54. Ash
Chapter 54
Ash
When Kane left, it was still early afternoon and sometime before we would have to go out into the city. Ryan left with a note and the vial Jones had given me so she could give both to Denny and had returned with the honey buns that sat on the table, untouched.
I sat on the chair in my room as the daylight began to fade while Ryan intricately braided my hair so it wouldn’t get in my face if I had to fight. I fiddled with my fingers as she did, my nerves getting the better of me. She glanced down at my hands.
“It’s going to be okay, Ash. We will succeed tonight.”
“Ryan,” I said quietly. “I asked Jerek to take you and leave after he blows the substation tonight. Just in case.”
“No, Ash. I’ll stay and fight with you if I have to. I’m not cowering before the King any longer. ”
“Please, Ryan. Go with him. If we all get captured…or worse, you’re our only hope.”
Her hands stilled on my head. “Fine, but it will be worthless because we’ll turn right back around when you get the King.”
“Even if we are able to secure him, there’s no way of knowing if the soldiers and advisors will follow. I fear this is only the beginning.”
She finished up the braid, and I stood and faced her, pulling on my winter hat. “Ryan, you are the best friend I’ve ever known. Please, do this for me. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you. You deserve more than that, after everything King Maximus has put you through.”
Her eyes turned down, and I saw a tear slip from the corner of her eye. I threw my arms around her, squeezing her tightly. “I love you. Thank you for everything. You helped pull me out of the darkness.”
“Then I guess I returned the favor,” she murmured next to my ear. “I’d been lost in my grief and pain for so many years, but I was too afraid to do anything about it. You changed all of that for me. You showed me that there is a way through grief—that we can use our pain to push us onward.”
“Be safe tonight.”
She moved back and placed her hands on my shoulders. “You too. I love you, even though you never brushed your hair before you met me. Oh wait! That reminds me.”
She quickly took off out the door and was back a few moments later. “I got you a winter solstice gift.”
“You didn’t need to do that. ”
“Oh, believe me, I did.” She smirked and pulled something out from behind her back. She held a comb in front of her. The end was wrapped in a leather cover.
A laugh spilled out of me. “You got me a comb?”
She raised her brows and pulled off the cover, revealing the pointed end of the steel comb. “So you can look good while you’re stabbing people.”
We giggled together, and I snatched the comb out of her hand, looking it over.
“I think this is the greatest and most offensive gift anyone has ever gotten me,” I mused.
“You’re welcome,” Ryan said slyly.
As soon as I gave Ryan one last hug goodbye, I pried the cover of the vent off my hiding place and took Pop’s book out. I had all but memorized every page, all the safe houses, people, and code words for the rebellion, as well as the plans for the new government.
A knock sounded on the door, and I shoved the book into the back of my fitted pants, well-hidden under my coat. I took one last glance at the room, hoping it was the last time I’d ever have to see it. When I pulled open the door, Gabe stood before me, appearing different—or maybe I looked at him differently, knowing all the things he had done in his past that I could never forgive him for .
“Hi,” he said softly and glanced at my finger, where I wore his ring. Only a few more hours and then I could stop pretending with him. He held his arm out to me, and I took hold of it, taking pleasure in the fact that this might be the last time I ever willingly let him touch me. We moved down the hallway, with Sam trailing behind us and Jerek nowhere in sight, just as we’d planned.
“We’ve been scouring the city all day and haven’t found a trace of Liam. Are you sure he wanted to meet tonight?” he asked.
I nodded. “He’ll show.”
“Are you prepared if he does?”
“Yes. We will get him, Gabe.” I stroked my hand down his arm, and my stomach heaved.
“You’ll always be my spitfire.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek as we walked.
