Fated

Chapter 9

O nce in the new room, I headed straight for the window, pulling the curtains shut with a sharp tug and stifling a shudder. Crossing back to the door, I flicked off the lights and crawled into bed. The blankets were cool against my skin, and I pulled them tightly around me, reaching for an extra pillow and hugging it to my chest.

“What do I do, Mom?” I whispered to the silent room.

So much had happened tonight, too much. It all felt like a blur, and yet every detail pressed down on me, making it impossible to truly process.

I had magic.

That thought sent a small jolt of excitement surging through me, a brief spark of light in the suffocating darkness that had wrapped itself around my existence.

Magic was real, and it was inside of me.

Pulling my hands out from under the blankets, I tore off the black gloves. Ash had said they could come off in the other room, but he hadn’t commanded me to put them back on.

Focusing, I remembered how it had felt when my hands had glowed, when the light had surged from within me. I strained, concentrating with all my might, willing the glow to reappear.

But nothing happened.

After several minutes of trying, frustration set in. My head ached from the effort, and I let out a sigh, finally giving up. It felt as if every last drop of magic had drained into Ash.

If I could just survive two more days until my birthday, I’d have real magic—not just unpredictable sparks, my inner voice reminded me.

Then, a sudden realization struck: I wanted to live, desperately. I ached to experience my magic, to feel its power coursing through me. Had I really spent years devouring books about such things, yearning for a life of the supernatural, only to learn that it all existed right before my life was about to end?

Had Mom been pushing me toward the genre because she knew magic was supposed to be a part of my life? She’d said my love for fantasy had come from Everleigh; at least, that much was certainly true if she had also been a healer.

My thoughts kept drifting back to Ash, to the memories I witnessed. My heart was at war thinking about him. Through his eyes, I had felt his love for his family, the deep connections he felt for those he cared about. There had been goodness in him once, a life full of warmth and love. But he was also the man who had torn my world apart, the man who had taken my mother from me, and the one I’d watched as he drained and killed an innocent woman.

Mom had always taught me to be compassionate, to have empathy, and to always try to see the world as if through someone else’s eyes.

She’d believed everyone carried their own burdens, their own pain, and that understanding those struggles was the key to forgiveness. But to even consider doing that for Ash, to accept he might be a victim worthy of redemption, felt like a betrayal to her.

How was it even possible to have empathy for the man who had stolen her from me?

But then, there was the other side, the side of me who was my mother’s daughter, and it was hard to believe she’d consider it a betrayal to hope there was goodness in Ash, or even in Calyx.

Despite everything, a part of me couldn’t shake the thought that maybe they weren’t entirely lost. My heart desperately ached for my mother’s wisdom.

If only there were more time, time to settle, then maybe curing them would be possible.

Maybe, once they remembered who they were, they would help me stay alive.

I couldn’t help but wonder what Ash had felt tonight, to have lived in darkness for so long with no memory of how it felt to be loved and then to experience it for the first time.

I supposed I’d never find out, with Agidius coming here to collect me in the morning.

Tossing and turning in bed, my mind refused to quiet; it seemed sleep would never come, the weight of the terrifying unknown pressing down on me. But somehow, in the midst of such restless thoughts, I began to drift off to the sound of Ash’s laughter echoing faintly in my mind.

***

My eyes flew open to the pitch-black darkness of the room, unable to see anything, only aware of the hand clamping over my mouth. Panic swelled in my chest, my heart pounding so hard it felt as though it might burst. I was about to scream, to try and fight off the intruder, when a voice whispered in my ear.

“You have to be quiet, Areya. We have to leave now. If my hand comes away from your mouth, will you calm down?”

The voice instantly soothed my thundering pulse, and my head nodded, my eyes adjusting just enough to make out the faint outline of his face. He removed his hand and moved toward the window, silent and graceful like a shadow slipping through the night.

When he reached the window, he slid it open without so much as a creak.

I crawled out of bed, well aware it wouldn’t be possible to mimic the fluidity of his movements. Regardless, I did my best, tiptoeing to follow him.

Ash effortlessly hopped out the window and landed on the ground, turning back to offer me his hand. I didn’t hesitate to take it, then swung my legs over the windowsill and crawled out too, nearly losing my balance. He steadied me until my feet touched solid ground.

Outside in the moonlight, the silhouette of his body was visible, along with a small duffle bag hanging from his shoulder. If we were sneaking out of the house, this couldn’t be part of Agidius’ plan since Agidius had ordered Ash not to leave the compound.

