Reign of Ash

by Meg Anne

  Darrin moved across the room, opening a chilled cabinet to gather the leftovers from the evening meal. She watched him open up various containers before selecting one that appeared to be full of a vegetable stew and another full of a fluffy white substance.

  “Potatoes,” Darrin said in answer to her lifted brow.

  Helena’s stomach growled as the smell of the food hit her nose.

  Darrin laughed loudly, his eyes crinkling with mirth as he said, “Well, I guess I don’t need to ask if that sounds good to you.”

  She stuck out her tongue in response as he quickly dished out large portions of each.

  “Can you manage reheating these?” he gestured toward her hands. “I’m not certain where anything is in here or I would offer to do it myself.”

  Helena nodded and stepped over to him, her fingers running over the smooth surface of the large wooden counter as she did. Grasping the dish, she closed her eyes and called the smallest tendril of magic to her. She felt the heat of Fire quickly rush to the surface, and found herself making soothing noises to gentle the rush. She released her magic entirely once the spicy steam was wafting up to her face.

  Darrin let out a low whistle, “Such a convenient talent.”

  Helena nodded in agreement, accepting the spoon he was holding out to her. She dug in greedily and immediately let out a startled yelp as her eyes began to water. Her hand was pressed over her mouth while she blinked back tears.

  Darrin howled with laughter beside her, “Alright, perhaps it’s not as convenient as I thought if you make it too hot to eat.”

  She glared at him, “You’re lucky I’m too hungry to dump this on you.”

  He held up two hands and stepped back, “Merely an observation, Kiri.”

  She rolled her eyes, “Standing on formality will not protect you, Shield.”

  He lifted a shoulder while his smile grew, “You can’t blame me for trying, Hellion.”

  She winked at him, before taking another spoonful of the stew and making a show of blowing on it. His laughter died down and he stood across from her, watching her silently.

  She lifted her brow. “What?” she asked, her mouth full of stew and the word coming out garbled.

  He just shook his head, a small smile playing about his lips, “It’s just nice to see you looking happy, Helena.”

  She swallowed and looked down into her bowl before speaking, “I miss him, Darrin.”

  “I know,” he said gravely.

  She shook her head slowly, “No, I don’t think you do.” Her aqua eyes blazed brightly as they met his before continuing, “I feel as though a piece of me is missing. It’s not something as obvious as a limb, but I feel just as crippled. Nothing feels right without him here. I’m so lost...” she trailed off, averting her gaze as she did, her voice thick with emotion.

  “We will find him, Helena. Do not lose hope.”

  He watched a small tremor work its way through her body, her fingers gripping the spoon in her hand more tightly. When she looked back up, there were hints of the swirling iridescence in her eyes and her voice resonated as though spoken in harmony, “I haven’t and I won’t.”

  Darrin nodded, his shoulders relaxing at the small appearance of her power. “Good. Now eat up.”

  Helena made a face but continued to work her way through the meal until it was mostly gone. Taking the bowl from her, he made quick work of rinsing it out and setting it to dry with the others.

  “Feeling better?” he asked, his voice too inquisitive to be casual.

  She nodded, smiling ruefully, “Yes, mother.”

  Darrin laughed, and pulled her into him, hugging her tightly, “We are going to get through this; you’ll see.” The words were soft as he rested his cheek atop her head.

  “I know,” she said just as softly, her words muffled by his chest. She clung to him as they stood in silence, willing his promises to come true.

  Chapter Two

  “Harder, Helena,” Ronan boomed as she swung the heavy training stick into the dummy.

  “I’m swinging it as hard as I can, asshole,” she panted as she lifted it again, her muscles screaming in protest. They had begun their workout with the dawn, and hours later she was well past the point of tolerating the Acting Commander’s instruction.

  “My granny could hit that sack of feathers harder than you,” he taunted.

  She growled low in her throat before swinging the stick for all she was worth. The dummy exploded with a satisfying thwack; gray and white feathers rained down upon them.

  “Satisfied?” she asked, smiling up at him as she dropped her weapon to the ground.