Was this what it felt like to be a ghost? To stand directly in front of someone and have them look right through you when all you wanted was for them to see you and choose—you? But they were so unaware or unwilling to see the truth that they couldn’t see the lines marring your face from lack of sleep and the wounds so deeply ingrained in your being that you’d never be the same person again. Gabe loved me for the person I used to be. I wasn’t her anymore, and he couldn’t see that, not like Kane could. I was a shell of my former self when I came to Hope and the one person that made me feel alive again…was Kane. The thought hit me out of nowhere. Where Gabe overlooked my faults and only saw the person he wanted to see, Kane embraced every bit of who I was. He embraced the pain, hurt, loneliness, and fear. He knew who I was down to my very being, unlike anyone else ever had. He saw…me. He made me feel alive and whole again. There were suddenly so many things that I wanted to tell him that I hadn’t earlier. Later. I’d find my way back to him and tell him later.
We turned and silently walked down into the city, more guards surrounding us as we went. Kane, Liam, and Jerek had filled me in on the events of the winter solstice party so I could be prepared, but I didn’t expect the beauty that was the city of Hope on the darkened winter night with the snow softly falling from the heavens. Lights twinkled between the buildings in a manner that was completely new to me. People laughed while festive music played down the long stretch of Main Street. It reminded me too much of the spring festival back in Cedar Hill, and I had to tamp down my feelings of homesickness when I realized no one was in Cedar Hill for me anymore. Nan was gone, and I hadn’t even been able to hold her hand while she went because the man walking next to me ripped me away from her, and the man he idolized pretended to use her against me when she was dead the whole time.
The first part of the festivities was the King and Queen pursuing the shops along the stretch, buying more shit than they could ever use , as Jerek put it. I imagined we’d do the same. Then, they would always end their evening tucked in a warm café, where they would eat and exchange the gifts they had purchased for one another.
The plan was simple enough. Wait for the explosion, chaos, and darkness from the electricity going out, and then we would strike. They would take the King to the bunker, where my father would be waiting. I felt for the gun tucked into the back of my pants and took a slow breath as the metal caressed my fingertips.
We perused the street, our guards keeping the crowd from bumping into us as we looked through the different stores. My hands fidgeted with the nerves that raced through my body .
“You can get whatever you’d like,” Gabe murmured next to me as I pretended to look at a black scarf that was softer than anything I’d ever felt. I didn’t want any of this stuff… It was just that—stuff. It could never compare to the feeling of freedom or people you loved. I shot him a small smile and continued playing the part.
“The winter solstice was always my favorite. They don’t celebrate in Cedar Hill, and I missed it. Before my mom died, she would always do her best to find me the best winter solstice gift. We would come down into the city, and on the rare day, both she and Miles would get together, and we would drink hot chocolate and they would give me my gift. It felt like we were actually a family.”
His green eyes met mine, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I hated him. So. Much. But a part of my heart held so much sympathy for him, too. Until I remembered he had a choice. He could’ve turned his back on the King, and he didn’t.
“I hope you and I can make new memories here,” he whispered.
I swallowed and hoped he didn’t catch my grimace as I turned away. As we moved on, I didn’t miss the subtle nod Gabe gave the store owner at the scarf I’d been inspecting.
Soon, we met up with the King and Queen on the second floor of a beautiful café with elegant wooden beams and large windows that overlooked the street beyond. We sat across the table from them, and the room descended into silence. The music still faintly pulsed through the windows, but it was the only sound as I stared outside, avoiding eye contact with anyone at the table. Four guards—three of the King’s and Sam. One was missing. Where was Barrett?
My skin prickled, and I knew someone stared in my direction. My grandfather’s blue eyes had found me as he leaned back in his chair with his fingers to his chin .
“Has he contacted you yet?”
There was no context needed; I knew whom he spoke of.
“He’ll come,” Gabe cut in.
“I wasn’t speaking to you, Gabriel. I’d like Asha to answer the question.”
A waiter moved into the room with mugs full of hot beverages for us. Denny didn’t so much as glance at me as he placed the mugs on the table in front of us.
