Shattered Ashes (Dying Ashes Book 3)

by Annathesa Nikola Darksbane

  After that, I could only hold back enough to ensure her safety. I drowned for a long moment in her lips, soft and perfect, jarred out of it only when she thumped me on the forehead.

  I blinked and broke our lips’ embrace, terrified for an instant that I’d done something wrong. “What is it, Lor?”

  “You have to let me up for air sometime, dumbass,” she laughed.

  “Shit, I’m so sorry.” I cringed a little, concerned, but looking into her eyes, she didn’t seem upset in the slightest.

  “Do I look bothered?” She stepped back off my boots, wiping the bottoms of her feet on the rug, and grinned, putting a hand on her hip.

  “No…you don't.” I said with a note of wonder. “What—”

  “Come here,” she grinned, curling a finger to beckon me toward her as she stepped into the hallway. “I want to show you something.”

  I couldn't help a goofy grin. “With kisses like that, I’ll follow you anywhere.”

  Following laughter like silver bells, I stepped into the bedroom as she stripped off her now-dirty T-shirt.

  She wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.

  I went still as a statue as she gave me a sultry look over her pure, pale, perfect shoulder. It had been a long time since I’d seen her like this. Confident, not naked, though that had been a long time too.

  “You see, I’ve been thinking…” She turned slowly to face me, trailing a finger along her flawless curves, reminding me just how long it had been since we’d been together like this. Not since Lori had been her old, undamaged self. “The problems we’ve got. Like you worrying about my safety around all of this supernatural BS. It’s an easy fix.” She crooked her finger again as she sat on the edge of the bed as she sat on the edge of the bed, hauling at my heartstrings, pulling me out of the doorway and over to her.

  Still stunned, I simply stood there as she slid the long, slender cardigan off my shoulders and let it hit the floor around my ankles. “But—you what? It is?” I stammered a little, stumbling over the words, unable to take my eyes off of her and stunned at the sudden flop of events.

  She nodded. “Sure is.” Grinning, she gently caressed my leg with her foot. “I move in with you.”

  “I—”

  “I’m pretty sure that old church has enough room,” her grin turned sly. “And between us, I’m sure we can tidy it up, get the water reconnected, and all that.”

  “But—” I raised one foot after the other, letting her tug my boots off and toss them at the corner of the room. Then I shivered—and not from the cold—as she trailed her hands teasingly up my legs and started unbuttoning my jeans.

  “And everything else, we’ll sort out as we go,” she continued firmly. “My work, and my silly need to go out and do, you know, mortal stuff.” My pants hit the ground, and she grabbed the bottom of my shirt and hauled herself to her feet, still naked and glorious, her face upturned, mere inches from my own. I could feel the intoxicating warmth of her breath on my cool skin. “We can fix all of it. I believe in us.”

  As Lori’s pale hands slid my shirt up over my breasts, I grabbed her arms gently. “I should, um, go shower,” I said. “I think.”

  She stopped and gave me a flat look, then tossed herself backward onto the bed, her bare breasts bouncing distractingly. “I’m sorry, what was that?” She stretched languidly, showing off her petite, fit frame, and the barely-visible veins beneath her skin that made her look like a marble statue of a goddess.

  My goddess.

  “Are you reeeeeally going to cold shower us now?” Lori raised an eyebrow, sliding smoothly across the sheets and patting my side very invitingly. “I don’t know about you,” she gave me a playfully suspicious glare, “but for me, it’s been a while.” Her voice softened, lusty and a tiny bit subdued. “Too long.”

  “But,” I glanced down at myself, now more naked than not, and second-guessed myself. “But I’m all dirty-nasty from wrecking an innocent kitchen with my face, and I thought—”

  “I. Don’t. Care.” Her eyes glimmered, slate sparking in the dim bedroom light. Slowly, pointedly, she slid under the covers, then held up the other side for me.

  I smothered my reservations. I’d been holding my breath for things to work themselves out for more months than I cared to count. I wasn’t going to be the one to fuck this up now.

  It was all I could do not to burst out of my remaining clothes like the Hulk and obliterate them in the process.

