Burning Ash

by N. J. Walters

  “Why doesn’t he answer his damn phone?”

  Jo threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know. He said it was something he wanted to discuss in person. If you’re so worried, I’ll go with you.” She was halfway to the closet to retrieve her coat when Asher was suddenly in front of her.

  She jolted back a step. “I wish you wouldn’t pull that zippy speed shit.” Heart thudding, she shoved him aside and reached for the door handle.

  “It could be a trap.” He cupped her face in his hands and rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks. “I’m not willing to risk you.”

  Warmth filled her chest even as icy fear clutched her gut. “But you’re willing to risk yourself. If it’s a trap, we should go together.”

  Something had changed between them after they’d shared blood. Their connection had solidified and deepened. Never in her life would she have believed she’d actually agree to such a thing, let alone embrace it. No lie, she’d trembled with fear, second-guessed herself, wondered if she was making a huge mistake, right up until he’d bitten her. But either the trust was there, or it wasn’t. His blood had tasted sweet, not metallic or nasty. The experience intimate in a way she’d never thought possible.

  She’d always been aware of his presence, but it had amplified. Sometimes she knew what he was thinking. Whether it was because of their new connection or simply because she was coming to know him well, who could say?

  They hadn’t talked about his confession of love. It was still too new, too precious. A superstitious part of her was afraid to say anything for fear of losing it and him.

  The growl he emitted was more rabid dog than man or vampire. “It’s safer for you here.”

  “Fine. You do that speed walking thing you do. You can get to Bernard’s, find out what he knows, and get back in no time.” When he hesitated, she added, “Am I right? Wait, is he still in Long Island? Isn’t that where he sent his family?”

  “The text says he’s back in Manhattan.” He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. As a distraction, it almost worked. Asher had been insatiable since she’d taken his blood. Come to think of it, so had she.

  “See, he’s not that far away. We can’t go on like this.” She was going stir-crazy being shut inside. “We haven’t heard anything from Bjorn or Maccus. There’ve been no more attempts on my life.”

  “You haven’t been outside,” he reminded her.

  “Exactly. I’ll stay here, even though it’s not fair I can’t go with you.” She caught his hand in hers and pressed her lips against his palm. “I’ll be safe. I promise. I have my phone, and the place has an alarm system.”

  He pulled out his phone and punched in Bernard’s number. It rang and rang and rang. Then he tried another number.

  “Who are you calling now?” She tried to get a good look at the screen but couldn’t quite see.

  “Stanley, Bernard’s young hacker.” He cut the connection and shoved the phone into his pocket. “He should answer.”

  “Not if he’s hacking. You know what you’re like when you get in the zone. And the text originated from Bernard, right? You checked that.”

  “I did.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. The muscles in his jaw flexed and rippled. “It’s too convenient that no one is answering.”

  “You think it’s a way to separate us, to get you outside?” As plans went, it was a good one—tempt them with information they wouldn’t be able to ignore.

  “Yes.”

  “But if the text originated from Bernard’s phone…”

  “He and his family could be in grave danger.”

  “I’m going with you.” Who’d have thought she’d ever volunteer to protect a vamp? “If he’s in danger because of me—”

  “If something happened, it’s not your fault. That lies solely on whoever is behind this.” His lips flattened, and small lines extended from the corners of his eyes as they narrowed. He was as concerned as she was.

  “You need to go.” And as much as she hated to admit it, having her with him would be a distraction. “I’ll stay here.”

  “Promise me.” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight.

  It would be the first time they’d been apart since he’d taken her blood. For a woman who’d spent the past decade alone, she’d gotten used to being with him faster than she could have imagined.

  But as he continually reminded her, he was special.

  “I won’t leave the apartment.”

  “I’ll be back as fast as I can. Keep your phone on.”

  “I will.”

  He swooped down and captured her mouth with his. Fear knotted her stomach, but she ignored it. This had to be done. Asher was as old as dirt, a badass, a member of the Forgotten Brotherhood. He had this. They were both breathing heavily when they parted.

  “Stay safe,” he told her. “You are my heart.”

  Warmth filled her chest, even as worry ate at her. This is a mistake. They needed to stick together. Her hand shook as she patted his arm. “You stay safe, too.”

  He waited a heartbeat longer before heading to the elevator. She missed him as soon as the doors shut behind him.

  “Damn it.” She leaned against the wall and gently rapped her forehead against it a couple of times. “You are such a coward.” He’d told her he loved her, but she kept holding back.

  She prowled through the living room and dining area, stopping long enough to stare out the window. The sun was setting over the city. Asher would lose his advantage over any other vampires as night closed in. “He’s got this.”

  Hunting was what she did. It was in her blood, who she was. It sucked to be left behind. But with Asher gone, it was the perfect time to do some research on the Egyptian gods. She hadn’t wanted to ask him about his past because of the bad memories associated with it. But he’d come from that time, so she wanted to know everything.

  Before she got down to business, she needed to check in on her own life.

