Stirred Cinders (Fallen Ashes Book 1)

by M. J. Reed

  “It does seem like a small raiding party,” I mused. “I only counted six of them from the watchtower.”

  “We can wait for them to attack us from a fortified position and eliminate them.” Sade chimed, ruthless as ever. In any other situation her enthusiasm for violence might have been disturbing, but right now it’s almost endearing.

  And if those six trackers don’t make it back to the Unseen Company, it’s unlikely that anyone else will be able to hunt me down.

  Perlo’s eyes widened in alarm. “Is that necessary?”

  “If this gang is as dogged as Wyatt says, it might be the only way to keep them from coming back,” Mike grumbled.

  I nodded. “We should get started,” I said, standing. “It’s going to be a long day.”

  We reinforced the doors and windows as best as we could and set up a watch rotation. Peter had the first watch. Sade insisted on sleeping upstairs, even though the walls weren’t finished on the second floor. Everyone else retired to their regular rooms, including Cora and I. But I couldn’t sleep.

  “Are you doing alright?” Cora asked, stroking my cheek. Her body was warm against mine, and her touch was soothing. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer to my chest.

  “This is all my fault.” I breathed.

  She pulled herself up and kissed me. “It’s not. I know you. The man you are now would never get involved with people like that.”

  I swelled against her and returned the kiss. Love raced through me. We moved wordlessly together. Our touches gentle and familiar. The feel of Cora’s warm, wet heat around me burned my worries away for a moment. I held myself together just long enough to feel Cora shudder with satisfaction and then found my own release.

  Cora dozed off in my arms. Sleep makes her face look even more angelic. I let myself relax against her, but I still couldn’t sleep.

  Cora’s right, I’m not the same person I was, but it’s still my fault that we’re in danger. I brushed a lock of hair out of her face. It’s my fault Cora’s in danger. I quietly slid the ring out of my pocket and inspected it again. I was right. I thought. I should take it slow with Cora. As long as my baggage from my previous life is following me around, keeping her safe has to be my top priority. Until then, there’s no rush.

  I gently disentangled myself from Cora, knowing I should go take my turn on watch. Even though I had resolved not to propose to Cora, I couldn’t make myself get rid of the ring. Instead, I tucked it inside an old, dusty desk drawer and went outside.

  I was on high alert as I looked out into the darkness. I know the Unseen Company. They like to attack at night. They could be preparing to storm in at any moment. Even though the night seemed quiet, I jumped at every sound. By the time the first rays of light were peeking up over the horizon I was exhausted.

  “Take a break,” Thomas said, approaching the base of the watchtower. “You won’t be any good in a fight if you’re half asleep.”

  I sighed. He’s right. I climbed down, eager to crawl into bed next to Cora for some sleep.

  “Thanks, man,” I said with a weak, tired smile.

  “No problem.” He paused. “Charlotte’s right. We have to stick together if we’re going to make it through this.”

  I grinned at him. I had always wanted a family and a community to call my own. Since I met Cora and came here, I feel like both of those things are finally within my grasp.

  That’s when we heard the crash.

  Smoke started rising from somewhere on the other side of the house. Peter and I took off, rushing towards the noise. I could hear gunshots nearby, but couldn’t tell how many were fired by Sade and how many were fired by our assailants. As we rounded the corner, Peter almost stumbled on the body of one of the raiders.

  “Looks like Sade got one of ‘em.” Peter huffed.

  I nodded grimly. “Five more to go.” I panted, jogging after him.

  When we reached the rear of the house, I was relieved to see that it was our jury-rigged fence, not the house, that was burning. The back entry to our home had been smashed in. Just outside the broken door were three more corpses. One of them held a gun, which I confiscated, but the others were armed only with machetes. Never thought I would be glad to see an Unseen Company raiding party so poorly armed. Peter grabbed one of the machetes, and together we followed the trail of destruction inside.

  “Fuck.” Peter hissed, rushing through the kitchen.

  Just inside were two more bodies, both of whom I recognized. One was Nym, a member of the Unseen Company that I had grown up knowing. Five down. One left.

  The other corpse was Thomas.

  “Thomas.” I shook his lifeless form, knowing he was already gone. “Tom!”

  Peter and I didn’t have much time to absorb the loss. From within the house, there was a scream and another gunshot.