  Well, except for the panties I got tangled around one ankle. Those, I destroyed.

  I slid hungrily into the sheets’ embrace, but it was Lori’s embrace I longed for—and found.

  Her arms pulled me tight, mirroring my desire; I’d been treating her like spun glass for so long I’d forgotten how strong she was. Our flesh pressed together as we gripped at each other, warm and cold meeting in the middle. Pressing our lips together in mutual need, she shivered, and I felt her growl as she ignored it and pushed me onto my back.

  I let her, of course. But it brought a smile to my lips; my Lori had once been stronger than me, and I suppose old habits died hard.

  Still, if she wanted to have her way with me, I wasn’t going to argue.

  Our lips finally parted as she turned my head to the side, her tongue running along my jaw—thankfully, the non-ruptured side—then underneath it, and down my throat. Her mouth, wet and demanding, probed at my skin and along the veins in my throat, ignoring my lazy, infrequent pulse. Throwing her smooth, flawless legs over me, Lori straddled me, pressing herself down against me as she traced my collarbone with ravenous kisses.

  I shivered and moaned as those kisses slid down, between my breasts, along my stomach, and then even lower.

  But I’d had enough—I was just as hungry for the taste of my lover as she was for me. After a moment’s careful consideration, I flipped her effortlessly onto her back and buried my head between her breasts as she laughed. I cupped them, gently and firmly—I hoped gently, anyway—massaging them while I kissed her sternum and she moaned. Then I moved my mouth to her breasts and nipples, taking my time, pressing her hard into the sheets.

  As her nails raked uselessly across my back, I slid a firm hand along her ribs, down the smooth curve of one hip, across a milky thigh, and between her legs. Lori gasped, and I shifted, wrapping both of my legs around one of hers, and pressed myself against her thigh and along her body, gripping her tightly.

  We writhed in need, unified in lusting for each other, mutually starving after so long. I nuzzled her head to the side and ran my own tongue along her soft, vulnerable, delicious throat…

  The spike of hunger hit me out of nowhere, prying a faint growl from my lips as my substantial fangs grazed her throat.

  Thankfully, my Lori was too engaged to notice.

  You know what? Fuck you, vampiric urges.

  I stuffed my hunger into a little box, hammered iron nails into the lid, and tossed it into the back my mind.

  I’m busy, goddammit.

  We lost track of the time, using the hours to trade ecstasy back and forth.

  However long it was, it wasn’t long enough.

  Dawn broke, ambushing me like a hammer blow, turning my body to stone, locked into Lori’s embrace.

  Darkness dragged me down, eroding my senses. I fought to keep the feel of her against me, lest I somehow lose it again.

  Lori leaned over me, her luminous visage filling my field of vision, eyes twinkling like slate-colored stars.

  “Shhhh, my love. I’ll see you again soon.”

  She pressed a gentle finger against my lips, and I reluctantly let go, still smiling.

  I snapped awake again immediately, what felt like an instant later. But I could tell the time had passed me by, along with all the harsh daylight hours. The room was dark, the house quiet; I heard no heartbeat save my own occasional one.

  I rose, ignoring my clothes, the memory of Lori’s lips still tingling on my skin.

  I still wanted her. It also made me a
little uneasy, to wake and find her gone. To me, she’d been there one moment and gone the next. I hadn’t even gotten to dream of her, despite my most fervent attempts.

  Shuffling through the dark of our apartment, I went to her computer and flicked it on. The expected notepad gleamed in the dark, and I took a breath just so I could sigh with relief.

  Stepped out, it read. Had to get a few “mortal supplies.” Hopefully be back soon.

  And a little lower:

  I left you a surprise on my desk.

  Lori detested clutter, so her desk was clean, save the one crooked piece of paper that stood out like a sore thumb.

  My eyes cut the monochrome dim that the monitor light failed to burn away. The back of the paper simply had the word Surprise! written across it in Lori’s neat, flowing script, followed by an address.

  Confused, I flipped it over, and a monochrome Lori smiled up at me, a selfie blown up to fill the page, a moment frozen in time. For a moment, I smiled helplessly back.

