Reign of Ash

by Meg Anne

  He felt the resulting sting on his own mouth. Von pressed his hand to his lip and noted the smear of blood with surprise. The pain gave him something to focus on and with a final tug, he pulled himself upright. The arm banded about Helena disappeared. She now stood before him, whole and untouched.

  “Mira,” he groaned, taking a few fumbling steps toward her before collapsing to his knees and wrapping his arms around her. He felt her hands sink into his hair, comforting him.

  “My love,” he whispered against her, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of her. Von waited, anchoring himself in her presence, knowing that when he opened his eyes again she would be gone. He was right.

  It was the mist’s most diabolical trick yet. It gave him the thing he longed for above all others, only to taunt him with her nearness before proving how quickly it could snatch her away. She would never be his so long as he was trapped here, and the mist would ensure he never again forgot what he was missing.

  From the recesses of the mist, Von heard the echoes of the voice, “I will find you, my love. Wait for me; I am coming.”

  He curled into a ball, letting the words wrap around him and surround him with their strength. He found himself mouthing the words as they echoed before fading completely. Once he could hear it no more he let out a harsh breath, begging as he did, “Please, do not leave me here.”

  Chapter Seven

  News from Effie’s Gran arrived by way of the woman appearing on the Holbrooke’s doorstep. Eyeing her now, Helena could not imagine this woman being anyone’s Gran; she was tall and slender, her skin unmarked by age. She had light brown hair that was pulled back off her face to fall in long graceful waves down her back. Her eyes were a deep midnight blue and were the only hint as to the years to which she had borne witness.

  Those midnight eyes were now pinning her in place with their focus. “Kiri,” the woman said in her rich voice as she dipped into a low bow.

  Before Helena could respond, Effie rounded the corner at a dead run. “Gran!” she cried, sprinting into her arms.

  “Hello child,” she murmured, holding the waifish girl tightly. Laughter twinkled in her ancient eyes as she stepped back to examine her granddaughter. “The Mother has certainly graced you with her blessings.”

  Effie blushed at the compliment and batted her grandmother’s prodding hands away, “No more so than you, Gran.”

  Darrin had been observing the exchange with barely contained amusement. Midnight eyes turned to him as he snickered at the comment.

  “You disagree, Shield?” she asked in a deceptively soft voice.

  The smile fled from his lips, “Not at all, my lady.”

  She snorted with derision, “Please, call me Miranda. I am not yours, nor have I ever been anyone’s, lady.” The way she spat the last word conveyed a sense of disgust at the thought.

  “Miranda,” Helena obliged before Darrin could embarrass himself further, stretching out a hand to the other woman, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Effie has spoken very highly of you.”

  “And you as well, Kiri.”

  The rest of the Circle were scattered behind her. Both Timmins and Joquil eyed Miranda warily, distrust evident in their rigid stances. Kragen wore his trademark smirk as he walked toward the woman and lifted her off the floor in one of his bear hugs.

  “Oh my,” she gasped, her cheeks flooding with color when he set her down with a saucy wink. “Watch yourself, Sword. I don’t care what vows you made, you don’t get to my age without breaking a few rules, if you know what I mean.” It was Kragen’s turn to blush, and Ronan let out loud barking laughs at the sight of his colored cheeks.

  Ronan sketched a quick bow to Miranda, smiling as he straightened, “I would hug you as well, lady, but I’m afraid I am spoken for and do not trust myself to behave around a woman as beautiful as you.”

  “Horse shit,” the older woman cackled, pleased despite the crass words.

  Unfazed, his smug smile grew and he winked.

  “Seriously? Can no one keep their hormones in check these days?” Helena asked dryly.

  “I can,” Joquil offered from behind her.

  Timmins, she noted, remained silent, and she couldn’t help but laugh as the image of him lifting the serving woman’s skirts came to mind. From the slightly glazed look in his soft blue eyes, she could tell he was lost in the same memory.

