Ashes (The Firebird Trilogy Book 1)

by Stephanie Harbon

  “What? How-” I began. Then I heard the footsteps drawing closer and asked hysterically “Do we run?”

  He deliberated. “Nah,” he shrugged eventually “I’m bored of this game now; if they want me they can come and get me.”

  “What about me?” I asked, petrified.

  He looked me over, “You? They wouldn’t want you; I’ve seen the girls these guys get. Obviously I saw a little too much; but you get my point.”

  “I meant what am I supposed to do?” I glared maliciously then added as an afterthought “Did you just say I’m unattractive?”

  “Typical female behaviour,” he noted with analysing, quizzical eyes. “We’re about to encounter some very stroppy men who spend far too much time examining the wrong types of joints, and all you are bothered about is whether the handsome stranger thinks you’re attractive or not.”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a complete arsehole?” I asked.

  “That’s your comeback?” Kieran said, appalled. “Seriously?”

  “Why don’t you just…” I began, but my words fizzled out as the running footsteps stopped and silence fell.

  As I waited I glimpsed the deadly details of the forest. It was a whole different place now, a darker more sinister environment. The sharp fingers of branches grew out crookedly to catch and claw at me. Leaves in the canopy above held precariously balanced raindrops that would inevitably fall, coating the surfaces with a slippery trap. A sense of impending doom clouded my mind. The shadows seemed to be multiplying and expanding, draining the last few spots of surviving colour. My flesh chilled, my heart thumped.

  The sound of a twig snapping pierced my eardrums and my neck twisted towards the source. My eyes widened as I saw the three men from earlier, accompanied by several more; I counted eight altogether. I cringed.

  The quiet was broken by Kieran, stepping forwards and announcing loudly, “Look Baldy,” he held up his hands, palms forwards like he was stopping traffic. “I know your wife has probably bragged about how good I am in bed and you’re probably here for a taste, but you’re just not my type. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s over, Angel,” snarled a man with eyes so light blue they looked unnervingly white.

  “Would you stop calling me Angel,” Kieran sighed, “I’ve told you before; my preferred pet name is sweetheart.” He smiled innocently, explaining to me in a conversational tone, “That’s what Mummy calls me.”

  “There are eight of us, one of you.” continued the white-blue eyed man.

  “Great,” Kieran replied, “Now turn around, fetch twelve more people, then maybe I’ll consider this as a challenge.”

  Why wasn’t he afraid? These men were obviously dangerous, they blatantly wanted him hurt, or worse, and he was mocking them? What did he know?

  The man with tattoos and a shaven head stepped forwards, his eyes were lost in pupils and his face was dirty. Rage pulsated in my veins at the sight of him, anger thrashing inside me like an eagle trapped inside a cage; unleashing an awesome stream of power. In a scary, mad way, I liked it. I felt confident and powerful, my former terror crystallising into infuriation.

  “You,” I screamed suddenly, emotion overwhelming me. I wanted to rip this man to pieces. I moved forwards yelling, “You killed my dog! Who gave you the right to…” but I was stopped mid-sentence by Kieran pinching me.

  “Ouch,” I glowered at him.

  The tattooed man smiled a truly murderous smile, “I see you’re not so afraid now are you, little girl, now you have the Angel backing you.”

  “For the millionth time I’m not a bloody Angel!” Kieran threw up his hands in exasperation, “My wings are black, I have a dick–ask your wife, she’ll tell you,” he added to the tattooed man, “And trust me I’m the last person here who’d be able to get into Heaven; including the knicker-sniffer over there.”

  I stared at him; dumbfounded. My wings are black? What?

  “So now you admit it?” demanded the tattooed man.

  Kieran smiled. “Admit what?” he enquired innocently.

  The man glared, “That you have wings?”

  Kieran shrugged, “I never disputed that.”

  “Show us them now!” He yelled, I could see the fury pumping in the artery on his forehead, exaggerated by Kieran’s untouchable mocking demeanour.

  “No wonder your wife was so unsatisfied, I can’t imagine anyone being turned on by such displays of aggression.” Kieran noted, looking at the man as if he were something he found on the bottom of his shoe.

