by Aidy Award
She and Kady had discovered while working together yesterday evening, that when they combined their magic, some of each other's own special power rubbed off on the other. Ash had probably only enough of Kady’s magic to do this once, so she hoped it would be enough.
Red did not look impressed. “We’ve seen this before from Kaden. It only traps them. What am I supposed to do with trapped shadow warriors? Eventually they will figure out how to break free, and then Chaos will truly reign.”
“Why have you brought the shadow demons here to destroy Rogue, if what you really want is to get rid of them?” How could this woman be working both for and against the Organization?
“That is irrelevant.” Anger or pain, or both created a mask on Red’s face. She called up two more MIBs and their shadow soul stealers. They hovered just outside of Ash’s field of magic. One approached the magic and smashed into the edge of it. It recoiled, only a part of it pulling away. The MIB below it stumbled and gripped his chest, finding it hard to breath.
Ash felt the hit to her magic as well and a scratch appeared on her arm.
Red looked up at the shadow, over to the fallen man, and then to Ash.
“I see,” Red said. “I suspect you don’t fully know how to use that power yet or you wouldn’t have thrown up a shield. Come with me. We have people who will train you.”
This was her chance to save her new found family. “And you’ll call off the shadow warriors, leave Rogue alone?”
“I can’t do that. We all have masters, Ashmiza. Mine want Rogue and the threat its people represent wiped off the face of the Earth. But together you and I might be able to stop them from destroying the rest of the world.”
People were confusing. In fact, this woman was a thousand percent crazy. That’s why Ash liked science. Numbers didn’t lie.
“I can’t do that.” She mirrored Red’s words back to her. “If they go, I go. The rest of the world never did a thing for me, so you can all be damned as far as I’m concerned.”
Without Ace, and the other people she already had grown to care for, there was no point in saving the rest of the world. The best of it would already be gone and they would lose the rest to darkness.
Red shook her head, then straightened and touched her ear, listening to something. “We’re out of time. Last chance.”
Several more shadow demons flew forward, slamming into the barrier and recoiling. Their human counterparts fell, and Ash cried out, new scratches that looked and felt as though she’d scraped her own fingernails into her skin deep enough to draw blood formed on her skin.
A woman’s voice came from behind the MIBs. “If you kill her now, all hope of defeating the soul stealers dies with her.”
Red spun on her heel and stared through the MIBs. “Then make her join us.”
The mysterious witch pushed her way through the army and stood before Red. She was beautiful and curvy with sad eyes and slumped shoulders, her posture like a tired letter T. “Only if we leave Rogue unscathed.”
Red threw her hands in the air. “Fine. Do it quickly and know that we will have to pay the price sooner or later. You'd better hope it's later.”
The T-witch approached Ash and stood just outside the barrier. She had the same brown eyes as Ash and Kady. “You have no choice Ashmiza. If you do not come with us now, she will destroy the town, and your mate. You will survive. Trust me, I know.”
Ash didn’t understand why, but she believed the T-witch. “Ace will come after me.”
The witch shook her head, all the sadness in the world in her dull brown eyes. “If he does, she will destroy him, to keep you.”
The fear of losing Ace to the shadow warriors cut her deeper than any wounds she’d already suffered. Ash swallowed hard but couldn't make the burning in her throat and eyes go away. She understood what she had to do.
If Ace didn’t love her, if she broke their fragile new connection, he wouldn’t try to protect her anymore. She could protect them. By breaking his heart and soul. But at least he would be alive.
She nodded and the T-witch walked to Red’s side. “It will be done.”
Ash couldn’t breathe, her own heart was already shattering knowing that she had to hurt the one person in the entire universe that meant something to her and with whom she had finally found family, found herself.
She felt the instant Ace emerged from the cocoon of their tiny house and hit the spell she’d thrown over the garden. Kady was already trapped in it. She’d come out into the pre-dawn morning, sensing that her sister couldn’t sleep. Ash hadn’t known what had disturbed that peaceful place she and Ace had drifted into after their lovemaking, until she’d gotten outside and saw the approaching army.
Ash slowly turned, the tears already streaming down her face. She froze them in time too, leaving only streaks over the scrapes and cuts.
When she met Ace's eyes, she saw the despair already in them. He'd tried to mask and protect himself for so long. When he claimed her and given her his soul, she’d experienced every base emotion, been flooded with his thoughts and memories. She knew exactly what to say and do to make sure he would never come after her.
Her last words to him came in a shattered voice, ripped apart by tears. “I only needed you to help me find my magic so that I could help the Organization. I don’t love you, I never have.”
Sacrificial Dragons
Ash
Ash removed the necklace she thought she’d never take off. The one he'd given her that had made them both whole. He knew exactly how much it had cost him to give that small but important part of himself to her for safe keeping. Now she had to destroy it and reignite his deepest fear.
From high above the bubble of her shield a dragon dove toward them, shooting a black flame right at her. No, not at Ash, at Red and the Witch. Jerko. He was outside the spell and could move freely. Thank the universe for grumpy-butted dragons.
“What the Hell is he doing here?” Red reached for her throat and Ash saw real fear on her face.
