Ash (The Underground Series Book 2)

by Melody Robinette

  “Well, it’s not forbidden, but elves don’t like to talk about it much. I personally don’t see the big deal about talking about it. In fact, I think they should talk about it. Ignoring it or pretending it isn’t a desire can be harmful. Most of them see sex as a very serious act, which it is. It binds two elves to one another in a way no rose ever could. That’s why it’s so serious. But not talking about it can lead to uninformed young elves who are either terrified of it or don’t fully understand, not just the physical, but the emotional consequences of such an act.”

  “So, do you have to be in love to…do that here?”

  “Of course not, but why would you want to make love with someone you don’t care anything about?”

  “I don’t know. Outsiders do it all of the time.”

  Eden frowned. “Yes, well, Outsiders are all about what is easiest and seeking immediate satisfaction. Sex without commitment is easier for them because they don’t have to work at anything. They simply get the pleasure and none of the responsibility, though, they miss out on the best part—feeling completely connected to another being.”

  “So, is there a difference between love and true love?”

  Eden smiled wistfully. “There is.”

  “What is it?” Autumn asked, listening intently.

  “You can love anyone. I love Willow and Jack and all of my fellow Tetras, even Candi.” Eden chuckled. “Well, sometimes. Your true love is someone who you can’t live without. Someone who makes you feel like the best version of yourself, who you would do anything for, even if it meant you being unhappy. Someone you know is near, not because you can see them, but because you can feel them within your core, like your souls are linked somehow.” Autumn looked over at her in wonder. “And by the look in your eyes, I’m thinking you’ve already found yours.”

  Awkward Questions

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The Warriors left the clear waters of the Shining Sea, heading in the direction of their next destination—Blood Valley. Autumn would’ve been lying if she said she wasn’t nervous about coming face to face with actual bloodsucking creatures. Avery assured her that they only drank human blood. That was why one of the portals to get into the Outside World was placed there, for quick access. This didn’t completely settle her nerves, though, because half of her blood was human.

  The pegasi traveled farther away from the waters of the Shining Sea and over gradually rockier terrain. Mountains jutted up in the distance, piercing the sky like daggers. As the sun began to set, hiding behind the mountains ahead, Lucian led the pegasi lower into the rocky land, scanning the ground, clearly in search of something. Seeming to have located whatever he was looking for, he led them even lower until they landed on the hard ground.

  Glancing over to her right, Autumn spotted a twenty foot high and equally wide cave towering ominously over them, like an open-mouthed monster waiting for an unsuspecting someone to enter and become its next meal.

  “We camp here tonight,” Lucian stated, climbing down from his pegasus and leading her to a spot near the entrance to the cave. There were several places with long, brown grass sticking out of a crevice in the rock. The pegasi ambled towards them and commenced ripping the grass off in chunks.

  Lucian started un-strapping a pack from his pegasus.

  “Where are you taking those?” Forrest asked uncertainly.

  “Into the cave,” Lucian said.

  “Yeah…I was afraid you were going to say that.”

  “How are we going to see anything in there?” Autumn asked.

  Lucian pulled out a glass jar full of pulsating light. “Fay light. Then we’ll start a fire once we’ve found a place to camp.”

  He passed a few more jars of fay light around. The rest of the Warriors released their packs from their pegasus as well, along with the cots and food supplies. Avery carried most of them, along with a bundle of wood that they had brought from the forest near the Shining Sea to build a fire.

  “Sometimes I wish my Power was Strength,” Luke muttered with a hint of envy. “It’s so impressive.” He then glanced over at Crystal and Edric with the shadow of a frown on his face.

  “Wanting to impress someone?” Autumn asked, smiling slyly. Luke rolled his eyes and picked up his pace so that he was no longer walking beside her.