  “Now now, there’s no need to whip your cock out and start waving it around. It’s highly unladylike.”

  “Whipping my—” Helena sputtered.

  Ronan’s shoulders were shaking with laughter as he watched her face turn pink with indignation. “I’m just teasing you, Kiri.”

  “I would be happy to get the measuring stick out if you’d like. In fact, that sounds like a great idea. We can have all your men line up and drop their pants right here,” Serena purred as she pulled feathers out of his braid.

  “The Mother’s tits you will!” Ronan growled before pressing a swift kiss against her smiling lips and muttering, “Minx.”

  Helena merely shook her head as she watched the couple; yearning for Von flared swift and hot through her at the sight of their easy embrace.

  “Tough morning?” Serena asked lightly, violet eyes studying her friend with concern.

  Helena grunted.

  Blonde brows lifted in amusement as Serena replied, “Oh, I see.”

  Ronan’s hand ran down Serena’s back to curl around her waist, “That’s enough for today. We lost a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks, but we should be able to make up for it quickly, so long as you continue to take care of yourself.”

  Her cheeks flamed at the gentle reprimand, but she nodded, still struggling to catch her breath.

  “Just you two this morning?” Serena inquired, as her eyes scanned the small courtyard they had used for their practice.

  Ronan nodded, the morning sun glinting against his scar and causing it to stand out in sharp relief against his cheek. “We wanted to test her limits today. It has been awhile since our last session, so I needed to establish her baseline and determine where we need to focus in order to rebuild her strength and stamina.”

  Helena whimpered when she realized she would not have Von to help ease the ache from her muscles this time. Her heart constricted painfully in her chest. Everything had become a constant reminder of his absence. Feeling the weight of their twin stares upon her, she straightened her shoulders and stood with her hands on her hips, attempting to convey a haughty confidence she did not entirely feel.

  “Are you sure you still want to meet with Nial this morning?”

  Helena nodded once.

  “We can push it back. I’m sure he’ll—” Serena ventured but was cut off.

  “No, I’ve waited far too long as it is. I should have met with him by now. I just… wasn’t ready.”

  Ronan leaned down and kissed Serena’s forehead, “I will leave you two ladies to your morning. Helena,” he turned to look at her sternly, “do not push yourself so hard that you cannot practice tomorrow. That’s an order.”

  He turned and strode away before he could see the ball of Water she had manifested in the palm of her hand. Serena could hardly suppress her giggles as Helena let it fly straight into the back of Ronan’s head. The large man stopped and turned slowly, his brows lowered menacingly over ice-blue eyes.

  Helena bit down on her lip as she fought back her own laughter.

  Ronan lifted a finger and pointed it at her face. “You,” he said deliberately, “are very lucky.”

  Helena raised both brows in surprise, “And why’s that?”

  “If I wasn’t so damn happy to hear you laughing again, I’d make you pay for that bit of cheekiness. As it stands, I’m just g
lad to have my friend back.” He blew her a kiss and continued with his leisurely stroll to the manor.

  Serena wrapped her arm around Helena, “For what it’s worth, so am I.”

  Helena rested her head on her friend’s shoulder, saying in a voice tinged with sadness, “I’m trying.”

  “We know, dearest,” Serena replied matter-of-factly, giving her a tight squeeze before leaning down to sniff her delicately. “Perhaps you should bathe before we go up to meet the youngest Holbrooke. The poor lad has suffered enough already; he doesn’t need to be assaulted by your ripe stench.”

  Helena sputtered with laughter as she shoved Serena, who landed on the ground in an undignified heap.

  Serena was a picture of astonishment as she gaped up at Helena. “Alright, I deserved that,” she said between breathless bouts of laughter.

  Helena wore a self-satisfied smile as she offered Serena a hand to help her stand, “Yes. Yes, you did.”

