“Didn’t you do the same, once?” He stared at me. “When you first became what you are, and your world changed?”
I considered it. “Yes and no? It was still my world…just viewed under a different light.” I kicked at a wad of garbage. “Maybe a better one, even.”
He nodded. “Progress comes as it comes…when Father allows me to leave Home at all, that is.” He sighed. Typical century-old Fae adolescent, I supposed. “Kitty helps. So does that other one, sometimes.”
I couldn’t repress a snort at his label for Hershel; perhaps the pinata remark still stung his pride.
“I don’t envy you the eye of the Shadow Weaver,” he said suddenly.
I figured he meant Meladoquiel. “Me either,” I agreed.
“But I admire the way you handled her. The way you helped me handle her.”
“I did what I had to.” I shrugged. “Otherwise we’d both be some sort of paste, or maybe ornaments in her garden.”
Fright nodded, watching me. “You people are so strange,” he stated. “So pointlessly contradictory. At any rate, my father will protect me from her wrath. But you have no such protection, and you will see her again. So be prepared.”
My shoulders slumped a little even though he wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. “Is that something you see in my future?”
“Yes.”
I sighed. “So how does that work? Do you just see everyone’s future, all the time? Doesn't that get annoying?”
“Yes? No?” Fright made a face. “Somewhat.” He stared at me. “Yours is a storm,” he offered helpfully.
“Storms again.” I stretched, popping my still-stiff back. “Thought that would have been over by now.”
Fright blinked. “How? Your future is the storm. You cannot escape it.” Before I could react, he twitched, tilting his head as if listening. “She comes,” he announced. I got really fucking nervous for a split second before he clarified. “Your Tamara. I will depart before she arrives.”
I started to nod, but he was already leaping onto a nearby roof and scrambling away.
By the time Tamara emerged, Fright was long gone.
“There you are.” She smiled, stepping into the alley and taking my arm. “Let’s go.” She shivered and pulled her new fur-lined coat a little tighter around her shoulders. “A bit chill out tonight, isn’t it?”
“How would I know?” I tugged the mask down enough for her to see my smirk. “So how did your resignation go?”
The Moroi chuckled gleefully, her lambent sapphire eyes bubbling and gleaming in the dim light. “Oh, I had a blast. I just told off like a dozen assholes. I informed three of them that they’ll only hold a job around women again over their own dead bodies and told one that the police should be by to talk about the ages of some of his employees within the next half hour or so.” She giggled again, merciless and adorable. “And then I told the owner that if he doesn't clean up the place and provide a better work environment, I'll either have the whole place shut down or burn it down myself.”
I smiled and tugged her close as we walked. “He have any problems believing you? I mean, as far as he knew, you were working for him just a few days ago.”
With a bright smile and even brighter sapphire eyes, Tam pointed at herself. “Moroi, remember?” She smirked. “Besides, I showed him the deed. Got it transferred this morning.”
I snorted. “Matthew sure works fast, doesn't he? When do I get to meet him?”
“Probably sooner rather than later.” Her steps slowed a little. “You know…things aren’t going to be the same anymore. After all of this. I hope that’s okay.”
“I only ever wanted you to be happy,” I replied. She stopped and turned to face me, holding my hands, her breath a curl of gentle frost in the moonlight. “Everything else, we can work out.”
Tamara smiled softly, her brilliant, lively eyes drawing me in. “I can’t say I know how the future is going to go, Ashes.” She leaned up, tugging down my mask and kissing me deeply, passionately. “I just know that now that I’ve got you, I’m not letting you go.” With a playful grin, she tugged the mask up over my eyes, blinding me as she took my arm and pulled me along. “So get used to it.”
I let Tamara pull me along in her wake down the sidewalk and smiled under the skull mask covering my battered face.
I didn’t mind at all.
