Ashe (Fuse Book 2)

by E. L. Todd

You should have let her die.

  Well, I didn’t. Let it go.

  What are they going to do to you?

  Whatever it takes to bring me back to the good side…as they call it.

  If we change, we’ll break through the binds to your wrists and ankles.

  And then what?

  Burn them when they come down here.

  They’ll starve us out. Flare, there’s no way out of this—not this time.

  Silence.

  Rush stared at the wall, furious that he’d let everyone down.

  Flare spoke again. I can’t go back…

  He closed his eyes, the pain flooding him.

  I’d rather die.

  He sucked in a deep breath to cushion the pain in his body, the tightness in his throat, and the overwhelming guilt. We’ll figure something out, okay? They won’t kill me. There will be an exit plan somewhere.

  I hope so.

  Footsteps sounded down the stairs before General Noose was revealed.

  The guard unlocked the door and allowed him inside. The metal clanked as the door shut, and then the sound of metal boots grinding against stone was the only noise, along with an occasional drip coming from an unknown place.

  He grabbed the other chair and pulled it close before he lowered himself, his large mass directly in front of Rush. His helmet was gone, revealing a big head and a thick face with crooked teeth behind a grotesque smile.

  Rush stared, his face like the stone that surrounded them.

  “General Rush.” He raised his hands slightly. “In all his glory.”

  “It’s just Rush now.”

  “Yes, that’s all you are.” His gaze raked over his body. “Just a man sitting in a cage like a dog—”

  “Get on with it.” There was no amount of torture that was worse than having a conversation with this barbarian.

  He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Your father has his orders, so I’ll follow them—but I don’t agree with them. Your treasonous acts should be punished by death.”

  “Guess it’s my lucky day.”

  General Noose stared for a long time, his oil-black eyes regarding Rush with disappointment. “Once I hand you over to your father, he’ll give me my own dragon. But if I turn you back into a shiny new toy, I’ll get to choose whichever one I want.”

  No.

  Rush’s stomach burned with acid when he thought of the cruelty General Noose would force on an unfused dragon. It was enough to make it rise in his throat until he swallowed and forced it back.

  “I sent our messengers to the king and his stewards. By the time they arrive, you need to be ready. You need to be ready to apologize and swear fealty to King Lux for eternity, to do his bidding like the good son that you are.”

  “No.”

  He gave a slow nod. “I thought you’d say that.” He was instantly on his feet, his enormous knuckles slamming into Rush’s face, hitting him so hard that the chair tipped over and Rush crashed to the floor.

  General Noose grabbed the chair and slammed it down, breaking it into pieces once it collided with Rush’s hard body.

  Rush didn’t make a sound, refused to grimace.

  A knee pressed down on his chest, and his chained hands slammed them into his forehead over and over again.

  Rush blacked out soon afterward.

  But not before he listened to his dragon cry.

  Rush lay on the stone floor, the cool temperature soothing to his injuries. I’m okay, Flare. Every breath was difficult. Drops of his blood were everywhere in the cage. General Noose came every day, beat him until he had a change of heart.

  No, you aren’t.

  Sleep was difficult because he was in too much pain to drift off for more than a few minutes at a time. His body grew weaker with every beating. A migraine thudded behind his eyes, never waning.

  Just do what they say—

  Never.

  Then they’ll kill you—eventually.

  Then I guess I’ll die.

  Rush—

  You don’t understand, Flare. Even if I agreed, Noose won’t stop. When my father gets here or one of my uncles, they’ll punish me for what I’ve done. Surrendering won’t change anything—just give them satisfaction.

  Flare fell silent, his sadness palpable.

  I’ll get through it.

  Steps were audible down the stairs, but now there were two sets.

  The guards opened the door, and then the metal boots announced General Noose’s presence. “Had enough?”

  Rush remained on the ground, a body on the verge of becoming a corpse. “I think you’re more tired than I am.”

  Stop it.

  General Rush pulled his boot back and kicked him hard in the stomach.

  Rush was so weak he couldn’t even roll out of the way. He groaned then remained still.

  “You have a visitor.”

  Rush turned his head and looked into the doorway of the cage, seeing the striking red robes, the sinister smile, the same dark hair he shared with his brothers. “Red isn’t your color, Uncle.”

  “My nephew, the same smartass as always.”

  “Yep.” Rush pushed himself off the floor and leaned against the wall, fighting all the pain in his body as he did it. “So, what brings you by? Just wanted to catch up?” He couldn’t slow his breathing, and that was probably a dead giveaway that he had some broken bones.

  Stop provoking them.

  No.

  The steward stepped closer, his robe shifting with his movements. “Easton is still shaken by that stunt you pulled. My citizens are still afraid that a bright red dragon will rain fire from the skies and make them all burn.”

  “They should be afraid.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’ll find your half-breed girlfriend eventually—especially when you tell me where she is.”

  He hurt Pretty.

  Rush remembered the scars on her back so clearly, the bruises all over her body, the torture she’d endured at his expense. The pain suddenly faded to the background as the rage took over. Now he wanted his uncle dead more than his own father.

