

  The world feels like it bends over on itself and suddenly we are standing in the living room of my mother’s house.

  “What the…” My eyes widen as I stare at Lilith.

  I knew she was powerful, but I didn’t know she could physically move around with only a thought, let alone bring someone else with her.

  “I try not to use that talent very often, but your mother is dying and she is requesting to see you.” A tear falls down her cheek.

  I didn’t know she knew my mother, or that demons could cry. Maybe it’s a trait unique to her. She was a human before she became what she is, after all.

  What she said finally hits me. She said my mother is dying? Wait, she was just fine the other day. Even though most demons don’t form deep, personal attachments, we had something special. She has always been in my corner and I could tell her anything. Just another small thing to make me feel like a freak.

  My body moves forward as if on auto pilot. I open the door to her bedroom. The room is dim and a smell of decay is hanging in the still, stuffy air. As I move forward, I hear rattled breathing coming from the bed.

  My breath hitches in my chest. She really is dying. What the hell is going on? Demons live long lives. This shouldn’t be happening.

  “Mom?” I whisper as I approach the red sheeted bed and the woman lying between them.

  Now that I’m standing next to her, I see her once vibrant skin is a pallid grey. Her cheeks are sunken in and her beautiful amber eyes are dull. It’s as if someone sucked the life out of her.

  My bottom lip trembles when she doesn’t answer. Was I too late? I reach forward and touch her shoulder as she takes a deep raspy breath.

  “Ash? Is that you, darlin?” she croaks, her voice almost unrecognizable.

  “It’s me Mom.” I grab her hand and hold on for dear life.

  “There are so many things I should have told you,” she whispers. “Now there isn’t time.”

  “It’s ok Mom. What is happening? Why are you dying?” I ask, trying to push these foreign emotions down.

  “For the same reason you are different. I broke the natural order and it’s caught up to me.” She breaks out in a fit of coughing. I help her sit up and rub her back until it passes, then slowly lay her back down. “I thought we would have more time. The magic is wearing off already I see. You need to…”

  “What does that mean?” I look at her and bite my lip, my mind unable to process both what I’m seeing and what she’s saying. “Mom?”

  I reach forward again and touch her shoulder and watch as her head slumps to it’s side.

  “Mom!” I shake her shoulder again but she doesn’t respond. “Lilith? Are you still here?” I cry out in panic.

  This can’t be happening. She can’t really be gone. She just fell asleep, that’s right. She’ll wake back up in a few minutes and tell me the rest.

  “Mommy?” I whisper as I grab her hand, feeling her skin growing cold.

  Lilith appears by my side and places a hand on my shoulder.

  “Ash, she’s gone.” Lilith looks down with tears streaming down her face.

  I feel my cheeks become wet and reach up in confusion. Demons can’t cry. What is happening to me?

  “Oh dear, this explains so much. Come, we must get you out of here before anyone sees you.” Lilth grabs my hand tightly and once again I feel like the world is folding in on itself.

  2

  Ash

  When the world rights itself, I begin to shiver. This is a new experience. The air is light and smells so different. No trace of sulfur at all and it’s so cold.

  “Oh dear, I forgot how different this would be for you.” Lilith snaps her fingers and a heavy coat appears around my torso. “You’ll adjust after a few hours. It’s not considered cold here, so we can’t let anyone see you in this coat. Or with horns for that matter. Use your magic to appear human.”

  “Human? We are in the human world?” My eyes widen and my chest becomes tight with the panic that’s setting in. “Why are we here? Where is here? What is going on?”

  Why would she bring me to the human world? I just lost my mom. I wasn’t ready to leave her. I needed answers. Why did she have to leave before she gave them? Why do I care so much? Demons aren’t known for deep personal attachments, even to family members. Life happens then you die.

  “Ash, focus.” Lilith snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Change your appearance now.”

  I close my eyes and picture my horns receding and my eyes changing from steel grey, to bright blue; otherwise, I think I could pass for human. Hopefully Lilith agrees. When I open my eyes, she nods her approval then sighs.

  “We’re in the city, don’t worry about that right now. What’s important is you are a halfling and cannot be found.” Her eyes dart around the empty alleyway before landing back on me. “Your mother kept you hidden somehow, but now your life is in danger. Lucifer doesn’t allow halflings to live if he finds out about them.”

  “Wait a halfling? What am I? Who is my father then?” My mind spins as I try to process this new information.

  “I wish I had the answers you seek. I didn’t know Danya ha
d relations outside the demon world.” She holds my hand and pats it absently.

  “Did she die because she had me?” I meet her eyes, unshed tears filling my own.

  “She did. The natural order punishes those who dare to break it. She made her choices, but it doesn’t make you responsible for them.” Lilith tilts my chin up with her finger when I drop my head. “Ash, I’ve known your mother for a long time. She wouldn’t want you blaming yourself. Now is your chance to heal.”

  “How am I supposed to survive here? I know nothing about humans other than how to inflict torture. I’m sure that skill won’t get me far here.” I bite my lower lip.

  “Since when are you insecure? I’ve seen your reports. You are a confident, badass woman. Now apply that here. The humans use money to pay for everything. How would a demon go about getting some?” Lilith arches an eyebrow at me.

  “Can I conjure it?” I shrug, assuming Lilith knows about my gift.

  “There’s using your brain.” She smirks before closing her eyes.

  A moment later a stack of green pieces of paper appears in her hand.

  “This is the currency they use here. This should be enough to get you a place to stay. Anything else you need, you can take care of yourself. I need to get back now, but you can handle this, Ash. You are more than you appear to be. Check the newspapers to find a place to stay then you can start trying to find who your father could have been.” Lillith hands me the money, gives me a quick hug, then disappears.