  Even in on paper and cast in shades of gray, I could see those eyes sparkle.

  Then I noticed the ink bleeding from their edges.

  Chapter Eleven

  Those dam negotiations

  “We can’t go into this with our eyes half-closed.” Tamara stood, hands on hips, and stared down at Charles. The wizard sat on his ugly couch and stared back, eyes bloodshot from the last vestiges of what looked like a substantial hangover. “You and I both know that you know more about this Ur-demon than you’re letting on.”

  “Common sense would dictate that we don’t go into this at all,” he grumbled. “Because we’ll probably all die.” Without even looking my way, the wizard waved a hand, forestalling my irritated objections. “No, I know you're not going to listen to me. And, damn fool that I am, I’ll be right there beside you. It’s the least I can do.” He sighed heavily.

  I glanced around at my friends. Charles’ comments suddenly put it into perspective; I wasn’t just risking my own life to save Lori, after all. This was literally a devil’s trap, and I was asking them to walk into it. For someone they didn’t really know. I opened my mouth.

  Tamara swatted me. “Stuff it,” she said simply. I closed my mouth. “I’m not letting you walk in there alone. And remember, I know Lori too. Not going to let that thing just take her like this.”

  I allowed myself a sigh of relief at the support. Even if it generated as many worries as it solved, well, it felt good not to be in this alone.

  “Alright then.” Charles groaned his way to his feet, stretching. “This is how we’re going to play this.” He gave Rain and Jason, seated on the good couch next to me, a firm eye. “For one, you two aren’t going.”

  “What the hell, man,” Jason retorted. “We’re ass-deep in this too.”

  Rain nodded. “Um, yeah. What if there’s something we can do?” He glanced at me with a shy, encouraging smile. “I think we should be there. To help Ashes. To help Lori.”

  I couldn’t help but return the smile.

  “You don’t understand.” Charles ran a hand through his messy brown hair in exasperation. “Do you remember yesterday? How no one listened to me? Can we not have a repeat of that?”

  Jason rolled his eyes, the blue-gray flashing amber for an instant. “Homes, your memory’s just as bad. If she had listened,” he jabbed a thumb at me, “your ass would still be up shit creek.”

  “Shows just how little you understand.” Charles’ words were gruff, but not altogether unkind. “My will is tempered by years of Magisterium training, and I can repulse her attempts to take control of me. I can handle myself with her the way few can.” He glanced at me, then at the boys. “Even if I suffer, at least no one else comes to harm. I’ll survive. The two of you are just tools to her, waiting to be used. You’re a weapon and an escape route all rolled into one with no guarantee of coming out of it in one piece.”

  The two boys mirrored a frown at one another.

  “Like how Ashes can sense people by their heartbeats or blood, she can sense nearby hosts,” the wizard continued, pacing. “If you insist on coming, you have to stay away, to watch from a distance. And you can’t let her see you or hear you. If she can pick you up through her host’s senses, you’re still fair game, and she can be incredibly observant when she wants to be.”

  “Gotcha, jefe.” Jason shrugged at Rain, who just frowned and shrugged back. I was glad to see them take Charles seriously. I knew they wanted to help, but this time, I really hoped they weren’t going to.

  Charles turned on heel, stopping mid-pace to look levelly at Kitty. “You shouldn’t involve yourself any further in this mess, either. You’re even more of a liability.”

  The DJ smiled. “Believe me, now that I don’t feel compelled to, I’m not going to.” I noted Tamara’s shoulders relax, as if relieved. “I’m only here because I was with Tam when she got your message,” Kitty nodded my way.

  “With Tam?” I raised an eyebrow.

  The exotic woman nodded. “Yeah. We were hanging out. Figured I’d come along for moral support.”

  “Oh. Thanks,” I replied.

  “Speaking of which…” Tamara said, fishing around in her hip pouch. “Here.” She dug out a set of keys and tossed them to Kitty with a smile.

  “You want me to open for you tomorrow?” Kitty grinned, inspecting the keys before tucking them into her purse.

  “Something like that.” Tamara smiled. “Just in case.”