  Bathed and changed into a dove gray gown, Helena met Serena in her suite’s sitting area as she quickly braided her damp hair. Her rooms were large and airy, and much lovelier than Helena had anticipated given Von’s description of life in Daejara after the ban. The focal point of the room was a hearth that was as tall as she was on the western side, the wall surrounding it comprised of large gray stones. The rest of the room was painted a soft lilac where it was not covered by colorful tapestries. The floor consisted of long, dark wooden planks that peeked out beneath the various plush rugs that littered the room. Also within the room was a massive four-poster bed, its golden coverings matching the heavy curtains currently pulled back from the floor-to-ceiling windows that opened onto a balcony overlooking the sea. The strategically placed furniture was made from the same dark wood as the floor and included a large bookcase, writing desk, and vanity. There were a few chairs and one low bench set up beside a glass table where Serena currently sat sipping tea.

  Helena did a quick twirl, and asked dryly, “Do I pass inspection, Commander?”

  Serena laughed at her use of the Daejaran title and offered a mocking nod, “You’ll do, warrior.”

  Helena rolled her eyes, chuckling. She could not deny that her practice with Ronan had done much to ease some of the weight she had been carrying within her. It had felt good to whack that training dummy, imagining Gillian’s smug smile on its face as she did. She had found release in running and pushing herself until she was ready to collapse. At the very least, it had given her something to do. She was so tired of feeling impotent. It had also given her something to focus on and allowed her to finally block the flurry of thoughts running on a never-ending loop inside her mind. For that alone, she was almost giddy about continuing her training tomorrow. Although, she was certain her muscles would be arguing with that sentiment come the morning.

  There was a soft knock at the door before a flaxen head peered around the side, “Are you ready for me to take you up, Kiri?” Effie, the maid, asked in her sweet voice.

  Effie looked deceptively young, probably because she was such a tiny thing. Her proportions were more doll-like than those of a woman well into her twenties. Her long blonde curls fell down her back and framed an elfish face with wide sky-blue eyes and long sooty lashes. She had a smattering of freckles across a slightly upturned nose and perfectly pouty lips that were almost always smiling. Helena had liked her instantly.

  “Yes, thank you, Effie,” she said with a smile that actually reached her aqua eyes.

  Effie blushed and bobbed a quick curtsey before stepping back into the hallway.

  “She’s not used to people taking notice of her,” Serena commented under her breath as she placed her empty cup on the table and stood to walk toward the door.

  “I’m familiar with the feeling,” Helena responded wryly.

  Serena snickered softly, “I’m sure you are.”

  The stares and whispers had been almost constant since crossing the border, although people were finally polite enough not to blatantly comment on the shimmering iridescent rings around her pupils. Kragen had enjoyed a good laugh the first time Helena threatened to break the finger of the next person that tried to poke her in the eye. By the seventh, he was offering to do it for her.

  “Everyone is just curious about their new Kiri,” Serena offered as they exited her room.

  “Lucky me,” Helena muttered, her words dripping with sarcasm.

  Serena snorted, “At least they ceased asking you to perform bits of magic for them.”

  “Because that went well,” Helena retorted, ears burning as she recalled her failed attempt to make a teddy bear dance for a young boy in one of the villages. All she had meant to do was make it twirl about a little. Instead, the thing had exploded leaving stuffing and bits of fur floating in its wake. The boy had burst into tears and hid in his mother’s skirts. His mother had been kind, but Helena was mortified. Kragen and Ronan had teased her ruthlessly for days after.

  She still couldn’t seem to find the level of control required to use her magic in the simplest of ways. At least, not consistently. The harder she tried, the more unwieldy it became. Lately, it felt more like she was trying to wrestle with a wild beast rather than simply coax a small wave of magic. Large magic was no issue, or it hadn’t been so far. Helena had a growing suspicion that Von’s kidnapping was playing some part in her struggle for control. When she’d broached the topic with Joquil, he’d brushed away her concerns stating that there was no record of a Mate’s proximity having any effect on a Kiri’s magic.

  Effie escorted them expeditiously through the halls until they reached a quiet corner in the northeastern part of the manor. Helena could hear waves crashing in the distance as Effie gave the large wooden door a perfunctory knock.