“Hot coffee to warm you up, Your Majesties.” The slight tremble of Denny’s hands as he pulled the tray in front of him ratcheted my nerves up by tenfold, but I kept my face steady. “Someone will be back with your pastries.”
Denny moved to leave the room, but before he could go, Maximus spoke as he wrapped his hand around the mug in front of Regina. No. What was he doing? Regina rolled her eyes and picked up the mug in front of him, taking a long sip. I stared in horror as I watched her throat work, drinking the contents.
“You look familiar. Why?” Maximus asked.
Denny stopped dead in his tracks, and I gripped the knife underneath my coat.
He turned his face back slightly but remained facing away from us. “I don’t know, Your Majesty. I don’t believe we’ve ever met.”
“Wait, I know. You own the bakery on the west of town. Denny’s Bakery, right? What are you doing here tonight?”
Denny’s eyes flicked to me but quickly averted. “Yes, sir. They needed extra help tonight, so I offered my services.”
“How kind. You best get back to helping then. Those honey buns won’t make themselves. Best ones in the city, right?”
I knew two things at that moment. The King knew far more than I ever believed, and I had just killed the Queen. Denny had poured the contents of the vile of poison that Jones had given me into the King’s coffee, which Regina drank.
Then, it happened at the best instant possible—or the worst; I couldn’t decide. The noise of an explosion in the city ricocheted off the glass windows, vibrating the walls. Time stood still as I stared down my grandfather across the table, the noise drowning out any other sounds. Neither of us flinched, and I knew that he knew. But how? Who? Another betrayal stabbed me in the chest.
It was like the air rushed back into the room, bringing the sound and time with it. Suddenly, there was a whir of movement of guards racing inside the room, throwing themselves in front of the King and Queen. Gabe grabbed my arms and threw me on the floor, covering me with his body, while Sam stood over us, his gun at the ready. All that could be heard was the sound of heavy breaths and shouts of people panicking in the street.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and the guards aimed their guns toward the door as we waited for who came. Another soldier peeked in the room, followed by Advisor Davis and more soldiers.
Gabe slowly got off me, and I noticed the King stood behind Regina as if he was using her as a shield. He made no move to protect her like Gabe had done for me.
“My King,” Davis said. “Are you all right?” Davis’s eyes never left Regina as he spoke.
Maximus shoved through the soldiers. “Fine,” he barked. “What was that?”
Gabe pulled me to my feet. “Are you okay?” he murmured, moving his hands along my arms.
I nodded and swallowed hard. He was willing to throw himself in front of a bullet for me but not go against the King? Stick to the plan. I remembered why I hated him and ripped my eyes away from those jade depths.
“Rebels!” Davis shouted. “They blew up an abandoned store a few blocks away and started fire to the buildings. It’s spreading quickly, sir.”
No! That wasn’t the plan. No casualties, no one was supposed to get hurt. But if the King knew about it, why’d he let it happen?
“Davis,” he said. “Take the women back to the estate. Gabriel, come with me. We cannot let this stand in our city.”
No, no, no. We were supposed to go to the bunker. Maximus was supposed to run from the fight, not go headfirst into it. The plan was falling apart. I waited for Jerek. The explosion on the substation—it was our last hope. Come on, Jerek. It was only supposed to be a few minutes after the one in the city, but there was still nothing. Come on, Jerek. It was Kane’s only chance at getting the blondes out of the Pit. Still, nothing happened.
Gabe whirled me around and threw his arms around me. His pine and wood smoke scent lingered in my nostrils, and I stopped breathing so I didn’t have to smell the scent that was so much like home.
“Stay with the guards. They’ll keep you safe,” he said. “Stay in your room until I get back. I love you.” He kissed my cheek, his lips searing a hole in my skin.
Then, Maximus shot me one last look before they were gone, leaving me with Advisor Davis, Regina, Sam, and a dozen other soldiers. This wasn’t right—nothing was going as planned.
