Born of Blood and Ash

I couldn’t.

I couldn’t break.

I wouldn’t.

My lungs seized. There was no air as the chasm that had cracked open in the Dying Woods split wide, sending a rush of every emotion through me. But it wasn’t the long-buried pain and loneliness that rose, rearing its head and taking shape like a wraith that haunted every thought. It was anger, sorrow, and shame that coated my skin like thick, choking oil. The fury of being made helpless. The sorrow of all those who had come before me and the control, freedom, and everything else Kolis had taken from me—from us. The godsdamn shame I knew—I fucking knew—shouldn’t be mine but still was because that fucking voice in the back of my head whispered that I should’ve been smarter when I dealt with Kolis. I should’ve prepared myself better. I should’ve been stronger. If I had, I could’ve handled Kolis better. I would’ve realized that The Star was above me the whole time. I would’ve freed Ash sooner. If I had been stronger, he never would have felt my desperation and torn at his flesh to get to me. If I was stronger, there wouldn’t still be a piece of me locked in that cage.

I would’ve been able to deal with this. Would have gotten over it.

All of it was too much.

My throat sealed. Panicked, I started to back away. I couldn’t breathe.

I needed to get away from here—from it. I had to. I had to. I had—

The panic was snuffed out instantly, crushed by something feral and powerful. Instinct took over, and it was primal. Ancient. Wild.

And it wanted out. Needed to take back control.

Ash’s eyes were wide and bright—too bright. “I’ve got you,” he swore. “Always.”

I could feel that wild, primal, ancient thing inside me stretching, and I knew it understood Ash’s words.

A hum suddenly filled my ears. My blood. Heat swamped every part of my body. I noticed Ash’s mouth moving and his features sharpening until I saw the pores of his skin and the faint shadows beneath it. I saw the blood pumping in the veins of his neck as a distant rumble jerked his head toward the balcony doors. My skin vibrated. Every part of me buzzed, and in the back of my mind, I knew something was happening.

Something was changing inside me.

A fire hit my flesh, filling my mouth with the taste of blood and ash. My chest rumbled as the vibration intensified. Gold-tinged silver light dots appeared on my hands and arms, and then they were everywhere.

Pain flared along the sides of my face as my jaw stretched and expanded, peeling my lips back. Canines grew. My nose flattened. My body spasmed, doubling me over. My lips peeled back more as my jaw popped out of its socket. My knees cracked and changed shape. My fingers shrank and thickened. Strands of silver-tipped gold fur sprang from my flesh, rapidly covering my hand as my nails grew and sharpened. The straps of my nightgown snapped. Silk slipped from my body as I contorted, bones cracking at the joints and then fusing back together. My back bowed as I changed. Shifted. I fell forward, my…paws landing on the stone floor with a soft thud.

My breathing slowed.

My heart calmed.

Taking a step back, I shook myself. The feeling was amazing. I did it again, letting out a pleased purr.

The air shifted around me, and I reacted. Sinking back, my tail swooshed over the smooth stone, and a sound came from within me that turned deeper and raspier. I bared my fangs, my muscles tensing as I prepared to leap—

The threat backed off, giving me space. Muscles twitched as I held myself still, staring at leather-clad legs. Neither of us moved for several moments.

A cool breeze sifted through my fur, drawing my attention to the swaying drapes. To the outside. Muscles twitched more. Anticipation pounded through me, becoming a need.

My claws rapped off the stone as I moved slowly toward the doors, and then I took off.

Crossing the balcony, I leapt onto the railing, balancing myself as I quickly sca

I didn’t even feel the impact.

This time?

I shook my head. It didn’t matter. I was free. I picked up my pace, breaking out into a run.

“Open the gates!” a voice shouted from behind me. “Now.”

A deep voice brimming with authority. One accustomed to giving commands and being obeyed.

A familiar one.

An important one.

The cork shoved deep into the neck of the vessel loosened. I started to slow down.

Ahead, the gates swung open, and bodies scattered. The urge to give chase, to hunt them down, hit me, but the desire to run was greater.

So, I did.

I ran.

I passed the gates and the different scents. I sprinted down the road, my ears twitching as I processed the sounds around me. Leaves rustled, shaken by the breeze. Farther up, near the starlight, wings beat the air. But closer, I heard the rush of water over rocks. I followed that sound, veering off the road. A cha

Steering clear of the crimson-and-silver flowers, taller grass grazed the sides of my stomach. I neared the river and eyed the churning water, searching for a way across. I found it in a series of rocks jutting from the surface. I dashed down the riverbank, my paws sinking into the softer, damp ground. Reaching the edge, I jumped, landing on a slick rock and sliding an inch or two. Cold water lapped at my legs and dampened my tail. Inching to the edge, I sank down and batted at the flying droplets until I focused on my clawed paw.

