I shook my head at her retreating back. Had I ever been that way? Innocent, excited, and full of life. I felt like I had been old even when I was young. Maybe in another place at another time, things would’ve been different. Maybe.
As the afternoon turned into night, I graduated from ale to stronger liquor. Hestor thankfully didn’t comment on my constant calls for refills but his brown eyes were tinged with worry. I ignored it and emptied another glass.
The huge man who had beaten the living daylights out of me last night showed up with his squad after the sun had set. He cast a challenging stare my way but I only glared back at him. Since my body was still pulsating with pain from his blows yesterday, there was no need to fight him again so soon.
I watched him through narrowed eyes as he continued catcalling the women passing by his table and continued reaching for places his hands had no business touching. When Meera arrived, he rose and sidled up next to her. Her beautiful face was full of discomfort as she tried to separate herself from his hulking shape. Only when Hestor approached and said some wisely chosen words to him did he sit down again.
Deciding that I’d had quite enough of people, I braced myself on the table and pushed out of my chair. The room swayed before me. I shook my head to clear it but it only served to make me even more dizzy so I wove through the tables towards the staircase on unsteady feet.
Something shot out in front of me. Because of the severe state of intoxication, my reflexes were too slow so I tripped over it and stumbled to the side. Raised voices called out in annoyance as something sloshed and splattered onto the wooden boards.
Looking down, I realized that I had tripped over the muscled man’s outstretched leg. Malice shone in his gray eyes when I turned to him. He gave me a satisfied grin. Oh I had definitely had enough of people for today.
The huge man shot to his feet and shoved his mug in my face. “You spilled my ale.” He jerked his head downwards. “All over my boots.”
“It’s your own fault,” I muttered. “You did it on purpose.”
“Clean it up.”
I answered with a derisive snort. “I don’t think so.”
A heavy fist slammed into my stomach. I dropped to my knees. While I was still trying to get air back into my lungs, a large hand gripped the back of my neck and shoved my head towards the floor.
“I said clean it up.” He pushed my face closer to his boots. “Get out your tongue and lick it up.”
Fury fierce enough to rival the demons of hell flashed through my body. The darkness surged from my soul and I gave into it gladly. Tendrils of black smoke shot out around me and deafening thunder boomed inside the dark tavern. My attacker snatched his hand back.
With deliberately slow moves, I climbed to my feet. Death and insanity raged in my now black eyes as I leveled them on the tall man in front of me. He flinched and took a step back. All around us, the room was dead silent as everyone held their breaths and waited for what would happen next.
“Don’t you ever disrespect me again,” I growled, throwing his own words back in his face.
Before he could respond, I closed the short distance between us. Shooting a stiletto into my hand, I rammed it into his chest. A surprised grunt escaped his throat. I yanked the blade back. The rest of the tavern watched in stunned silence as he toppled backwards, a red stain spreading across his shirt. His companions seemed stuck between wanting to kill me and wanting to run for their lives. I ignored them and strode to the bar.
“For the blood.” I slid a couple of pearls across the counter.
Hestor placed a hand over them but said nothing. No one moved as I stalked back to the stairs and returned to my room. Strength drained from my body with every step but I managed to make it to my room and lock the door before I passed out.
4.
Animals of the night played their nocturnal songs outside my window. Given the position of the moon, I had been out less than an hour. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Dark smoke still swirled around me. Not nearly as much as before but it was still visible. My eyes were black as well. Interesting. Usually when I woke up, the darkness had returned to the deep pits of my soul. But not this time.
Well, the cat was out of the bag now. The time for surveying the crowd without drawing attention was over. I reached for my bag and the knives packed away in there. The time for once again being a one-woman army had come.
After strapping on all my knives, I descended the stairs again. Since the darkness was still here, I might as well make the most of it and ask people about the Storm Casters. Something told me that they’d be more inclined to give a truthful answer when they were faced with a real life Ashaana.
