A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1) (20 page)

“Julian won’t want to do anything,” he said, dropping his gaze to his hands. “For centuries we’ve lay hidden under the mortal’s eyes. We did everything in our power to keep the sanctuary of our existence and our individual lives hidden. An attack like this can destroy half of the mortal population in a few days. What if it starts on immortals like us? Like the attack on Shelly. We can’t just sit by and do nothing. We just can’t do this alone.”

“Jace, I’m sorry—”

He held up his hand, silencing her. “I’m not saying it to place blame on you, Ariya. Far from it.”

“What if it knows I’m here? What if this is how it’s trying to bring me out in the open to attack?”

Jace shrugged. “It should be able to find you if it found Shelly like that I imagine.”

Ariya shook her head. “Shelly wasn’t its intended victim. Jace—” She leaned forward to pull herself up. Bad idea. The pain returned to her stomach muscles and she winced, trying to grab for something to support her.

Jace rounded the side of the couch and was at her side in less than a second. He wrapped his arms around her, anchoring her body to sit up. “Easy now.” His body stayed close, his face dangerously near to hers.

“Jace, do not make the mistake of thinking this thing can’t get into your world. If anything, I believe that is where we went wrong. We thought no one knew about us and we tried to keep it hidden away. Now look what happened. My sisters died and I almost died because we lived in a bubble thinking that we were immune and hidden away from the outside world. We’re not anymore. And it took heavy deaths and losses to find that out. You can stop this before your people suffer as mine now do.”

Jace lowered his gaze, deep in thought. She was right. He had been running all of his life ever since his father died. Two battles waged within him and as he looked at Ariya, he knew she was right. He gently caressed her cheek and smiled. He reached into his jacket pocket, took out his cellphone and punched in the numbers. With a gentle pat on Ariya’s leg, he pushed off the couch and paced the room, waiting for the other end to pick it. When it went straight to voicemail, he sighed.

“Uncle Julian. It’s Jace. I don’t know if you’ll get this tonight, but I’ll be downtown at the corner of Sweetwater and 8th near the open construction site with Ariya. We’re going to destroy this thing ourselves. If you get this message tomorrow, well I apologize—and I hope to see you yet again.”

The voicemail beeped softly on the other end.

Jace tapped the end button and slid the phone into his pocket. He wandered by the cordless phone still sitting in pieces near his front door. He promised himself he would get to it tomorrow, if they were still alive.

“Are you afraid to die, Jace?” Ariya’s voice filtered into the room, breaking into his thoughts.

“It’s funny. When you live so long eluding death, you come to make peace with it.”

“And you have?”

He shrugged. “I thought so,” he said, rejoining her on the couch.

She shifted her position to lean against his chest as he wrapped an arm around her. Her wings softly fluttered on her back before resting as they folded down.

“I think I know what you’re going to do.” Ariya lifted her gaze toward him. “And I’m ready.”

“I’m not going to let it hurt you,” he said softly.

She chuckled. “Careful Jace, you sound like you actually care.”

As she sat up, her smile slowly disappeared as she read his expression. “You’re serious.”

“Julian is ready to sacrifice anything and anyone on the outside to keep us all safe. I just can’t.”

“Even though it’s just me? The member of a race that most mortals and you didn’t even know existed?”

“I know you exist. And despite turning things upside down here, I’ve gotten kinda used to you being around.”

Ariya smiled. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. Besides it puts a nail in my coffin having a girl hanging around when I bring my lady guests up. I mean, how’s that going to look?”

She playfully punched him in the gut.

“Ow!” Jace yelped with a smile. He pulled her close until their faces were a mere inches apart. His body warmed with the nearness of hers. From the smell of her, he could already tell her blood was sweet like nectar. Her heart beat quickened and he sensed the rapid nature of her pulse beneath her beautiful cocoa skin. He ached to taste her just once. For now, he would gladly settle for a sweet kiss from her full lips.

Jace leaned in to claim Ariya’s lips with his own. He felt her breath quicken and then halt with anticipation for his lips upon hers.

A knock at the door froze their movement just as their lips brushed one another’s. Jace was tempted to remain there with her in his arms, tucked away from the rest of the world. As the rapid knocking grew, he knew that the intruder wouldn’t give them the chance so easily.

“Jace! Open up! It’s Rich!” the voice said on the other line.

Jace sighed and lowered his head. Peeking up at Ariya, he could tell from the giggle she tried to stifle that she shared his wish for their stolen alone time.

“Look at it this way,” she said patting his chest. “Maybe he’s come to make peace with you.”

“Either that or the moon was swallowed whole and the pack is having an identity crisis.”

With a kiss on her forehead, Jace forced himself toward the door. He opened it to find Rich standing with a humble, boyish smile on his strong face.

“Well, well. Look what the doggies dragged in,” Jace sneered. “Or is it kicked out?”

“You gonna make me sit outside here all night? Your neighbors already think we’re weird.”

Jace followed Rich’s gaze to the older lady across the hall sneaking nosy glances their way. With a smirk, he backed up to let Rich inside, smacking Rich’s rear loudly before he leaned against the door facing the older woman. Jace raised his eyebrows flirtatiously, puckered his lips and blew the woman a kiss. The older lady’s mouth dropped open and she scoffed before slipping back into her apartment.