In the starlight, I could see that the fur appeared silver, but when the breeze ruffled the strands, I saw the gold underneath.

Sound caught my attention, and I flattened my ears. It was barely audible over the babbling of the water, but I heard something on all fours. Something ru

I leapt to the next boulder and then the third before making the longer jump.

Water splashed, soaking my lower body as I landed in the shallow water near the riverbank. Making my way onto dry land, I shook the water from my fur and then took off once more.

I ran through the trees, leaping over rocks and fallen limbs. I ran straight into the thick darkness of the deeper forest, dashing between the trunks. I picked up different scents as I ran. Earthy tones. Floral notes of blossoming flowers. The hint of rain and sea salt. I ran right and then left.

I ran and ran, my taut muscles stretching and burning. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes became hours. And still, I ran, my lungs taking in deep, filling breaths as the sky through the trees lightened to a deep violet-blue. I kept ru

A cluster of small, white-petaled flowers caught my eye. I sank down on my belly before them. They were some sort of daisy. My tail swished over the mossy forest floor as my ears picked up the sound of buzzing. Insects. I tracked a small, black bug hopping from petal to petal—

A different sound reached me. Heavier, repetitive thuds.

I rose, darting around the flowers. I ran, enjoying the feel of the wind in my fur, the air in my lungs, and the dirt beneath my paws. Eventually, the trees thi

Dirt crumbled under my feet. Hissing, I scrambled back from the edge of a cliff—a bluff. Staying on much more stable ground, I sank low to the ground and squinted. Through the mist, I saw blue.

A new scent reached me. I swung around, tracking the movement of the reeds several yards away. I prowled to the left. The stalks shuddered, foot by foot.

Throwing myself to the side, I dug into the ground and ran again, racing along the bluff. I picked up speed. It didn’t feel like I even touched the ground. I ran until the mist seeped over the cliff, forcing me back a few feet and into the reeds. Then I kept ru

A wall of thick, swirling mist rose in front of me. I skidded, kicking up loose dirt. The thick hairs all over my body stood on end as I eyed the mist. I knew this place.

I crept along the barrier, picking up the sound of something else in the reeds, moving closer. My muscles tensed. I’d been here before. This was a gateway to the mortal realm, to my…

To my lake.

Home?

Yes.

And no.

Pieces of me started fusing back together. Pieces I wanted. Others I didn’t as I stopped in front of the thickest part of the Primal mist. Behind me, the reeds continued brushing against one another, swishing in time with my heartbeat.

I could will the Primal mist to part. I could open the gateway. I could because I could do anything I wanted—

A scent reached me. Fresh and citrusy and stronger than before. I spun, a low growl rumbling from my throat as the reeds shook and parted.

A wolf stalked out onto the road, its fur a glossy silver in the dimming starlight and lavender-streaked skies. The beast was huge, a good head taller than me, broader at the shoulders. And a predator to his core.

But he was a beautiful creature, and I wanted to run again because I knew he would give chase. He’d been doing so for hours, tracking me across the river and into the woods. It was in his nature to do so.

But he hadn’t been hunting me. I knew this, even in my…nota form. He’d been watching over me, as he had done for most of my life.

The silver beast drew closer, its intelligent gaze locking with mine. Silver eyes.

I froze.

The wolf stopped a foot from me and then changed. It was like the stars themselves danced over the wolf’s fur in a wave of shimmering, silvery light that lasted for only a second or two. The silver fur retracted. Hard, golden-bronze flesh appeared. Muscles lengthened, becoming leaner. Paws shrank and thi

His scent…

A man now crouched before me in the same place the wolf had been—a russet-haired man I knew was tall even though he wasn’t standing.

My gaze flickered over his features. The high, broad cheekbones were familiar. So was the full mouth. I…I knew those lips. Had felt them on my skin. Heard them whisper sweet words. But this was no mere man. He was powerful.

Primal.

A Primal of Death.

And he was…

The mist drifted over the road, drawing my attention back to the wall. To the gateway.

“Liessa,” he spoke, and I shuddered at the shadowy sound of his voice. “You can’t go through there. Not like this.”

My head snapped back to his, and our eyes locked.

“Plus, you must be tired,” he said, keeping his voice low. Gentle. “You’ve been ru

Home.