  “Enough,” screamed the tattooed man, purposefully looking back to his friends and nodding, “If you don’t want to co-operate, we’ll make you.”

  “Oooh, scary!” Kieran winked, “Look at me; I’m shaking with fear.”

  Suddenly I felt hands grab at me. My heart lurched as I was thrown backwards against someone’s strong body. I sucked in a sharp breath as something cold and metallic pressed against my forehead for the second time today. Glancing up frantically, a man towered over me. I couldn’t see his face properly but I noticed unkempt stubble and the faint stench of urine.

  Damn-it, there had been nine men.

  “You might not be scared,” commented the tattooed man to Kieran, “But she certainly is. You either do as I say or she dies.”

  “What makes you think I care if she dies?” Kieran wondered curiously. “I barely know this girl. What’s your name again?” he asked me.

  I swallowed nervously, “Ruby.”

  “Ah yes,” he remembered, “Ruby. The name matches the hair.”

  “Enough!” screamed the man, “Tell us what you are or the girl dies.”

  Kieran smiled a smile so small it was barely noticeable, “If you don’t let her go within five seconds I will kill each and every one of you.”

  From then on there was this silence. It was an intense silence, filled with a contrasting mixture of uncertainty, fear and confidence. The smell of oil and metal wafted into my nostrils, intensifying my terror. A new bead of sweat formulated on my skin with every beat of my racing heart. In those five seconds nobody moved, I doubted anyone even breathed.

  And then time was up and it all happened very quickly.

  Kieran reached underneath his shirt in a flash, retrieving something that gleamed in the moonlight like rain on pavements. My brain barely had time to register that the object was a small, immaculately sharpened knife, before it catapulted towards me. I closed my eyes instantly, hearing the dull thud as the knife penetrated flesh. My eyes darted open as the grip on my body severed and a scream pierced the night. I turned my head just in time to see the gun go flying towards a tree. The hand it had been previously clutched in had been thrown back; a reaction to the knife embedded in its wrist.

  I heard one word then, it came from Kieran. It was run.

  Hey, I didn’t need to be told twice. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, darting between the trees and jumping over slippery surfaces. I could hear gunshots behind me, the shrill sounds of agony and clashing metal. I ignored it all, I just ran, each fearful step like a ticking bomb. Unfortunately I wasn’t the quickest or most agile sprinter and those footsteps soon caught up with me. Someone hurtled into me like a brick wall, sending me flying to the ground. I landed hard, my arm awkwardly twisted underneath me, the joints popping in protest. I struggled from under the heavy mass, my face pressed into the mud, but someone caught my ankle.

  Clawing fingernails raked down my skin like chalk on a blackboard, creating upraised lines of colour. I kicked out automatically, my foot slamming into a man’s teeth. This victory was short-lived as another man was already grasping my shoulder, pulling hard. I cried out unwillingly, stumbling to my feet. I knew I had no weapon, but the man who’d yanked me up had a knife as cold and grey as his eyes.

  He lunged at me, raising the knife high; it glittered with threat. I darted out of the way just in the nick of time, unfortunately landing myself in the path of the man I’d just kicked. His arms stretched out, cl
utching my legs, making my balance waver precariously. I struggled to remain upright, but the man pushed my knees and I toppled over. Pain lanced up my arms as I landed on my hands, rocks slicing deep into the soft flesh of my palms.

  I just managed to roll onto my back as the man with the knife brought the shining device down towards me. I screamed, seeing the knife coming, then screamed again as another whistled through the air and landed in the man’s back. The knife fell from his grasp as he screeched and collapsed backwards, but I just managed to roll out of the way before it landed on me.

  “Still alive, Ruby?” Kieran called from a distance. Another gun shot.

  Before I could react to this, the first man had already stood. He moved unnervingly fast, roughly planting his foot into my ribcage. The wind blew from me and I just caught a glimpse of Kieran racing towards me, followed immediately by four other men holding weapons.

  Then as I observed, dazed and incomprehensive, I saw something that would remain imprinted onto my soul for the rest of my life.

