Ashes (The Divided Kingdom)

by Sophie H. Morgan

  His smile was feral. “I kill.”

  Serge’s smile faded, lips quivering. “Yes, yes, I talk for free. You and me, we buddies!”

  Cade took a step closer, the jackal clawing bloody grooves as it fought to get to Alana. “Talk,” he repeated, softer.

  Serge’s head bobbed. “The Hoods, they meeting rat tonight. East quadrant, warehouse fifteen. They be there.” His smile was hopeful. “You see, I got good information, yes?”

  Sparing him a glance, Cade thrust a hand into his pocket and tossed a few coins at the merchant.

  A tail wound around his neck before he could draw his sword.

  Serge’s eyes glittered. “Who the big man now?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “You gotta tell me, Ana. What was he like?”

  Ana sighed inwardly, slinging her temporary bow over her shoulder. The lines didn’t fit naturally, made for someone taller. She shifted it upward, playing the innocent. “Who?”

  She and Sapphy were standing in the lounging area, both next to the weapons wall. While Ana fiddled with the unnatural bow, Sapphy was trying out swords, swinging them to and fro, listening to the songs they made as they sliced through the air. The fae claimed, due to her affinity, she could actually commune with the wind.

  Sapphy made a duh face. “Gee, who do you think?” She nudged Ana with her elbow. “Is he as fierce as people say?”

  “Seemed harmless enough to me.”

  “He didn’t get rough with you?”

  Ana let her shoulders drift up and down nonchalantly. “Guess rumors are just that.”

  “Hmm.” The greatsword Sapphy selected next held a husky accusation when it swung. “You’re not telling me something.”

  “What would I not tell you?” Fire purred beneath Ana’s skin as she forced an innocent mask over her face.

  Sapphy flicked her braid over her shoulder. Her natural blue was already beginning to glimmer against the dye the fae had applied a week ago. The sweet points of her ears peered through. “I dunno. But there’s more to this than you and Trick’re saying.”

  Ana bent to retrieve a quiver of arrows she’d loaded earlier. No fooling. There was a truckload of things Trick wasn’t saying, and Ana wasn’t about to share either.

  What could she say—that Shade had turned out to be the one man she could never and had never resisted? That he’d maneuvered through her many defenses with skill a minotaur would envy? That, had she stayed even one more night, she might have thrown it all away for the glory of being a woman in his arms.

  Ana squeezed her eyes shut, as if she could squeeze out the memories. It was done. Cade wasn’t any good for her mind or her heart.

  He wouldn’t let things lie. He had to push her, always had. He hadn’t been content that she wouldn’t return to the High Lands. After her parents’ deaths, she hadn’t been brave enough to face the judgment of the Houses. She was sure, given the choice, her parents would’ve wished her anywhere but their opal throne. They’d voiced their concerns and disappointment in her often enough.

  And there was the Liberty thing. He had to challenge her as to why he should, why she should, follow a leader who existed out of sight. One that he still suspected of having a personal agenda. Of killing innocents.

  If he knew who that leader was, he’d despise her.

  Chilled despite the spark of fire that coiled around in comforting circles, Ana drew her bottom lip through her teeth. Sapphy was still waiting, eyebrows higher than her expectations.

  Ana relented. “He’s known for his stance on justice kills. He just needed to be…convinced I was right.”

  Sapphy made an aha sound. “With your body?”

  “Sapphy.”

  “C’mon, like you’re shocked. No bruises, no PTSD, no curses on his name. In fact you almost seem to have fond memories of your time with the justice assassin. Can you blame me for taking a detour into the gutter?”

  “You want gutter, look out the window,” Ana advised. She swallowed the smile, amused despite her choppy stomach. She swung the quiver onto her back and buckled the deerskin belt that ran across her body. “You need to get laid.”

  “I’ve been telling her that for years.” Vander’s contribution, from his position on the couch. He’d been polishing his greatsword, ignoring the two as he lovingly wiped a cloth over the extended length of metal. A metaphor if ever Ana had seen one.

  Sapphy ignored him. “Seriously, Ana. You okay?”

