Ash Fallen Page 7

  Ash climbed out of bed without kissing her good morning and headed to the shower. Rosalie could tell he was angry from their fight. She realized she expected him to be open and honest with her, but she hadn’t been completely honest with him. There were things she couldn’t reveal to him. But she knew there were things she could. Things she should. She twisted the bedsheets in her hands as she struggled to find the words to begin her confession.

  When Ash stepped out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and crossed the room to the dresser to find a clean change of clothes. He was surprised to find Rosalie sitting up in bed. Her eyes flitted nervously as she stared in his direction.

  He pulled clothes from the dresser, shut the drawer, then turned to face her. “What’s on your mind?” Setting the clothes at the foot of the bed, he stretched out beside her, towel coming undone.

  “I’m no warrior,” she blurted out, eyes brimming with tears. She couldn’t take the dishonesty any longer.

  Smiling broadly, he said, “And you think I wasn’t already aware of this?”

  A look of confusion swept across her pretty face. “But when I first met you, you said that…”

  “Roe, I’ve been at this game a long time. I can distinguish between the attire of a warrior and that of a huntress.”

  “Then why did you…”

  He sat up, back against the headboard, and shifted her onto his lap. He played with a strand of her auburn hair, wrestling with how much of the truth he should share. “You intrigued me that day. The way you held your ground. The fact the gas didn’t work on you and make you bend to my will. I wanted you to believe I had a greater excuse for needing you with me.”

  She shoved him, playfully. “And I’ve been so worried that once you found out…”

  “I’d what, send you back? Not likely,” he chuckled as he leaned in to kiss her.

  At first, she returned the kiss, but pushed him away once she recalled more about that day. “But when I refused to cooperate, you were going to house me in a prison cell with those vulgar men.” She shuddered at the memory of how helpless she’d felt.

  “Oh, c’mon Roe, you know that was never going to happen.”

  “Well, what would you have done if I hadn’t admitted to being a Mender?”

  He thought about it, rubbing his chin. “Honestly, I’m not sure. But I promise you, I would have thought of something.”

  “I was wrong about you,” she told him.

  “How so?”

  “Out of you and Stryker, you’re the mean one.” But when the hurt look flickered across his face, she laughed. “I’m kidding, Ash. I don’t think that.”

  “Actually, Stryker isn’t such a bad guy once you get to know him.”

  She shrugged, looking doubtful. “Do you have to go today?” she asked, changing the subject.

  “Afraid so.”

  “I suppose Stryker doesn’t give you much choice,” she said bitterly.

  Ash’s jaw tightened. There was so much he wanted to explain to her, especially after seeing how torn up she’d been about her mild lie by omission. Instead, he pressed his lips to hers. “I’ll be back as soon as the gods allow.”

  Rosalie’s mouth curved in a pout. “You don’t even believe in the gods, do you?”

  He shook his head no.

  “And I suppose you think Orthron is the only planet with life on it?”

  He paused, pondering for a moment. “No, I suppose there are other planets with fragments of life. But I doubt they hold any intelligent beings like us.”

  Her eyes twinkled and she flashed him a half-smile.

  “Why do I get the feeling you’re judging me right now?” he chuckled.

  “Oh, I’m judging hard,” she teased. “You don’t believe in gods. You don’t believe in intelligent life on other planets. What do you believe in?”

  He leaned in, motioning with his index finger for her to lean in closer. When she tilted her head towards him, he kissed her cheek, then nibbled at her ear. “I believe in the power of persuasion,” he whispered.

  Heart skipping a beat, she whispered back, “Hmm… I’m starting to believe in that too.”

  Despite her own powers of persuasion, Rosalie was unable to convince Ash to stay behind. He, Stryker, and the army of men left for another village, leaving her alone with her thoughts. And her guilt.

  She thought of seeking out Talon, but didn’t know if she could face him. What sort of person was she to not try and stop these invasions?

  Spending time with Othelia helped brighten her mood. Her friend continued to be of few words but remained a pleasant companion. Sometimes the two hung out in Othelia’s room, playing card games while Rosalie rehashed stories from her rebellious teenage years. But most of their free time was spent at the stables. Othelia showed Rosalie how to use a hoof pick and the proper way to inspect and clean the horses’ hooves. She also taught her how to braid ribbons into the manes of the magnificent beasts as she patiently explained the significance behind each color of ribbon. Orange, Rosalie learned, was for the horses ridden by the leaders. It represented the color of the sun – which led the way for all mankind by day. Blue, meaning bravery, was for the horses of the seasoned warriors. And red, signifying allegiance, was used for the remaining horses.

  Rosalie was tying off the final ribbon, admiring the mare’s shiny coat and mane, when she said aloud, “Let’s take the horses for a ride.”

  Othelia’s hand froze on the brush she was using to untangle her stallion’s mane. She kept her eyes focused on the horse as she said, “I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”

  Rosalie’s face fell. For but a moment she’d forgotten where she was – who she was. No matter how deep her feelings grew for Ash, or how accustomed to her circumstances she’d grown, she was no more than his prisoner. The revelation wounded her. She forced a smile. “Of course. What a silly thought. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  Othelia gave her a sympathetic look, which only made Rosalie feel worse.

