Page 93 of Ashes and Lilies
Anthony didn’t respond before the scene moved forward, and a tall, gangly man barely past his teens took shape in front of Rosalie.
My panic welled in my chest, compounded by Rosalie’s emotions, as I recognized the man who’d almost killed me.
“Are you okay?” he asked, much less murderous than when he’d attacked me. “It’s my fault; I didn’t realize. We can use Eleanor instead, then we can finally be together—”
The anger in Rosalie’s eyes blazed despite her fear. “That’s not all right at all.”
The man tilted his head, looking genuinely unsure. “Why not?”
“I will never be with you, James Cole.” Rosalie’s voice held the underlying hint of panic, and she moved to her knees as she reached into the folds of her dress. Her movements were jerky asshe pulled out the ring and threw it at him. He made no move to catch it, and it rolled into a corner, out of sight.
But she didn’t seem to care. “You are married to my sister,” Rosalie snapped. “What’s more, your family has hurt people.”
“But—” James was still frowning and genuinely confused. “We have no choice. There’s no one else strong enough to look out for the best interests of our people.”
“And even if neither of those things were true,” she snapped, “I still wouldn’t marry you. Not even if you were the last man on earth.”
“That’s rather rude,” another male said, and an unobtrusive, not-quite-middle-aged man stepped into the scene. “Anyone would be honored to join our family. Regardless, you’ll still play a part in our line’s success.”
The newcomer was an average-looking man of medium height, build, and appearance. Nothing indicated that he was in any way remotely strong or frightening, yet the spike of fear radiating from Rosalie was enough to take my breath away.
“Edward!” She spoke in a firm voice despite her feelings. “You won’t get away with this.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood straight as he studied Rosalie, and the way his mouth twisted into a smirk filled me with dread.
“Father?” James wrung his hands as he looked between them. “What are you talking about?”
“Eleanor was not chosen,” Edward Cole said, moving to his son’s side. “It works out better this way. It would look suspicious for your wife to disappear. Her younger sister, on the other hand, is much more convenient.”
James shifted his weight to his other foot. “But…” He hesitated, as if arguing were foreign to him. “But I don’t love her.”
“Who cares?” Edward pushed past his son and more fully faced Rosalie.
“What is your specialty?” he asked with a huff. “Your sister is decent with soul connections. However, I feel that you’re much more useful. Are you a fighter? You have a shikigami.”
A cat that had been hiding behind Rosalie peeked around her and hissed. However, for some reason, it appeared unable to defend its owner.
Rosalie squared her shoulders. “What I can do is none of your business.”
The wind was knocked from me as I was suddenly gutted, and I doubled over in pain.
“Bianca!” Anthony was kneeling at my side and tentatively touched my shoulders.
I glanced up, unable to respond, as Edward stood back, lowering his leg. Meanwhile, Rosalie was gasping for breath as she curled in on herself, much like I was, in the aftermath of the sudden attack.
“Father!” James protested, yet he stood still, fists clenched at his side. For all his proclamations of love, he did not move to help her.
Anthony’s grip tightened as the sharp edges of the pain washed away, and his attention moved across the room to the scene.
“Well, shit,” he said.
Through the fading pain, another emotion was beginning to make itself known, its origins feeling vaguely familiar.
Resistance… and indecision. But whose? This was Rosalie’s memory.
I glanced at James. He was watching the scene with an almost impassive look, but now I could feel him. But how?
‘You’ve claimed them both.’As the thought raced through my mind, it suddenly made sense. ‘They both need you.’