  As the other woman in the gang, Ana knew what she was asking. “I’m good, Saph. Really.”

  The fae’s lips curved as Trick walked in, accompanied by a visibly excited Joel.

  The gang had already had their reunion, such as it was, when Trick had announced her return thirty minutes ago. Ana hadn’t known if she was pleased or embarrassed as each one of them had and squeezed the flames out of her in great bear hugs.

  Tendrils of warmth had crept in despite her blustering, solidifying in the familiar shape of home. Her family.

  She ran her tongue over her teeth, hands itching with the need for action. Flames began to fan inside her, uncurling in a lazy stretch. “Everything set, Joel?”

  The human’s head swiveled, absorbing everything as he danced from foot to foot like a kid on Christmas morning. He wore all black, same as the Hoods, and had yanked his straggly hair into a limp tail. His hands flapped by his sides. “Is she here?” he breathed, voice almost a whisper. “Is Liberty here?”

  She had to choke down a smile at the lad’s excitement. Although Joel was trusted, only the Hoods knew Liberty’s real identity. Because of the meet, the human clearly expected tonight was the night to meet his idol. She hated to disillusion him, because his cute baby face was going to fall like the stock market after the States had divided.

  “She’s not going,” Ana told him. Still, no use sugar-coating it. She began a series of flow stretches, coaxing blood through stiff muscles.

  She’d been right about his face. His mouth rounded in a wide O of disappointment. His hands stilled before slipping into his pants pockets. “But the rat wants to meet her.” Edgy lines appeared. “He might back out if you speak for her.”

  “Don’t worry.” Trick flashed a vicious grin, dangerous in black-on-black. His eyes narrowed to glittering slits. “He’s not going anywhere.”

  Joel was still crestfallen when Faer strode in. His horns were rocking metallic armor this time, granting him a gothic edge. He nodded at Joel in greeting before turning to Trick. “We good to go?”

  “Joel?”

  At Trick’s prompt, the human scuffed the toe of his boot before glancing up. He visibly shook off the disappointment. “He’s waiting in warehouse fifteen. According to street sources, he’s on the level.”

  “Did you ask Mikhel?” Vander piped up.

  Joel shook his head in a negative. “I couldn’t find him.”

  “Strange,” Ana put in, fingers idly stroking her bow. Her mouth turned down, perplexed. “Mikhel took my message from Adelaide easily enough.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Trick interrupted, sending her a look that all but zipped her lips shut for her. “We don’t have time, and besides, we can always deal with Mikhel for information on the new rat if it amounts to anything.” He clasped his hands behind his back. He touched on each of them as they formed a rough circle. “This could be important. Joel says this rat is highly placed. He might hold the key that leads to Edward’s demise.”

  Ana stepped up. “Right, we all know our parts.” She speared two fingers at Faer and Vander. “You two watch our asses in case this is a setup. I’d like mine to stay right where it is.” She raised her eyebrows at Sapphy and Joel, including Trick in her sweep. “As for us, let’s go catch a rat.”

  When her gaze passed over Joel, his head turned away, still sulking. Ana glanced at the others in amusement.

&nbs
p; Sapphy shrugged her opinion. “Humans.”

  “They make good food.” Faer leered, baring his fangs at Joel.

  “Demon horns make good earrings,” Joel retorted, bringing up his flash-gun—his weapon of choice. “You wanna go a round, Faer?”

  Faer’s eyes glowed. “You and me, human. After the meet goes down.” He rubbed his hands together in glee. “Ooo, boy. I’ll be havin’ fried human tonight!”

  To his credit, Joel didn’t blanch.

  Cade would have fit right in.

  Sapphy dashed back to where Ana, Trick and Joel were crouched by a half-built brick wall outside the building nicknamed warehouse fifteen. The landscape was dismal, being in one of the unpopulated areas of the Maze. It’d never recovered from the dozens of air raids during the Kingdom Wars, peppered with potholes and wrecked buildings with bricks spilling out like guts. It was silent but for the hushed breeze that coaxed the dirt sweeping the concrete floor to swirl and sway.

