A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh and Fire 1)

I inhaled deeply—taking in the scent of lilacs. Freshly bloomed lilacs. And that smell…it was coming from me. Someone spoke, but I didn’t know who or what they said. Couldn’t hear them over the humming in my ears and the urge…this calling that sank deep into my muscles, overriding any thought. I was aware of Lailah and Theon stepping back, of Saion and Ector staring in stunned silence.

“Sera,” Ash’s voice cracked through the hum.

I looked up. He stood in the doorway, Rhahar behind him. The Primal’s eyes were wide, a brilliant shade of silver, and the tendrils of eather swirling through the irises were bright—as luminous as the glow radiating from my hands.

He appeared frozen in disbelief like the others, rooted to where he stood as the humming warmth continued spreading through me.

My heart started to trip over itself. I couldn’t pull it back—push it down or turn away as I’d been able to do in the past. “I can’t stand by and do nothing,” I whispered, even though he had no idea what I was talking about. He didn’t know about this. I’d never told him. And maybe I should’ve, but it was too late now.

Reaver cried again, the sound staggered in the otherwise silent room. Ector swore under his breath as the silvery-white eather swirled around my fingers. Throat dry and pulse racing, I placed my trembling hand on Gemma’s arm.

“Holy shit,” Saion whispered as he bumped into the wall. Herbs swayed above him. “You feel that, right? We all feel this.”

I didn’t know what Saion was talking about. And I also didn’t wish for anything. I didn’t have the clarity to do so in the whirling storm that was my thoughts.

The shimmering light flowed from my fingers and settled over Gemma in a bright, intense wave. My breath caught as the eather seeped into her skin, filling her veins until they became visible, a spidery network coming alive along her too-pale flesh and across the bruised, torn skin.

“What the…?” Aios entered the room, holding a basin of water to her chest. She jerked to a halt, slowly lowering the bowl.

The silvery light flared as intensely as sunlight on a summer’s day all along Gemma’s skin. Her chest rose with a deep, shuddering breath that seemed to roll through her entire body. I lifted my hand. The glow throbbed and then softened, slowly fading until…

Underneath the blood, her skin had smoothed and stitched itself back together across cheeks now pink with color. The tear along her forehead had healed, leaving only a rosy line behind. The wound at her throat had sealed, leaving only a ridged scar of puncture marks. Gemma’s eyes fluttered open. Brown. She looked straight at me, and then her eyes closed. Her chest now rose and fell slowly, her breathing deep as she slept, healed lips parted with another steady exhale.

“You,” Ash whispered, his deep voice hoarse. I looked over at him, and I…I’d never seen him so stunned, so exposed. “You carry an ember of life.”

Chapter 34

Ember of life.

You carry the ember of life in you, Sir Holland’s voice whispered through me. You carry hope within you. You carry the possibility of a future.

Reaver called out again, making that strange, staggered sound, echoed by Jadis. From outside the palace, a deeper call answered in a chorus that rattled the herbs hanging from the walls.

The only one who appeared able to move was Aios. She came to the table, placing the basin on the surface. Glancing over at me, she checked Gemma’s pulse. “She’s definitely alive.”

“That’s it,” Ash spoke, the shadows spinning dizzily under his skin. I looked over at him and saw only him. Saw the disbelief give way to wonder—wonder that turned into something powerful and bright, something like hope. My chest tightened until I wasn’t sure how I breathed. “That’s what he did.”

“Fuck,” Saion uttered, and I thought he might need to sit down.

“Did what?” Theon asked as I pressed a hand to my chest. “Who did what?”

Ash straightened to his full height. His gaze remained fixed on me. “No one speaks about what they saw in this room. No one. Gemma wasn’t as wounded as previously believed. She will be told the same. Cross me on this, and I will spend an eternity ensuring that you regret that choice. Does everyone understand?”

His words lifted the shock from the room. One by one, each god showed that they clearly understood.

“Good.” Ash still hadn’t taken his eyes off me. “Theon? Lailah? Please take Gemma to one of the rooms on the second floor.”

The twins moved forward to obey the Primal’s request. Both sent cautious looks in my direction—looks tinged with wariness and marvel. I watched Theon carefully lift the sleeping Gemma into his arms.

Lailah grabbed the basin. “To clean her up,” she said. “She’s going to need it.”