Rough hands shoved me to the side as soon as both my feet were off the stairs. I flew out the open front door. Tumbling down on the ground, I came to a halt a few strides from the entrance to the tavern.
“You killed our friend,” a man with short black hair said. “Shouldn’t have done that.”
I threw them an annoyed look while climbing to my feet and dusting myself off. “I’m gonna give you one chance to back away.”
Three more men appeared behind the black-haired one. After nodding at each other, they moved forward.
“I take it that’s a no then?” I lifted my eyebrows at them. “Suit yourselves.”
Lightning crackled over my skin. I fed the raging storm inside me with more fury. Black clouds swirled around me. The men were brave, though, I had to give them that, because they kept advancing on me anyway. I drew two throwing knives. Thunder boomed as I flicked them towards my attackers.
Surprise mixed with fear in the faces of the remaining two when their partners dropped dead. Their steps faltered. I drew two more knives as dark mist bloomed around me.
“Should’ve backed away.”
Terror had immobilized them so they didn’t stand a chance when I hurled the blades at their throats. Dull thuds sounded across the area as they joined their dead friends on the street. I shook my head. Idiots. After yanking my throwing knives from their lifeless bodies, I wiped them off and returned them to my shoulder holsters. Weariness crept up on me.
Shaking my head again, I tried to get rid of it. It didn’t work. I squinted at the scene around me right before my knees buckled. Sand coated my cheek as I passed out on the dirt road next to my victims.
A HAND GRAZED MY BODY. My eyes shot open. Stiletto blades already in my hands, I flew to my feet.
“Ain’t done nothing! Ain’t taken nothing!” a man called as he sprinted away with his hands raised over his head.
Turning in every direction, I tried to make sense of my surroundings. Four dead bodies on the ground. Black smoke still twisting around me. The Sleeping Horse a few strides away. Right. The fight. Tilting my head up, I checked the position of the moon.
“Huh, haven’t been out that long,” I mumbled before heaving a deep sigh. “I need a drink.”
After taking another bracing breath, I strode through the tavern door. Cheerful chatter and laughter met me inside but it all fell silent when I made it into the room. With eyes still black as death, I turned to Hestor at the bar.
“An ale. And keep the shots coming.”
He nodded. His hand fumbled while filling the ale mug. I took it and stalked to the table I had sat at earlier. It was now occupied by another couple but they scrambled out of the way when they saw me coming. Wood creaked as I dropped into the chair and slammed the mug down on the table.
Once the rest of the patrons understood that I was only there to drink and not to kill anyone, conversation started back up. Hesitantly and discreetly at first, but it soon grew in strength again. Their merriment did not rub off on me but I kept watching them as I drank anyway. Meera kept bringing me new glasses as soon as the ones on my table were empty.
Horses whinnied and snorted outside. My table was close to the door at the back of the tavern so I could hear when riders tied their horses there. The thick metal rings banged against
the wooden wall every time. However, this time there was no metallic noise. Only neighing animals. The door banged open.
“Ey, nobody moves!” a man’s voice shouted as he barreled through the back entrance.
Three more men and a woman bust in behind him. They all brandished loaded crossbows. Several of the tavern’s occupants shot up from their chairs and made as if to reach for weapons.
“I said sit your asses back down!” the young man shouted again. He ran a hand through his matted brown hair and flashed a toothy grin. “Or we gonna have some dead bodies droppin’ real soon.”
Taking a long drink of ale, I rolled my eyes. Seriously? Why did everything always have to happen on the same bloody day?
The two blond men moved their crossbow bolts between different parts of the crowd until everyone had sat back down. Still grinning, the leader moved towards the bar. The woman and the remaining man took up position behind him.
“Now then, old man,” the brown-haired man said to Hestor. “Hand over them money.”
The tavern keeper glared at him, but faced with two crossbows he could do nothing except reach for the money pouches stored behind the counter. Livia’s young face peeked out of the kitchen door but was quickly pulled back by her mother. Next to a large table of six, Meera stood frozen with a pitcher of wine in her hand.
