“I didn’t realize you were this stupid, sister. To put your life on the line for a twin you barely know. Our family is known for looking out for number one, but you two are cowards. You two are so self-sacrificing, and now you’re paying for it.”
All my fear and grief evaporate, then condense into one strong feeling that completely consumes me.
Hatred.
I HATE Titus.
And I want to kill him. But how? Between the dizziness threatening to engulf me and the searing pain in my neck, it’s hard to think straight. But an image flits through my mind. An image of Dad handing me a dagger. Don’t hesitate to use it, Ember.
My dagger. I can feel it pressing into my back, nestled into my belt where I carelessly stuffed it.
“But here we are,” Titus is saying, his mocking smile twisting into something resembling disappointment.
Fighting my dizziness, I slip my hand behind my back, reaching for the dagger.
“I always wanted to look into your eyes while you died,” he says. “I’d hoped I would feel a sense of victory. My long-lost sister, my mother’s favored child who was working with the Resurgence to bring me down.”
My fingers find the ivory handle of my dagger, and I begin slipping it from my belt.
“But really,” he says. “Watching you die is just like watching anyone else die by my hands.” He shrugs. “Boring. And a little depressing.”
I grip the blade and maneuver my body so I have more control over my arm, but the areas where the tiger scratched me are beginning to sting, and I wince. Black dots invade the sides of my vision.
“Say your goodbyes for good this time, sister.” He grins. “There’s no escaping this time.”
I wedge the dagger from beneath my back. “Goodbye…brother.” I thrust my arm forward and sink the dagger into his shoulder, just barely missing his jugular. “That,” I say, “is for Leaf. And—Forest.” I twist it. Hard. He groans. “And most of all, Aurora.”
His eyes are searing emeralds, waves and waves of rage and panic and fear, but he shoves my arm aside and rips the dagger out of his shoulder, wincing as he does so. Defenders are on him in an instant, pinning him to the ground while Aurora shouts orders. A sigh of relief escapes me. She’s taken control. I silently thank the Unseen Energy.
One Defender smashes Titus’s head against the pavement and his eyes are level with mine. In the brief moment he looks at me, I see the fear. It’s enough to bring me satisfaction. And despite my dizziness, the most overwhelming sense of accomplishment comes over me.
“You lost,” is all I can manage to choke out before the world begins spinning. Suddenly there’s a Light—a bright Light shining—like the sun—but much more brilliant—and the warmth of it splashes across my skin, igniting my bones, and Merton’s words flash through my mind.
I was suddenly overwhelmed
with the realization
that I loved all these people
walking around
shining
like
the
sun.
And I know exactly what Merton meant. Because I love Ky. Aurora, the Defenders, the Resurgence, the Proletariats, and even the Patricians. I love them all. And now my people will finally, finally be free.
From the dirt I came.
To the dirt I will return.
And with my death, a seed will be born.
Thunder rolls overhead. Then I feel the drops of rain splashing on my face. Big fat drops washing away all my pain and regret, promising new life.
Water the seed, I pray to the Unseen. In my death I gave her life. I prepared the way, just like You wanted. Nourish her. And let Ky’s freedom come from her dawning.
“Ember!” Rain’s voice sounds somewhere in the midst of the ringing in my ears.
I catch one more glimpse of Titus. His eyes harden, and I guess as one last hurrah, he shouts, “Finish her off!”
And I swivel my gaze just in time to catch a glimpse of the brilliant Light shining behind the black tiger’s massive head as he lunges forward.
And devours me.
END OF BOOK TWO
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Can I bake you a virtual cake to let you know how thankful I am to have you reading my books? Seriously. I’ll never be able to fully verbalize how happy I am that you took a chance on this series.
Thank you Michael for being there on my good days and my bad days, and for fully supporting me while I chased my dreams. Digory and Aravis: Thank you for allowing mama brief spurts of time to write. I love you both more than you can know.
To my mom and dad and Donna and Ron, thank you all for helping with the kids so I could catch up on book work. Couldn’t have done this without you!
For Davy who wrote Ember’s Song and allowed me to borrow the lyrics for this book, THANK YOU! You’re so generous with you talent and time. Thank you also for helping with some of the details for the cover.
Sarah Grimm, thanks for being such an amazing editor and for being so flexible! Lord knows this book would be filled with all kinds of typos and inconsistencies if it weren’t for you.
Laura Grace from God’s Grace Blog Tours: Thank you for believing in me as an author and for organizing the blog tour to help market this book. But most of all, thank you for being a great friend.
SK Swanson. You. Are. Amazing. Thanks for reading multiple versions of both Black Tiger and Ashen City, and for being my number one fangirl throughout the whole process. Can’t wait to see your books in print!
For my Launch Team: I LOVE YOU! Seriously, guys. If it weren’t for all your help in blogging and reviewing and tweeting and bookstagramming and spreading the word about my books, I would have, like, two readers total. You all are the reason the Black Tiger Series has had any success at all. So thank you, thank you, thank you!
Lastly, but most important, to God. My life has been a wild ride of ups and downs, doubts and firm belief. But through it all, God found me. Thank you.
ASHEN CITY PLAYLIST
1. Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons (ASHEN CITY THEME)
2. Every Star is a Burning Flame by Andrew Peterson (This song inspired the Merton quote in ASHEN CITY.)
3. Say it To Me Now by Glen Hansard (Ember’s prayer.)
4. Kingdom Come by Demi Lovato (When Ember realizes how much she loves the people of Ky.)
5. Demons by Imagine Dragons (Still Rain’s song)
6. Wake Me Up by Avicii (Matches Ember’s mood throughout the book.)
7. Love Yourself by Justin Bieber (Ember’s song for Aurora.)
8. Hopeless Wanderer by Mumford & Sons (The lyrics inspired the scene with Forest and Ember in the pine forest.)
9. Confident by Demi Lovato (The music video inspired Ember’s and Aurora’s relationship.)
10. I See Fire by Ed Sheeran (The last scene.)
DEAR READER,
I hope you enjoyed reading Ashen City as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’m sorry for the cliffhanger ending. (Sort of.) Stay tuned for Book Three, White Dawn, coming soon. You can visit my website at https://sarabaysinger.com or follow me on social media (links below) for future updates on The Black Tiger Series (along with news of upcoming books!)
Also, I LOVE hearing from my readers, so if you want to connect, you can find me at any of the links listed below!
Website: https://sarabaysinger.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarabaysingerauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarambaysinger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingontheburrow/
https://www.instagram.com/sarambaysinger
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sarambaysinger/
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ashen city (Black Tiger Series Book 2) Page 38
