A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1)

by Lori, Rae

  Still, the renegades who didn’t agree with the houses proved a danger to their hidden solidarity from the world. Still, as long as they remained quiet and out of their way, the immortals remained safe.

  Rich noted the red light up ahead and gently pushed on the brake pedal. The motorcycle came to a slow stop, the motor still revved beneath him as his mind raced with equal passion.

  He usually didn’t go off on Jace like that, but this was a distraction he couldn’t afford with the upcoming union on his tail. It was time to settle down and find a mate. After a long search, he may have just found the perfect counterpart to run the house alongside him as co-regent in the House of Lycans. She was beautiful, strong and she shared an interest in him since the time they met. First he would have to prove himself worthy of taking care of the pack. That was another thing he had to plan. It had been awhile since he received a final answer from the patriarchs in the east. Even if he did hear an answer, the ceremonies would have to be put on hold now with this situation concerning Shelly rearing its ugly head.

  Could it have been a renegade who killed Shelly?

  If it was, it would make this whole thing much easier to solve and they would kill that right before it gets any uglier.

  The light turned green and Rich stepped on the gas pedal. He was close to the bridge amongst the calm lakefront. From here, he spotted a large, towering figure standing on the hill overlooking the shore. Rich turned off to the side on the shore and parked his bike. The bright yellow light reflected off the dark, still waters giving the area a cool, tranquil feel. He hoped it would remain quiet like this for at least another few hours.

  The motor died down and Rich climbed off. By now he recognized Vex’s thick muscled silhouette as he rested his weight on one leg. The brawny Lycan didn’t move or look over his shoulder despite Rich’s quiet steps behind him.

  “You know how deadly it is to sneak up to a Lycan while he’s deep in thought?” Vex asked, keeping his gaze on the water.

  “Remember who you’re posing the question to, Vex. A Lycan who nearly tore into a guy in a fit of hormonal rage.”

  Vex sighed and shook his head.

  “How you holding up?” Rich asked.

  Vex shrugged. “I know it won’t bring her back, but I just want to find the scum that did this to her and make him pay.”

  “We’ll find him, man.” Rich gently patted Vex’s shoulder in assurance. “I promise you that.”

  In his promise, Rich hoped it wasn’t Jace. Their encounter earlier was still on his mind. Although he and Jace had their differences from time to time, the youthful vampire never kept things from him until now. He couldn’t help wondering if the girl really was a threat to them. Either way, he had to remain by his brethren’s side until all of this blows over.

  “Tell me Rich,” Vex said folding his arms over his chest. “Was Shelly really with Jace that night?”

  Yes, Shelly was here tonight. We— we were in the midst of sharing the pleasure of one another’s company—

  Jace’s voice ran loudly in Rich’s mind.

  Vex turned to him with his eyebrows raised. “Rich? Was she? I mean, you’d tell me right? As a brother?”

  “Yeah Vex, I would. But I can’t say for sure. How did you hear anyway?”

  “After you left, Theo told me he saw them leave together. If I find out they were together—” Vex bit his lip to calm down. His thick hands formed into fists at his sides. “When the sun falls to moonlight and the House of Blood has awakened, Jace Archane will be put on trial. Whether by Lycan law, Nightwalker or Shifter Elves, he will be judged for his crime. And I hope he pays.”

  “But you have no proof other than your passion to bring Shelly’s killer to justice,” Rich said a little stronger than he anticipated. “Not to mention besides Theo’s third rate assumptions, we can’t be sure. Calm down for now and give yourself some time to think this over.”

  “No!” Vex turned to Rich, passion burning in his eyes. “I have thought of nothing but Shelly since she died. For all of our sakes, especially mine and Shelly’s, let her murderers come to trial and pay.”

  Rich turned to the city ahead as the sunset rose into full view. He could already tell it was going to be a long day into night.