Perfect. It was exactly the distraction she needed. Ash dropped the soul shard on the ground at the feet of the woman in black. She’d figured out where she’d seen this slack face before and hoped she would be spared in the upcoming annihilation of souls. If she was, hopefully she'd find Ace's shard and return it to him.
Ash worked quickly, releasing the woman’s spectral from above. It streaked down as if to attack and Ash held out her hand shooting her last bit of her own magic and when she couldn’t hold it, Kady’s special magical power at it.
T-witch at Red’s side also shot a bolt of magic at the shadow and Ash bit back a cry.
A detonation of light and magic boomed, throwing Red, the MIBs and their shadow warriors, the witch, Jerko, and Ash away from the edge of her shield around Rogue.
Ash crawled to her feet, now on the other side of her own shield. She saw scorch marks from the explosion marking the outside of the bubble of magic. It hadn’t taken the protection down but had blackened it. She couldn’t see in any longer and fear that she'd ruined everything threatened to overwhelm her. The shadow demon Ash had released had was gone and the woman’s body lay on the ground.
Oh no. One more loss to mourn. If Ace's heart wasn't already broken, this would be the final blow to shatter him. She quickly glanced up into the sky hoping against hope that Jerko might still be there, but he was gone too. She sent out quiet plea to the Universe to keep his grumpy butt safe wherever the explosion had taken him.
Red also searched the sky and when she was satisfied no other dragons were coming for her, she slapped the T-witch across the face, then glared at Ash. “You could have ruined everything. Don't cross me again like that or you'll be sorry.”
Ash couldn’t afford for their deal to be broken, so she dropped her eyes to the ground in submission to Red and walked away from the fallen body of the first and last hope of the Black Dragon Brotherhood.
Her time spell would hold until she and the Organization were away. Then life in Rogu
e would resume just as it had before her arrival. Ace and Kady would hate her, feel betrayed, hopefully grieve, and move on.
Ash never would.
They marched a good half-mile out of town to a portal of some kind. It was dark and glowed with an unnatural light. Ash realized it was a portal into the shadow like Jerko had created and hidden them in. Was that only yesterday? It felt like years ago. Red directed her and the witch to go through the entrance to the shadow and followed them in to the dark realm.
Within a few seconds they were back at the Organization's mega compound beneath the remains of the old nuclear power plant. Soldiers, not MIBs, escorted them from the portal down a poorly lit cement hallway.
“I will deal with the two of you later. Maybe in the meantime you can work on defending yourself from the shadows.” Red handed the nearest soldier a tablet. “Take them to this holding area and do not let them out until I say so. I have to go explain why that damn town hasn’t been wiped out.”
The soldier grabbed Ash’s arm and dragged her toward the nearest entrance doorway. “Let go, dickhead.”
She didn’t know very much magic, besides her own time spell. She figured removing the soldier’s clothes would be a good enough distraction. She felt the wisps of magic go out, but nothing happened.
“Don’t bother. One of the first things she had me do was cast a ward around her team that negates any magic.” T did manage to pull her arm away from the soldier that had grabbed her.
“Who is she?”
The soldier gripped her arm tighter. “Shut up, both of you.”
Ash stuck her tongue out at the dickhead but didn’t try anything else. She may have a broken heart, and no idea how she would survive, but she would. She always had. It may be a miserable life, especially after knowing how much better it could be. The memory of having had true love and a family, if only for a day would have to sustain her.
They took her and T down several levels, even deeper into the Earth than her lab had been. The soldiers threw the both of them into a cold, dark room and bolted the door.
T waited only until they were out of sight before she worked a spell, turning the room into a cozy sitting room complete with easy chairs, a fireplace, and two cups of tea. She plonked down into one of the chairs and stirred sugar into one of the cups.
“Tea? Someone once told me a hot cup of tea could calm any soul. I can't quite remember who, but it was the last time I remember feeling, well, okay. Not happy exactly, but not like this.”
Ash wanted to say no, to tell the woman she wanted nothing to do with her. But she was so cold inside now and tired, oh so tired. She took the cup and sat in the other chair. It molded to her backside like she’d sat in it a thousand times.
“Must be nice to know how to use your magic so easily.” She'd meant that to sound like a dig, but it only came out as exhausted.
T shrugged in a move that barely moved her shoulders. “Not really. I’d rather I didn’t have it at all.”
Ash got that.
T took a sip from her cup. “Not likely with our genes though. We never had a shot.”
Umm. Their genes? Ash examined the woman again. It was the eyes that did it. Yes. They were too familiar. Like staring into her own. “We’re related, aren’t we?”
The woman coughed on her tea. When she’d recovered, she stared at Ash like she’d said something dumb, which was not normal.
“It’s me, Tia.”
“Okay.” That didn’t mean anything.
“Tiaret Ejderhaninruhu.”
Something so familiar niggled at the edge of Ash’s consciousness. She couldn’t quite grasp it. “Are you speaking English?”
“Ashmiza.” She said Ash’s name with both frustration and surprise. “You and Kaden are my sisters.”
“What in the Stephen Hawking are you talking about?” How many alternate universes was she going to be subjected to in one day?
