A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1) (10 page)

“Get out of my head!”

“Please.” Jace held up his hands in defense. “I said I don’t want to hurt you, I mean it. Just tell me who and what you are.”

Ariya held his gaze. She studied the look in his eyes. Sincere, yet still it could be a trick all the same. “You give your word you won’t hurt me?”

Slowly he nodded, carefully taking slow steps to close the distance between them. “I give my word as a gentleman, and as an Archane man of honor.”

Ariya stepped back quickly, unsure she should trust him. Then again what choice did she have at this moment? “Well, just in case you don’t—”

“I won’t. Look.” He took a few steps away, and straightened his posture with his hands folded behind his back. “See?”

Fair enough. Ariya lowered her hands and took a deep breath. She was taking leave of her common senses. That had to be the only logical reason why she was mad enough to trust a man such as this one. With slight hesitance, she slipped the short sleeves of her gossamer dress over her shoulders and allowed it to cascade to the hardwood floor, baring her curvy body.

* * * *

Shelly held her jacket at her side as she strode down the street. The night was calm and unusually cool for the
Arizona
desert evening. It wasn’t enough to calm the storm inside her mind. Who was that girl that Jace felt so compelled to protect? She couldn’t have been from any of the houses. Where did she come from? If Jace had allowed it, she could’ve torn the girl to pieces and they would have finished their night together. Perhaps this was a matter she should take to the others of the house. It was still early enough in the night that they would be hanging outside the Torch club. She hoped Vex didn’t notice her and Jace talking together earlier. The questions he would propose to her about her whereabouts already filled her mind and she prepared the answers.

She’d be ready for him. Besides, it’s not like they were completely exclusive yet. Just how close could a Lycan and a Nightwalker get anyhow? Jace was the one who understood her needs and hit all the right spots. Granted, she was growing to love Vex with all her heart, although she still had doubts about their relationship together. She was always attracted to Jace Archane since she first met him long ago. He was a man who took what he wanted and right now she wanted that to be her. She couldn’t quite give herself over to Vex just yet. Not until she explored other options.

Things would have worked out just perfect between her and Jace. If only—

Just as she came to the “who were you with” question yet again, a crunching sound made her freeze. Shelly looked over her shoulder, there was no one around in the darkness of the street. Shaking it off, she continued toward the end of the street using the light of the moon to guide her way. The sound of footsteps crunching on tiny pebbles along the sidewalk invaded her keen hearing sense. She quickened her steps and reached the bright yellow streetlight ahead in seconds.

Keep it together, girl. Nothing can touch you.

Her body involuntarily shivered despite the mantra she repeated to calm herself.

The footsteps quickened behind her again and she broke out into a run. Once she reached the next streetlight, she whipped around hissing with her sharp fangs bared and her elongated fingernails ready at her side.

Nothing.

Part of her was thankful for no mortals in the area or else she’d have to make a call to Angel Polidori for a new pickup. That girl must work around the clock for such a thankless job. She chuckled to herself and continued walking toward the club.

Suddenly Shelly felt her body whisked into the air by an invisible wind. The darkness enveloped her like a snake coiling around her limbs. She opened her mouth to scream but the creature bound her throat, cutting off her breathing and oxygen supply as something wrapped around her and seeped into the pores of her skin. Below her, the city grew smaller and smaller as she was pulled higher into the sky. Then the creature freed her and she fell through the air like a rock against in the wind.

The pavement raced toward her below as she fell. Invisible blades cut into her shirt and jeans, eventually ripping into her flesh like the metal claws of a shredder. Her tired body crashed against the ground with a loud smack, knocking the air out of her. She forced herself to breathe and cough out the blood building within her lungs.

Shelly coached herself to stand and walk toward the club which was only a block away. She needed to find help fast before it was too late.

* * * *

Jace forced himself to breathe. His mind tried to make sense of the beautiful naked, glowing creature standing before him. In a blink of an eye he watched as bright, thin translucent wings unwrapped from behind her back and fluttered outward to their full reach.

It couldn’t be.

Jace felt his body freeze in place while his mind raced to the past. Visions of this very creature would pop up into his mind from the stories his grandmother shared of beautiful Fey creatures. Her thin wide wings and ethereal glow revealed before him was a tangible representation of those stories he thought only as fiction, but such creatures don’t exist.

Or do they?

* * * *

Sounds of Shelly’s heavy footsteps broke through the air. Her breathing was heavy and jagged. Each step felt as if her legs were tied to heavy weights dragging along the ground. She tried to focus on the parking lot of the Torch club just ahead where her boyfriend Vex, Jace’s best friend Rich, Gael, and her friends hung out. She tried to call out to them despite the pain of fire enveloping her body from the bleeding jagged cuts across her body. She was losing blood—so much blood. The cool wind dried the thick sweet substance of her own blood staining her face and body. She tried to scream despite feeling the thick liquid cloud her throat.

That creature—what was it?

She didn’t even have a chance to fight back before it came down upon her.

“Vex—Rich—Gael—please—” The names fell from her strained lips. Finally she gave out and fell upon the ground like a lifeless marionette.

