“About?”
“The attacks. The other realm. Everything.”
“Are you afraid?”
I looked up at him.
“I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe I’m afraid for everyone else.”
He gave me a weak smile.
“What did you say to Blaine?” I asked again, wondering if he’d tell me.
“I asked him what was going on between the two of you.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me?”
“Because I wanted to hear it from him. If I’m to trust the man with my daughter’s heart, I want to be sure he’ll look after it.”
“What did he say?”
“That’s between us.”
I groaned.
“Come on, dad. It’s about me.”
“I’m aware. But that doesn’t mean I have to tell you.”
“I’m not some little girl who needs protecting. Just tell me what he said.”
“Ask him yourself.”
“I did. He wouldn’t tell me.”
“Then neither will I.”
I let out an exasperated sigh and he chuckled.
“Do you love him?” he asked me.
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do. You just don’t want to admit it.”
“We still have our deal,” I explained quietly. “He can still walk away. If I admit that I love him, it will destroy me if he does walk away.”
Dad’s hands tightened on the steering wheel slightly.
“But if you never admit it to him, maybe he will think you don’t. And he will walk away.”
“You make it seem so easy. When did you tell mum you loved her?”
“Our engagement wasn’t drawn out like yours. We were married within the month. When my mother died, she stayed by my side the whole time, never saying a word, but there all the same. That night, she asked if I wanted time alone and I realised I didn’t. I wanted her there. That’s when I told her.”
I lowered my gaze to my ring. It shimmered in the sunlight.
“What if he doesn’t love me back?”
“Then he’s an idiot.”
Chapter 35
“Are you not spending the night as Blaine’s?” dad asked, appearing in the doorway. A week had passed since we’d returned to the human realm. I had spent every night he wasn’t working at his flat with him.
“He’s working,” I shrugged, lowering the book onto the arm of the chair. “And besides, I knew you’d be home tonight.”
Dad gave me a wry smile and sunk into the armchair.
“Have you spoken to him about everything yet?”
“No,” I admitted.
“You really should.”
“I know. It just hasn’t come up.”
“Did you want to order some food?” he asked, deciding to let the subject drop.
“Sure. I’m seriously craving some pizza.”
“You don’t even like pizza,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
“I had some the other night at Blaine’s. I swear, I ate more than he did.”
“I doubt that. You’re half his size.”
I pulled my phone out and loaded up Just Eat. I was just browsing the restaurants when a sound reached my ears.
“What was that?” I asked suddenly. Dad frowned.
“What was what?”
“I thought I heard… It sounded like glass breaking.”
Dad stood up and approached the windows that looked out over the garden.
“I can’t see anything.”
“I definitely heard something.”
“Let me call, Matthew. He’s on duty tonight.”
He walked to the phone and dialled the gatehouse while I stayed still, wondering if my ears were playing tricks on me.
I listened as dad spoke with Matthew before returning my gaze to my phone.
That’s when I heard it again. Dad’s voice paused.
“Someone’s here,” I whispered, standing up and sliding my phone into my pocket. Dad hung up the phone and came to stand by my side.
“Go upstairs. They’re doing a perimeter check and will call back in a few minutes.”
I didn’t move.
“Ashley. Upstairs. Now.”
Before I could move a foot, the window behind us suddenly shattered. We both spun in time to see an Impius racing towards us, glass flinging everywhere.
I screamed and thrust my hands out. Fire appeared in front of us, making the Impius skid to a halt. Dad disappeared from my side, hurrying to the cabinet where he stored his weapons. He pulled out a long sword.
I tried to spread my fire out to protect him but another Impius had appeared and was racing towards him.
“Get behind me!” he roared at me. I stepped back, keeping my fire up in front of me. My heart raced in fear as my father drew his sword back.
The Impius leapt so high, its head brushed the ceiling. I watched in horror as it came down over my father.
He lashed out with his sword, severing its head.
Whoa.
I knew my father was a skilled fighter. He’d trained with the Avarian Army in his youth and had led the defence during my uncle’s coup. But seeing it with my own eyes was shocking.
I didn’t have long to be shocked. More Impius were pushing their way through the window now. I used my magic to manipulate the flames in front of me, turning it into a fiery sword. I kept the tip of it pointed at the Impius who was trying to find a way past me. When it let out a feral growl and crouched down, ready to leap, I threw the sword at it.
A sharp cry sounded as my flames went straight through it. It fell to the ground, dead, but another one took its place quickly.
“Dad,” I called nervously. I didn’t dare take my eyes off the one in front of me but I could see movement out of the corner of my eye.