A tiny spark of hope ignited in me.

Ash leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear. “We can’t take the motorcycle; someone will notice us.”

“What about Calyx?” I whispered back.

“I can’t bring him into this, I can’t risk his life too.”

I nodded, not fully understanding what this was.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

I was about to ask how we were going to leave when, without warning, a flash of black cut through the air, followed by the unmistakable sound of rustling wings. I jumped back, panicked, pulse racing again. The towering structures behind Ash unfurled in the moonlight and were just as magnificent, if not more so than Calyx’s wings had been.

My eyes widened, taking in the sight of him dressed in all black, standing there like an angel of death. He was stunning, and a shiver coursed through me.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I’m—I’m not afraid.”

He opened his arms toward me, and it took a moment for realization to hit.

“Oh! Oh God, you want to—fly with me?” My voice shook and stammered.

Now, I was afraid.

“It’s the only way to get you out of here unnoticed, but we need to hurry,” he said with urgency in his voice.

I was terrified of heights, just looking out the window of a tall building frightened me, and now—now, he actually wanted me to fly with him?

I bit down on my lip, anxiety pulsing through me, but there was no other choice. He was getting me out of here, away from where the king would come looking for me. Drawing in a deep breath, I steeled myself, and forcing down the fear, stepped closer.

With surprising gentleness, he slipped one arm under my legs, the other around my back and lifted me to his chest. I sank into the magic making me want to be close to him, letting it wash over me, praying for it to calm the panic threatening to overwhelm me. Ash’s wings began to beat in the air with a powerful grace, the ground disappearing beneath us.

My stomach twisted and flipped so violently I felt like I might be sick. Trembling from head to toe, I glanced up at him.

His eyes caught my gaze, striking me with their soft, sorrowful expression—every trace of his usual cocky arrogance gone. “I won’t drop you, Areya.”

I nodded, believing him, but one more look at the rapidly shrinking ground below sent my stomach plummeting again. I threw my arms around his neck, burying my face in his chest. My teeth chattered as I gulped down shaky breaths, trying to calm the terror.

I felt Ash’s chin rest atop my head, and we stayed that way until a gentle thud broke the silence. We had landed, but I still didn’t move.

“I can set you down now.”

Slowly, I lifted my head and looked around. Before us stood a solid rock wall, another hidden doorway, no doubt. He set me on my feet, but the second I tried to step forward, a wave of dizziness washed over me, making me stumble. Ash caught me by the waist, steadying me.

“You ok?” he asked, raising one brow.

My face flushed with embarrassment, and I nodded.

But on seeing where exactly I was standing, a tidal wave of fear washed over me. We weren’t on solid ground at all, but on a narrow ledge, jutting out some hundreds of feet above the ground. I glanced toward the edge, my eyes trailing to the steep drop into oblivion.

Panic surged anew, making me latch onto Ash’s arm with a death grip.

He glanced down, and for a fleeting second, there seemed to be the faintest hint of a smile. But then it vanished, replaced by that sad expression again.

“It’s not funny,” my small voice whimpered.

He said nothing, just wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me toward the rock wall. With a swift motion, he waved his hand over the stone, revealing a hidden door. He slid it open, and we stepped inside. It was dark, and the air was cool and quiet. Ash pulled a lighter from his pocket, igniting a lantern on the wall, its warm glow casting flickering shadows. He then lit several more lanterns around the space, revealing a spacious cave with a domed roof.

The inside of the cave was immaculate, not a cobweb in sight. It had to be some type of magic. In the very center of the cavernous void was a black leather couch.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“Calyx and I used to come here in the early days, back when we were training. We came to escape the other rippers. No one knows it exists besides Calyx, but he’d never lead anyone here.”

He crossed the room, his wings vanishing before he fell back on the couch with a heavy sigh.

I followed, hesitating a moment before sitting down next to him.

“What exactly is happening here?” My voice was barely steady.

“I honestly don’t know,” he muttered, bowing his head into his hands. “I just kidnapped the king’s most wanted person. No one has ever betrayed the king.”

He lifted his head and ran his hand through his hair. “Shit.”

“Why did you do it?”

“I don’t really know, Areya. I guess I lost my fucking mind. Do you know why no one has ever betrayed the king?” He looked directly at me.

A small shake of my head was all I could manage.

“Because we can’t. Because he sired us, and his desire is our desire.”

He paused and stared ahead at nothing for a moment. “You, or your magic, it’s been throwing me off. First, at the guard station, I wanted to rip his throat out just for looking at you. Then at the cabin with the rippers … I’ve never been close to being touched in a fight, let alone stabbed. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention how you glow-sticked my brain with your magic hands.”