“Shelly!” Vex’s familiar deep voice was sweet nectar to her ear. She had no control over her body anymore as she allowed him to haul her up into his strong arms.

“Shelly, what happened?” Rich peered over Vex’s thick shoulders. “Tell us.”

“J-Ja-Jace—” she struggled. “The girl—she—” Shelly’s body froze in place with a sharp gasp. Her eyes widened then she fell limp as she stared ahead into the darkness forever.

* * * *

Vex lowered his head over her body saying a silent prayer. Gently he closed her eyelids, feeling his muscles tense.

“What did it mean?”

“What was she saying?”

The voices among the curious group echoed in the parking lot as a small crowd wandered over. Vex looked over his shoulder at Rich while folding his thick arms around Shelly. He held her close despite death’s hold on her.

“You have to do something about this, Rich. Your fellow regent is harboring a female who killed one of us. If she is of the houses, she must be punished.”

“You don’t know that, Vex,” Rich shot back.

“Yeah, man,” Gael stepped in between them. “We can’t jump to silly conclusions and turn this into a witch hunt.”

“Did you two not hear Shelly just now!” Vex said through tense jaws.

“I heard her as clear as anybody in this area. But Gael’s right, we can’t just go attacking with our pitchforks, knives and clubs held high.” Rich ran his hand over his long hair and sighed. “Look, I’ll go question Jace and get to the bottom of this. Got it?”

“And what do we do?” Vex growled. “Stay here and cool our heels? I don’t think so!”

“Hey! I am still the reigning regent within the House of Lycans. I will handle this. Just stay here and try to cool down for now.”

Gael reached in his pocket for his cell phone. “I’ll see if I can find anything from the members in the club,” he said smoothly. “See if you can find out if the girl belonged to any of the houses. That way we’ll narrow down our search for her.”

“Good idea,” Rich nodded. “I’ll call you if I find anything.” He rushed over to his Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle and climbed on, starting the bike’s engine. He hoped this was all just a misunderstanding that Jace could easily confirm. As the days went on, Rich knew that nothing was ever that simple.

“And don’t say anything to any of the patriarchs until I return.” Rich yelled over the motor. “Got it?” He turned the bike around with a loud screech and took off into the night.

* * * *

Jace rushed over to Ariya. He quickly lifted her dress to cover her body.

“You have to leave. I’m sorry I can’t help you.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know who or
what
you are, and I don’t care to know.” He shook his head, mumbling to himself. “I don’t need this right now. What was I thinking bringing you here?”

Ariya relaxed her back muscles allowing the wings to settle. “I’m an Aziza. Not many mortals know of us, but the ones that do call us fairies. I come from the Dahomey Fairy realm. Up until now I had the job of assisting hunters on their quests.”

“Well, that’s wonderful. Look, say for argument’s sake you are one of the elusive Fey creatures. You are nothing at all what was described to me in those legends and, simply enough, you don’t exist.” He pushed the little voice in his head that said that was all a lie. She was
exactly
what was described to him in the legends. He did however try to convince himself that she didn’t exist and the sooner she was out of sight, she would be out of his mind. “I don’t know what Fairyland you
think
you fell out of but you need to get out of here. I can’t help you.”

“A little strange coming from a man who was feeding on blood not too long ago. I’m finding it hard to believe that you exist yourself.”

Jace opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, as if trying to keep up with his mind rapidly searching for the words. Shaking his head with a huff, he point toward the door. “That’s all well and good then. You can take your leave and we’ll pretend we never saw each other so we can continue living our blissfully ignorant lives.”

Ariya shook her head, waving her thick, curly tresses from side to side. “No. I don’t have anywhere to go. Plus, those rabid shifting Werewolf things are out there and—” She took a deep breath. “I came here so a dangerous creature won’t find me.”

“I’m sorry.” Jace walked to the door and grabbed the doorknob. He looked upon her coldly as if his emotions were now tucked behind a carefully raised wall. The same emotions he showed so freely before were now replaced by harsh indifference. “You should go.”

Ariya quickly stepped into the dress, threw her arms into the sleeves and yanked them over her shoulders. Her heart stung from his words, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of showing it as she put on a blank expression. She didn’t care anymore that he could read her thoughts. If she couldn’t stay, so be it. She was probably better on her own anyway.

“I can’t believe I came this far. I trusted you only to be thrown out to do it all over again.”

Jace remained silent, his expression stern.

Ariya mustered up all the strength she had to say her final words to him. “You have a good life, Jace Archane. I hope you gain yourself a conscience one day.”

With that, she grabbed the door from his grip and slammed it behind her.

* * * *

Who did she think she was? One of the Fey, right!
Jace was well rid of her. A Fairy. Right here in his living room! He’d gone hundreds of years in the Highlands of Scotland to finally meet one of the all powerful and elusive Fey right here in his living room. Not bloody likely! He tried to ignore the fact that she shared the same characteristics: beautiful, ethereal, somewhat powerful and smaller in stature than he was and her skin was a smooth, warm and dark complexion. Still those wings. He didn’t take time to check and see if her wings were real, but he didn’t care. Although she did harness a physical power of energy he had not seen before, and wings, he couldn’t afford the time to deal with something that came out of a children’s storybook. Or anywhere else for that matter.