“Get behind me!” dad shouted again. I started moving towards him, keeping fresh flames in between me and the Impius. Maybe I should make a shield? I could protect us both that way.
“Dad,” I said as I neared him. “I’m going to make a shield, okay?”
“Good idea,” he said through his teeth as he swept his sword out, catching the side of one of them. There were at least half a dozen still roaming around our living room, baring their teeth and trying to get past my flames and dad’s sword.
“Come closer,” I told him.
“Don’t worry about me. Just protect yourself.”
“No, dad. They’ll kill you.”
“I can handle it.”
No way was I going to protect myself and not him. Forgetting the shield, I turned my flames into another sword.
It was almost like we were in the middle of a stand-off. Maybe they would run away? Just as I thought that, one of them leapt forwards, aiming for my dad.
He cut it down with his sword but didn’t kill it. The one nearest me made to lunge forwards as well but I moved my fire so it burned its face, making it back down again.
“Can you hear the siren?” I asked suddenly. I hadn’t noticed it before, but somewhere in the distance, the siren had started to wail.
“Yes,” dad said. “Put your bloody shield up!”
“I’m not leaving you to fight them alone,” I snapped. We just had to hold them off until help arrived. It shouldn’t be too long.
My eyes scanned the beasts in front of us. Were there less now? I could’ve sword there had been another one.
Dread clutched my heart as a shadow flickered behind me. I spun just in time to see an Impius race at my father.
“No!” I shrieked. I thrust my hand out and fire rained down on it but not before it grabbed his leg and brought him to his knees. It squealed from the flames and released him, turning on me instead.
The one I’d been standing off against seized its opportunity. I felt the claws on my hip as it dragged me to the floor.
“ASHLEY!”
The Impius suddenly vanished from above me, blown away by my father’s magic. I heard his sword slashing int
o flesh and fought the pain in my side to sit up.
What I saw chilled me to the bone.
Three of them were attacking him. He managed to keep them at bay for a moment but one suddenly grabbed his sword arm in its teeth and yanked him to the ground.
“Dad!” I cried. I leapt to my feet and summoned the biggest ball of fire I could and let it loose. The Impius that had grabbed him flew backwards, crashing into the coffee table. I raced to my dad but not before the other Impius closed in on him.
I grabbed his sword off the floor and swung it at one of them. It sliced through flesh, making it growl and stumble backwards. A claw nicked my back from behind and I gasped in shock. I spun.
They were everywhere. We weren’t going to make it out alive.
“Dad,” I called. He didn’t reply. “DAD!”
I dared a look at him. There was blood pooling beneath his body.
“No,” I whispered, fear clutching my heart. I dove down towards him, spreading fire out around me. As soon as I was at his side, I summoned a shield around us and released the fire.
He was still breathing. I let out a breath in relief until I saw the gaping wound in his chest.
“Dad,” I cried. I could feel the Impius ploughing into my shield, trying to get through to us. “Dad, stay with me, okay?”
I ripped my jumper off and pressed it against his chest to slow the bleeding.
“Can you hear me?” I sobbed. With one hand, I held the jumper tightly against his chest and with the other I pushed magic into the shield.
“Ashley,” he mumbled. He lifted his hand off the floor and gripped my wrist.
“It’s okay,” I insisted, even though my heart was pounding. There was so much blood. “You’re going to be okay.”
His grip was weak. Shit.
I didn’t have any healing magic. It was pretty rare. I stared down at the blood, praying that he would heal quickly, like Blaine did.
The Impius were still desperately trying to get to us. I could feel them attacking my shield but I held it steady. We just had to wait for help to arrive. Then they would kill the Impius and save my dad.
We just had to hold on a little while longer.
“Dad?” I asked, my lips trembling.
“Yes?” he replied, his lips barely moving.
“Don’t leave me, okay?” I whispered. “I don’t want to lose you too.”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he lifted his hand up to my cheek and wiped away some of the tears.
“Shh,” he mumbled.
“Dad, you need to stay awake. Please. Just stay awake.”
“I love you, Ash,” he managed to say. Was that blood on his lips?
“I love you too, dad.”
I tried to keep my voice calm, but it came out almost hysterical. This wasn’t happening. Why did he sound like he was giving up?
He coughed and blood shot from his lips. I sobbed again.
“Dad, please. You just have to stay awake a while longer. They’ll be here soon.”
He didn’t reply this time. His hand went slack on my cheek, falling away.
“Dad?”
Even with the Impius pounding against my shield, the world seemed to stop. I shook him gently.