  Helena shook her head ruefully. These men might be bound to her, but it was clear they took their liberties where and when they wished. She could not find it in herself to begrudge them the chance to find some happiness in companionship, even if it was fleeting.

  Her thoughts then turned to Von, imagining how he would react to the woman standing before them. She was sure he would be as charmed as the rest of the men, offering silky compliments and flattering her shamelessly, knowing it would make Helena laugh. All the while, he would be murmuring wicked promises to her through their bond. “No one could surpass your beauty, Mira. Know that as soon as we are done here, I am taking you upstairs where I can undress you under the soft glow of the moon. Then, I am going to bury myself deep within you.”

  Oh yes, she knew exactly how her Mate would behave, and she missed his roguish teasing fiercely.

  “As much as I enjoy flirting with handsome men, I seem to recall there was a matter of some urgency that led my granddaughter to summon me.”

  Helena brought herself back to the present, embarrassed at how easily she had been distracted by thoughts of her Mate, but Timmins was already speaking.

  “Your granddaughter shared a story with us that she heard from you,” he started.

  Miranda was nodding, “About the Corruptor and the Vessel.”

  “Yes, well, I have searched every record I could find regarding the Mother of Shadows prophecy and I cannot find any translation which supports your rendition.”

  Miranda simply peered at him, as if this were not news to her, “And why would you when it was never written down?”

  Timmins bristled, “How can we verify the integrity of your retelling if we do not have a record of it in the Archives?”

  Miranda raised a brow, studying Timmins as she looked down her nose. “There is much, Advisor,” his title sounding like a taunt as she continued, “that was never written down. It is not the Mother’s way to provide all of her Chosen with information they could potentially misuse in their failed attempts to understand it.”

  Timmins looked ready to explode at the insult hidden within her words. Joquil pressed a steadying hand to his chest and asked, “And how would you know this if there is no record?”

  “I did not say there was no record, merely that it was not written down. The Mother chooses her historians with care and tasks them with passing down her wisdom to those deemed capable of possessing it.”

  “The Masters of Prophecy,” Helena murmured.

  Miranda nodded again, approval radiating warmly from her midnight eyes as she said, “That is one of the many names the group has been given throughout the years. They are also known as the Keepers.”

  A grim sort of tension filled the room. The men had just been presented with yet another fact they did not know, on a topic they’d spent most of their lives assuming they were the experts in. Miranda’s declarations were so matter-of-fact that it left little room for doubt. She was certain about the matter at hand, almost to the extent that it surprised her when what she said wasn’t common knowledge for the rest of them as well. Almost. Miranda was certainly savoring having the upper hand.

  Helena’s lips twisted into a wry smile; in a way it was like meeting a female version of Timmins. While Joquil was the one entitled Master, it had always been Timmins who they turned to in their search for knowledge. He enjoyed problem-solving and sharing obscure, long-forgotten pieces of information with others. His recall for small bits of arcana was unparalleled, at least under usual circumstances; it was part of what made him such an excellent Advisor. It must be driving him absolutely mad to
not be the one with all of the answers for once.

  “You do not have to simply take my word for it, Kiri. You and your Circle can come speak with the Keepers yourselves. They have been expecting you.”

  All traces of humor were forgotten as everyone turned wide eyes back toward Miranda. It was true that they had already anticipated the need to travel through the Baelian Forest to meet with Miranda, but it was another thing entirely to feel as though it were predestined. The magnitude of the statement rendered them all speechless.

  “May I come too, Gran?” Effie asked with thinly veiled excitement, seemingly unaware of the frisson of apprehension among the rest of them as her enthusiasm broke through the silence.

  Miranda stroked Effie’s cheek, “Of course child, so long as the Kiri doesn’t object.”

  Effie turned her earnest blue eyes toward Helena, who immediately smiled and nodded her approval. Beaming, Effie wrapped her in a tight hug, “Thank you, Kiri!”