  “One unknown,” Sapphy confirmed, braid swinging as she bent at the waist to get her breath. She nodded at Joel as he passed over her sword. “Couldn’t see any others, so he’s come alone, or his backup should be mercs. The air is quiet,” she added, referring to her ability to eavesdrop through the use of wind.

  Trick nodded. “Excellent.”

  Ana glanced at the runner with them. “Will he be more trusting if you come with?” She’d already been over the sketchy intel about the human they were about to meet. He’d worked in the palace library, according to Joel, and had approached when he’d learned of Joel’s association with the Hoods. Ana hoped he was on the level; a promising lead who actually tried to kill them was more common than an incubus with a hard-on.

  Joel’s bony frame shifted from foot to foot. His clothes rustled in a breeze that wafted the scent of gutter to Ana’s nose. “He’ll know who you are.” A tiny smile played on his lips. “You and Trick are pretty recognizable.”

  Sapphy snorted a laugh.

  Ana tipped her head toward Trick, fire building in beautiful, shimmering waves. “We ready to end this?”

  “Lead on, Macduff.”

  They were a silent group as they left the shelter of the crumbled wall, navigating by the moonlight that straggled through the clouds. Sapphy had already scouted them a rear entrance through one of the stained-glass windows that had once depicted the human god. Only jagged edges of colorful glass remained, wide enough jaws that a phoenix, a vampire and a fae could squeeze through. Joel had already agreed to watch with Vander and Faer from the front for any backup that tried to sneak in. The three were invisible to Ana as they kept back, out of sight.

  Trick focused on the window when they halted two feet from the old warehouse. Without any ado, he bent his knees and launched himself upward two stories, grabbing on to the rusted fire ladder that protruded from the wall. He swung himself in with a natural slickness Ana envied, herself having had to train for years to be half as fluid. Sapphy followed, using gaps in the brick for holds as she crawled up the building. The breeze thickened to cushion Sapphy’s ascent as she hauled herself in through the window. Useful to have control over air, though the fae had often complained of her inability to fly. Apparently, while she could manipulate the air particles around her to an extent, it would take years of training by Elder Elementals to master flight. At just twenty-four, Sapphy was a mere tot. Ana exhaled a sharp breath and echoed Sapphy’s actions. She propelled herself upward, a shadow following the fae’s path, slipping through the jaws of the window to land on the other side with a quiet swish.

  She squinted when she landed, trying to scan the gloom that fogged the warehouse’s interior. Parts were spotlighted by the moonlight filtering in through windows mottled with grime. Others were spots of dark nothing.

  The unknown informant stood in a pool of light to the right of the entrance. He was tall and lanky, clothed in simple white material that shone like silver. Mousy hair was shaven to his head, a sharp jawline being the only other detail Ana could make out.

  A familiar buzz began in her fingertips, the thrill of danger skating down her spine to heighten her senses. Red and gold flickered underneath her skin, humming.

  She stepped forward, boots echoing within the large empty space. “You spoke to our runner?”

  Her voice carried, rebounding off the walls. The rat jerked and spun, trying to locate her.

  Sapphy had melted off to the side, while Trick waited behind. Her guardian.

  “Liberty?” the rat asked, voice strong despite the jitters. He took a single step forward, hands balling by his sides.

  “No. I speak for her.”

  “I want to speak to Liberty.”

  “Not yet.” Ana’s tone was pitying. “She doesn’t speak to common rats.”

  “She will if she wants to hear what I have.”

  “And what’s that?”

  His tone was sly, nettling her. “A way to stop the high ruler. Once and for all.”

  A pulse of heat crackled down Ana’s spine, warning her.

  Wary of coincidence, she kept her voice neutral. Her fingers brushed the dagger at her thigh. “I’m her second. You can tell me.”

  “I want money.”

  “You’ll get it if your intel’s worth it.”

  “Coin upfront.”

  “Careful,” Ana warned on a flat note. “We bite.”

  Trick was a blur as he darted behind the rat. His smile was wide and full of fangs. The unknown gaped. “What the…?”

  Impatient, Ana shifted. “Well?”

  “I-I-I…” His eyes bulged at the sight of Trick’s fangs.