They rushed us down to the street and toward the estate. I waited. Jerek was going to follow through, and as soon as the world descended into darkness, I would be ready .
The orange flames from the burning buildings licked the night sky beyond the line of shops, and the smell of smoke permeated the air. I feared there were larger biases and deeper hatred that played more of a part than they should’ve tonight. Hatred was like a disease, infesting the hearts of people on both sides of the war, and only when they started finding more understanding in one another would it change.
We hurried down the street, and Regina stumbled before she righted herself. Advisor Davis helped her stand and clutched her hand tightly. The sickness from the poison will begin setting in thirty minutes to one hour after ingestion, but it may be four to five hours before the victim dies. Dr. Jones’s words echoed in my head. The poison that was meant to be a failsafe in our plan was now slowly killing Regina. I couldn’t say that I was too upset about her demise. I was angrier that it didn’t land on the intended target’s lips. Please, Jerek. It’s now or never.
My ability thrummed in the back of my skull. I waited and watched for the explosion. He was far too late, and I feared something had happened to him and Ryan. Our plan was falling apart around us, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
We drew closer to the estate, on the edge of the city, when I saw the smoke rising from the mansion as if someone had set it on fire as well.
“Fire!” a soldier shouted, and we paused. It was no longer safe to go to the estate.
I saw it a moment before it happened—the explosion that would rip apart the building to our right, sending a piece of shrapnel toward Sam’s head that would kill him on contact. I acted out of pure instinct .
“Sam!” I yelled and lunged for him the moment the noise and the impact of the explosion rattled my bones. My arms wrapped around his torso, and we fell to the ground as dust and debris rained down upon us, killing the soldiers that were closest to the building. We were stunned there for a moment, the world turning around us as we tried to get our bearings and make the ringing in our ears cease.
The earth tilted on its axis, and my head pitched to the side, pounding with the pain of the blow.
“Ash…” Sam was in front of my face, yelling, and I finally snapped back to reality. He clutched his bleeding head where the tip of the shrapnel had caught him. All he had was a cut rather than a gaping hole.
“Come on, we’ve gotta get out of here!” he shouted over the noise and the chaos happening in the street. Gunshots began echoing all around us, plus more explosions and fire demolishing the city. Men with masks covering their faces rushed toward us.
We huddled close together. Sam pulled his weapon from his holster, and I did the same, pulling the gun from the hiding place in my pants. We moved with brutal efficiency to the nearest building, running away from the mayhem and the men.
“Sam,” I said through rushed breaths, “are these your guys?”
He shook his still-bleeding head, wiping his bloody face with his shoulder. “I don’t think so, but I honestly don’t know for sure.”
“Where did Regina and your dad go?”
We both looked back to the street, where we had last seen them, and it didn’t look like they were in the pile of rubble. I assumed the soldiers got them away before the men in masks got to them. We ran onward, down the row of buildings until a man appeared out of one of them, calling to us through the smoke from the explosion. Sam instantly dropped his weapon, but I wasn’t convinced and held my aim steady on his chest as we quickly closed the distance between us.
“Caleb!” Sam shouted, and we charged into the building, closing the door behind us. Caleb had dust in his dark hair and a frantic look on his face as he looked us up and down. We crouched under the nearest window so we could peer outside.
“Are you alright?” Caleb asked.
We both nodded.
“Ash, this is Caleb,” Sam said. “He’s the head of the rebellion here in Hope.” It was a quick introduction before he rushed into the real question. “Are these our guys? What’s going on?”
“No, all our men were out by the bunker, besides the two that set off the first bomb, like we planned, but we can’t find Liam.”
My stomach lurched. What?
“I think it’s the Dark Rise, but they’re blaming it on the rebels. They’re trying to force the King into action against the blondes.”
“Your intel was garbage, Sam,” I said.
He wiped at the blood on his head again. “Apparently.”
“This was their plan all along. They never intended to kill me?” I asked.