  “Cora!” I yelled, unconcerned with anything other than finding her. All of my senses were hyper-focused. Even in the darkness, I could see someone slumped against a wall outside of the master bedroom. I could hear the sound of a scuffle within, and a second scream rang in my ears. Time moved in slow motion. I was running, but I felt like I was trying to run underwater. When reached the end of the hall and skidded to a stop I finally saw her.

  She was struggling with one of the marauders, keeping him from pointing his gun at her, as Perlo screamed from the corner of the room. For just a second her eyes connected with mine, and everything stopped.

  I froze. I could swear that even my heart stopped beating. Then, in a blur of motion, the man Cora was fighting with broke free of her grip and hit her with the butt of his gun.

  She fell to the ground with a sickening thud. As Cora lay motionless on the floor, I acted on autopilot. I raised my gun, trained it on her attacker’s head, and fired.

  It’s been more than a week since then. Peter and Sade cleaned up most of the gore left around the house after the attack. Peter told me they buried Thomas out in the backyard, but I wasn’t there to see it. Cora and I haven’t left our room since the fight. Of course, she can’t.

  Cora still hasn’t woken up. I’ve hardly left her side since.

  Mike peered in through the open door. “You know, she’s probably not going to get better.” He said, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest. “And she’s just eating up our resources lying there. Maybe you should put her out of her misery.” He suggested.

  Ordinarily, Mike’s pragmatic nature was one of the few things I liked about him, but not today. I’ve never wanted to punch an old man in the face more than I do at this moment.

  “I’m not doing that,” I growled, my whole body tense with rage. “And if I ever hear you suggest that again, I’ll end you.”

  He shrugged. “I bet Sade or Peter would do it for you. They already got stuck cleaning up the rest of your mess, after all.”

  I wanted to say something to hurt him. Something cutting and clever, but I was too angry to speak. Instead, I just clenched my fists.

  “Suit yourself.” He said with another shrug. Mike turned and walked casually away, unharmed.

  “Cora,” I said, feeling powerless. I pressed my forehead against hers. “I’m sorry. Please wake up. Please.” I begged in a whisper. “There was so much I wanted to do with you.” I confided to her motionless body. “I wanted to marry you, have kids with you, build a life with you. But first, you have to wake up.” I kissed her gently. “I love you.”

  I hoped for a miracle. That somehow, my confession of love would shock her awake, but she lay still. Only the slow rise and fall of her chest proved that she was still alive.

  I can’t give up on her. Mike’s wrong! She’s going to wake up.

  But I wasn’t sure that she would. I had been able to get her to swallow water, but not enough to sustain her indefinitely.

  I just need a distraction. I rummaged around the room looking for something to read, or something productive I could do while I waited. The ring! I fished it out of the drawer. I felt st
upid for waiting to propose to her. Life is too short. I looked over at her immobile body once more before deciding to go work on the ring while Cora slept.

  I tried to stop worrying about when, or if, Cora might wake up. Instead, I polished the ring until it shone. I didn’t make much progress, but working on the plain band I had made did help to take my mind off things. Several hours passed before there was a knock on the open door of the toolshed.

  “Whatcha working on?” Perlo asked, stepping timidly into the shed.

  I held out the ring in answer. “I was waiting for the perfect moment to ask her, but there’s no such thing as a perfect moment.” I looked at my feet in despair. “Now, I don’t know if I’ll ever get another chance.”

  Perlo stepped close and gave me a hug, slightly hindered by her pregnant belly. “You’ll get your chance.” She said, pulling away.

  I was acutely aware that I was complaining about my injured girlfriend to a pregnant woman who had just lost her husband, but she didn’t seem to mind. Instead, she smiled at me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me towards the house. “Come on.” She commanded. “Charlotte needs you inside.”

  Shit. The last time Charlotte wanted to see me we were about to be attacked. Could they have found me again? I wondered, before quickly rejecting the idea. No. We killed all their scouts. They couldn’t have found me again this fast, if at all.

  “Any idea what she wants?” I asked Perlo.

  She just smiled at me. Perlo had always been quiet, but I had never pictured her as secretive. Something’s wrong.

  Without waiting for Perlo, I jogged back to the house to check on Cora. When I reached the threshold of our bedroom Charlotte, as well as everyone else, was already gathered around.

  Oh, no. A thousand terrible things flashed through my mind.

  “Is she alright?” I asked, pushing my way through the group.

  There, on our bed, was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Cora was alive, awake, and smiling. I rushed to her side, swept her up in my arms, and proposed on the spot.

