A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1) (42 page)

For a moment, her mind went back to Julian, the moment he gave up the love of his life. Despite his reluctance to protect her within the Ashen Twilight House, she couldn’t fault him. Perhaps he was protecting Jace from falling into a similar fate. This was different. She hoped he would bless their union as she planned to live and love alongside Jace while ruling in the Aziza realm.

Ariya opened her mouth to speak when Jace pulled her close to him.

“Jace—” Ariya began.

“Hmm?”

He peered down at her for but a moment. Ariya then saw the bright lights of the oncoming car before it collided against them.

“Watch out!” she screamed.

It was too late.

The
Volga
was pushed into a tailspin that slammed Jace and Ariya’s bodies against the dashboard.

Metal grinded against metal and the loud screech of the tires were the only sound in the air. The moment seemed to last a lifetime before the car slammed against the nearest streetlight pole. Ariya couldn’t move until she felt Jace’s hand on her back.

“Ariya,” his voice cracked with weakness. “You okay?”

She nodded slowly as she looked up. A deep cut from his forehead was gushing blood. It took a moment to slowly heal itself back to his skin.

“I’m fine.” She gently caressed his forehead in the location of the former abrasion. “How about you?”

“Good so far.” He took her hand and gave it a gentle kiss before turning his attention toward the smoking vehicle that crashed into them.

“What? What is—” Sensing Jace sniffing the air, she followed suit and smelled a stench that sent warning bells within her. Death.

“No one’s in the car up ahead,” Jace said squinting his eyes. “I can still sense someone near.”

“Shifter Rens?”

Jace’s teeth extended into fangs as he emitted a low warning growl. In the darkness ahead, a bat cut through the air heading straight for the car’s front window. When it got close, a beam of light flashed and in moments a man appeared with long, scraggly hair down his back. Ariya remembered him right away. Raine. His bright yellow eyes glowed with tenacity of evil intentions. He smiled, baring a set of aged yellow teeth before lifting his arm and punching a hole through the glass, shattering it. He reached in to grab Jace and pull him up by the collar and out of the front of the car.

Ariya struggled to reach for him despite sensing the passenger door ripped open to her right. A pair of massive, thick hands reached in and grabbed her. She met the hard figure with tight fists as she struggled to watch Jace thrown into a group of Rens waiting on the sidelines.

“Jace! No!”

He turned toward the sound of her voice and tried to get up, but was meant with a hard kick to the stomach by a nearby Ren.

Ariya felt helpless as her captor’s hands tightened on her. She summoned all her anger to a tangible power growing in her hands.

“Ah-ah,” Raine’s thick voice worked as he turned to her. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

He gestured to his buddies to haul Jace up and hold his arms down.

“You let her go and I promise I’ll spare your lives later,” Jace growled. His bright eyes darkened as he focused on the Ren holding Ariya.

Raine roared with laughter followed by his buddies chuckling around them. “That’s a good one. We do have use for your pretty little Fairy here.”

Jace roared with a primal urge as he used his captors as a boost to lift up and kick Raine’s lanky form backward toward the ground. He flipped backward, freeing his arms to knock away the two next to him before rushing over to Ariya.

A wave of relief crept over her, but it was short lived as she felt a long, cold blade against her neck. The Ren behind her laughed and she had to summon all power inside not to try anything.

“Go with your gut, Ariya,”
Jace said in her mind.
“At least until we see what they want.”

“Back up Princie boy,” the Ren said behind her.

Jace did as he was told and fell into his captor’s hold. Raine finally recovered as he slowly moved to his feet.

“Now that one’s going to cost you,” he said before cracking his fist against Jace’s jaw.

Ariya felt her stomach turn as she watched, feeling the Ren’s body vibrate with a chuckle of glee behind her.

“Take her to the hideout while we take care of him,” Raine ordered.

“You got it,” the one behind her answered.

Ariya felt her body hauled away but her mind was still on Jace. She caught sight of dozens of rats scampering across the concrete ground toward Jace and Raine. In mere seconds they were in human form, readying themselves to pound into Jace. The sound of knuckles pounding bone and skin invaded the air. Ariya couldn’t take her eyes off the scene as she was pulled toward the waiting car. The Rens circled around Jace, punching him in the face and gut until he lost his balance and they took turns kicking and kneeing him; holding his body up when he would fall limp. Tears blurred Ariya’s vision as her body grew hot like fire as she felt every hit from the beating consuming her like a choking shadow.

