Page 69 of Ash and Roses

“That doesn’t mean he’s gone,” I say, though my words are laced in false hope. The sheer pain in her eyes tells me everything I need to know. If she says Ruben is dead, then he’s dead.

“Tess,” Quinn says softly, bringing her gaze back to him. He’s so gentle as he holds the quavering woman against him, but there’s a fury building deep inside him just waiting to be unleashed. “What was happening before…” He can’t finish the question, due to either the pain it causes the woman or the pain it causes him.

“He was following the strangers.”

Strangers? So Jade wasn’t alone.

“How many?” Quinn asks through a tight jaw.

“I don’t know. I don’t—” she cuts off with another wail.

Quinn stands and turns to the gathering of people who have formed around us. I hadn’t even noticed that we’re no longer alone, but I shouldn’t be surprised they came at the sound of Tess’ distress. “Prepare yourselves for battle.”

“Is it Lunae?” a nearby woman quips.

“I don’t know. Be ready for anything.”

Quinn takes a step away, but I plant myself in front of him and lay a hand on his chest. “Tell me you’re not going after them.”

“Is that all you’re worried about? What I’ll do to your huntsman?” There’s hurt in his eyes, and it’s not just for Ruben. He takes another step, but again I block him.

“I’m worried about you.” He stops trying to get away from me and meets my gaze for the first time. I’m still furious with him, but anger isn’t the only thing I feel for this man. “I wouldn’t have left,” I tell him, and I know without a doubt that my words are true. Jade meant the world to me once, and he might still, but as much as the foolish man in front of me pisses me off every chance he gets, I can’t deny that there’s a part of me that loves him.

In the time it takes me to blink, his hands cup my face and his lips press against mine. He backs me up until we press up against a wall, and all I can feel is his warmth against me. There’s desperation in this kiss as if losing Ruben is tearing at his heart and I’m the only thing keeping it from breaking entirely.

He pulls away, and the way he stares into my eyes has my own heart feeling like it might shatter. Why does this feel like a goodbye? “Please don’t go,” I beg.

“I have to.”

“Then I’m coming with you.” He looks as if he wants to refuse, but I touch a finger to his lips to keep him silent. “You can’t keep me locked away.”

He reaches under his shirt, pulls out a knife, and presses it flat against my chest, willing me to take it. “Pointy end in,” he says, and I nod.

Before either of us can say anything else, a scream sounds from somewhere outside and then a warning reaches us. “We’re under attack!”

“Get the children and anyone who can’t fight down to the dungeons,” Quinn barks over a flurry of panicked voices. “Everyone else, with me until we know what we’re up against.”

I’ve never seen so many weapons drawn, and for a moment I envision myself back at the Lunar Hunt—only instead of a stampede of forest creatures headed our way, an unknown enemy lays just beyond the barricaded castle doors. I can’t imagine that Jade is behind this. He would have no reason to hurt Ruben, and unless he brought the Marked with him, he’d have no army to speak of.

There’s commotion just outside the door, and Quinn holds up a hand for silence. I expect to hear the explosive thud of a battering ram, but instead there’s an entirely different explosion. Orange flame consumes the massive wooden doors, sparking wildly and spreading to nearby curtains and decor as if possessed by the need to destroy everyone and everything inside this castle. Something hits the doors and the weakened wood explodes in a shattering of splinters.

For only the briefest moment, there’s nothing but stillness, but before I can even pull in a breath, chaos ensues as people dressed in silver and black uniforms storm the castle.

Guardians.

But how? Why? I don’t stop to voice my questions as I drive my knife into the chest of the first Guardian that gets close to me. He falls at my feet, and the nod of approval Quinn gives me before bringing down two Guardians of his own has my heart swelling. He’s not hovering by my side, and the fact that he’s trusting me to hold my own means more to me than he probably realizes. I know he’ll get to me in an instant if I need his help, but he’s giving me the chance to defend myself.

That said, there’s not a person here who would make the mistake of putting me on even footing with any of the trained fighters here, so I keep to the back of the room, meaning to engage with anyone who makes it by Quinn and the brave men and women who fight beside him. Both sides seem evenly matched in numbers, which strikes me as odd. Lunae has hundreds of Guardians, so why are there only about fifty here? If my father is behind this, why would he not send everyone to wipe out Rosewood the same way he wiped out Marein? Is this a war he thought would be won so easily?

I watch in horror as one of Quinn’s people takes a sword to the gut and collapses in a pool of his own blood. Quinn sees it too, and the guttural roar of unbridled rage that he expels could have shaken the castle. In a heartbeat, he’s by the fallen soldier’s side and slices the head of the Guardian clean from his shoulders with a single swing of his blade. I’ve never seen Quinn fight with anything but hands and teeth, but he’s no stranger to a sword. I bet he could have even posed an actual threat to the Commander.

That thought has my mind questioning everything as I bring down another Guardian. Someone has to be leading this army, but before I can even think who, a small shriek captures my attention. I whip around towards the stairs that lead up to the second floor, and see Fern running from a Guardian who’d somehow gotten past our defences. Why isn’t she hiding in the dungeon with the other children?!

‘Quinn.’His eyes snap to me the instant I think his name. At first, I think the distraction will endanger him, but he has no trouble landing a fatal blow on his opponent with his eyes locked on me.‘Fern is in trouble. I’m going after her.’

His eyes sweep over the flood of Guardians still flowing through the flaming threshold.‘I can’t come with you.’

‘No one asked you to.’When he turns back to me, I flash him a half-smile before bolting up the stairs and after my little friend.

---