Reign of Ash

by Meg Anne

  “Mother!” she whimpered, as Helena threw out an arm and ribbons of Fire wrapped themselves around the frightened redhead.

  Helena felt a moment of shock as she processed the word, how was that even possible? Batting the thought away to deal with later, she kept her attention on Gillian. The blonde backed out of the room, eyes never leaving them.

  Von’s lip curled in a sinister smile, enjoying Gillian’s mewls of pain as the Fire began to singe skin and cloth alike.

  With a frustrated growl, the blonde stepped into the hall, “If your final act is to buy me time, so be it, at least your death will be more useful than you ever were!”

  “Help me! Please, Mother!” Gillian sobbed as the blonde fled.

  Helena protested the retreat, knowing the true threat was currently escaping and wanting to pursue her. She looked back to the cowering girl, an annoying sliver of sympathy worming its way into her heart, despite everything she had done. No one should have to face such betrayal from a loved one. Especially a mother.

  “Give me one reason I should spare you,” Helena demanded in the harmony of voices; Von’s approval radiating along their joint consciousness at her words.

  “I-I,” she stuttered, crying out as the bands of Fire drew tighter. Tears filled the eyes that were so like her brothers, suspended from her eyelashes like drops of rain caught on a branch. “Mercy! Please, Helena. I was only protecting Micha.”

  Helena loosened her hold on the Fire, startled by Gillian’s words.

  “She does not deserve mercy,” Von snarled.

  “We cannot kill her, my love. Not yet. We will need her if my plan is to work,” Helena cautioned.

  “You think that blonde bitch will let her live after this? She does not care what happens to her daughter. She all but left her for us to finish off.”

  “It doesn’t matter, we cannot risk it. She might be our only chance. Gillian lives.”

  Von’s growl of frustration escaped and caused Gillian to flinch.

  “Just because she must live, does not mean she needs to be conscious.” Drawing back his arm, Von let his fist slam into her jaw. Gillian’s head snapped and she crumpled to the floor.

  Helena looked on in amusement. She might feel sorry for the girl, but it didn’t mean she hadn’t deserved it. Not after what she had done. A sense of disorientation grew and Helena had a vision of the campsite superimposed on the small room. A wave of nausea hit her causing Von to stumble.

  Von took a tentative step toward the door, knowing this might be his only chance at escape. Helena tried to refocus on him and the room, but could feel herself being pulled back.

  “Be careful!” she warned, her voice thin along their bond. Her magic was fading, having been pushed too far already.

  Already Von’s eyes had returned to the usual gray. She could feel a gentle caress along the bond, and his concern for her.

  “Do not worry about me. Just stay safe until I get to you.”

  With a final fervent “I love you” their connection was severed, neither certain who had sent the thought.

  Pulling his focus back to the present, Von’s eyes scanned the room. Gillian was out cold; she was not going to be an issue. Stepping into the hall, he checked for signs of others. There was nothing. Balls of Fire flickered from glass orbs which floated every few steps along the otherwise dim corridor. There was a muted fabric, that had once been a vibrant red, running the length of the hall. It was clear this was not an area that received much attention.

  Letting his instinct guide him, Von shielded and took off at a run. Reaching a corner, he slowed, peering around the dank stone wall before continuing. After several more turns he reached a dead end.

  Von slammed his fist into the wall. Earth infused the blow causing the wall to tremble under the force, small bits of dust raining down from hole he’d left behind.

  “Leaving so soon?” a cloyingly sweet voice called.

  Von spun, his lips pulling back as he bared his teeth like a cornered animal ready to strike. The blonde was standing there surrounded by a small army of Shadows awaiting her command. Von lost count at seventeen and knew, without a doubt, that he was completely and utterly fucked.

  Feigning indifference, Von shrugged and allowed his body to relax, “With a hostess like you, you can’t blame me.”

  The blonde tilted her head, studying the change with interest, “Do my Shadows not concern you?”

  Von’s answering smile was pure arrogance as he replied, “Woman, I’ve single-handedly destroyed entire cities. What’s a handful of mindless corpses?” With a quick move, Von threw out a wave of his power, but it was significantly weaker than it should have been, harmlessly sparking when it came into contact with her shield. Apparently, Helena wasn’t the only one who was drained. Von did not allow his expression to alter, despite the failed attack.

  Looking entirely too gleeful, she simpered, “Why don’t you be a good little boy and get down on your knees? There’s no reason to lose a warrior as strong as you to such foolishness.”

  “There’s only one woman I will ever kneel for, and you are not even fit to speak her name.”

  The amusement fled from the woman’s face and she scowled, “You dare speak to me that way?”

  Von’s arms crossed against his chest as he defiantly lifted his chin, “I just did. Do you need me to repeat myself?”

  Rowena threw out an arm and Von heard a sickening crack. Looking down he noticed a finger hanging crookedly at the wrong angle. His own shields were no match for whatever power she was wielding. Von’s shoulders began shaking with laughter and his eyes met hers, “Is that all you have bitch queen? It’s going to take more than that to bring me down.” The laughter died down and he said in a voice filled with venom, “I. Will. Not. Kneel.”