  Chapter 4

  Ariya awoke to the calm sounds of running water. She turned to the hallway noting the darkness within the room. Night time was nearing again.

  The familiar song reminded her of home among the calm springs tucked away in the alcoves of the forest. Her body felt dragged and tired, finally acknowledging the weight of the recent events on her shoulders. She pushed off the bed and noticed the darkened living room at the end of the hallway. Following the sounds of the water, she wished it would whisk her back home to a calmer, happier time. She turned to the bustling city outside the window. The yellow sun had dipped behind the elevated, city buildings casting the city into the shadow of twilight.

  It was beautiful. A union of gold, red, orange and blues lit up the city’s edge like a matte painting wrapped around the atmosphere of Earth. The beautiful union of colors reminded her of home and she felt an emptiness inside of her she knew nothing could fill. She turned toward the back where the water ran and wondered how a creature could dwell in the night without seeing such a beautiful sight.

  At the same time, she wondered how a creature could be so sensual and so dangerous at the same time. He was immortal like her, but there was so much more she wanted to learn about him.

  Ariya followed the sound to a bathroom in the back as a cool wind spread throughout the small, quaint room. The stark silhouette of a well-built man outlined the foggy glass door. She was spellbound by the strong, unswerving outline of him. He was built much like the warrior men of her land. Yet he was different, and she didn’t mean the obvious. He was stronger, solid and there was something more virile about him. She had seen such men before; back home with all the hunters she assisted, but never like this. Jace’s skin appeared luminous and mesmerized her in a way that made his body different than any man she ever laid her eyes on. Her face warmed at the memory of him with the woman last night. They took pleasure from each other’s bodies as if feeding the other’s lifeforce. Her fingers tingled at the thought of touching him and running her hands along the hard lines of his bare body.

  Just then, the shower faucet halted and Jace pulled the shower door open. She looked right at him, noting the wide smile on his face. She forced herself not to look down.

  Look anywhere, she told herself, but do not look down.

  “It’s all right,” he said, still smiling. “By all means—look.”

  Ariya turned away as she cleared her throat.

  “I forgot you can read my mind,” she said quickly.

  “Well, it’s a good thing you can’t read mine at the moment.”

  She placed her hand on her hip. “That’s not fair.”

  He chuckled as he reached for the towel hanging on the rack. Out of her peripheral vision, she watched him wrap the towel around his waist.

  “Besides, I find it strange you standing in a stall of water. Your kind does that?”

  Jace shrugged. “Germs love anything that lives and breathes. Even the so-called undead that breathes. I guess one out of two ain’t bad.”

  “Are you really undead?”

  He moved behind her and she felt the hardness of his body against the soft contours of hers. She gasped feeling her heart quicken with each breath. He wrapped his arms around her body and gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

  “You tell me,” his said with his voice low, husky and inviting.

  Ariya closed her eyes, tempted to give into any of his demands. She felt warm and comfortable in his embrace. His masculine body was protective of her and she thought about what it would be like if he was hers forever. Then she snapped out of it.

  “No,” she said moving toward the door. “That won’t work on me.”

  Jace still smiled as he stood with his ar
ms folded.

  What am I thinking? Does he really know much he truly affects me? Must be Nightwalker power.

  “So I do have an effect on you,” he said smugly, circling around her.

  “You’re a man of secrets. I can’t fully trust you—”

  He stepped toward her. “And yet you’re still here.”

  “I mean with my emotions and my heart.” She fidgeted, trying to find her words. “After this is all finished I’ll be returning home. I’d rather we keep focused on the task at hand. Besides, if you really were undead, I can’t stay around you. A creature that lives after death has a wounded, trapped spirit.”

  Jace’s strong jaw flexed as he nodded with a hardened gaze. To Ariya, it felt as if her sharp words were like cold water thrown on him. “Right. Well, why don’t you stay here and freshen up, hmm? I’m going to get dressed for class then we’ll head out. There’s an extra towel on the rack.”