  “Come in,” a deep male voice called from inside.

  Effie opened the door, standing aside to let the ladies enter before her. Once they passed through the doorway, she made a small curtsey and shut the door, leaving the ladies alone with Nial. Helena was prepared this time, steeling herself against the despair that threatened to wash through her at the sight of Von’s brother. There was a boyish charm to him and intelligence shone brightly in those familiar gray-blue eyes. He flashed her a broad grin, his eyes crinkling with good humor.

  “Hello again, Kiri,” he said by way of welcome.

  Helena made her way toward his overladen table. It was littered with open books and parchment and looked ready to collapse at the hint of a stiff breeze. She eyed the open window warily as she approached him.

  “Forgive me for not standing,” he quipped.

  She rolled her eyes, her lips quirking despite herself. “Ever the comedian, I see. And call me Helena, please, we are family now, after all,” she murmured warmly. Noting the ink stains on his fingers and the pages filled with lines of precise notes, she added, “I’m not interrupting your studies, am I?”

  He was quick to shake his head, “Not at all.” As he turned to address Serena, who was standing just behind her, his eyes opened wide and his nostrils flared.

  Helena’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked from Nial to Serena. Serena’s face had drained of color, her eyes unblinking as she stared at the man seated before her, mesmerized. Helena coughed discreetly, causing both of them to blink rapidly and straighten.

  Nial held out his hand to Serena, “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Nial.”

  “Serena,” the warrior said in the softest voice Helena had ever heard her use. She placed her hand in his, jumping when he leaned down to kiss the back of it. As soon as he let her go, she stepped hurriedly back, her cheeks and chest splotched with pink and her violet eyes glazed.

  Curious at her reaction, Helena asked, “You two have never met? I thought you and Ronan had known Von since you were children.”

  Serena gave a start at the mention of her lover’s name. She blinked and shook her head, dragging her eyes from Nial back to Helena. “No, Kiri, neither Ronan nor I have had reason to visit the Holbrooke home before now. We alwa
ys stayed in the barracks, or visited our own families, when Von would make his infrequent trips home.”

  “More’s the pity,” Nial said in a low, honey-coated voice. Serena blushed, her eyes darting to the floor.

  Helena froze. The tone of his voice so like his brothers in that moment, she felt her own cheeks flush. Letting out a jagged breath, she refocused, reminding herself that she had a job to do. Interesting, Helena thought, studying the two. If she didn’t know better, she would say that Serena was as infatuated with Nial as he obviously was with her. Helena knew she was wholly committed to Ronan though, so it didn’t quite add up. Something is definitely going on here, Helena decided, determining to get to the bottom of it, eventually.

  “I’m sure Von explained in his letters to you why I wanted to visit...” Helena interjected, trying to get their conversation back on track.

  Nial nodded, his eyes continuing to examine the tall blonde beside her as he asked, “Do you really think you’ll be able to help me?”

  Helena shrugged, “I certainly hope so.” She didn’t think now was the appropriate time to mention that she had never attempted something of this magnitude before.

  Nial moved his hands from the table to his sides and pushed himself back. Helena noted the wheels attached to his chair with surprise, “What a clever idea!”

  Nial grinned up at her. “I may not be able to do many of the things my brother can, but at least this way I don’t need to be completely dependent upon the help of others to get about.”

  Helena was more than a little impressed as she returned his smile, “You came up with this?”

  “I did.”

  “Brilliant!” she exclaimed, eyeing Nial with more interest.

  “Just because my body has limitations, does not mean that my mind does,” he joked.

  “I never thought for a moment that it did,” Helena said sincerely. Nial offered her another warm smile before wheeling himself over to his bed. She was just about to offer to help him when he placed both palms on the bed and pushed himself up, twisting in the air to land with a soft plop. Helena blinked, trying to cover her astonishment. She really shouldn’t be so shocked; he had obviously learned how to do much on his own, especially if those muscles flexing and bunching as he maneuvered his chair were any indication. This man did not seem at all like the crippled brother Von had described to her so long ago.