A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh and Fire 1)

And this was to be my…home? For how long?

As long as it took.

A bone-deep weariness settled into me, and I became aware of the ache in my temples, which seemed to match the steady throbbing in my shoulders and back. I had no idea if my legs had felt this weak for a while, or if that was something new. It took everything in me to remain standing.

“Hey.” Ash’s fingers pressed under my chin, startling me.

“What?”

“I asked if you were hungry.” His gaze searched mine intently. “You must not have heard me.”

Was I hungry? I wasn’t sure. I shook my head.

His regard was so singularly focused on me that I wondered if he could see beyond the surface. “How is your back feeling?”

“Okay.”

He continued staring and then nodded as he hooked a finger around a wayward curl that had fallen forward before carefully tucking it back. The tender act reminded me of the lake, and I didn’t understand how his touch could be so gentle when he impaled gods on the Rise.

Ash tilted his head back and then turned to the archway. “Aios?”

I turned as a woman stepped out from beyond the archway. I blinked, yet again feeling as if I were hallucinating. She was…good gods, she was beautiful. Her face was heart-shaped, eyes a bright citrine with thick lashes, plump lips, and high and full cheeks. She crossed into the entryway, smoothing several strands of vibrant red hair back behind an ear before clasping her hands over the midsection of a long-sleeved, gray gown cinched at the waist with a silver chain.

Aios stopped before us, bowing slightly. “Yes?”

“Can you please show Sera to her room and make sure she has food sent to her and a bath readied?” Ash asked.

The desire to tell him that he didn’t need to speak for me died on the tip of my tongue. He’d said “please” to who I assumed was a god. But maybe she was a household servant of some sort. To many, the use of the word seemed like a common courtesy, but growing up around nobles and the wealthy, I knew that too few ever spoke it. And I honestly didn’t expect it to come from the lips of someone who had impaled gods on his wall as a horrific warning.

Then again, I would never have expected such a sight from Ash.

“Of course. I’ll be happy to.” Aios turned to me. She blinked rapidly and then her expression cleared. “Yes. Definitely a bath.”

My lips pursed, but before I could say a word, she hooked an arm through mine. The same strange jolt of energy nearly overshadowed the ease with which she touched me.

Aios’s brows lifted as her gaze flew to the Primal. “Nyktos…”

“I know,” he said, and he sounded weary. I glanced at Ash, wanting to hear what he knew, but he spoke first. “I’ll return to you in a little bit. You can trust Aios.”

I didn’t trust any of them, but I nodded. The sooner I was alone to think, the better. Surely, this ache in my temples would fade by then. Ash remained there for a moment, his eyes deepening to the shade of a thundercloud. He turned stiffly, joining Rhain. They headed beyond the archway.

“Come,” Aios insisted softly, leading me toward the staircase.

The stone of the steps was cool under my feet as we climbed and then headed to our left.

“The room has been readied for you. Well, it’s been ready for quite some time and dusted frequently just in case. I think you will find it most pleasing,” she said, and my head jerked to hers. She appeared as if she were my age, but I knew that could be incredibly misleading. “It has its own adjoining bathing chamber and balcony. It’s quite a handsome room.”

Several things occurred to me at once. “How did you know I was coming?”

Aios’s gaze flicked away from me. “Well, I didn’t know for sure. I just knew there was a chance.”

For her to have expected me, she must have some knowledge of the history. “You knew about the deal?”

“I did,” she said, smiling brightly as she ushered me beyond a second flight of stairs.

“Can you tell me how long you knew there was a chance?”

“A couple of years,” she announced as if that meant nothing, but it said a whole hell of a lot.

We continued to the fourth floor. From there, she steered me toward a wide hall lit by sconces with frosted glass globes. The walls were otherwise bare.

We passed a set of black-painted double doors with some kind of silver, swirling design etched into the center. Aios stopped at the next set of double doors, ones that were identical to the only other set I could see in the entire hall.

“Are there no other rooms on this floor beside the one we passed?” I asked as she fished a key from the pocket of her gown.