  The fourteen of them slowly made their way into the cave. The fay light was bright enough for them to see where they were going, but not much more than that. As they traveled deeper, the light was thrown over various stalagmites and stalactites throughout the cave, making Autumn feel even more like she was in the mouth of some sort of rock monster with sharp, jagged teeth. The air had grown colder and the walls appeared damp, though there was no obvious source of water in sight.

  Images of Vyra’s rocky lair flashed through Autumn’s mind as her eyes scanned the gloomy cave. She could still see the cracks in the floor, the iron bars covering a single, miniscule window, the look on Vyra’s face when she told Autumn that she was planning to kill her and Luke. Those violet eyes. Autumn shuddered involuntarily, shaking her head clear of these thoughts.

  Jastin located an open room in the cave that would easily fit all fourteen of them. As they split up and began laying out the cots, building a fire, and preparing the food supplies, Autumn caught Avery watching her a few times with the same contemplative expression. She shot him a quizzical look, but he just looked away. What was with him?

  After eating vegetables, bread, and the last of their meat, one by one, people broke off into groups, taking fay light with them. Edric and Crystal traveled out of the cave to check on the pegasi, and probably for other reasons as well. Autumn wasn’t sure where everyone else went because her eyes focused on Avery, who was watching her from across the fire.

  They stood in unison, moving towards each other. He took her hand in his own and held a jar of fay light in the other as the traveled deeper into the cave. They walked in silence, leaving the comforting warmth of the crackling fire behind.

  Avery stopped suddenly, setting the fay light on a flat rock jutting out from the cave wall, before turning to face her. Autumn looked demurely up at him, her lips parting slightly. He took her face in his hands and pulled her to him, kissing her hungrily, deeply. He gently guided her, never breaking the kiss, so that she was pressed up against the cave wall.

  His hands trailed down her body, running over places that he’d never touched before. She could feel him trembling, or maybe it was her body that was shaking. Maybe both. He pulled away from her, breathing heavily, leaving her gasping.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I had to stop,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “Things were going too far.”

  “Who’s to say what’s too far, Avery?” Autumn said, folding her arms across her chest, where Avery’s hands had lingered not moments ago.

  “This isn’t the Outside, Autumn. We do things differently here. It’s just common belief.”

  “What is common belief exactly?”

  “That elves don’t do those things unless—”

  “Unless they’re in love,” Autumn said pointedly. “Maybe I’m mistaken, but I could have sworn that we loved each other, or was it just me?”

  “No! You know I love you, Autumn, more than anything. You know that.”

  “Then what is it? Are you afraid?”

  “Yes.”

  Autumn paused, taken aback. “You are?” It was difficult to imagine the beautiful, strong being in front of her could be so vulnerable.

  Avery’s steel gray eyes burned into hers. “Hell yes I’m afraid. Not of actually doing it, but of what it might bring. What I have with you is more than I could have ever dreamt of or hoped for. You’re the reason I fight so damn hard every day to be as good a man as I can be because you deserve the absolute best. I’ve heard how some of these guys talk about girls, like they’re objects, like they’re something they deserve, something they own. And I used to be just like them…until you came here.
”

  Autumn listened without moving, without breathing, while she wondered what good deed she must’ve done to deserve such a man. He approached her slowly, taking both of her hands in his and stroking them softly.

  “I know it would be amazing. More than that even. But I’ve heard stories about elves who jumped into a physical relationship too quickly and it ruined everything. I don’t—” He paused, seeming unable to continue for a moment. “I don’t want to lose you,” he said finally, barely louder than a whisper.

  His head tilted down and he wore a tortured expression, one Autumn hadn’t seen in a while. She let go of his hands and lifted his chin so that he was looking at her.

  “You aren’t going to lose me. Ever. Okay? I’m not going anywhere, no matter what. I promise,” she said, looking directly into his stormy eyes. His furrowed brow slowly relaxed. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and she stood on tiptoes, her arms encircling his neck. He buried his face in her shoulder and she pressed her own into his chest.

  They held each other like this until Autumn could no longer stand on her tiptoes. Leaning back, she flashed him a small smile. He gazed intently into her eyes with a serious look etched into his features. A giggle escaped from her mouth.

