A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh and Fire 1)

Nyktos guided Odin sharply to the right, off the road. He leaned in, his chest pressing against my back. The feel of his cool body against mine threatened to short out my senses and my not-so-rigid control on myself. The contact was…gods, I couldn’t let myself even think of that as we flew between the blood trees. White mist pooled and thickened, whipped into a frenzy. The mist—the eather—rose higher and higher, causing my heart to feel as if it too were being stirred into a frenzy.

“We’re going to take a shortcut.” His arm dropped to my waist, his grip tight. “You might want to close your eyes.”

My eyes were wide open. “Why—?” I sucked in air as the trees disappeared ahead and the very ground itself seemed to fall into a misty abyss of nothing.

A scream lodged in my throat as Saion broke forward, riding low over a black steed almost as large as Odin. Saion and his horse disappeared. I started to press back against Nyktos—

Odin leapt into the mist.

For a moment, there was nothing but white mist and the feeling of…flying. I couldn’t even take a breath in those seconds of weightlessness—

The impact of Odin landing knocked whatever air there was out of my lungs, throwing me back against the Primal’s hard, unyielding body.

Nyktos held onto me as we rode at breakneck speed through the film of eather, Odin’s hoofs thundering off rocks. I couldn’t see anything. Nothing but mist. But if we were going to ride off the face of a mountain or whatever it was we descended, I wouldn’t go out with my eyes closed.

Odin leapt once more, and then we were free of the thickest of the eather, rushing across patches of gray grass and hard dirt. It took me a moment to even know what I was seeing as Rhain and Rhahar joined us, remaining at our side. I saw who I believed was Saion, riding along the wall where the mist gathered in thinner, wispy pools.

I looked back at the mountain of mist to see dozens of guards on horseback, erupting from the wall of mist. Nyktos called out commands I couldn’t hear over the thunder of hoofs.

A closed stone gate appeared ahead, and on the Rise, torches glowed from the height of the wall where I saw the distant forms of guards, all turned to what lay beyond the Rise.

Nyktos slowed Odin down, coming to a stop a distance from the group of guards. A guard broke free of the others. I squinted, recognizing Theon. One of the few gods who hadn’t been present when my treachery became known. I doubted it would take long for him or his sister to hear. Or would the others obey Nyktos’ command to not speak of what they’d witnessed?

“Something’s in the water,” Theon said, grabbing Odin’s bridle, barely sparing a glance in my direction. “It came from the sea, whatever it is, cutting through one of our supply ships. Snapped the son of a bitch in two.”

“Fuck,” Nyktos growled, jumping from the horse. He turned immediately, extending his arms to me without a word. I took them, a bit stunned that even in his cold fury, he was still…thoughtful. “Any sign of what it is?”

“Not yet,” Theon answered.

Nyktos took a step and then stiffened at the exact moment I felt a throbbing in the center of my chest, a warmth. Under the starlight, the shadows lifted from the thin mist running along the ground. His eyes closed as his features appeared to sharpen.

“Death,” I whispered.

His head whipped toward me, eyes opening. “You feel it?”

I swallowed, nodding. “I feel death.”

A muscle ticked along his jaw. “What you feel are souls separating from their bodies.”

Theon swore under his breath, and I stared up at Nyktos, having not thought of the fact that as the Primal of Death he would be able to feel it. Feel death when it happened.

As I did.

Chilled, I turned to see Ector arriving, bearing down on us. He drew the horse to a stop, scattering the mist, and tossed a black cloak down to Nyktos. The Primal nodded his thanks and then turned to me, draping the soft material over my shoulders as guards raced up the rampart stairs.

“You will remain with Ector and Rhain,” he said as Ector dismounted. He tugged the hood up over my head.

I glanced at them. They looked less than pleased by that, but I nodded.

“Stay with them,” Nyktos ordered. I reached for the buttons on the cloak, but he was faster. His fingers made quick work of them, and his gaze met mine, still shockingly bright. “Remember my warning.”

Theon frowned at the Primal’s tone, but one sharp look from Rhain silenced him.

“I remember,” I said.

Nyktos’ gaze held mine for a moment longer, and then he looked at Rhain and Ector. “Make sure she stays alive.” He returned to Odin’s side, seating himself and turning toward the guards. I watched him ride forward, trails of shadows cutting through the mist as he leaned sideways in the saddle, snatching up a bow and quiver held up by another guard. Saion, Rhahar, and Theon followed. The gates opened, and he rode out. Only the two gods and another, who was hooded like me, broke free of the guards on horseback and followed.