From the Author
Well, I hope that this book was as much of a rollercoaster ride for you as it was for me. Ca-Lethe Meladoquiel never left, and they don't even know if she's gone now, or still lurking nearby. Was the Ur-demon truly the mastermind behind it all, or did she simply see an opportunity she could ride to power? Sparing Fright seems to have won Ashes an ally, but what will happen when the rest of the insular, mysterious Jiangshi learn she killed one of their own? Tamara is back with her family, but at what price, and how much will it affect their relationship? And Ashes finally figures out that her church isn't what it seems, and a hint of why it sheltered her on that fateful night years ago--but it raises more questions than it answers.
And then there's her scion.
...But you'll have to see how all of that develops in the next book. :]
It may be obvious, but I had a blast writing this book. When I started it, I had a lot of fears that it wouldn't be long enough; my outline showed fewer chapters than normal, and I fretted endlessly. Fast forward to the end, and to my surprise, it's easily the longest Ashes book to date, if not my longest novel. And while they probably won't always be that long going forward, I do hope you enjoyed the meaty release.
That bit of history is kind of representative of my writing process, to be honest: full of fear and doubt that burns away as the novel comes together, as I write my fears into submission and the story takes on a life of its own. I hope in time to master those fears and doubts, but sometimes I think I have a long way to go. But it's okay; if that anxiety is the price for my work, I'll gladly pay it.
And the only other thing I'd change is getting new books to you guys faster and more consistently.
Anyway, enough rambling! If you read this far, thank you deeply, and I a truly hope you enjoyed Dreadful Ashes.
I'll see you soon in the next book. :]
The story will continue in From the Ashes (Working Title, expected Fall 2018), but if you’ve enjoyed our in-between shorts so far, don’t miss Haunted Motives in which holiday bonding with two changelings goes horribly wrong.
You can get it for free by joining our mailing list, by subscribing to our Patrons Only Library on Patreon (which will get you all our shorts and more), or you can purchase it for $0.99 on Amazon.com if you just prefer the convenience of having it in your Kindle library.
Further Reading from Darksbane Books:
Dakota Shepherd Novels
Awakened (#1)
Hunted (#2)
Driven (novella #2.5)
Blooded (#3)
Dakota Shorts Vol. 1 (#3.5)
Risen (#4) - SOON!
Fallen (#5) - TBA
www.DarksbaneBooks.com
Acknowledgments
Thanks to my favorite authors for the inspiration and all the great books.
Thanks to my wifey, especially for wearing every hat imaginable.
Thanks to my daughter for everything she’s done to help us along the way, which is a lot for an 11 year old!
Thanks to our editor, Brenda Lively of LivelyEditingServices.com!
Thanks to Jen for cheerleading, advicing, and generalized Best-Catting.
Thanks so much to Abi for Energizing Shei. <3 Thanks for helping us Manifest!
Thank you so much to David Nields for your ongoing support and patronage. You have helped us so much.
Thank you to Robert Dahlen, Rain Hayes and her Twinsie, and all the helpful folks in the SFF group!
And I want to thank all of our Patreon supporters: David Nields, Abi Grey, BK Dobbs, Cheryl Bowen, Claire Smith, Hans Watts, Paige Abendroth, Ross Grant, Susan Wilson, and everyone else
who’s ever supported our dreams, big or small.
Last but not least, the biggest thank you of all to our amazing fans, for supporting Ashes through all her struggles. We heart ya, Fam!
About the Author
Annathesa Darksbane loves writing books her readers can't put down, which you may or may not have figured out already. As a storyteller with over twenty years experience and quite a few published titles, there's nothing she'd rather be doing, even though she's done everything from engineering to game design and Aikido. When not writing, she loves studying martial arts, philosophy, psychology, and the future of cutting edge science.
If you want more thrilling, diverse urban fantasy, sci-fi, or fantasy, visit www.DarksbaneBooks.com for our upcoming releases—and nab some free books and short stories!
Copyright © 2016-2018 by Annathesa Nikola Darksbane.& Shei Darksbane
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America.
First Printing, October 31, 2018
Darksbane Books
DarksbaneBooks.com
Cover design and illustration: Shei Darksbane
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people and events are coincidence.
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