  “What?”

  “You’re cute.” Autumn laughed.

  “Cute? Why am I cute?”

  “You just are,” she said as they began walking back towards the camp.

  “Cute isn’t a very manly word. How about devastatingly handsome or ridiculously irresistible?”

  “You’re those too.”

  “Thanks,” he said, puffing out his chest.

  “But you’re still cute.”

  The journey back through the dark cave felt longer somehow. Autumn hadn’t realized how far they’d walked and wondered how long they’d been gone. Hopefully no one was worried.

  As they were about to round a corner Autumn and Avery heard muffled noises coming from up ahead. It sounded very suspiciously like kissing.

  “Hear that?” Autumn whispered.

  “Bet you five bronze leaves it’s Luke and Ember.”

  “Watch this,” Autumn said and motioned for him to stay back with the fay light. She tiptoed forward, waiting a moment, before jumping around the corner as she yelled, “Boo!” And then Autumn gasped as a high-pitched scream simultaneously resonated around the cave.

  One of the kissers was undeniably Luke, but the other was definitely not Ember.

  Autumn was so stunned she could barely get out the name. “Kyndel?”

  Blood Valley

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Luke and Kyndel stared at Autumn with wide eyes, still entwined in each other’s arms before Kyndel stepped back and folded hers across her chest.

  “Can we help you?”

  Autumn’s mouth was hanging too far open for her to answer. Avery moved around the corner, paused, and then burst out laughing. Kyndel blushed. Luke looked like he wanted to laugh too, but didn’t.

  “Well, er, we will just leave you two to…whatever it was you were doing,” Avery said, pulling Autumn after him, back down the tunnel of the cave.

  Luke and Kyndel watched with unreadable expressions as Avery and Autumn disappeared into the shadows, Autumn staring over her shoulder at them with a dumbstruck expression.

  Avery laughed again, shaking his head in amusement. “Guess I owe you two and a half bronze leaves.”

  “Did I really just see my brother making out with Kyndel Butler?”

  “It would appear that you did.”

  “I’m so confused.”

  “Why?”

  “They hate each other!”

  “What’s the big deal?” Avery said. “You kissed Kyndel, didn’t you?”

  Autumn shot him a confused expression. “What are you talking about?”

  “At Charlotte’s sleepover, during that game you all were playing.”

  Autumn had completely forgotten about that. Only that hadn’t actually been her kissing Kyndel. That was also Luke. But there was no reason for Avery to know that. Ever. “Oh yeah,” she said. “I forgot. Guess I blocked it from my memory. But that’s different! That was because of a dare. I didn’t willingly kiss her.”

  Avery chuckled, clearly amused by Autumn’s distress. She shot him a glare and he stopped laughing, repressing a smile. They made it back to camp and joined the others who had already settled into their cots surrounding the small bonfire. Autumn kept her eyes on the dark corridor where Kyndel and Luke remained, probably too embarrassed to come out.

  A few minutes passed and Luke finally emerged from the passageway, avoiding his sister’s narrowed eyes. Kyndel, however, didn’t follow him. What was she going to do, sleep in there? Then Autumn heard Kyndel’s voice coming from somewhere behind her. She whipped around to see her talking to Charlotte. What the—? How did she—? Oh. Duh. Invisibility.

  Kyndel peeked over her shoulder at Autumn and a sly smile spread slowly across her face.

  Being in the center of a dark cave, the Warriors were not awoken by the sun the next morning so Autumn was actually able to get a full nine hours of sleep and woke feeling better than she had the whole quest. She expected the same was true for the others as well because everyone was laughing and talking as they strapped their packs back onto the pegasi.

  Luke and Kyndel seemed to be taking care to stay clear of each other, and of Autumn. Every so often she caught them shooting her furtive glances. Luke was unable to stay away from her for long because Lucian pulled them both aside to discuss their tactics with the vampires.