  “Yes, you will,” she ground out, eyes narrowed into slits, as another wave of magic hit his body. There was another crack and Von was falling.

  Looking down he noticed the bone in his shin sticking out of his leg. There was another loud crack and the world around him began to dim. As his hands slammed into the stone floor, he felt the sticky warmth of his blood. The last clear thought he had before everything went black was If I get through this, I will need Nial to make me one of his chairs.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Helena came back to her body in a rush of sensation. The colors of the forest seemed too bright to be real, while the sound of her friends’ voices felt like they were being screamed directly into her ear. With a wince, she covered her ears and ducked her head in between her legs to try and drown out some of the intensity.

  Miranda was the first to notice she had returned to them. She placed a warm hand on Helena’s shoulder and was holding out an embroidered linen kerchief when Helena was finally able to meet her gaze. Confused, Helena raised an eyebrow.

  Miranda gestured toward her face and pressed the cloth into her hand. Understanding dawned; she was bleeding again.

  “I thought these side effects would have abated somewhat now that we are closer to one another,” she muttered wiping at her nose.

  “Physical distance is only part of the problem. The Fracturing is a result of the bond being significantly weakened to the point it is entirely severed. You and your Mate have not had a chance to properly reinforce the bond, although you have been able to keep it stable enough through the strength of your connection,” Miranda explained, while motioning for Helena to keep the kerchief when she tried to hand it back.

  “It just thought...” Helena trailed off, staring into the blood-spattered cloth.

  “Thought what, Kiri?” Miranda prodded gently, her voice filled with warmth and understanding.

  “It just seemed like things were starting to get better. We have reestablished our mental connection, for the most part. At the very least I’ve been able to feel flickers of him, if not connect with him outright. I was even able to find him once through our dreams. And now the Jaka has also seemed to further reinforce the bond.” Helen
a listed off each of the things as she thought of them, seeming a bit lost to learn that they weren’t enough to prevent the side effects of the separation.

  Miranda took Helena’s hand in her own, forcing her to look up before saying, “Those things are definitely helping. They are, perhaps, the reason that the side effects are progressing so slowly. But think of it like filling a dish that has a hole at the bottom. There’s only so long the dish will remain full before it starts to drain again. Your connection to your Mate is the same. Until you two are together again, you will keep wasting energy trying to keep the bond whole. It is an impossible task.”

  Helena frowned, “So the mood swings, the physical tolls and effects, not to mention my power’s ability to overwhelm me… those will all continue until we are reunited?”

  “Yes, Kiri, if it does not worsen in the meantime,” she said a bit apologetically.

  “Lovely,” Helena murmured as she tried to stand. Stumbling, Helena fell into the older woman. Miranda caught her with a muffled grunt. Flushing she said softly, “Apologies, Keeper.”

  “None are necessary, Kiri,” Miranda replied as Joquil and Kragen rushed over to them.

  “Are you alright, Hellion?” Kragen asked in his deep rumble.

  Helena nodded wanly, “Yes, fine. It seems like I can only project my consciousness for so long until my body protests and pulls me back.”

  Joquil studied her with serious amber eyes, “Your soul is determined to reattach to its other half, which is why you feel the pull to reconnect to Von so strongly, but your physical body cannot stay empty for long without beginning to break down.”

  It was similar to what Miranda had said, but Helena still found the words surprising. “Is that what I’m doing? Sending my soul to his body?”

  Joquil nodded, “You would not be able to call your power to you and use it through him otherwise. It is one thing to share a mental link, to speak to one another and be aware of each other’s emotions. It is something else entirely to fuse your power.”

  Helena looked at Miranda for confirmation, but the woman only shrugged. It hadn’t been a lack of power that pulled her back then, but her body’s need for her soul. That certainly explained why her body felt so weak, despite the deep pool of her magic still rippling within her.

  Distracted by the realization, Helena did not hear Micha’s approach.

  “Kiri?” he asked.

  As her eyes focused on his, she felt her rage begin to spiral. Memories of what had happened, and what she had heard, while connected to Von had her curling her hand into the material of his shirt. Overhead, the sky began to darken and let out a warning crack of lightning.

  “How, by all that is holy, is your mother still alive?” she asked in a guttural snarl, her teeth bared as she leaned into him until her nose almost touched his.

  Micha’s green eyes widened with a mix of shock and fear, “W-what do you mean, Kiri? My mother di-died.” She could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed back his panic.

  “No, Micha, she did not. Your mother is very much alive. She is the one behind Von’s capture.” Aqua eyes bore into his, daring him to protest, but the confusion in his expression could not be faked. Letting him go, she watched as he stumbled before regaining his footing.

  Having overheard the encounter, the rest of her Circle had already joined them.

  “How can she still be alive, Timmins?” Helena demanded.

  Timmins expression was dark as he admitted, “I do not know, Kiri.”

  Joquil spoke from beside her, “Traditionally, a new Damaskiri does not rise until the current ruler dies. I did not even know it was possible for one to come into her power while the other still lived. She must have employed powerful magic indeed to fool us.”

  “You don’t say,” Helena snapped.

