Page 3 of A Kiss of Embers
“We agreed until someone better comes along. For both of us.”
Their friendship was a strange one. Not even his father understood it. Autumns, some days he didn’t understand it himself. Laughing. Flirting. Sometimes something more. But never any feelings. At the end of the day, Ashryn was his best friend. He enjoyed spending time with her. They did nearly everything together. Inseparable. But not actually in a coupley kind of way. But sort of, yes, at the same time.
“You’ll be waiting a long time then.” Those brown eyes lit up with amusement. “You’ll never find someone else.”
They cringed at the same time.
“Oh, Bastien. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“It’s fine.” He dropped her hand and scratched his nose to cover up the devastation in his expression until he managed to pull a grin from the deepest ravine of his soul. It didn’t matter that he was only twenty-two. He hated that any type of future wasn’t possible for him, including one that involved a wife and children. “I’ve made peace with it.”
Except, he hadn’t.
If his father, the chief in name only, ever left the settlement, the man would be killed. Bastien would never leave his father here by himself and, therefore, couldn’t leave.
And it was against the law for a half-breed like himself to marry and reproduce in Attleglade. He would be either banished or killed, along with his family. Someday, when his father died, Bastien would be killed shortly after to end their bloodline of chiefs and start another. Of course, he couldn’t let that happen. He just had to bide his time until then. And then he would figure out what to do.
The pity in her eyes told him she didn’t believe him.
“You are more than just a half-breed,” she insisted.
“But I’m not. You know as well as I do that there is little for me here.” Friends. Family. A future. Ashryn was his only friend, alongside a few hesitant acquaintances. Aside from his father, he’d have nothing if he lost her.
How pitifully sad.
At least she was a good friend.
He stooped to pinch a page that used to belong to a book and rubbed the soot between his fingers. He should be angry about losing his home and many of his belongings. But instead, a pit of sadness welled within him.
“They will kill her,” he murmured, glancing up at his friend. “That girl.”
He grimaced and hunched his shoulders. He should have escorted the Ember Fae to safety himself, despite her being the enemy. She couldn’t have been more than twelve years old. No child deserved to die in the feud between faekind.
“There is nothing you can do.”
But wasn’t there?
“I gave her more time to live by bringing her back to the settlement. I can’t help but wonder if I should have just let Gael kill her in the forest to give her a swift death.” He swallowed as he stood. “Now, they might do something terrible to her. What if they torture her?”
Ashryn didn’t refute him. Rather, she gnawed on her lip and stared over his shoulder. “Killing her would likely bring Ember Fae retaliation. Surely, the council is smart enough to let her go.”
Yet they shared a look, neither believing the council smart enough to makeanyrational decisions. No one except his father. But his father was wise enough to keep his mouth shut lest they maim anything other than his legs.
“Pardon me,” someone said at the charred doorway, followed by a cough. They spun around to face the Attleglade messenger. “Bastien, the council has sent for you. They expect you to arrive within the hour.”
With a dip of his head, the man disappeared, leaving dread in his wake.
“Ash.” He ran a hand over his face, the icy dread climbing his body until it settled in his chest. “What if they know what we did?”
More specifically, when they—mostly him—had snuck his sister into the Glades to enter the sacred healing pool in secret. If anyone found out, he would be punished, likely with a swift death. But he would deny Ashryn’s involvement to his very last breath if he must.
“They don’t,” she reassured with a hand on his arm. “It’s been months since Nyana was here. If they were to find out, they would have done so by now.”
“I hope you’re right.” He blew out a long breath, steeling his nerves, and then he resumed his teasing grin. “Save a tumble for me later?”
Her second shoe flew at him, but he ducked out the door before it made contact, his laughter filling the stuffy, burnt air.
But then he sobered as he made his way through the settlement. Enormous trees towered over him. Vibrant green grass and rich brown earth greeted each footfall. The scent of smoke lingered in the skies, blocking out the usual crisp forest air. Most Forest Fae with white hair and brown and green clothing ignored him as he passed, while others stared at him distrustfully.