  “Come the fuck on, man. Tell us.”

  “There’s something,” the man managed, feet backpedalling. His hands held out as though to ward Trick off, he stepped into the darkness. “Something we want.”

  We?

  Sickening suspicion cramped Ana’s gut. “What?”

  The man held his hands directly up. “For you to die, rebel scum.”

  The boarded-over skylight burst open in an explosion of creaking wood and tinkling glass. A wire fell into the rat’s hands, launching him into the air and out of range of the furious vampire who leaped for him.

  A dozen palace guards, both human and flame demon, spilled from the front entrance, all yelling, several setting discarded boxes on fire in eager aggression. The Hoods’ surrender was demanded by multiple booming voices. Swords and maces glinted in the firelight, along with flash-guns wielded by humans, as the guards attempted to pin Trick in place. Snatches of curses and gunfire blazed the previous silence to so much ash.

  “Shit.” Ana flipped backward when one of the human guards turned his flash-gun on her. The laser bolt barely missed, slamming against the wall behind. Ugly smears blackened the previously gray wall. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  Trick fought two demons at once, silent and elegant death as he flipped his blades into their chests, backs, necks. Yellow blood decorated his face, pooling on the floor while guards crashed like great oaks around him.

  Sapphy was a whirlwind of motion, greatsword glinting in the shimmering firelight. Every guard she struck stumbled before she hit, compelled by air to fall. Her braid slapped her in the face when she went down on one knee to stab a demon in the heart.

  Ana focused on herself, slipping off her borrowed bow as another guard approached, his hand lit with dazzling brilliance. Fire circled the flesh in a perfect sphere. Ana’s mouth quirked. Clasping her bow with one hand, she held out the other and sucked the fire from his hand into hers, until a shimmering golden ball flickered in her palm. It extinguished with a wisp of curling smoke.

  The demon stared at her. “What in the seven territories…?”

  Ana felt for an arrow from her quiver, nocking it, and aiming in seconds. She pressed her lips into an almost-apologetic smile. “Phoenix.”

 
She let the arrow fly. It hit the demon’s carotid artery, rivulets of blood spraying from his neck like a geyser. As he crumpled, Sapphy’s shriek caught Ana’s ear, and she whirled to watch the fae fly backward from a flash-gun bolt in the shoulder. Sapphy whacked against the concrete wall. Her body slumped, head lolling to one side. A curl of smoke leisurely trailed from the cauterized hole in her shoulder.

  With a yell, Ana pounded toward her, nocking three arrows. She let them fly, counting as first one, then two, then all three nailed demons in the eyes. Their claws scrabbled at their faces, bodies jerking and writhing in agony.

  She moved on, patting her quiver for arrows when more guards approached.

  “Damn it.” She hissed through her teeth as her hand met air. Flames darted beneath her skin, hotter than ever since absorbing the demon’s fire. She slung the bow over her like a sash, keeping focus.

  Withdrawing her dagger, she concentrated her fury on the silver blade and set it alight. The demon nearest her grunted, eyes bright with interest as they lingered on the blue-tipped flames.

  “Fire,” he said in bewilderment, moments before the tip speared his front-heart. He roared, rocking in place, broad arms windmilling. Ana avoided his meaty fist, plunging down and sliding between his parted legs to bound up the other side. She stabbed the back-heart, the blade slick with blood when she yanked it out.

  He tumbled to the floor.

  Ana was already charging, cutting and slashing into demon flesh until their blood clung to her hands and face in hot, sticky droplets.

  Ana rubbed an arm across her face, skin coming away vividly yellow with demon blood. Around her, fire gleamed and blades slashed as more guards rushed in from the outside. The popping sound of flash-guns reverberated around the warehouse, adding to the din. There were too many of them. If Vander and Faer didn’t show up soon, their asses were cooked better than a chef’s goose. All she could do was guard Sapphy’s unconscious body until the cavalry showed. Whenever the hell that would be.

  The heady scent of blood steamed in the air.

  She threw a look over her shoulder, panicked as she searched for Trick. “Come on, vampire.” She stabbed the last guard near her, ignoring his death groan.