The leader snatched up the pouches with greedy hands as soon as Hestor held them out. When he turned around, his toothy grin widened. Meera took a step back once she noticed that his gaze had fallen on her.
“Now what have we here?” he said. “Ain’t you a beauty.”
After securing the pouches to his belt, he took a step towards the beautiful singer. Her father roared and darted around the counter but was stopped by the crossbow-wielding man in front of him. Wood vibrated as he slammed Hestor’s face into the bar. While twisting his arm behind his back, the robber placed the crossbow bolt against the tavern keeper’s neck.
The leader continued his trek towards Meera. She backed away until she hit the far wall. Terror bloomed in her blue eyes.
“Now, darlin’, don’t be afraid,” he cooed. “You gonna come with us.”
Metal dinged against wood as Meera dropped the pitcher she’d been holding when the brown-haired robber’s hand snaked around her wrist. He pulled her towards him.
“No, please,” she begged. “Please, don’t.”
The man shoved her in front of him and jerked his head to his partners. They all started moving towards the back door. By the bar, Hestor shouted into the wood while Meera shrieked and whimpered in the toothy man’s grip. Closing my eyes briefly, I heaved an exasperated sigh. Why couldn’t people just let me drink in peace? At least, that’s what I told myself was the reason I shot to my feet.
Five surprised robbers stared at the black-eyed girl who had slunk along the wall and now blocked their way out. I met their gaze with an even stare.
“Get your hands off her, drop the money, and get the hell out right now.” I swept hard eyes over the five of them. “Or you all die.”
The leader laughed and nodded in my direction. “Who is this freak?”
“Out!” I screamed. Thunder punctuated the word. “Or die.”
“Look at her. Look. Smoke’s coming out of her.” The man with the toothy grin snickered. “Ain’t this the weirdest shit you’ve ever seen?”
Dark clouds exploded around us. Terrified shrieks and scraping furniture filled the room as the tavern’s patrons dove for cover when lightning flashed and deafening thunder echoed off the walls. I drew my hunting knives. With the black smoke obscuring everyone’s vision, the attackers didn’t stand a chance. Blades slashed through flesh and wet gurgles mingled with the screaming. Dull thuds sounded as bodies dropped.
When the dark mist finally withdrew and the occupants peeked out from under the tables, they found five dead robbers and a Storm Caster standing in the middle of the carnage. I wiped my hunting knives on the dead leader’s pants. After sticking the blades back in their sheaths, I returned to my table by the wall.
All eyes in the room watched me as I sat down and picked up my mug. Leaning back and crossing my ankles, I went back to drinking my ale in peace. The silence was so loud it was deafening. I wasn’t even sure anyone breathed while they tried to process what had just happened. Then, the spell broke and Hestor ran over to Meera.
The blond woman flung herself into her father’s arms while tears streamed down her face. He stroked her long flowing hair while making soothing sounds. Black swirls twisted around my arms as I picked up a shot glass and emptied it into my mouth. I was so tired. By Nemanan, was it even possible to be this tired?
When I reached down to put the glass back on the table, I had to blink repeatedly to have a clear view of the tabletop. The glass clattered and toppled over when the surface turned out to be further down than expected. My fingers fumbled as I tried to straighten it. Darkness pressed in from the corner of my eyes and before I had managed to get the glass upright again, I slumped forward and blacked out on the table.
FINGERS HOVERED OVER my body. My mind snapped to attention and my hand shot out and grabbed the person’s wrist. A startled yelp sounded. I blinked at the room around me and found Hestor standing next to my table which was still filled with toppled shot glasses and spilled alcohol. Exhaling deeply, I let go of his wrist.
“Are you okay?” Hestor asked.
“No.”
He looked at me, concern filling his eyes.
I gave him a tired smile. “But it’s alright. I haven’t been okay in quite some time.”