  “When are the Keepers expecting us?” Joquil asked coolly.

  “As soon as we can get there. Troubling times are ahead, Master, and there is much that needs to be said if your Kiri has any hope of defeating the Corruptor without losing herself to the Fracturing.”

  The men of her Circle scowled at the implication that she would fail without this meeting. It stung their pride to hear Miranda assume that they would not be enough to protect her from any foe.

  “It is your belief the Keepers can help better prepare us?” Timmins questioned.

  Miranda nodded once, her eyes scanning the group, “We have been waiting centuries for the opportunity to do so. Just as you have a destiny, so too, do we.”

  We. There was a pregnant pause as they processed her use of the word. It was the first time she had referred to herself as one of the Keepers, although given all that she had alluded to it was not much of a revelation.

  “Why not simply tell us now and be done with it?” Darrin snapped.

  “That is not the way of things, Shield. There is a time and a place for such conversations. All will be revealed as the Mother wills,” she paused then, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. When her eyes reopened, a brilliant blue light sparkled in the midnight depths, “There is still time, for now.”

  “We have already been preparing for this journey for the last several days. We should be ready to leave come morning. Does that suit you, Keeper?” Helena inquired formally.

  Miranda smiled as she inclined her head in a small bow, “Yes, Mother of Spirit. Tomorrow will be soon enough. Tonight, I would like to spend time with my granddaughter.”

  “Of course. Please rest and enjoy yourselves. We shall be off at first light.”

  The men recognized the dismissal and dispersed. There was still much to be done before they started on another journey. Despite the old woman’s warnings about what lay ahead of them, Helena felt only a rush of excitement at the possibility that she was moving closer to finding her Mate. Von was being used as a pawn in another’s game, but Helena would find him and repay that foolishness tenfold. No one took her Mate from her and survived the insult.

  Outside the wind howled as it whipped through the trees. Shutters slammed against the windows as lightning flared brightly in the sky. Helena’s aqua eyes were wild and shimmering with translucence while her smile showed more fang than tooth. She may not yet know precisely where he was, but she was certain that she was about to start the next leg of the journey that would lead her back to him.

  Micha and Nial were both waiting for her outside her door. She lifted an eyebrow in surprise to see both men prowling in the corridor beside her room. Pausing mid-step she asked dryly, “Is there something I can help you with?”

  Their heads snapped toward her at the words and both men spoke at once: “I am coming with you when you leave for Bael,” insisted Nial, while Micha begged, “Do not forget your promise to me, Helena.”

  Both brows lifted until they nearly touched her hairline, “If you feel that strongly about it, gentlemen, I will not stop you. I am sure we will have need of the additional manpower. Just know that if you slow us down or interfere with our plans, I will not hesitate to leave you alongside the road. The condition I will leave you in, however, will depend entirely on how much you annoy me in the process. Do I make myself clear?”

  She watched relief brighten Nial’s stormy eyes, while determination continued to shine through Micha’s soft green ones. Each man felt he had something to prove, and while she could guess as to what that might be, she was curious to watch it play out.

  “We leave with the dawn. Pack only what you need. I do not know how long we will be gone, and I cannot promise this is where we will return.”

  They nodded their understanding and each hastened off in a separate direction. She shook her head at their dramatic interception. The real reason she had agreed to their coming along was that she had her own feelings of intuition that they had a part to play in the days to come. She just wondered if their schemes would align with her own.

  Chapter Eight

  Helena finished tightening the strap of her belt with a frustrated huff. She hadn’t slept well and was feeling decidedly grumpy as a result. Her eyes were scratchy and the muscles in her back and neck felt knotted. It was not an ideal way to start a journey, but her dreams had kept her tossing and turning into the first hours of the morning. Even now the sky was more black than pink, the sun just starting to peek up from its hiding place beyond the sea.