“I’ve been following you all night, Ash,” Caleb answered. “I think that bomb was intended for you, but they failed. We need to get the hell outta here and regroup.”
More gunshots sounded, and there were shouts outside the door. “They went this way!” I heard someone yell. They were looking for us.
“The King knew,” I said.
“What?” They both turned their eyes away from the window to look at me .
“He knew this was coming. He knows more about the rebels than we thought. I don’t know how much he knows, but we need to get everyone out; we need to find Kane.”
“The Pit,” Caleb murmured. “I saw him right before he went in, but the power is still on. I doubt it worked. I don’t know if he got anyone out. Where did the King go?”
“He said he was going to play hero and see who was destroying his town, but I highly doubt it. Who the hell knows?” Sam ran his hand over his face in frustration. “Where are all the men now that were supposed to be at the bunker?”
“I don’t know. I imagine in the city, if the King never showed. They were angry and ready to fight.”
“Shit,” Sam muttered.
“Yeah… Shit. We need to get Ash outta here, now,” Caleb said, just as I saw a man in a mask creep closer to the building.
“If they are Dark Rise, where did they get guns?” I whispered.
“Where did you get yours?” Caleb asked, widening his eyes at the black weapon in my hand. “Someone on the inside.” He slid two long knives from sheaths on his back, gripping them in his hands with white knuckles. “Guns are the most sought-after commodity in Novum—most of us have had to learn to become more than efficient with other weapons.”
Two more men came closer to the building. “Search in here!” one shouted, pointing toward where we hid.
Sam cursed.
“Come on,” Caleb said.
We crawled toward the back of the building, but when Caleb cracked the door open, there were more masked men outside. There was nowhere to hide in here. It was a shop, full of trinkets lining the shelves, with a door in the front and one in the back. We crawled behind a case of tooled leather bracelets.
“We’re going to have to fight our way out,” Sam said, pulling out one of his guns and handing it to Caleb. “Stay behind me,” he said to me.
I shook my head. Like hell. “I’m not going to cower behind you while you risk your life for me.” I gripped the gun tighter in my hand.
His thin, deep brown eyes searched mine, then he nodded, swearing under his breath. “If this doesn’t get me killed, Kane will do the honors if he finds out I put you in danger.”
I scoffed. “You didn’t put me here.”
“Your gun only holds ten shots, Ash. Use them wisely. If Caleb or I go down, run like hell; do you understand?”
I nodded, but there was no chance I’d leave them.
The front door slammed into the wall when a man kicked it open. “Find them,” he ordered.
We stayed hidden behind the case, trying but failing to control our ragged breathing. Footsteps creaked on the wooden floor behind the case, and we all held absolutely still, praying that the men wouldn’t find us. My ability thrummed in my head, and I could see the man stepping around the case.
I gestured to Caleb, who was closest, and pointed right to where the man would step in only a moment. Caleb’s and Sam’s eyes widened, but they didn’t hesitate. Caleb stood silently, and when the man stepped around the corner, Caleb wrapped his arm around his throat, slicing his knife through the man’s jugular before he could even make a noise. Caleb eased him to the ground in front of us, and I locked my horror away in the recesses of my mind. This was no time for emotion .
As soon as he slumped to the ground, I ripped off his mask. He was Dark Rise—I recognized him from the meeting.
“Reynolds!” another man shouted. “Where’d you go?”
Silence.
“Reynolds!” Again. Silence.
Then a shrill whistle broke the silence. “In here,” the voice cried. Shit.
Dozens more footsteps sounded on the wooden floor. I looked at Sam. There’s no way out, I told him with my eyes, and he visibly gulped.
“Search between all the shelves and cases!”
Caleb and Sam looked at each other, their eyes full of meaning, as if this might be the last time they see each other. This couldn’t be it. I’d lived through hell, only to die in a shop in Hope.
Then Caleb and Sam stood, and the room exploded in gunfire.