Page 58 of A Spark in the Ash

Jaxon’s brows furrow and he shakes his head. “No,” he says, though it’s obvious it’s himself he’s trying to convince. “She wouldn’t. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Scarlett raises one eyebrow at him. “Well, she is. She said I’ll start your runs in three weeks. Until then, I’m taking hand-to-hand combat classes, and she’s making me go to the gun range every day.”

This time, it’s me who breathes out the curse. Scarlett is maybe five foot five tall, but she can’t weigh more than 130 pounds. Looking between her and Jaxon, there is no comparison.

“Mom said this?” Jaxon demands.

Scarlett stares off into the crowd, and nods.

Jaxon scrubs a hand over his face as another curse slips between his lips. “Just…do what she says for the next two weeks. I’ll fix this.”

“How, Jaxon?” Scarlett says with annoyed doubt. “You made it very clear that you’re stepping out on the family. Someone has to do it, and you’ve made it very obvious it’s not going to be you, anymore.”

And cold realization drops into my stomach. I wonder if Jaxon has considered the fact that he’s also helping Aaron get out. Now the remaining children are going from six, to four.

Jaxon looks over, pinning Scarlett with a hard look. “I said I’ll fix this.”

She simply huffs a disgusted, annoyed laugh. She shakes her head, and deliberately looks away from him.

Without another word, Jaxon gets up from the table and scans the crowd.

There. Vivian stands across the ballroom, smiling that empty smile and laughing that fake laugh with a group of others.

Jaxon looks like a lion stalking prey as he beelines through the crowded ballroom. I scramble after him. My heart rate picks up, and my brain starts running through all the outcomes this night might have.

“Jaxon,” I breathe as I catch up to him and grab his arm. “We need to get out of here. The Kindred are on their way. I can’t—”

“Just give me a few minutes,” he growls. His expression is filled with anger and disdain. “I need to deal with my family, Serena.”

My blood begins to turn cold with every step we take across the ballroom.

Vivian knows what she’s doing.

She knows exactly how to get to Jaxon. How to make him feel guilty. How to make him question his decisions.

Put one of his younger siblings in harm’s way because of him. When already, one of them died on his watch.

“I need to talk to you.” Jaxon barely calms his voice as he grabs Vivian by the arm and pulls her away from the crowd. She stumbles, her expression surprised. But Jaxon just glares ahead, his gaze getting darker by the moment.

“Jaxon,” Vivian hisses as he drags her along. “What are you doing?”

Jaxon practically shoves her into the corner, where the space is empty. “What the hell are you doing?” he growls back, stepping into her personal space.

Even from here, I can see the heat rising from his shoulders.

“I will patiently ask you to clarify your meaning,” Vivian says. And the cold look in her eyes is nearly enough to freeze me in my place. Her eyes are so dark, so calculating.

Jaxon takes one step forward, and I see one crack of light splinter up the back of his forearm. “I’m talking about the fact that you’re forcing Scarlett, an eighteen-year-old girl, into taking over my duties. Are you trying to bury her in an early grave like AJ?”

Vivian’s eyes narrow and she takes a step forward into Jaxon. Another fissure opens on his palm.

I step behind Jaxon. To most, it might look like I’m trying to hide from Vivian behind him. In reality, I’m trying to keep anyone from seeing his true form threatening to burst out.

“And who failed to protect AJ?” Vivian says coolly. “You are the best of my children, Jaxon, save Blake, and that is only because he is willing to do whatever it takes. You should have been able to guide him and protect him.”

Jaxon’s mouth closes. His shoulders tense.

I can only imagine how much this hurts him.

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