  Helena could not recall her dreams in any real detail. She could only grasp at the wispy memories, a certain color or feeling all she could hold onto until even that much had slipped away. The one thing that hadn’t faded entirely was the soul-deep terror she had felt when her eyes would snap open and her heart would pound between bouts of dreaming. Her dreams had been some kind of warning; she was sure of it. It was infuriating that the Mother would find it important enough to send her the warning, and then not see fit to let her hold onto it. Did everything need to be cloaked in such mystery? Just once, it would be really nice to have something neatly packaged and handed to her with explicit instructions on what to do with it. That would certainly be a welcome change of pace, given all that had transpired since Darrin had come to the cottage so many months ago. Apparently, the Mother disagreed.

  She was still muttering darkly under her breath when Darrin approached her. “Are you ready to go, Helena?”

  “Mother’s tits!” she snarled as the leather strap snapped against her skin, his voice startling her despite its softness.

  Darrin lifted both hands defensively and stepped back. Kragen placed his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, “Perhaps we should get the Kiri some strong black tea before we start. It might do much to brighten her mood.”

  Unamused, Helena bared her teeth at the men. Feeling more feline than human at the moment, she felt a low growl start in her throat and wasn’t at all surprised to see Starshine quietly stalking toward the trio.

  Kragen laughed at the display of temper, entirely unimpressed since he knew she had no intention of acting on it. Helena scowled. It was rare for her to be in such a mood, but her growing sense of unease due to the dreams she could not recall, and the lack of sleep said dreams had caused, were taking a toll.

  Serena made her way over to join the growing group. She wrapped a comforting arm around her friend and said in a low voice, “Here now, Kiri. Perhaps you would like to ride Starshine this morning? That always seems to help refresh you.”

  “So she can fall out of the sky when she falls asleep? Look at her; she’s barely awake as it is!” Darrin retorted with some heat.

  Serena spun toward Darrin, levelling him with a cool stare. She blinked her violet eyes once, twice, and then dismissed him entirely by turning her back to him. Helena’s lips quirked up despite themselves and Serena’s own lips lifted at the sight.

  The thought of riding Starshine was tempting, but she knew how her Circle felt about her being too far out of their sight. She
wouldn’t allow anyone except Von to ride the Talyrian with her, so her compromise was to ride Karma, Von’s Daejaran wolf, beside the others instead. She had her own wolf, Shepa, but since Von’s disappearance, both Helena and Karma had found solace in spending time with their human’s other favorite companion.

  Starshine nudged her mistress with her massive head, the turquoise eyes studying her carefully. Helena buried her fingers in the thick white mane and had just rested her forehead against Starshine’s snout when a barely audible gasp had her lifting her head back up to track the owner. Miranda stood near the manor; the hand pressed against her lips did little to cover the growing smile on the Keeper’s face. Helena’s brows furrowed as her tired brain tried to decipher Miranda’s reaction to the Talyrian.

  Miranda moved quickly toward the small group. Starshine’s reaction was instantaneous. She growled, a deep rumbling sound, and shot a jet of flame at the woman’s feet. Miranda jumped back, her mouth agape, but she recovered quickly, “I see you have found your rider.”

  Starshine’s massive head dipped in the semblance of a nod.

  Helena looked between the two, her look of shock mirrored on her friends’ faces. “Have you two already met?” she finally asked.

  Miranda nodded, “Oh yes, the Keepers have always been familiar with the Talyrian pride.”

  Timmins, unfortunately, chose that moment to join them. It seemed he was destined to be outshone by the Keeper. He had overheard Miranda’s last comment and was already scowling when she asked, “What do you know of the Talyrians?”

  Helena shrugged, not in the mood for a history lesson. She was far too exhausted for that. “I know that they are very possessive and quite fierce. They can cause the earth to quake, shoot fire, fly, and have no trouble expressing their opinion despite their inability to talk.” Despite feeling irritable, Helena was smiling as she spoke. Starshine’s gaze was tracking her closely as she turned to face Miranda.