Page 61 of A Spark in the Ash

Side by side, Jaxon and I ride out into the desert, flanked by two other darklings.

Why does it all have to fall apart at the same time? What Jaxon’s mother has done will have repercussions. Scarlett is in danger. Jaxon won’t take this lightly. He’ll do something about it.

His mother has to be exorcised, and I’m not so sure he can do it when it comes down to it.

And now the Kindred are looking for us, yet again.

I let out a calming breath and try to tell myself to take it one thing at a time.

Right now, we simply need to get back to the compound, where there is safety in numbers, and the Kindred will never be able to find us.

Forty minutes later, we turn off the main road onto the dirt one. Soon after that, we carry on over the bumpy desert ground. And ten minutes later, we pull into the protective visual cover of the red rocks.

I look over at Jaxon as he takes his helmet off. But instead of setting it on his bike, he throws it with incredible force at the rocks. They crack. And so does his helmet. With an angry, frustrated yell, his body bursts into flames.

He breathes hard, his nostrils flaring. Once more, he looks like a ticking bomb that might go off at any second.

I step forward, ready to try and calm him down. But Jaxon steps out of my reach just in time. He walks to the entrance of the tunnel. He does this motion, like he thrusts his palms parallel to the ground, and I watch as light arcs beneath him. He lifts into the air, and then glides down through it, into the tunnel.

Well, this is new.

I glance back at Sybil, and then shift mid-step.

Jaxon’s light ahead of me is blinding as I clamber through the sandstone down into the tunnel. I shift back when I reach level ground, and I watch as Jaxon stalks down the passageway, still fully engulfed in flames and light.

“Jaxon,” I call out, hurrying to catch up with him.

He doesn’t turn around.

I pick up my pace, trying to keep up.

But instead of going to the command center like I’m expecting, Jaxon walks straight into the vault, and pulls the door closed behind him.

Just as I step into view of the glass, he lets out a deafening, sonic roar, and his entire body bursts hotter, the flames filling the entire vault.

Someone mutters a curse and I look over to see Ascelin at my side, his arms folded over his chest. “Bad day?” he asks.

I shake my head. “You have no idea.”

Chapter Seventeen

“What the hell are you wearing?”he asks as we both turn away and walk into the command center.

“Wedding party, remember?” I say, arching an eyebrow at him.

It’s there. We’ve come to terms and an agreement, but it’s still there. Ascelin’s face darkens a bit and I watch as his jaw clenches tighter. “Care to explain?”

We both walk into the conference room because it’s obvious a meeting is about to go down. I sigh as I sink down onto a chair. “It’s a lie Jaxon and I came up with before he manifested. He needed a reason why we were leaving together and why I was going to be around a lot. He told his family we were eloping.”

The displeasure on his face is obvious. “Did you? Elope? I see the ring on your finger.”

I hold my hand up slightly, staring down at the ring. “No, it’s just for show.” Even if the ring is real.

Ascelin doesn’t say anything for a moment, and I look up to see the slight sneer on his face. He looks like he can’t decide if he believes me or not. “The wedding party was his mother’s idea. She’s…well, let’s just say she’s a whole lot more complicated than expected.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks.

I sigh once again and climb to my feet. “I’ll explain it all in a minute when everyone is here. I’m going to go get changed first.”

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