  “Okay,” Kieran stopped suddenly, his back to me and the man who was pinning me down, “You want me to show you what I am?” he continued, spreading his arms questioningly, “Fine. It will be my pleasure.”

  He had this frighteningly wicked grin playing about his lips, this naughty gleam in his emerald eyes as he glanced back. He winked at me then turned, placing his arms above his head. From that moment me, the man pinning me down and all his fellow accomplices, couldn’t take our eyes off Kieran. I watched, absorbed and fascinated, as Kieran’s skin slowly began to fill with strange black patterns, like tattoos coiling up his arms. As I stared the pattern’s striking familiarity intensified so much that my eyes stung to embrace it. I closed them, seeing the marks imprinted onto my eyelids.

  I heard the sound of tearing material, then after a couple of seconds my eyes fluttered open as curiosity clouded my judgement. I gasped in astonishment at what I saw next. I fought against the painful intensity of the marks, just catching a glimpse as black wings shot out from Kieran’s shoulders. They were huge, and they wrapped around his body. I blinked reluctantly and when my eyes reopened Kieran had transformed.

  I screamed as I saw the terrifying creature before me. It was some sort of gigantic bird of prey, twice my height with an astonishing wingspan and deep black plumage that covered its entire body except the tips of its wings and sweeping tail feathers; which had seemingly been dipped in crushed emerald. My eyes latched onto the image of its sharp curled beak and dinosaur talons. And those eyes; those piercing, unforgettable emerald eyes.

  The sound that erupted from it was terrifying, like a deep shriek.

  Then it sprung, spreading those gloriously deadly wings and leaping at the men who were suddenly frozen in petrification. Suddenly the man pinning me down turned back to look at me in terror. Acting on impulse he reached out to gather up the knife the other man had dropped. As his weight lifted off me momentarily, I scrambled upright and backed away from him.

  I looked around frantically for a weapon but found none. The bird – Kieran? - was busy disembowelling the other men with sweeping lashes of his wings and claws, making a horrifying screeching noise as he did so. The man charged at me; instinctively I dodged to the side but he was faster and moved again. I slapped the flat side of the blade away with my palm before it struck my skin, but the man swung again. The first swing of the blade missed me by inches, the second didn’t. I felt a searing pain cut through me and I immediately clutched my stomach.

  When I removed my hand there was blood there.

  I turned and ran. I could tell the cut wasn’t too deep. I’d survive the wound, but the pain was slowing me down and before I had a chance to move more than several feet away I’d once again been tackled to the ground. I fell on my back with the man on top of me, his eyes glinting madly in the reflection of the blade. I had nowhere to move.

  I struggled, but his weight was overwhelming. He backed off slightly, sitting up, balling his free hand into a fist. The punch was as solid as steel and blood poured from my nose. The man smiled sadistically as I withered, trying desperately to get out of the way, then he brought his fist down onto my stomach.

  I heard snapping before I felt it, too stunned from the impact I suppose. Then I did feel it, and the agony cascaded onto me like boiling water.

  Then the knife came down too, and this time it cut deep.

  I screamed but that only made it worse because as my lungs expanded, my skin ripped further. I tried to scramble back in vain. Excruciating, that was the only word to describe the pain. I couldn’t move; the pain surrounded me, and he stabbed again, two inches down from the first bleeding wound. I could feel my body slipping away, losing consciousness as my mind was screaming.

  I soon sank underwater, plummeting deeper into unfathomable depth. I felt heated liquid trickling over my ruined body. I imagined a sandy peaceful beach stretching everlastingly to the horizon. My only company was the sea waves lapping perpetually across the undisturbed shore.

  But I wasn’t there yet. I was just in darkness; in a place between the worlds of life and death. It was a thin strip of land, no wider than a needle.

  I wanted to find that beach.

  Then I mentally shook myself, don’t give up! I screamed inwardly. I flung open my eyes, which had closed without permission, ignored the blurring vision and tried to struggle back.

  A sharp tug pulled at my stomach as I tried to move away. The blade was holding me securely; I was covered in blood as it began shredding me apart, scattering bits of my flesh across the grass.

