Page 44 of Ashes

Fire. Flames. Heat. The boy screams. He wakes in hospital. Burns all over his body. Nurses slather him with cream while he cries for his sister. “Nova,” he sobs. “Where is Nova?”

White light blinds me. I can’t see. When it clears, the boy is older. A gangly teenager with dark curly hair. Someone is yelling at him. He’s in a basement. Dark, cold. A foot hits his ribs. He falls back and curls into a ball. “We’re done. First thing tomorrow, you’re out of here.” The door at the top of the stairs closes. Darkness swallows the boy whole.

22

TANNER

Mack and Luther haul Kole away from Nova and throw him to the floor. Blood drips down his chin. His eyes are black, his chest rising and falling. The entire room swims in a dancing orange light. On the bed, Nova’s skin is glowing. As she sits up, it fades.

Luther turns on the lights.

Nova reaches for me. I sweep her sticky hair from her neck. Congealed blood pools around the bite wound. Next to the first. Bigger and deeper this time.

“What the fuck?” Luther stares at me. “What the fuck happened?”

“I was asleep.” I look from Nova to Kole. I felt him come to bed. Felt them touching each other. I was enjoying it, ready for round two. I didn’t think for a second—

“The voice.” Nova clambers out of the bed. I try to stop her, but she pulls away from me. She walks to Kole and drops to her knees in front of him.

Luther moves to pull her away, but Mack holds up his hand. “Wait,” he says, studying the pair of them.

“The voice… did you hear it?” She runs her thumb along Kole’s lips.

“I heard it.” Kole nods at her.

“Did you see?” He looks at her neck. His entire body shudders. Outside, the sound of a tree falling makes us all jump.

“I saw.”

Kole staggers to his feet, pulling Nova up with him. “Tell them,” he says, pressing her into Mack’s arms. “I need…” He pauses. “Tell them.”

Then he heads for the stairs and disappears. Immediately, Luther jogs after him. “Kole…” he shouts. The front door slams.

Mack ushers Nova to the bed and sits her down. I fetch my bag and start pulling out disinfectant.

“What did you see?” Mack asks her.

Nova closes her eyes. Her eyelids twitch, like whatever it is she’s still seeing it. When she opens them, she says, “Sam. I saw Sam. Exactly like Sarah said. His mother dying, him and me…” She frowns and pinches the bridge of her nose. “So much of it,” she says. “His life, but in miniature snippets.” She looks at Mack. “And the voice. I heard it again. It said,find the wolf.” She reaches for Mack’s hands and clasps them between his, her shoulders shaking as a shiver rocks her body.

I grab a blanket and wrap it around her. “Did you see where he is now?” I ask.

“No. I saw him in a basement. He was maybe sixteen years old. Someone was being cruel to him. Very cruel. They told him he had to leave.” She pulls the blanket closer. “That was the last thing I saw.”

* * *

While I finish fixing up Nova’s damaged throat, Mack goes to find Kole to see if he saw the same thing Nova did.

“I’m sorry.” Her fingers go to her throat.

“Did you want him to?” I ask, pulling her back into my arms as we lean onto the pillows.

“Yes.” She’s sitting between my legs, stroking my forearm. “Ineededhim to.” She tilts her head but winces a little at the sensation. “Is it the blood bond?”

I stroke her hair and kiss her forehead. “Probably.”

“And is that why Kole doesn’t turn? Like he did before? After the red room?”

I squeeze her tight but don’t answer; the truth is I have no idea. Nothing about this makes sense.

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