I glanced down at my hands, fumbling awkwardly, not sure how to respond.

“When that ripper basically melted into a puddle after biting you, I was convinced it was some deceptive healer trick like the king had warned us about, but then when you touched me…” He hesitated, running his hand through his hair again. Was Ash … nervous?

“Seeing those people around the table laughing with me and catching sight of the joy on Calyx’s face made me feel … alive.”

He buried his face in his hands, letting out a frustrated grunt.

“That dark-haired woman in the memory, what she said … No one has ever said that to me.” His voice was so quiet, it was almost inaudible.

My chest tightened. Ash had no memories of anyone ever telling him they loved him. Imagining that small boy who felt safe and loved in his mother’s presence, a young Ash, I suddenly hated Agidius with every fiber of my being.

“Ash, I think that was your mother,” I said softly.

He looked at me, pain etched into every line of his face.

“When I settle, if I make it to then, do you want me to try and cure you?” I asked.

“No, I mean, I don’t know … I need answers. I’ve never questioned Agidius—it never occurred to me to question him.” He rubbed his palms anxiously over his pants. “That girl sitting at the table, the one next to Calyx, she’s someone I recognized.”

His face had gone pale.

“Who is she?”

“I’m not sure. All I know is she serves Agidius as one of his lowest servants. Most of the time, he keeps her locked in a tiny cell, starving to death.”

I struggled to swallow through the tightness in my throat, imagining that beautiful girl, being so abhorrently abused by the king. The thought was enough to turn the blood in my veins to ice.

“I hate him!” The words exploded from my mouth, sharp and venomous, carrying all the fury I felt in that moment. Agidius was the source of every nightmare in my life. He was the reason my mom was dead.

He was why Ash and Calyx were rippers.

Ash just stared at me, seemingly unaware of the restlessness in his legs as they bounced uncontrollably. He was so distressed, utterly shaken by the glimpse into his past.

Slowly, I reached out and rested my hand on his trembling knee.

The contact seemed to steady him, his leg stilling under my touch. “How do we find out who she is? How do we learn more about Agidius?” I whispered.

“We can’t risk going near the castle. It would be suicide. Calyx will do everything he can to keep Agidius off our trail, but he can only resist so much.”

“Isn’t there anywhere else we can go? Or somebody who can help us?”

“There are other kingdoms, but when Agidius activated the curse, the other kingdoms put up royal wards, magical barriers surrounding their kingdoms and bound to the blood of their kings. We can’t get through them; we’re stuck in Astern.”

“Astern?”

“Astern is my kingdom, Agidius’ kingdom.”

“What about my world, the human world?”

“There are no answers there.” He shook his head. “There is no magic there. Your world is nothing but a blood bank for Agidius to control his kingdom. Once you settle, the two of us would practically be flashing beacons.”

The thought of my world reduced to little more than the king’s livestock made my stomach churn.

“There is one place.” Ash’s eyes met mine. “It could be just as dangerous as walking right into the castle, though.”

“Where?”

“One of the first things we were taught was to never, ever go near the Lake of the Damned.”

“That sounds promising,” I muttered under my breath, uneasiness settling in my gut.

“We were told the creatures in that lake came from hell itself. If we ever encountered one, we were to kill it before it could speak. It’s said they lure their prey under the water, using the power of their voices.”

“Like a siren?”

He tilted his head, confusion flicking across his face.

“In my world, a siren is a mythical creature that lures people into the water with its song before killing them … Wait, why do you think going there is a good idea?”

“Because we were told over and over again not to,” he replied, his voice calm. “And it’s the last place anyone would think to go looking for us.”

Oh, God. The idea of walking up to something called the Lake of the Damned was as appealing as offering myself to Agidius with a fancy bow on my head.

“We both need answers, Areya,” he said, his eyes locking on mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. Sitting so close to him, his gaze was magnetic and overwhelming, like staring into a storm. I couldn’t hold it for long before glancing away, my heart racing.

“By morning, we’ll both be at the top of the king’s kill list,” he said.

I swallowed hard, then glanced back up at him.

“I can keep you safe while we search for answers.”

“You want to help me?” I whispered.

He just stared. “I’m your only chance at staying alive.”

I nodded. It was true. Ash was my sole hope for survival, and after listening to him in this cave, I realized I wanted answers—not just for myself, but for him too.

“Ok.” My voice was steady this time. “Then we’ll work together.”