  The steward kneeled in front of him. “Should we cut to the chase, or do you want to do the dance?”

  “Dance.”

  He sighed in disappointment. “You were never very good with time-management skills…”

  “Shut your mouth and get on with it.” His hands were tight in fists, the rage tinting his vision red. He wanted to rip his throat out and feed it to Flare.

  He hurt Pretty. He will pay.

  Yes, he will.

  “Tell me where she is.”

  He shook his head. “No idea.”

  The steward gave him a bored look. “You really should think a little harder.”

  “I’m good.”

  “I’m sure you’ll have a change of heart in a few seconds.”

  Rush turned quiet, his heart starting to race.

  “Because you’re going to change into your dragon—and I’m going to torture him instead.”

  He inhaled a deep breath, like a knife slipped between his ribs, because just the suggestion was grotesque.

  “I’m going to cut off his scales, cut off his talons, keep cutting until you tell me what I want to know—and then I’ll take a wing.”

  Red in the face, Rush breathed through the image that popped into his mind, the horrific torture of the person he loved most. “Never going to happen—because I won’t change.”

  “If I bring you to within an inch of your life, he’ll change for you.”

  “No…”

  “Yes, he will.” He smirked, knowing he was already victorious. “We can avoid all that if you just tell me what I want to know.”

  Torn right down the center, Rush had to protect two people at once. He looked into his uncle’s face with clenched teeth, with trembling hands, with the need to kill.

  What do we do?

  He ignored his dragon. “I don’t know where she is…and we’ll never c
hange.”

  His uncle’s smile slowly faded away, his dark eyes filling with shadows of disappointment. His relation to King Lux was obvious in the features of his face, of his strong jawline, of the way his eyes showed every thought that came across his mind. “We’ll see about that.”

  Rush couldn’t fight it anymore.

  He screamed.

  The red-hot knife slid right between his ribs, coming dangerously close to his lungs.

  We have to change.

  No.

  Rush—

  He screamed again, the nerves of his body firing off and making him convulse, bringing the point of the blade even closer.

  I can handle it.

  I’ll never let them touch you.

  The Steward of Easton removed the knife, smoke coming from the burned flesh.

  Rush gasped for breath, his body broken, everything on fire.

  Tears cracked in his voice. I’m sorry. I have to do this. Flare began the change.

  A burst of energy came from nowhere, his mind expanding, and he chained Flare inside, refusing to let him leave. No.

  The steward held up the knife again. “You can’t keep this up much longer.”

  He’s right. You’re going to die.

  I won’t. My father wants me alive.

  Your body can’t take this much longer. He tried again.

  Rush took control, keeping his form.

  Stop it.

  No. Letting them do that to you is far more painful than this. I’m fine.

  You aren’t fine…

  The steward handed the knife to the guard so they could hold it over the fire.

  It’ll be okay, Flare.

  Tears emerged. I can’t watch this. It hurts too much.

  I can handle it. It’ll be okay, I promise.

  The steward was handed the knife, which glowed bright red.

  No.

  He pointed the knife and pierced the flesh.

  No!

  Rush screamed in agony as the knife slid deep inside, charring the flesh.

  STOP!

  Rush convulsed again, his internal organs bleeding but then immediately scarring over.

  Flare pushed his mind out, and like a ball from a cannon, it headed across Anastille, right at the target in his thoughts. It broke through the endless layers of stone, crashing through every single barrier, demolishing the front door, and hitting its mark. CORA!

  Twenty-Two

  Sor-lei

  Callon pushed her back, his fists near his face. He threw a fist at her face, and she blocked it. “Good.” He moved again, faking to his left and then plowing his hand into her stomach. He slowed down his hit at the last second, but it was still a force that made her wince. She growled then charged at him, her fists flying everywhere.

  He blocked most then ducked at the others. “I’m twice your size. You can beat me with your strength.”

  She kicked him.

  He caught her foot and lifted her up, sending her to the ground. “I told you not to do that. Now get up.”

  She rolled over and groaned.

  He gave her a gentle kick before he dropped down and gripped her by the throat. He squeezed her, cutting off her air supply. “Stop me.”

  She slapped at his face and missed and then tried to push his hands off her throat. She flailed and convulsed, her face turning blue.

  “Use your elbows. Throw them down over my arms—as hard as you can.”

  She did as he instructed, exerting enough force for his hands to let go. Then she punched him in the face and kicked him until he was off.

  He had a bloody lip, but he rolled to his feet as if he were completely unaffected. His hands were at his face again, and he came at her. “Every opponent you face will be bigger than you, stronger than you, more experienced. So, what does that mean for you?”

  “I stand no chance?” She continued to gasp for air, keeping her attention on him as she replenished her lungs with oxygen.

  “You have to be faster and smarter.”

  “You think I’m an idiot so that I don’t have intelligence on my side.”

  “I said you’re immature, ignorant, and naïve.”

  “Uh, that still sounds pretty bad.”