“Jace!” Two more Rens climbed out of the car and raced to grab her and hold her still as they forced her in the back seat. “No!”

From the back of the vehicle, she could still see the Rens surrounding him as they continued to try to knock him unconscious. Ariya bit her lip as she jumped toward the window and with a hard fist broke through the glass. She raised her hand and sent waves of fire toward the group they left behind. Three immediately lit up in flames. Ariya tried to raise her other hand when she felt a back blow to the head, knocking her toward the floor. She felt dazed, almost like she wanted to throw up from the dull pounding in her head.

“I told you not to try anything,” the Ren to her right said. “Now that’s going to cost you.”

“Where are you taking me?” she managed to say through short breaths. The car revved up. Ariya felt her body jostled from either side as two Rens took a seat next to her.

“Stupid twit jacked up my window,” she heard one say.

“I said, where are you taking me?” she asked again.

They ignored her in their silence as they watched the streets pass by outside the window.
If they want to play like that, very well.
She slid back on her seat and kept part of her attention on the streets outside but nothing looked familiar. She took a deep breath, knowing she had one chance to make this right.

Feeling the energy surge from deep within her, the glow illuminated her skin even more.

“What the—” said the Ren next to her.

Ariya lifted her hands and crossed her arms out in front of her, sending a flame of fire toward the driver and ripples of energy toward the front passenger. The driver screamed at an ear splitting pitch as the vehicle veered out of control. His body was slowly consumed with flames while his partner’s body fell limp against the dashboard.

“Get the wheel! Get the wheel!” the Ren next to Ariya’s right side yelled.

She watched the other next to her leap toward the front to move the screaming, flaming Ren out of the way so he could take control of the wheel. Ariya tried to leap toward the door but felt the hands behind her grab her hair and yank backwards.

“Oh no you don’t!” the Ren on her other side yelled over the commotion.

A searing pain shot through her scalp like needles as she tried to gain her balance.

“You need to calm down for now.”

She tried to move when she felt his hand grab her chin and hold it in place. A moment later, the car finally got on track as she felt a thin needle invade her neck. The substance poured itself into her bloodstream and, in seconds, her eyes grew heavier and heavier until her vision blurred and she gave into the waiting darkness.

Chapter 15

Highlands,
Scotland
— 1443

“
C
ome closer, my lovely lass. Mmmm. Yer skin, like warm milk I could drink for days.”

“Nay, Laird Archane. I was not borne of noble blood as you. I am but a showpiece to feed your creative—” Her hand slipped onto the hardness between his legs. “Strength.”

Jace Archane thrust his hips into her grip, moaning from the shock of pleasure shooting throughout his body. She wasn’t of noble blood. Still he wanted her nonetheless. Unlike the women of the court draped in propriety until the shields of their desire faded away from public eyes—she was uninhibited in advertising her wares wherever she went.

His hand slipped over her bare, cream skin alongside of her thigh. Throughout the lesson he was trying to control his need to take her there right that moment. Every stroke of his brush that caressed her body, creating a likeness of her on his canvas mocked the reality of what he really wanted to do to her.

And now he had the chance. He reveled in the idea as he gently kissed the nape of her neck. His hard body beneath the open long white shirt and loose dark trews pressed her against the wall. Despite his actions, he still kept an ear out for any footsteps that might approach. His father was probably somewhere about the castle while his teacher would be back any moment.

The thrill of being caught any moment nearly sent him over the edge.

Then distant footsteps broke into the air. The hairs on his neck stood up on edge and the look of fear on the woman’s eye caught his attention. He led her out of the hall and into the large open drawing room
lit by the brightness of the sun high in the sky.

He took his place on the draped stool in front of his half finished canvas and gestured what position he needed her in.

Her body convulsed rapidly in various poses as her wide eyes remained on him. He had to stifle a chuckle from the image of a wide eyed porcelain doll that popped in his mind.

“There now, young Jacinus. Your father should be down to see your progress. I told him you were coming along well with yer—” The older bearded man froze once he saw the half finished painting. “What is this? I left many moments prior still y’linger near the beginning! Now I know I shan’t be likened to your beloved paint’rs but I can believe I still have some amount of artistic direction to hasten your progress faster than a snail!”

The teacher looked up at the model. Jace had to give it to her, she was trying her best not to smile or move but the blush in her cheeks and the wide focused expression in her eyes confessed of their encounter.

Jace saw his teacher turn back at him out of the corner of his eye. He opened his mouth to speak when another voice broke into the room.