A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh and Fire 1)

One side of his lips lifted. “I’m sure they feel the same way about you.”

“Good. Then they should stay away.”

That half-grin remained. “Though these types of snakes were far from normal.”

The image of the Hunter resurfaced, and acid bubbled in my stomach. “I…I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“Most haven’t.”

I thought about the scent of stale lilacs. “Is that what happened to Andreia? Did she become a…Gyrm?”

“No,” he answered. “I still don’t know what happened to her.”

“But they were once mortal, right?” I had so many questions. “How did they end up like that? Why the serpents? Why were their mouths stitched like the Priests?”

“There are two types of Gyrms. These were mortals who had summoned a god. In exchange for whatever need or desire they had, they offered themselves for eternal servitude. Once they died, that was what they became.”

I swallowed, my stomach churning. Would a mortal still have offered themselves if they knew that the end result would be that? I supposed it all depended on how desperately they sought whatever they needed. “Why the stitched mouths? The eyes?”

“Supposedly, it’s done so they are loyal to only the god or Primal they are in service to.”

“Are the Priests Gyrms, then?” I asked. If they were no longer truly alive, it explained how they survived with their mouths sewn closed. It also explained their innate creepiness.

He nodded.

“The Primals stitch the Priests lips shut?”

The skin around his mouth tightened. “What happens to them when they die was established a very, very long time ago. It has become an expected act.”

Expected or not, it seemed unnaturally cruel to do such a thing.

“And the serpents…” he spoke again, drawing me from my thoughts. “That is what replaced their insides.”

I honestly couldn’t speak for several moments. “I have no idea what to even say to that.”

“There is nothing to be said.” Ash relaxed against the rock as he stared beyond me to the lake.

My eyes widened. “I don’t even know if I want to know this, but do the Priests in the Temples have snakes in them?”

His lips twitched as if he were fighting a grin. “I have to agree with you probably not wanting to know the answer to that.”

“Oh, gods.” I groaned, shuddering. “You said there are two types of Gyrms?”

“Those who offered eternal servitude in return are typically known as Hunters and Seekers. Their purpose is usually to locate and retrieve things. There are other classes of Gyrms, dozens really, but those are the main ones.” Ash’s fingers moved over my collarbone in a slow, idle circle, startling me. “Then there are those who enter servitude as a way to atone for their sins in lieu of being sentenced to the Abyss.”

“So, for them, it is not eternal?” I asked as my focus shifted to his touch. The pad of his thumb was rough, and I imagined it was callused from years of handling a sword, as mine were already becoming. Though, as a god, I wondered how often he had to wield a sword. He could’ve used eather earlier to end whatever had become of Andreia, but he’d opted for a blade.

“No. For them it is for a set amount of time. They are usually known as Sentinels, who are, in a way, soldiers. The Priests fall into that group. They are more…mortal than the first group in the sense that they have their own thoughts.”

“What happens if they turn to ash like the Hunters did?”

“For those who are atoning for their sins, it depends on how long they’ve been in service. They may return to the Primal or god they serve, or choose to go to the Abyss. The Hunters? They return to the Abyss.”

My gaze lifted to his face. He was still staring out at the lake. Was he aware of what he was doing? Touching me so casually?

I couldn’t even think of when I was last touched in such a way. Those I spent time with at The Luxe didn’t touch like this, and they wanted me. Maybe he was unaware of it, but I wasn’t, and if even a single flicker of hope resided inside me regarding fulfillment of my duty, I needed to put some distance between us.

But I didn’t move.

I remained there with my head on his thigh, letting his thumb trace the lazy circle. The touch utterly transfixed me. I enjoyed it.

And why couldn’t I? I was no longer the Maiden. I’d decided already in the last three years that I was allowed to enjoy everything I had been forbidden.

I cleared my throat. “You…you said the Hunters were most likely looking for something?”

“That is the only reason Hunters would be in the mortal realm.” He was quiet for a moment. “They could be looking for me.”

I thought that over. “Why would they be looking for you?”