  Smile plastered on her face, she returned to her grooming regimen. But in her head the warning blared. For the sake of her heart, for the sake of her soul, it was impossible for her to stay.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Ash laid awake, watching Rosalie as she slept. She’d been unusually quiet before bed, and now he’d awoken to the sound of her talking in her sleep. Only it wasn’t his name on her soft, luscious lips. It was Talon’s. She’d murmured it over and over. He hooked an arm around her waist and reveled in the smoothness of her skin as he swallowed the pain of possibly losing her. He knew he shouldn’t feel betrayed at the idea of her choosing Talon over him. She’d known the man since childhood. Maybe she’d always loved him. He wondered what he was feeling. Jealousy, perhaps, though he seldom stooped to such a weak emotion. He wanted to punch the wall in disgust. Instead he held her tighter and pressed his lips to her forehead.

  Rosalie stirred. When her eyes fluttered open, she sat upright in bed. “I was having a nightmare.” She pressed her fingertips to her temples, trying to block out the scenes that still played in her head.

  “You were talking in your sleep.” He stared over at her, summoning the patience to wait for an explanation.

  “Was I? Why didn’t you wake me?”

  “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be woken up.” And there it was, traces of jealousy rising up in him once more. He did his best to squelch it. “What did you dream about?” He kept his tone nonchalant.

  “I had a dream there was a great battle. You were riding out in front. And Talon…” Her voice broke. “Talon was killed.” Tears slid down her cheeks and she buried her head in Ash’s chest.

  He put his arms around her and held her tight. He felt relief, followed by guilt. She still had no idea why she was here; why Talon was here. He’d kept her in the dark and counted on her to trust him. It was a big ask.

  “Talon is going to be just fine,” he finally said.

  She wiped her eyes and g
azed up at him. “I’d like to see him today.”

  “What for?”

  This time it was her turn to be defensive. “What do you mean what for? He’s my best friend. You’ve kept us separated.”

  Ash drew in a sharp breath. The growing familiarity of jealousy cloaked him like a wet blanket. “Okay,” he finally agreed.

  “Thank you.” She kissed his cheek and laid her head on his chest.

  “Not so fast,” he said. “I have one condition.”

  She sat back up in bed and peered over at him. “What’s that?”

  His eyes narrowed. “You tell me Talon’s power.”

  Rosalie looked stunned. Then torn. “He has no power,” she lied.

  She knew the moment the lie passed her lips that Ash didn’t believe her. His eyes grew dark and disappointment clouded his face. “Wh-what I should have said,” she stammered, “was what makes you think he has a power?”

  “The gas,” Ash said flatly.

  “What?”

  He exhaled, searching for the right amount of information to divulge. “The gas we used on your village. It didn’t work on him. Or you. That’s how we usually know. It’s specifically formulated not to work on variants.”

  Rosalie crossed her arms and tried not to be offended. “Why wouldn’t you want to subdue variants? Wouldn’t they… wouldn’t we potentially be the most dangerous?”

  He remained silent. He knew he’d already revealed too much. He needed to protect his men. He also needed to protect her, and sometimes that meant protecting her from the truth.

  “We have our reasons,” he defended.

  “You want to enslave us to be part of your army I suppose? It won’t work. Talon will never fight alongside you.” She didn’t argue that she wouldn’t. She could no longer be sure.

  “There’s more to us than that,” he said angrily.

  “Then enlighten me.” Her green eyes flashed with rage. She crossed her arms, challenging him to reveal his plans.

  He climbed out of bed to avoid her, dressing quickly. “I’ll arrange for you to see your friend,” he finally said. A knock at the door interrupted their quarrel. “That’s Stryker,” he spoke sharply. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.” He bent down and kissed her forehead, then stalked out of the room without another word.

  When Rosalie stepped out of her room, she was surprised to find a guard waiting to escort her to meet up with Talon. It pleased her that, despite being cross with her, Ash was true to his word. The guard led her to the outer courtyard, where Talon was already waiting. “I’ll be right over here,” the guard said, stepping out of earshot but keeping the pair in his line of sight.

  Still reeling from her nightmare, Rosalie felt a flood of relief at seeing her old friend looking well. She hadn’t seen him since they’d first arrived at the inn. It had only been a few weeks, but it felt like ages. Talon’s hair and beard were grown out more than usual, his loose-fitting clothing suggested he may have lost some weight, but he remained vibrant and his coloring was good.

  “It’s so great to see you, Roe,” he said, lifting her up and swinging her around before setting her back down. “Everything still … okay?” His eyes searched hers.

  Her face turned crimson, but she shook her head, yes. “They’re keeping me around to use my mending powers is all,” she said nonchalantly, only revealing partial truths. It was the first time she’d lied to her friend.

  “That’s good. That’s good.” He smoothed her hair, then let his hands rest on her shoulders. “I’ve been so worried about you.”