  Digging her phone out of her pocket, she brought up her email. Junk mail, an alert for a sale from her favorite store, pizza coupons. A local bail bondsman she worked for wanted her to do a job. The money would be great but going on a fugitive retrieval was out of the question. She deleted them all. Her bank account could absorb the hit, just not for too long. She couldn’t keep paying bills on an apartment she wasn’t living in.

  Her phone rang, and she answered without checking the number. “Asher?”

  “No, it’s Morrigan.”

  Surprised, but glad for the distraction, she perched on one of the barstools that ran along the kitchen counter. “Any news on your end?”

  “Sorry. Nothing.”

  She slumped against the counter and stared up at the ceiling. “I figured. We’ve heard nothing new, but Asher is checking out a lead.”

  “He left you there alone?” Her shock made Jo defensive.

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “I never meant to imply otherwise. I just know how possessive Maccus is.”

  Was that some sort of insult toward Asher? It wasn’t what she’d expect from Morrigan.

  Or was she being overly sensitive because she was at the end of her rope? Before she could decide if she needed to take offense on his behalf, Morrigan continued.

  “I figured you’d be getting restless right about now.”

  “That’s an understatement.” Jo was to the point where a root canal would be a welcome outing.

  “Want to grab a coffee?” The offer surprised her.

  “I promised Asher I’d stay here while he was gone.” He’d been quite explicit about her staying inside.

  “How about I come over? Maccus is with me, so you don’t have to worry about the bad guys.”

  Right. Because the baddest guy I know is with her.

  “Why don’t you come on up and we can wait?
He won’t be long.”

  “You got it.”

  Jo hurried toward the elevator. At the last second, she retrieved some knives and slid her sword on, pulling a hoodie on to cover it. Morrigan might be safe around Maccus, but the big guy made her nervous.

  She could almost see Asher rolling his eyes. The image made her grin.

  The elevator dinged. It had a security system, but Maccus had bypassed it before. They’d gotten here faster than she’d expected. The door slid open. The greeting on her lips died.

  It wasn’t Morrigan or Maccus.

  Oh fuck.

  …

  He’d barely left and couldn’t wait to get back to Jo. It was the right call for her to stay home. She was safer there, and he could move much quicker without her.

  He’d never had anything to lose before.

  It wasn’t easy to zip through the city streets at top speed. There was always the concern of running into a bus or mowing down a person if he wasn’t vigilant. He’d had to take the back streets for most of the trip and slow down once he’d reached Bernard’s building.

  He sped up the fire escape stairwell to the penthouse, unwilling to wait for the elevator. An eerie silence greeted him when he shoved the double doors to the apartment open.

  A quick search confirmed the place was empty.

  It was a trap. Not for him but for Jo.

  Racing down the stairs at blinding speed, he was already on the phone. “Pick up. Pick up.”

  He burst out onto the sidewalk, leaped over a bus, and wove in and out of people so fast an icy breeze licked their skin. Desperate, he called Maccus, not surprised when Morrigan answered. “Hey, Asher.”

  “Get to my place. Now. I got lured out and Jo isn’t answering.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  He practically flew up the stairs of the secret fire escape that was accessed from his bedroom, shoved the door open, and burst into the walk-in closet. She has to be okay. She was his heart, his reward for ten thousand years of loneliness.

  Fear gripped his throat, almost choking him. The silence threatened to crush him. There was no heartbeat.

  Please be alive.

  It wasn’t her dead body on the floor, but her crossbow. A lone metal bolt was a few feet away.

  He threw back his head and screamed, “Jo!” Artwork tumbled to the floor, and glass shattered.

  The beast rose inside him, turning his vision red. Bloodlust roared through him.

  I’ll kill them all.

  His breath was coming in heaving gasps. Thinking was impossible. When the elevator bell dinged, he snarled and sprang.

  A woman screamed. Asher was tossed aside and slammed into a wall. He rolled to his feet and attacked again.

  A bright light blinded him. He brought his arm up to protect his eyes.

  “Stop it,” a woman ordered, her voice firm but tinged with panic.

  He shook his head, trying to clear it. “Jo?” Was it her? Was she safe?

  “No, it’s Morrigan. Put that down,” she ordered. But he wasn’t holding anything. When the blinding light receded, he lowered his arm. The brilliance was emanating from a sword Maccus held at his side.

  Fuck, he’d attacked them. It was a miracle he was still alive, that Maccus hadn’t ended his existence.

  “I’m sorry.” He bent forward, head lowered, and hands pressed against his thighs. “Jo’s gone. Taken. She promised me she’d stay here while I checked out a lead from someone we met. His text said he had information but wanted to talk in person.”

  “And you didn’t think that was a trap?” Maccus slid the sword into a scabbard on his back. Guess that meant he’d live another day.

  “Of course I did. But Bernard wasn’t answering his phone. We worried someone had gotten to him and his family. Jo wanted me to go. Hell, she wanted to go, but I thought it was safer here. She was supposed to be safe. I was only gone ten minutes, maybe twelve. How did you get here so fast? I just called you.” He slammed his mouth shut to stop babbling.

