Page 1 of Born of Blood and Ash

CHAPTER ONE

Ash’s voice coaxed me from sleep. Feeling mypounding heartbeats slow, I forced a dry, almost painful swallow. My throatfelt like I’d been screaming for days—years, even. But I hadn’t screamed sincethe City of the Gods. Not since Dalos.

Cool lips brushed my cheek, and I immediately rolled towardthe comfort of a long, hard body. An arm lifted, giving me the space to nestleagainst his chest.

All the tension left me as I relaxed into him. That was hiseffect on me. I calmed. Every part of me.

Letting my hand rest against his side, I pressed my lips tothe hollow of his throat. “I didn’t mean to doze off.”

Ash’s lips brushed the top of my head. “It’s okay, liessa.”

Something beautiful.

Something powerful.

Every damn time he spoke that word, it washed over me like agentle caress, filling my heart with an acute sense of belonging, of beingwanted and cherished—two things I’d spent my whole life desperately wanting tofeel.

“You were dreaming,” he said quietly.

My stomach clenched. Had I shouted something? Was that whymy throat felt scratchy? “I…I was?”

There was a pause. “You don’t remember?”

“No,” I lied, my skin prickling. “Was I, like, doingsomething weird?”

His lips coasted over my forehead once more. “No, liessa. You were just restless.”

Oh, thank the gods.

I snuggled into him, trying to turn him into my personalcooling blanket. “How long was I asleep?”

“Not long at all.” Ash folded his arm over my waist. “Lessthan thirty minutes.”

Nuzzling the crook of his neck, I smiled. “Why do I have afeeling you’re lying?”

“Because I am.”

A raspy laugh left me, and his arm flexed, brieflytightening around me. “So, you were just trying to make me feel better aboutfalling asleep after being in stasis for days?”

“The kind of sleep you experienced isn’t necessarilyrestful,” he explained with a level of patience I wasn’t even remotely capableof. “Not when the body is going through such drastic changes.” He paused. “AndI haven’t really allowed you to rest upon waking either.”

Memories—some sweet and others downright scandalous—of thehours after I’d awakened from stasis rose and caused my toes to curl. “I’m notat all complaining about my lack of rest.”

A darkly sensual chuckle teased the top of my head. “Ididn’t think you were.” A hint of unadulterated male smugness had crept intohis tone. “But the Ascension does take its toll. You need your rest.”

“I don’t feel like I need to be resting,” I denied, speakingdirectly against the chest I was still plastered to.

“You should.” He worked a knee between mine, managing to geteven closer. “We have time. We have as much time as you need.”

Time? What a funny concept. Sure, we had it, but how much?Not nearly enough. And we’d already spent quite a bit of it in bed, kissing,tasting, fucking, and making love while ignoring the realm beyond the bed.

Ignoring what awaited us.

And while I wanted nothing more than to remain in this placewhere nothing could touch us, unease bubbled beneath my skin. We had so much todeal with, and neither of us was prepared for most of it.

Starting with what I had become.

Ash’s head turned slightly, and he pressed his lips againstmy bare shoulder, his fingers tangling in the curls there. “Have I told you howbeautiful your hair is?” he asked.

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