  “At least we know who we are facing now,” Miranda said prosaically. “It will help with strategizing, yes?”

  Helena looked back at Micha who had completely retreated into himself before saying slowly, “I would not count on much of anything when it comes to the Corruptor.” Speaking quickly Helena filled them in on what had happened when she was with Von.

  After she finished, the only sounds in the camp were the crackles and snaps of the fire and the distant roll of thunder. Taking a fortifying breath, Helena said, “The plan does not change, but the timetable must be pushed forward. We cannot leave Von with her any longer. She has already tried to turn him once. Now that she knows she cannot, there’s no reason for her to leave him unharmed.”

  Nial was the first to respond, his voice hesitant, “I want to save my brother as much as you do, Helena... but shouldn’t we be fully prepared before rushing into this battle?”

  “We’ve already discussed this,” Helena said flatly, meeting each of their eyes in turn. Her friends’ expressions were grim but accepting.

  A feeling like a spark of fire in her hand had her yelping and shaking her hand in surprise. Seeing nothing wrong with her hand, she sent her focus deep, ignoring the startled shouts of her friends. Before she could do more than establish Von was alive, pain lanced up each of her legs, causing her to drop toward the ground. Hands reached out to grab and steady her, but Helena saw nothing but glittering black rage.

  The sky cracked in half with a blinding bolt of lightning, while thunder shook the earth.

  “That bitch!” Helena roared, pushing her friends off of her and starting to run toward a larger clearing, shouting, “Starshine!”

  It took only a moment before Starshine’s brilliant white fur gleamed against the darkness of Helena’s storm as the Talyrian shot twin flames from her snout. She landed quickly, causing the ground to tremble in response. Helena was already moving to mount her but was brought up short.

  “Helena! You can’t mean to go right now. She’ll be expecting you,” Darrin shouted, before releasing her arm.

  Spinning around, she pushed him back and said with deadly fury, “Try and stop me again.”

  Startled, he froze in place. Helena looked at the rest of them, daring them to so much as move. “Rally the troops, I will find you once I have him. This ends now.”

  “Kiri!” Ronan shouted. Helena’s narrowed eyes did not faze the warrior who only said, “Bring him back to us.”

  With a nod, Helena climbed onto Starshine’s back. She pressed her heels into the Talyrian and without so much as a backward glance, they took off toward the sky and the man that meant more to her than breathing.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Helena stood at the edge of the forest, staring out at the twinkling white land that was sprawled out before her. The massive black structure was half-hidden in the snow-covered mountains and seemed to have been carved out of the rock that surrounded it. Its many twisting spires were reaching up through the mist and into the inky sky.

  It had taken the rest of the day and most of the night to reach the castle. Above her, the sky was just beginning to fade from black to a deep navy. The sun had yet to make an appearance over the horizon but stars had already begun to slowly wink out. A few of the stalwart sentinels remained, ready to stand witness to the battle to come.

  “It’s not very welcoming is it?” Helena asked.

  Beside her, Starshine let out a huff of agreement, her breath turning to curling wisps of steam in the frigid air.

  Despite the large number of windows, not a single light was ablaze in any of them. “If I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t even believe there were people in there,” Helena mused aloud, more from an effort to avoid thinking about what lay ahead, rather than any need to voice the thought.

  The cold was overwhelming and her cloak did little to stave off the chill. Helena called some Fire to her, using it to warm both the garment and herself.

  “I suppose this is where you leave me,” Helena said once she was warm, turning to fully face the Talyrian queen.

  Starshine’s ears flattened, a clear indication of her disapproval.

  “I’m sorry, beautiful,
but I can’t pretend to be Micha with you following me around. It’s going to be hard enough to pull this off as it is.”

  Starshine huffed again, her annoyance unmistakable. The large feline sat back on her haunches and pulled her wings tightly into her body, refusing to leave. Helena sighed and rolled her eyes but did not force the issue. It would have been a waste of words. Instead, she chose to use the time wisely and begin her transformation into Micha. Unsure of any official way to do so, she simply let her instinct act as a guide.

  Helena closed her eyes and called forth an image of Micha as she had last seen him: mussed russet hair framing a pale and slightly freckled face, mossy green eyes and long lashes that went blonde at the tips, and rumpled but well-made clothes that hung off of a tall and lean frame. Once the image was clear in her mind, she willed her body to duplicate it, taking the time to carefully focus on the specific features and characteristics that made up the man.

  At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then she could start to feel her bones and muscles lengthen and stretch. Looking down, she noticed that her curves had disappeared, although there was a new bulge that had her blushing and quickly averting her gaze. It may technically be her body, but there was something that didn’t feel right about showing too much interest in that particular detail. Lifting a hand, Helena noted that her fingers were no longer slender with oval-shaped nails in desperate need of filing. Rather, she had the thick blunted fingers of a man.

  “Weird,” Helena murmured, startled to hear the deeper timbre of her voice. With a small chuckle and a shake of her head, Helena made to move back to Starshine. Before she could take her first step toward the Talyrian, Starshine let out a long, threatening growl that forced her to take a few stumbling steps back instead.

  “Starshine it’s me. It’s me, girl,” she said holding up her hands.