  “Asher,” Morrigan’s voice was gentle. “That was fifteen minutes ago. We got here as fast as we could. I’d talked to Jo earlier, and we were already on our way here.”

  He’d lost all that time while locked in the fury of bloodlust. Unacceptable.

  “Someone took her.” Maccus inhaled deeply. He glanced at Morrigan. “What do you think?”

  “Faint hint of what might be sulphur. Hard to tell, for sure.”

  “A demon?” The rage bled from Asher’s pores, leaving only ice behind. “Lucifer is behind this?”

  “Maybe. Rogue demons have no problems kidnapping or killing if the price is right.” She softened her tone, but nothing could dull the edge of the words she spoke.

  “Jo is not dead.” He put his hand to his heart and focused. “I can feel her.” A light in his soul. It was faint but there.

  “You drank from her?” Maccus’s frown was fierce.

  “Just a sip and she did the same. I needed to be able to track her.”

  “That’s good, right?” Morrigan looked from one to the other.

  “He’s never allowed anyone to drink from him before,” Maccus told her.

  “Never?”

  Asher shook his head and walked toward the elevator. “I can follow the sense of her.” It might be faster to use the stairs, but there was still a faint odor of sulphur. He could track that. “Wish Bjorn was around. That bastard has a nose better than a bloodhound.”

  Maccus shook his head as the elevator doors closed. “Bjorn is halfway across the country. No help there.”

  Asher inhaled sharply. Beneath the odor of demon was the lightest fragrance of the soap Jo had used in the shower.

  Images bombarded him. Jo fiercely fighting, enjoying pancakes and bacon at a diner, frowning at him, smiling at him, naked and beneath him. Always Jo. Only Jo.

  “We’ll get her back,” Morrigan promised. Maccus said nothing because he was more practical. Asher knew as well as his friend did that whoever took Jo might just leave her lifeless body somewhere to send a message.

  When they reached the sidewalk, he turned in both directions. “This way.” He went left, going as fast as he could without losing the faint trail and the pulse of his blood in her.

  She would not die. Not his hunter. She’d fight.

  I have to find her.

  …

  Jo’s head throbbed, but she instinctively swallowed back a moan. What the hell had happened? She’d been waiting for Morrigan and Maccus to arrive, but someone else had showed up.

  No, make that something else.

  A creature with leathery skin, very sharp teeth, and huge claws. She had managed to get off a shot from her crossbow before the thing had taken her down.

  Too bad she hadn’t done any lasting damage. The metal bolt had bounced right off his thick hide.

  She opened her eyes the tiniest sliver and peered through the slits. It was dark, wherever she was. A cool breeze brushed her face.

  Where the hell am I?

  She silently moved her arms and legs, relieved that she wasn’t tied up or injured. Pressing her hands against the ground, she levered herself up to a seated position.

  Her stomach lurched. The pain in her head increased.

  Got it, no sudden movements.

  “You sure the email said this is where to find her?”

  “This is the place.”

  The male voices were getting nearer. Ignoring her sick stomach and pounding head, she scooted back against a wall. She blinked several times to try to bring the world back into focus.

  Why had the leathery guy dumped her here? She was behind some building but had no idea what part of the city she was in or even if she was still in New York.

  “A million each if we kill this chick, right?” One of the men sounded
really excited.

  “We could buy our own place with that much money. Impress the ladies.”

  “We don’t need to impress them, remember? We can just put them in our thrall and they’re ours for the taking.”

  She’d heard more than enough. Using the wall to support her, she pushed to her feet. A quick check assured her she still had all her knives and the sword was still strapped to her back, hidden by her hoodie.

  So I was kidnapped by idiots. Even better.

  While Asher was the real target, she was the bait.

  “I can hear you breathing,” one of the men said. “Why don’t you come on out? We’ll make this quick and painless.”

  “That supposed to be an enticement?” She took a single step forward but kept her back to the wall. “Hello, boys.”

  They didn’t look more than twenty, but that didn’t mean anything. They were both wearing dark jeans and leather jackets.

  “We’re not boys.” The pouty expression on his face had her rolling her eyes and reassessing. They likely were as young as they seemed. “We’re vampires.” He flashed his fangs.

  When she continued to just stand there, he frowned. “Why isn’t she screaming?” he asked his buddy.

  “For God’s sake. I’ve seen it all before. You’ve been sent to your death.”

  The guy doing all the talking shook his head. “No, you’re the one who’s going to die.”

  “I know, for two million dollars, which you won’t live long enough to spend.” The longer she kept them talking, the more her head cleared and the better chance there was of Asher actually finding her.

  Because he’d tear the city apart looking for her.

  “We’re still in New York, right?” Might as well ask.

  “You high or something? Of course we’re in New York. Maybe that’s why she didn’t scream. She’s high.” The talker glanced at his buddy, who stayed silent.

  “I’m not high. Some demon creature kidnapped me and brought me here.”

  “Doesn’t matter how you got here. We get the money as long as you die. All we need to do is take a picture and send proof.” He waved his phone in the air.