  “You can’t change your intelligence. But you can change all those things.” He suddenly dropped his fists as if the fight was over and headed back to his pack to take a break. “You’ve gotten a lot better over the past few months.”

  She dropped her hands and followed. “Does that mean we can use swords?”

  “No.” He sat down on the grass and opened his pack to grab his lunch.

  “Are we ever going to use swords?” She joined him, facing the stream.

  “Depends.” He pulled out his bowl of vegetables and rice and used a fork to mix it around. “Are you going to stop being terrible?”

  “You literally just said I’ve gotten a lot better—”

  “Yes, you’re less terrible. But still terrible.” He scooped a bite into his mouth, his gaze on the stream. The sunlight reflected against the water and hit his eyes.

  “Well, do you think there will ever be a time that I’ll stop being terrible?” She grabbed her lunch and started to eat.

  “I can’t say.”

  “How long did your family train for?”

  “My son, hundreds of years. My wife—thousands.”

  “Shit…time isn’t on my side.”

  “No cursing.”

  “No one is even around—”

  “Doesn’t matter. Does that mean you should abandon your integrity and ignore the rules just because you can’t be caught? There’s no honor in that. You should be a good person all the time—without accountability.”

  She dropped her gaze and pushed her food around.

  They fell into comfortable silence, both of them enjoying their meal as much as they enjoyed the stream and the birds chirping in the branches.

  The red cardinal flew down and landed on the grass in front of her.

  She smiled and pulled a berry from her other container. “Hey, honey. How are you?”

  His mind pressed up against hers, telling her he wanted a snack.

  “Okay, okay,” she said with a chuckle as she fished out a couple blueberries. She extended her open palm, and he ate all three before he chirped and flew away. “See you tomorrow.”

  Callon stared at the bird as he chewed.

  She did the same, until she felt an intruder in her head. It pressed right up against her, hitting the edge of her mind’s radius and demanding entry. She knew exactly who it was—and chose to ignore it. “Does that mean that my father had a child with someone before he married Queen Delwyn?”

  “No.”

  “So, he had a child with someone while he was married.”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh…”

  “Tiberius never mentioned the infidelity to me, so I know nothing about it. But I want you to understand that my brother was a good man, that you shouldn’t form your entire opinion of him based on this transgression. He was a great king, devoted and selfless, and he cared about people who didn’t care about him. He lived an honorable life—other than this one mistake.”

  “Were you close with him?”

  “Very.” He paused before he took another bite. “Losing my brother was just as hard as losing my wife and son.”

  “Did he…look like you?”

  “Yes. There are portraits of him in the Great Hall. I’ll show you next time we’re there.”

  “That would be nice.” Her appetite had faded, so she pushed her food around with her fork. “I guess I understand why the queen hates me so much. Do you think she’ll always hate me?”

  “As I’ve said before, we experience time differently from humans, so her prejudice could last hundreds of years…if not longer.”

  She stared at her food, the sunshine blanketing her face.

  When her silence continued, he shifted his gaze to look at her. “The secret won’t remain foreve
r. As you integrate with the elves, they’ll see the similarities between you and Tiberius. I warned the queen that she couldn’t hide this truth forever. It will come out eventually—whether she wants it to or not.”

  “Why is it bad for it to come out?”

  “For a couple reasons. One, it’s embarrassing for her to face the scandal publicly—that my brother was unfaithful. Two, Tiberius was deeply loved by everyone in Eden Star, so that will make them look at you with new eyes.”

  “And why is that so terrible?”

  “Because they may want you as queen instead.”

  She set her food aside, her hands moving to her lap. “I don’t see how that could ever be possible. I’m an outsider, half human, so there’s no way people will ever deem me fit enough to rule. You’ve said yourself that I’m immature, ignorant, and naïve…”

  “Yes, at the moment. But in time, that will change. You have a long life ahead of you—as does everyone else.”

  “Well, even if that were a possibility, I don’t want it. So, she’s got nothing to worry about.”

  He set down his food and regarded her. “You say that now.”

  She shook her head. “I will always…” She faltered, feeling the pressure on her mind even greater than before, like a militia was trying to break down her door with a heavy object.

  “Cora, are you alright?”

  She relaxed when she felt the pressure fade. “Yes. I mean to say, I will always say that.”

  “Even if you were the best person to lead us?”

  “That will never happen.”

  “You don’t know what the future holds. I’m the general because I’m the best person for the position. I’ve seen enough war and bloodshed, have lost more than I could afford, but I don’t step down because it’s my duty to protect my people.”

  “Does that mean you’d like to?”

  He looked forward again. “Everything I’ve seen…is scarring.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He watched the stream again before he spoke. “With the elves, we have a duty to Eden Star and our people. It doesn’t matter if you have no interest in the position. If you’re the best, it’s your duty to fill that position. You may be unqualified now, but you’re just a child at present, and your mind is so powerful that I can only imagine how much you’ll change in time. You’re the daughter of one of the greatest elves who ever lived. Maybe one day you’ll be the best for us. Don’t take it off the table just yet.”