“With mortal age comes the immense need for childish charms,” Jace smiled, closing the door. “Like a fine wine, sweetens with maturity.”

“You’re twisted, man, you know that?” Rich sneered. “I should deck you for that little move.”

Jace walked by, smiling as he patted Rich’s cheek. “Don’t even think about it or you’ll have to answer to my neighbor.”

Ariya folded her arms, shaking her head. “Rich, I thought you were angry with Jace.”

Rich stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I was and that’s the reason I came. I wanted to apologize. Especially for the way I treated you earlier. I had to put on an appearance for them. There have been some things on my mind stressing me out and I also kind of took them out on you.”

“Oh?” Jace pursed his lips as he settled back on the couch arm and folded his arms. “I thought you were just being a pissy pack leader and all.”

“Come on, Jace! I’m being serious here.”

Jace burst out laughing and tried to nod through his fit. “All right, all right. Seriously then, what’s going on? Besides pack business since that’s always off limits, it appears.”

“That’s just it. It is pack biz. But I promise soon I’ll be able to tell you.”

Jace cleared his throat, growing serious before he continued. “Well, I’m glad you did swing by because we’re going to need your help getting rid of this elemental thing.”

Rich’s eyes widened in surprise. “You and me?”

“Well,” Ariya stood up, fluttering her wings. “And one eager Fairy.”

“I should probably call Vex and tell him to cancel Monday Night Football then.”

Jace tried to stifle a snicker. “I take it he doesn’t know you’re here?”

“Are you kidding? I’d seriously be kicked out the pack if he did. On the other hand, I know the severity of this situation and I want to help. I just heard on the news they’re closing down the hospitals. The infection doubled since last night. Do you have any idea how to get rid of this thing?”

Jace turned to Ariya. “I may have an idea. It may be able to feed off all of our energies, namely Ariya’s since she’s its target and shares a psychic connection with it.”

“You guys sure about that?” Rich’s gaze volleyed between looking at Jace and Ariya. “You sure this can work?”

“Only one way to find out.” Jace grabbed his jacket from the couch and headed for the door.

Ariya remembered herself under Rich’s gaze and quickly folded her wings behind her back.

“Hey.” As she walked by, Rich gently grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. His posture relaxed a little while his eyes focused everywhere but on her as he tried to find his words. Ariya fought hard not to chuckle although she found his awkwardness endearing. “I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry for the way I treated you when we first met. I was out of line.”

Ariya nodded. “To say the least.” She softened her words with a giggle. “But I do appreciate the apology.”

“Say, um,” he moved closer to her and lowered his voice to a whisper. “You really care about him, don’t you?”

“Who? Him?” Ariya sneered as she pointed at Jace.

“Hey guys I can still hear you, you know!”

Rich fell in step behind Ariya, both heading for the door trying to hide their smiles.

* * * *

Ariya sat silently deep within her thoughts as Jace drove them to the site. She was lost in the rhythmic vibrations of the sleek black BMW Volga Roadster. Much different than the slower, softer limousine they had taken. She peered through the tinted windows and watched the streets pass by. She had to wonder at all this new technology and architecture that had taken the place of natural landscapes. Were the inhabitants of this time more content with easier travel? Did they enjoy the aesthetics of boxed constructions lined against the landscape instead of green hills and valleys?

Then it dawned on her. If this experiment of Jace’s worked, she would have no reason to stay here anymore. This wasn’t her world so much as it was there’s. A strange ache in her heart clouded her thoughts as she leaned against the seat and folded her arms.

Internally, Ariya goaded herself to take a step back. These past few days had been comfortable, almost like home in Jace’s presence. She had to remind herself, this wasn’t her world. Her realm was waiting for her to get back home in one piece. If they succeeded in destroying it, she needed to return back to her home and forget what happened here. It was best she focus on the task at hand.

She turned to Jace but he remained silent as the shadows. Spotlights danced across his handsome features. Maybe she had successfully cloaked her mind this time. Or maybe his thoughts were as crowded as hers that he was distracted from listening in on hers.

Then as she thought this, he lifted his head to look at the rear view mirror where Rich followed behind them in his
Kawasaki
motorcycle. How he balanced himself on such a device with two wheels, she would never know.

“You okay over there?” Jace’s voice pulled her out of her concentration.

Ariya nodded quickly. “Just want to get this over with as quickly as possible.”

“We should be there in no time. Just a few blocks to go.”

The few blocks felt like a lifetime before they finally came to the site. Jace turned into the construction clearing and parked on an empty side of the road with Rich in tow. Ariya’s heart was beating so fast, she feared it would jump straight out of her chest and onto the ground below. She climbed out of the car and turned when she heard another vehicle roar by and ease into a stop near Jace and Rich. She noted the silver horse on the fender of a Roush Mustang. Her thoughts were confirmed when a dark, striking handsome well built man stepped out from the car, tying the buttons on his dark charcoal jacket suit over a black satin shirt. A smile crossed his handsome face as he met the other three.