  “Okay, Oaken, this is a different game now,” he said. “The merpeople are going to look like petalsies compared to the rest of the magical creatures you’ll have to meet with. Now, I’m not saying vampires are stronger or more dangerous than us by any means. They think they’re of a higher caliber than the rest of the creatures in the Underground simply because they’re much more intelligent, which I hate to admit is mostly true. They spend the majority of their time researching and conducting experiments in their caves and don’t exactly get out much, which is why humans think vampires can’t be in sunlight because they’re so incredibly pale. Truth is, they choose not to.”

  Luke chuckled. “So, basically, vampires are a bunch of nerds.”

  “I suppose you could say that.”

  “How’re we supposed to convince them to listen to us if they think we’re ignorant, unintelligent elves?” Autumn said.

  “You’ll figure something out. You two seem to work best under pressure anyway.”

  “Uh, but what if they bite us?” Luke said.

  Lucian smirked. “Just don’t let them.”

  The pegasi took flight once again with Lucian in the lead. Autumn wracked her brain, trying to think of a way to get the vampires to listen to them. Hopefully revealing their Royal Marks would at least get them in to see their leader without being bitten to death, but Autumn had no idea what they should say after that or if the vampires would even take them seriously. Glancing over at Luke, Autumn saw that his face was set with a look of concentration. Maybe he had a better idea than her, or maybe he was thinking of his make-out session with Kyndel.

  Autumn looked ahead to see Kyndel glancing back at Luke and her. Autumn shot her a warning glare and Kyndel returned one of her own before turning back to face the front. Why the hell was she so interested in Luke all of a sudden? Was she trying to piss her off? If so, it was working exceptionally well.

  The land below them became gradually rockier and the mountains grew steeper. Autumn had never given much thought to vampires, but she wouldn’t have pictured them living in caves or mountains. Trolls, maybe, but not vampires. More like ominous castles like the ones she’d seen in Ireland.

  As they approached a wide valley, Lucian led the pegasi to the ground.

  “Don’t forget to offer their leader this,” he said, handing Autumn another white rose. “Good luck.”

  “I don’t think the other creatures care abou
t roses as much as elves do,” Luke muttered as Autumn placed her rose in a long pocket inside her vest meant for a fighting knife.

  “Here,” Avery said, holding out Autumn’s bow and quiver of arrows.

  “That’s okay. I don’t need them.”

  “Autumn, you need protection,” he said.

  “I have my Power,” she assured him, pushing the bow and arrows away.

  “But—”

  “If we go in there with weapons, then they will immediately be on the defensive. They already know that we have Powers and we will show them our marks right away so they know that we’re not here to attack them. We want them to trust us, and carrying weapons will just do the opposite.”

  Lucian nodded at Autumn with an impressed expression.

  Luke eyed the weapons longingly. “Maybe if we just bring—”

  “Oh, come on,” Autumn said, pulling her brother towards Blood Valley.

  The entrance was a towering arch made up entirely of rock. The twins passed into Blood Valley with their shoulders back and heads held high, pretending they weren’t scared to death of the fanged creatures they were about to confront. An eerie silence rested over the valley and a thin layer of fog rolled lazily over the ground, swirling around their boots. Several caves lined the valley, but there was one in the distance with a mouth as large as the archway behind them. Autumn assumed this was where they would find the leader of the vampires.

  “It looks completely deserted,” Luke said.

  “Well, Lucian did say that they don’t come outside much.”

  “He wasn’t kidding.”

  “You’d think that they’d live in actual buildings since they’re so intellectually advanced,” Autumn said.

  “Well, bats live in caves.” Luke’s eyes widened as if he’d just figured something out. “Maybe they are bats like the stories say.”

  Autumn snorted. “I doubt that.” But then her imagination picked up the idea and flew away with it, picturing a bunch of fanged-toothed, giant bats picking them up and carrying them away to feed their young. A shudder ran through her.