  Suddenly I heard a loud whistling noise.

  A faint glint of hope flickered in my dying body. I watched distantly as a spear with a strange yellow glow illuminating from it darted just inches above my head. It was so fast and beautiful it reminded me of a shooting star.

  The spear continued its course and shot straight at the man who was still jabbing at me, piercing straight through his neck. He flew off me like a hurricane had struck. I heard a horrible crackling sound and agonised screams but they soon died down. I caught a glance at the sky.

  I glimpsed that beautiful, terrible creature and thought; you better save me, Kieran. Or I’m going to haunt you for the rest of your life.

  Then unconsciousness overwhelmed me.

  I was back between the worlds of life and death.

  Chapter Five

  I don’t think I’ll ever remember what happened in the next few hours after that. I was too far gone; too close to death to comprehend what occurred around me. My mind was trapped in strange revolving nightmares. But I did awake; eventually.

  My eyes struggled open. As they slowly adjusted an unexpected scene materialised before me. I awoke not in a hospital bed, nor on a sofa attempting to heal my broken body. No, instead my vision settled on the posh expensive interior of what must have been a very fast-and-furious car indeed. The scent of leather filled my nose with almost a nauseating strength and the sound of a rapidly accelerating engine drummed into my ears. I shut my eyes quickly, pretending to still be asleep as I thought over the situation. Okay, I’m in the back seat of a car. I don’t know who is driving and I have no idea where I am.

  In a flash, memories of the last time I was conscious crashed into my system. My heartbeat picked up speed, imitating the car’s noisy engine. What if I was in one of those drug dealers cars? Then that crucial memory came. Kieran. Kieran was a bird-monster. What if I was in his car? What did they want with me? I could feel the panic bubbling up through my chest. Then I suddenly thought; I had been stabbed several times when I was last conscious, why wasn’t I in pain?

  Very slowly I pulled my fingers over my stomach, squinting through my eyelashes to see. I could just make out that the shirt I was wearing had been intermittently shredded; frayed around the edges. The fabric had absorbed numerous pints of blood, which had dried and crusted, flakes coming loose in clumps like gory scales. I gently probed my fingers underneath the material, finding t
o my astonishment, not an open wound or even bandages, but rough raised flesh with the unmistakable texture of scarring.

  Okay, now I was scared. Why have I healed so quickly? How long had I been unconscious?

  I had to get out of this car. I opened my eyes again slightly, but didn’t recognise the person driving through my blurry vision; or the person in the passenger seat, or the forested environment outside the car.

  I tried to relax deeper into the seat, attempting to look asleep, waiting for the right opportunity to flick down the lock on the car door and escape.

  Then suddenly the silence evaporated as the people in front started talking.

  “I still can’t believe it,” muttered a deep masculine voice, “Caylic Fire.”

  “I know,” this voice was light and female, bell-like. “I wouldn’t have believed it if Adrian hadn’t told me. I mean, it’s not like it’s possible for Adrian or Kieran to do it.” There was a brief pause, then, “I hate it when Kieran’s right.”

  “Me too,” agreed the first voice, “Well it’s still all backfired on him.” His tone wasn’t specifically harsh, just factual. “There’s only one way to deal with the girl now. And unfortunately that involves dragging us all into it.”

  My body froze. There’s only one way to deal with the girl now.

  I opened my eyes. Dawning realisation hit me as I glanced around, noticing what was in the massive open sports bag next to me; weapons. Curved blades, daggers, spears, bows and arrows, throwing stars and Sai knives were bursting out from the canvas material. There were these complicated strap things made from thick bands of leather tied together with giant metal buckles and various other items that looked more like they belonged in a bondage shop than a sports bag. I cringed at the sight, my heartbeat thumping. What the hell were they going to do with me?

  I didn’t wait to find out. I took a deep calming breath then sprung. Moving my body in a blindingly fast motion I reached for the door of the car, yanking on the handle and pushing it open just as the people in front realised that I was awake. The car began skidding to an abrupt halt two seconds too late; I was panicking and thoughtless, already recklessly flinging myself out of the car.