  Chapter 29

  It’s impressive to see how much the town has grown since we first arrived here. We spent our first several weeks here building defenses to keep roving gangs at bay and patching up the single crumbling house that we had stumbled upon. We had a few minor skirmishes with small raiding parties, but fortunately our fortifications, and Sade’s steady hand kept us safe. It wasn’t long before rumor of our little fortress spread to some neighboring families, who came here requesting shelter.

  It’s only been about a year since we settled here, but now there are several new houses and a few communal buildings peppering the area. Traders stop by on an almost monthly basis now, and it seems like more people arrive every day. The little village we’ve built here feels like a safe haven in a world full of violence, and I’m so proud of it.

  In the distance, the sun has just started to brighten the sky above the horizon. The clouds have turned shades of red and orange, and the wind smells fresh and clean. It’s going to be a beautiful day. But all the sunshine and fresh air in the world can’t lift my spirits today.

  Wyatt put an arm around my shoulder. “She’ll be alright.” He said with a grim smile. “If anything, we should be concerned for the rest of the people living in the barrens.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. My husband is right, of course. Sade has always been brave, and strong, but I’m going to miss my friend. I snuggled against Wyatt and took his hand. He’s got a brave face on, but he’s going to miss her, too.

  Wyatt and I fit in here, in a way neither of us had thought possible. Wyatt has made a name for himself as a handyman. Not only has he helped build the new homes, but he’s kept the generator running, and fixed up an old radio so our little town can hear broadcasts from nearby cities.

  For my part, I’ve been involved in a little bit of everything. In the past few months, I’ve helped the farmers bring in the harvest, learned to mend clothes from a tailor, and tried my hand at construction when Wyatt was working on building the community center. I’ve helped traders sell their wares during the Summer festival, and I even went on a short trip to a nearby settlement with some particularly accommodating caravaners. I’ve done more in the last year with Wyatt than I thought I would ever get to do in my whole life. Sure, I don’t know what I’ll be doing a few years from now, but I’ve found the one person I want to be with for the rest of my life, and right now that’s good enough for me.

  Sade emerged from our house. She wore the same pocketed pants, lightweight shirt, and sidearm that she had left Departure with. She carried a backpack slung across her shoulder which looked much too small to contain everything she would need for her journey.

  “Time to get going?” She asked. The question was directed at the caravaners she would be traveling with to Lynnwood. Lynnwood is the largest nearby city, and it will probably take her several weeks to get there. Along the way she’ll be acting as a hired gun for the caravan, helping to keep their group safe during the dangerous trek.

  One of the caravaners, a ginger man by the name of Richard, nodded her way. “Just packing up the last of it. We’ll be off in a few minutes.”

  She nodded and acknowledgment to Richard, and then turned to us. “I’ll miss you,” Sade said, looking a touch embarrassed.

  Sade isn’t the most physically affectionate person, but I wrapped her up in a hug anyway. “I’ll miss you, too.”

  She smiled into my shoulder. “Maybe, I’ll come visit sometime.”

  “Yeah? I’d like that.” I said. I meant it, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever see her again.

  Sade had done a lot of good here since we arrived. She’s helped Wyatt build defenses, and trained several of the residents in hand-to-hand combat. Still, she’s always seemed haunted by Departure. Losing Dr. Ward, and leaving her father has been hard on her, and even though she seems a little better each day, I think seeing Wyatt and I together reminds her of all she’s lost.

  Sade shook Wyatt’s hand. “Take care of her.” She said, jerking her head towards me.

  “I will,” Wyatt promised, grinning down at me.

  “Let’s go!” Richard called over his shoulder to Sade. “We don’t got all day!”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.” Sade snarked back at him. She gave us a smile, and one last, long look before turning to follow the departing caravan.

  We stood and watched as she disappeared with the traders.

  Wyatt kissed me. “We should get to work. There’s still a lot to do today.”

  He’s right. I thought. But neither of us moved. Today we’re due to finish a house for one of the new families that had arrived last week. The rest of the village was already bustling as everyone got to work. Everyone but us. Wyatt and I stood watching the horizon until Sade was just a dot. Finally, we turned, wrapping our hands around one another’s waists, and went to join the construction crew.

  I looked up at my husband. I’ll miss Sade, but as long as Wyatt is around, I know that I’ll always have a partner, friend, and someone who will look out for me. I’m happy here, and hopefully one day Sade will find somewhere she can be happy, too.

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2018 by M.J. Reed

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

 

 

 
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