Page 34 of Ashes to Ashes

“What is that look?” Leviathan’s voice shook the floor beneath her feet. A reminder of his power.

“That is mine.”

“Then you would have to be a demoness,” his snarl followed behind as he whirled and stalked away.

Ashe’s heart raced as she watched the Leviathan retreat, his powerful steps shaking the very ground beneath her feet.

She knew he was wrong.

The necklace was hers. The ring was her mother’s, but the chain was hers from a necklace her father gifted her as a young lady. Now, in this hell, the ring and chain held a small part of her humanity in this hellish place. It was the only thing she had left from the life she once knew, and she had clung to it tightly.

Seeing it and then losing it once more left a hollow hole in her chest.

Ashe forced in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her thoughts raced as memories flooded her mind. Memories of her old life before she was sold into slavery by her stepmother to pay off a debt that wasn’t even hers.

The scent of burning wood filled the air, making her nose twitch as she remembered fireside nights with warmth and stories. A sharp pain pierced through her chest at the thought of never feeling that comfort again. But there was no time for sorrow now. She had to focus on escaping this wretched realm.

Leviathan’s words taunted her, a lingering echo of a conversation that should hold no importance.

Doubt and despair flickered in the air around them, their dark presences mocking her as if they hovered close by. She shook her head, trying to banish their whispers. No matter what he said or how much he doubted her, she knew in her heart that this was hers. And if he wouldn’t accept that, well she would prove him wrong by wearing the damn thing once again.

The air held on to his scent, It was musky like a predator who’d been on the hunt for days and yet also sweetly addictive like forbidden fruit. His dark wings cast ominous shadows against the walls behind him, and then disappeared shortly before the thud of the heavy door as he exited.

“My necklace and ring are enchanted,” Ashe spoke to no one, as if she could will it into the prince’s consciousness. “If he doesn’t believe that, how will I ever leave this cell to steal my kiss?”

Ashe’s chest heaved as she tried to calm her racing heart. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the feel of the cool, thin chain resting against her neck - of the smooth gold under her fingers.

When it failed to provide solace, Ashe opened her eyes and stood up from her spot in the corner. Ashe gritted her teeth to avoid letting out a frustrated scream. The weight of Leviathan’s words, his lack of belief, seemed to press down on her shoulders like a boulder.

Leviathan’s scent still lingered heavily in the air—he was a dominating presence even when he wasn’t there. It was intoxicating yet repulsive all at once; like roses and blood mixed with rot. His absence left behind a hollow ache inside of her that seemed to reverberate with every beat of her heart.

She turned her head slowly, eyes roaming the small cell, seeking solace in the dim light of an old lantern hanging fromthe rusted nail on the wall. It barely gave off any light, but it was enough to cast shadows that danced across the damp walls and cold floor of her prison. She took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. This wasn’t right.

The silence was deafening as she waited for him to return. Every sound amplified by the emptiness of the room, bringing her hope of his return. Even when she knew the noises were little more than rats scurrying.

Tears burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not now, not when there was still so much at stake. She had hoped that Leviathan would be as intrigued that she’d been there as she’d been to learn her inner strength. But no, she was just another pawn in his twisted game.

Ashe was going to die in this dank cell because it was the only choice. She would not spend the rest of her days locked up here, hoping and praying the day might come when a demon grew a heart.

CHAPTER 18

Ashe huddled in the dank, dimly lit dungeon cell, her trembling body pressed against the frigid stone wall. Her once vibrant red hair hung lifelessly around her ashen face, the glow in her ice blue eyes extinguished by fear and despair.

How had her life come to this? Sold into a world of demons, forced into servitude, and now locked away in a dungeon for a crime she couldn’t possibly have committed.

“Because you’re human.”

The weight of everything crashed over her in the darkness. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall, knowing that she needed to remain strong if she ever wanted to escape this nightmare. She hadn’t seen anyone in days, but food always came. She would keep her strength and spirits up as best as she could.

She’d murdered her captor once, and while she couldn’t imagine hurting Leviathan after the way he made her body sing, she would do it if it was the only way to escape. She would run until she found another prince.

Another kiss.

The idea of touching any but Leviathan in that way seemed to upset her, but that wasn’t possible.

Everything about the situation was unreal. She longed for the days of simply tending to tea and attending court before her stepmother dwindled their fortune in her quest for power.

If Ashe ever escaped she wasn’t certain she could even go back to the life she’d been trying to run to. Blood tarnished her soul, but it was the way she craved people’s eyes on her that was worrisome. Would it vanish when she left the realm?

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