His kind brown eyes met my still black ones. “What’s your name?”
“People call me the Oncoming Storm.”
A small laugh bubbled from his chest. “I can see why.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “Thank you for what you did today. Please know that you are welcome to stay here as long as you like.”
Dipping my chin, I gave him a smile. “Thanks. Oh, and you don’t happen to know where I can find other Storm Casters, do you?”
Hestor shook his head. “I’m afraid not. But I’ll keep an ear out and let you know if I hear anything.”
“Thanks.” I placed my palms on the wooden tabletop and pushed to my feet. “I really gotta go sleep somewhere that isn’t a table.”
The tavern keeper chuckled and patted me on the shoulder before heading back to the bar. All around us, people still ate and drank. The bodies of the dead robbers were nowhere to be seen and the only trace of the fight was the splatters of blood that Merina was mopping off the planks. People watched me warily as I passed their tables.
What a day this had turned into. Three fights and ten dead bodies in the span of a few hours. No wonder I was exhausted. And then there was of course the darkness. Black smoke still snaked around my limbs and it always left me drained after I’d used it. This time, however, it appeared as though it refused to leave. As I reached my room I couldn’t help wondering if it was here to stay forever.
5.
Days turned into weeks but I had no idea exactly how long it had been since I arrived in the quaint town of Travelers’ Rest. My existence had whittled down to three states. Drunk out of my mind. Physical pain and bloody fights shrouded in a cloud of black haze. And unconsciousness. Given that I was often blacking out several times a day and that I was barely conscious even when I was awake, it was difficult to tell how much time had passed.
I watched the dark smoke play over my skin before tilting my head up to gaze at the sky. Stars glittered in the heavens and decorated the dark blue night in silver dust. I wondered if Liam was watching the same stars. Had he thought about me while I’d been gone? I hoped so. And at the same time, not. I had left my best friend without saying goodbye because I knew that he would try to stop me. He was probably still mad about that.
While drumming my fingers on the roof tiles, I considered what to do next. I might not know exactly how much time I’d spent in Travelers’ Rest but I knew it was a lot. Ever
y person I’d come across, I’d asked about the Storm Casters. Hestor and Merina had done the same in their tavern. No one knew anything.
Warm winds blew across the rooftops. I took a deep breath. Maybe it was time to move on. The answers weren’t going to come to me, as it had turned out, so maybe it was time I started looking for them myself again. I nodded at the empty night. Yes. It was time to leave.
Climbing back in through the window, I started packing up my belongings. Once everything was safely stored in my backpack, I slunk down the stairs and approached Merina at the bar. A handful of patrons still lingered in the tavern, drinking the night away.
“You’re leaving,” she stated.
“Yeah.” I gave her a sad smile. “Time to move on. I’ve paid for the rest of the week. Keep it. And tell Livia and the others I said goodbye, will you?”
Merina nodded. “Livia will miss you. And Silver.” When I said nothing, she went on. “Good luck with everything.”
After nodding back, I turned and strode towards the front entrance. The door was yanked open. I froze. So did the person who had just stepped across the threshold.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I blurted out.
Elaran drew his eyebrows down. “What do you think? Looking for you.”
His yellow eyes flicked over my body, assessing my appearance. I knew what they found. Eyes black as death, a thin coat of dark mist twisting around me, and bruises in various stages of healing covering my cheekbones and jaw. Elaran crossed his arms. If he was shocked by the state I was in, he hid it well.
“Reports have been trickling in to Pernula about a madwoman covered in black smoke and lightning raising hell in Travelers’ Rest,” the elf said. “We all knew it could only be one person so Shade–”
“Shade,” I interrupted and blew out an annoyed breath. “Of course. So he sent you here to... what? Straighten me out?” Shaking my head, I spun around and stalked towards the back exit instead. “I think I liked it better when you two were trying to kill each other.”
A Storm of Glass and Stars (The Oncoming Storm Book 4) Page 3