  She gazed up at him. “We’re not kids anymore. You don’t have to protect me. Not like before.” She shivered as her darkest memory from sixteen played in her head. The scar on her shoulder blade seemed to burn. She reached behind and skimmed her fingertips over it.

  He frowned and gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “I wish I could have gotten there sooner.”

  “Talon, we’ve been over this. It’s not your fault. And you got there in plenty of time. Things could have been much worse.” She shivered again, and he pulled her into his embrace.

  “One of the men asked what your power was,” she said, pulling back from him and switching the subject. She didn’t dare speak Ash’s name in front of Talon. She feared speaking his name aloud to her childhood friend would reveal her feelings.

  “How do they know I have a power?”

  “That’s what I asked. I guess the gas they used at our village is purposely designed not to work on those with mutated genes.”

  “Is it meant to weed us out, then?”

  “That’s my assumption, but that’s all the information I have.”

  Talon stroked his growing beard. “Tell them.”

  “Tell them what? About your power?”

  He nodded. “I don’t mind. What do I have to lose? Maybe they’ll find me useful and it’ll guarantee they’ll keep me alive.”

  “I don’t think they plan to kill us.”

  “But we don’t know that, Roe. That’s why we have to play it smart. We have to plan our escape.”

  “That’s why I’m here,” she explained. “They’re moving in on another village in a couple of hours. It’s always chaos when they leave and return. We need to study it – plan the best path of escape based on it. They seem to raid a new village at least every couple of days. We need to use the chaos of one of those raids as our window of opportunity.”

  Talon took her hand in his and the two put their heads together to form an escape plan. But as they plotted, she couldn’t help but wonder what she’d be escaping to.

  It was late afternoon when she returned to the room she shared with Ash. He wasn’t there yet, not that she expected him to be. It was too early. She started a bath and lit a candle. The steam from the bathtub fogged up the bathroom mirror. She leaned forward to un-fog it and studied her reflection. A conflicted soul stared back at her. Escaping with her friend and rejoining her village should be the right thing to do. So why did she feel so guilty?

  She stripped off her clothes and lowered herself into the tub. The scalding water stung her skin. She closed her eyes and immersed herself, dunking her head below the steaming water. She held her breath and counted backwards from ten. When she rose to the surface, Ash stood above her, staring into the tub.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  The heat on Rosalie’s skin wasn’t just from the bath. “Contemplating,” she admitted.

  Ash cocked his head to the side and shot her a questioning look. “About?”

  “He’s a Blocker,” she blurted out.

  “Pardon?”

  “Talon. His power is that he’s a Blocker. He’s able to block the powers of others. It’s a blessing and a curse. While he can’t fall prey to a Seducer, and is immune to an Inflictor, he can’t benefit from the powers of a Healer or a Mender. You know, a Blocker.”

  “I haven’t heard much about Blockers.” Ash didn’t hide his disappointment.

  “His powers can be extended beyond himself,” she interjected, fearing if Ash and his army didn’t find Talon useful, they may get rid of him.

  “How so?”

  “If he is in physical contact with someone, and concentrates hard enough, he can act as a Blocker for that person too.”

  A smiled played across his lips. “That could be useful.”

  “I’m glad my friend can finally be of use to you,” she muttered, unable to mask the bitterness in her tone.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

  She started to rise from the bath, but Ash placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pressing her back down. “I was thinking I might join you.”

  She wanted to tell him he wasn’t invited, but her heart slammed in her chest and her body ached to be closer to him. Yes, she decided definitively as she watched with lust and hunger while he stripped off his clothes; she was indeed a conflicted soul.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  When Stryker barged into the
bedroom in the early light of day, Ash felt Rosalie stiffen beside him. He reached for her hand beneath the covers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “To what do I owe this interruption,” Ash said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “Time to go,” Stryker barked. His hair was pulled back, revealing his full scar. His lip curled and he didn’t bother to hide his disdain at seeing Rosalie in Ash’s bed.

  Ash nodded in acceptance and Stryker stalked out of the room without another word. Rosalie exhaled slowly and her body relaxed.

  He pulled her closer, needing to assure her. “He won’t hurt you, Roe.”

  She turned on her side to face him. “What makes you so sure?”

  He smoothed her hair. “Because I told him not to.”

  She propped her elbow on the pillow and rested her cheek on her open palm. “And you’re so sure your fearless leader will listen to you?” She kept her demeanor flippant as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

  He paused, channeling his patience. He wanted to correct her statement but couldn’t reveal the truth yet. “You’re just going to have to trust me,” he said, taking her silky, auburn hair between his fingertips and tucking a strand behind her ear.

  “Trust the one who drugged my village, kidnapped me, and is keeping me as some sort of sex slave?” Her cheeks burned, and tears of anger crept in her eyes.

  The words stung. Ash knew in his gut he’d never forced her; but now he second-guessed himself. “Is that what’s happening here?” Keeping his tone soft, but firm, he searched her eyes for the truth.

  “No,” she admitted after a bit, looking down in misery. She knew her hurtful words were coming from a place of insecurity, and she hated herself for it.

  Ash tipped her chin upward, forcing her to look at him. “This thing happening between us. You and me. You are free to be out of it at any time.”