“Dad!”
I reached for his wrist. There was no pulse.
No. No, no, no, no…
He couldn’t be dead.
I screamed his name but he didn’t respond. I could feel my shield weakening but at this point, what did it matter? If my father was truly dead…
Despair washed over me and I screamed. I knew it in my heart that it was too late but I shook him again and again, as if he’d magically stir. He didn’t.
He was dead and these monsters were still attacking relentlessly, trying to finish off what was left of the Romar family. I saw red as anger filled me.
I threw both hands into the air, my rage and despair channelling into my magic. My shield turned to fire, letting out a blast that shook the foundations of the whole house. Smoke filled the room, shrouding us in darkness.
When it cleared, all the Impius were dead.
I let the shield fall away and slumped over my father’s body. Tears streamed down my face.
“Dad,” I howled. “No…”
The King was dead.
Chapter 36
A few minutes later, help arrived. They were too late though. I heard their footfalls as they raced into the house, only to find the attack was over and everyone was dead but me. I lay over my father’s body, covered in blood, ash and tears. Voices surrounded me.
“Take command,” I heard someone say. “Check the area in case there are more.”
Hands touched my shoulders.
“Ash,” Blaine whispered. I didn’t move, didn’t speak. “Ash, it’s me.”
“He’s dead,” I mumbled, my voice shaking. “He’s dead.”
Blaine crouched down beside me. I could feel his hands trying to pull me away but I shoved him back.
“Don’t!” I shouted. “Don’t make me leave him.”
I buried my face into my arms, sagging over him as fresh tears spilled from my eyes.
Blaine rested his hand on my shoulder but didn’t try to pull me away. When someone appeared on my other side, I peeked up through my lashes and saw a man I didn’t recognise. He was looking at my father, at the blood beneath us. His eyes darted to me.
“She’s hurt,” he stated. “Get her out of here.”
“No,” I said. “I’m not leaving him.”
“She needs treatment,” the man said, looking at Blaine. “And we need to… We need to get the King out of here.”
Blaine finally pulled me away. I fought against him, terrified of leaving my father’s body behind. I looked back at his face, his vacant eyes and let out a sob. Blaine pulled me tight against him, using his hand to turn my head into his chest. I gripped onto his shirt, my breaths ragged.
“Shh,” he mumbled. He swiftly lifted me into his arms, cradling me against him. “I’ve got you.”
I woke up, my eyes slowly adjusting to the light that poured in from the gap in the curtains. For a moment, everything was fine.
Then it all came back to me.
I shot up, realising I was in Blaine’s flat. My heart pounded in my chest. The last thing I remembered was being carried from the house in Blaine’s arms.
I threw the duvet off me and leapt out of bed. My body ached and my head spun, like I had the flu. I swayed, gripping the wall for support.
“Ash.”
Blaine appeared at my side. I stared up at him, tears filling my eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes searching my face.
“Where is he?” I croaked.
“He’s… He’s with your family priest.”
The world shifted and nausea rose inside me. I pushed past Blaine and flew to his bathroom. I just made it to the toilet in time.
Like the last time, Blaine pulled my hair back and sat with me. Even though my stomach was empty, I kept heaving, as if I could throw up so much bile the previous night would cease to have happened.
When I finally slumped back against the wall, Blaine put the lid down and flushed, then brought me a glass of water.
I took a small sip, staring at the tiles on the wall.
“I’m so sorry,” Blaine breathed. He took the glass from my shaking hand and pressed his hand to my cheek. “Ash?”
I didn’t answer him. Cold reality settled in my uneasy stomach. My father was dead.
Even though it was selfish, I couldn’t help but think of my future. I was the heir which meant all that responsibility my father shouldered like a hero would fall to me. I didn’t want that. I wasn’t ready.
And I certainly wasn’t ready to be an orphan. Fresh tears filled my eyes. I would never hear his voice again. I would never hug him again. The realisation left a hole in my heart.
Blaine pulled me into his arms and I sobbed into his shoulder, soaking his shirt with my heartbreak.
> “It’s going to be okay,” he mumbled, running his hand through my hair softly. “You’re going to be okay.”
I didn’t care about me. I cared about my dad. I cared that he was gone.
And he was never coming back.
In one night, my world had been shattered.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading the first book in The Avarian Chronicles. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to find out what happens next, the second book, A Flame in the Wind, will be out soon!
If you’d like to read some of my other work, please check out The Guardians or Ash and Blood.
Katie xoxo
The Avarian Chronicles: A Tear In The Veil Page 22