  Jace exited the room in a few quick strides, slamming the door behind him. Suddenly the bathroom felt cold as Ariya stood alone with regretful thoughts.

  * * * *

  Later, after sitting under the cool shower water for awhile, Ariya finally exited the bathroom with the towel grasped firmly around her torso. Her wings were damp and clung to her back like a thin lining of second skin. The cold air in the room immediately woke her up and she noticed the black starlight sky outside the window. She would be preparing for slipping into her own warm bed about now not getting ready to start her day during the nocturnal hours. She sighed, thinking of home and felt saddened at the realization.

  “Don’t worry,” Jace said before blowing out a matchstick in the living room. “You tend to get used to it after awhile.”

  “That’s something I’d rather not get used to,” Ariya said smoothly. The candlelit sticks around the room gave off a soft romantic feel with various scents of jasmine, lilac and lavender emitting throughout the apartment. Jace was already dressed in a pair of jeans, a crisp, white shirt and a leather jacket. She had to admit he was definitely handsome.

  He stifled a chuckle at the thought.

  “Are you ever going to stop reading my mind?”

  “Probably not.”

  “Just remember when the telepathy is on the other foot,” she said with a smirk. “Then we shall see where this goes.”

  “You should probably get dressed. There should be suitable attire for you laid out on the bed. If you’ll excuse me. I’ll be taking my leave for a little while.”

  “Where are you going?”

  Jace held out his hands and smiled. “Night falls. Breakfast calls. Then I have to teach art class tonight at the local community college. I’ll be back in time to take you to the Ashen Twilight House near downtown. Don’t wait up, dear.”

  Ariya wandered over to the bedroom and heard the front door open and close. An outfit was laid out on the silken comforter; a dark burgundy lace and silk corset top, blue jeans and a jean jacket. Black knee high boots sat at the edge of the bed. As she picked up the soft corset top, she noticed the design had long, thin cuts in the back lacing which allowed her wings to fold through. She couldn’t help smiling.

  A few hours later, Jace returned as promised. He led her down to the waiting limo, opened the door and helped her in.

  “I hope everything fits well enough,” he said.

  Ariya settled into the thick cushy seating in back of the long car. “You tell me.”

  Jace took a step back, watching her shapely hips wiggle side to side across the leather seats. “Perfect, actually.”

  “How did you know my size?”

  “I made a few calls and took an educated guess. I had them delivered a few hours ago while you rested. An extra charge here and there but it mattered not.” He closed the lapels of his jacket as he slid in next to her and waved to alert the driver they were ready to go. “I used to know one woman in particular as,” he paused as he allowed his eyes to roam over her, “shapely as you.”

  Ariya felt her face warm as the limo started down the street. “And that’s where you went tonight before class?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Another lady friend?”

  Jace smiled, turning to gaze at the street rushing by outside the tinted windows. “Yes, I had to eat.”

  “And you shared your body with hers?”

  His look was hard, determined and he barely blinked as he faced her. “Yes, I did.”

  Ariya pushed aside the twinge of resentment clouding her heart. “Did she enjoy it?”

  “Of course.”

  The words came out a little more tense than she intended, but she figured it was too late to take them back.

  Instead, she looked out the window trying to push an oncoming question deep into her subconscious despite the fact that she wanted to know the answer. Before she could stop herself, the question left her lips.

  “Why did you not feed upon me?”

  Jace cleared his throat, shifting in his seat a little. “You won’t be here long, remember? I’d rather not get too involved. Besides, I don’t know how my feeding would affect your body. We’ve never encountered Aziza before.”

  “Don’t be so sure. Whenever you saw a bright shade of light or something unexplainably pure on a sunlit day, you’ve probably encountered a form of Fairy. Even if it is not Aziza.”

  “I should consider myself pretty fortunate then. I haven’t experienced that in centuries.” He turned to her. “Until now.”