  “So what is the plan?” I asked. With just the three of us squished together in the cab of Charles’ truck, it was time for a frank talk. “How can we make her give Lori back?”

  “I don’t think we can make her do anything,” Charles replied. “Thus far, Meladoquiel holds all the cards. But she wouldn’t have called us out like this if she didn’t want something.”

  “So this is more like a negotiation,” Tamara said, resting her head on my shoulder.

  Charles nodded. “If there had been more time for us to prepare, it might be different. But right now we’re not equipped to force her to do anything. Fighting her would be pointless, and probably only get your girlfriend killed. But we can’t ignore her, either.”

  I went tense. I know Tamara felt it, because she took my hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “Don’t worry, Ashes. We’ll get her out of this. I promise.” Her sapphire eyes shimmered as she looked up at me and smiled. “Trust me, okay?”

  I tried to let Tamara’s certainty reassure me as we clambered out of Charles’ Silverado and made our way to the rendezvous spot.

  But try as I might, the hollow worry inside wouldn’t go away.

  The top of Cahaba River Dam wouldn’t have been my first pick for a meeting spot. In fact, it would have been close to the last, and the echo of rushing water from all around did little to ease my tension. But it was a few miles from Birmingham proper, and surrounded by a whole lot of trees, dirt, and water, so at least there’d be no one around to hear us scream.

  Step by cement step, we climbed to the top of the dam, wind whistling forcibly across. Far overhead, the sky was still dark and blanketed with ominous cloud cover. I pulled my coat tighter around my body, fearing the faint mist I felt on my skin heralded a more dangerous downpour to come.

  It wasn’t a good idea to look over the side, but I couldn’t help myself. The dam itself was a cement-reinforced earth dam showing its age, with a good sixty-foot-plus plummet to either side of the flat walkway that led across the top. I shuddered. I wasn’t worried about the fall, though, or the structural integrity of the dam itself.

  If anything was out to get me, it was probably the water.

  And the demon, of course.

  Lori waited for us, out in the middle, in nothing but shorts and a thin white T-shirt. I wanted to run to her; Tamara put a hand on my arm, helping me restrain myself.

  It’s not her, anyway. Not really.

  It took forever to walk across the top of the dam. Tamara fell into step with me on my left and Charles on my
right; the magician looked half naked and wholly uncomfortable without his staff in hand.

  Finally, we arrived, facing off as the misty wind tugged erratically at our hair and clothes. Next Door hovered close, just out of sight, drawn by the Ur-demon in my girlfriend’s body.

  Lori held up a hand to halt us, still a good fifteen feet away.

  “That’s close enough.” Her eyes seethed, irises surrounded by a narrow ring of dripping ink, but her mischievous smile was pure Lori. “Glad you could make it.”

  I didn’t know how to respond, but I didn’t have to.

  “No games, Meladoquiel,” Charles growled, his stance aggressive. “You want something. What is it?”

  Lori-Meladoquiel laughed, my lover’s voice tinged with ethereal reverb. “What if games are something I want, Charles?” She glanced around, gazing across the darkened water and shadowy trees. “I mean, why else would I venture to such a literal backwater? It’s certainly not for the view.”

  He shook his head stubbornly. “Bullshit. And I’m not playing along.”

  My gut tightened nervously as Lori’s face darkened, the pressure from Next Door increasing as she grew angry. “You have no choice but to play, my dear Charles,” her face brightened again, Lori’s sunny smile showing through. “I am the puppet master, after all.” When none of us said anything, she sighed, rolling her eyes. “Fine. Be that way, the lot of you. I want her.”

  She pointed straight at me, long blond hair whipping exaggeratedly in the breeze.

  I couldn’t tell whether Charles or I was more surprised.

  “Trade yourself for her,” the demon said, peering at me through Lori’s eyes. “You have no choice.”

  “What? Why me?” I took half a step back, pressured by the hungry look in her eyes.

  “Because, my dear, I go decades without meeting someone that can match the shadow of my will.” Her grin turned excited, feisty. She glanced at Charles—who for once was visibly shaken—then back at me. “Ask him. I always want the things I can’t have.”