The tables, chairs, and tea disappeared in an instant and Tia looked around like she was seeing ghosts. “I’ll fill you in on the details later, but the gist is our parents were murdered, the four of us were separated and hidden away so no one would find us, until it was time to fulfill our destinies. Now, get on your feet because that practice defending ourselves from the soul stealers is about to begin.”
Today’s craziness has been brought to you by the number four. Four sisters, four alternate universes, four fucking seconds until she was going to rip someone’s head off for taking her nice, normal, boring life and turning it into this utter crapfest.
But, also four orgasm, four new friends, and four new members of her family.
Also, less than four seconds until they were in a heap of trouble, because just then, a shadow demon flew in through the wall and darted for Tia’s head.
Tia shot a burst of magic at it but missed when it swerved to avoid her shot. It screeched at her and swooped up and away.
Ash had lost just about enough for one day. Now she was ready to throw down. While it hurt her freshly wounded heart, she brought up the image of Ace in her mind and let the soul magic stir inside.
When the shadow demon swooped again, she hit it with a whoosh of her magic. It froze right where it was an inch or so from Tia’s face.
Tia blinked and swallowed, taking a step back. “Scarlet must be dead if they’re letting the soul stealers out.”
Scarlet? Red. Red’s dead. If that was true, the deal they’d made was off too. Rogue would be in danger again. Ace might not be happy to see her, but she could not let them, or the town come under attack.
“We’ve got to get out of here.”
Tia shook her head. “And go where? This place is going to be in absolute chaos. We’d be better to hide here. This is the beginning of the end.”
Not acceptable. “We have to warn Rogue.”
Tia shook her head and Ash suddenly realized Tia was her younger sister. Weren’t they known for being brats? “We can’t go back there.”
Little sisters were also for bossing around. “We can, and we will. Don’t make me pull your hair.”
That got a look from Tia. “But they’ll be mad at you, they’ll hate you for leaving them.”
“Maybe. But even if they do, it doesn’t mean I stopped loving them. Now use that magic ass of your and help get us out of here.”
Tia frowned, but waved her hand over the door lock and it popped open. Ash absolutely had to learn how to do that.
They snuck out into the hallway and Tia had been right. Total chaos. Just like both Red and Tia had predicted. Shadow warriors everywhere, men and women looking gray with blank eyes slumped against walls and in corners.
That’s when they heard the dragon roar coming from inside the building.
The Last Unicorn
Ace
Ace lay on the ground near the edge of the garden where Ash’s explosion had thrown him.
Unseeing, unfeeling, uncaring.
He had destroyed her. Not the shadow demons, not the Cult of the Dead. Him.
He’d been so sure Ash could handle his soul and his darkness. But it had been such a burden that it had driven her crazy within hours and she’d killed herself in a blaze of magic.
One forsaken night. That was all he’d gotten with his mate. It wasn’t enough.
Why had the White Witch and the First Dragon given her to him only to take her away?
Fuck the First Dragon and his command to find love.
Jerkwad, who hadn't been there a moment earlier walked over and fell into the grass next to Ace. He had that same shell-shocked look that reflected exactly how Ace felt. “I think my mate was one of the witches working for the Cult. She saw me and then caused that explosion.”
His brethren, who a day ago Ace had been willing to sacrifice his own chance at happiness to give a chance at redemption was fucked now too.
“I never should have claimed her.” The hurt came through in his voice like a sharp razor to the jugular. Ace was sure it would hurt if he didn’t feel
so dead inside.
Even his dragon couldn’t be bothered to care if the world burned down around them. His beast was so hurt, it may never surface again, simply go into permanent hibernation.
“Ace, where is she, where did she go? I couldn’t see anything, and then there was an explosion, but I couldn’t move. Did someone or something take her?” Kady ran up to them and stopped short, peering off in the direction that Ash had – he couldn’t say it, couldn’t even think it.
Neo was only a moment behind her. “Come, sweet fire. Leave him be. He has lost his mate, and you, your sister. I will explain it to you at home.”
Kady shook him off. “What do you mean lost? No. She was right here a minute ago.”
Ace's dragon chose that moment to change its mind about hibernating. It roared to the surface, taking over, shifting the man into beast. He snapped at Kady, wanting her and her words and questions gone.
Neo shifted to his dragon and struck out with his tail, defending his mate from Ace's attack. Ace didn’t want to hurt her. He backed away and turned, lumbering off in the direction Ash had… died.
Before he took three more steps, Jerkwad, in his dragon form was at his side. Together they broke into flight together. He didn’t know where they were going, just that they needed to not be here.
He could smell her, the taste of her was on the wind.
She couldn’t be dead.
He wouldn’t still feel her if she was gone.
Would he? When he noticed her gone from their bed, he hadn’t known he was losing her already. When he found her, she’d already injured herself so badly.
Ash had frozen him and everything around him in time and all he could do was watch from afar as the cuts appeared all over her body right in front of his eyes, but no one, nothing had been attacking her. Self-inflicted.
Then she’d said those fateful words.
I don’t love you. I never did.
He wouldn’t believe it.
She had loved him. Too much.