  Ariya smiled at him. She opened her mouth to speak when his gaze diverted to the window behind her.

  “We’re here.”

  The limo eased into a halt in front of a giant old century home. Ariya was so enthralled with the home she almost forgot why they were here. The driver opened the door for her and helped her out. He was built strong like the others and she knew he had to be like Jace despite his trimmed beard and slicked back hair. His attractive face was stoic as he looked upon her.

  Jace was by her side in seconds offering his arm to her.

  “Shall we?”

  He led her up to the steps to the front door. Right away he reached over to open the door for her. The front foyer could have been a home within itself with its open flooring, wide tapestries and dual gold cased spiral stairway that led to the upper floors. A chandelier sat overhead with layers of clear glass in the shape of elongated teardrops.

  The rooms were rather empty from the first floor to the second. Jace explained that the house was to stay rather private that night although normally it was filled with guests of the frequent parties held in the first floor dining hall.

  The black staircase led to the second floor where he guided her to the conference room. A round dining table sat in the middle of the room and the only other furniture was an office desk, a chair and a fireplace with a roaring fire. Above the mantle was a crest of a half moon and obscure images carved inside; a wolf, a bat and a dove. On the outsides were two shields; one yellow with jagged red lines; and the other a silver crest with a yellow sun in the middle and grey stars aligning an inverted ‘V’ line.

  Sounds of footsteps broke into the area. Jace leaned idly on the mantle and kept watch on the door as Ariya raised an eyebrow. She noticed he looked as if he were attending a concert for his amusement instead of some trial to find out if he committed murder.

  Rich entered with a thin smile on his youthful face. He looked Ariya up and down before continuing to Jace.

  “Well, you made it,” Rich said smoothly.

  Jace shrugged. “Hey, I’m a man of my word.”

  “Julian doesn’t know about Shelly, but the pack is speculating. They don’t want to see you in this mess anymore than I do, Jace, but we are all trying to get to the bottom of this.”

  “Oh, and I suppose staging a reenactment of the Spanish Inquisition starring the Patriarchs and Regents of the house is the way to do it?”

  “I had no choice.”

  “Ah,” Jace snapped his fingers. “Of course you had no choice. Tell
me, Rich. Do you think you’d ever make a good Patriarch considering how you always have to run behind your Uncle’s skirts and plead for him to bail you out of a case?”

  Rich slowly approached Jace, his gaze burning into the shorter vampire while he emitted a thick, low growl.

  “I mean,” Jace gestured toward the door. “Case in point.”

  Rich emitted a loud, earth shaking roar that spread throughout the walls of the house as he lunged toward Jace. The two wrestled backwards onto the conference table. Jace’s soft handsome expression transformed as his eyes darkened to blood red. His sharpened teeth elongated to intensify his hiss and growl.

  Then a voice broke through the air as if it came from the room itself.

  “Enough!” The virile male voice boomed within the walls, immediately stopping the fight. Both Jace and Rich looked up in the direction of the doorway. Ariya followed their gaze and it was as if time slowed down.

  A smooth figure in a smoky suit entered and beside him was a man wearing a dark navy blue suit. Like Jace, he had long wavy hair down to his shoulders and a classic handsome visage like that of a romantic hero. Beside them, a dove flew into the room leading the way with a soft white light around it like a cloud. Then the dove transformed amidst the light into a tall, regal figure, he wore a blue robe and crown of jewels around his long, dark hair. Two guards followed close behind and remained at the door.

  “This house was not built as an arena to entertain your roughhousing,” the front figure said. He was pale, youthful in his appearance and reminded her very much of an older Jace.

  As if on cue, the man turned to her. His deep, blue eyes widened as he studied her closely. Her body warmed and in that moment she realized that all eyes in the room were on her.

  “One of you two better tell me the purpose of this very inconvenient little get-together. While you’re at it, explain to me why we have an intruder in our home.”

  Jace stepped forward, straightening out his jacket.