“Let’s go.” The young man still had a hold of my arm, despite my best efforts at freeing myself.
I should have been frightened, for even now we were making our way to the entrance of the building. But he was moving me away from Bael, and this made me believe that we were somehow on the same side.
The crowd seemed to part as we moved through it, the young man commanding a strange, unspoken respect as everyone stepped aside.
“I can walk on my own, you know.” I tried one last time to wrench free of his grasp, but his fingers were like a vice on my arm.
“I have no doubt,” he said. “But I think you should stay close. It seems we may have company.”
It took me a minute to understand what he meant, but as we reached the door, I looked back to where Bael had been standing. Then I understood.
He was no longer there.
I felt a rush of utter fear followed quickly by shame. Fear could not co-exist with vengeance.
“Can you at least tell me your name?” I asked as the young man pulled me out the door and into the cold night.
He sighed, and I marveled that he could sound so bored when it seemed we were both on the run. “It’s Asher. Now will you be quiet until I think of a way to get us out of Bael’s sight?”
His words silenced me as nothing else could. They were confirmation that he did, indeed, know Bael by name. I had never heard the demon’s name spoken aloud except by my Mother and Father.
That meant the young man holding my arm could only be one thing.
I knew there were other Descendants, though they were scattered far and wide. Underground for their own protection against filth like Bael. And though we knew the Assassins were among us, attempting to quell the execution of the Descendants, we did not speak of them. They moved silently among the shadows of our world, doing their duty without worldly aplomb or association.
I was pulled from my thoughts when the young man named Asher hurried me down the crumbling stone steps and onto the darkened streets, smoke rising from the streetlamps that flickered every few feet. He looked back only once, cursing softly under his breath.
“We have to hurry. I think he might have spotted you. We have to find a place to take cover until we lose him.”
I stopped suddenly, forcing Asher to a stop as well. “I don’t want to lose him. I want to kill him.” I silently cursed the quaver in my voice.
“Yes, well, I’d say he’d probably like to kill you too.” He leaned in, his face mere inches from mine. I felt a blush heat my face, though I could not have said why. “And he’ll get the chance if you do not come with me right now.” He pulled me forward, grumbling. “We can debate your chances of killing him before he kills you once we’ve found a safe place to hide.”
His unwavering determination gave me pause. I wasn’t used to being strong-armed. Mother had once told Father that he was the only one who held sway over me, and I had been forced to admit on more than one occasion, if only in the privacy of my own thoughts, that I was not always agreeable.
But Asher did not seem intimidated by my stubbornness. His arm was strong on mine, and I had the sense that I could not escape him if I tried. It might have been frightening if not for the fact that he was so clearly trying to save my life.
Now, the knowledge of his strength held a secret thrill.
We passed two drunkards, singing loudly and off-key, and Asher pulled me into a dark alley, glancing around until his eyes settled on a pallet stacked high with wooden crates. As we made our way to it, I contemplated pointing out the obviousness of such a hiding place, but as soon as we stepped around it to the back, I knew why he’d chosen it.
“Here. It is far from perfect, but it will have to do.” His voice was quiet as he stepped into a deep door frame behind the pallet, tugging me back into the shadows, pulling my body to his.
I did not have time to protest. I could feel Bael’s presence in the alley beyond our hiding place. It was almost as distracting as the press of Asher’s body against mine, the faint smell of woodsmoke and spring rain clinging to his shirt. My hands came up against his chest, and in the quiet of the night, I felt the steady thrum of his heart.
It came as a surprise. I did not realize Assassins had beating hearts while in the mortal world.
He tipped his head, bringing his mouth to my ear. The kiss of his breath was soft against my skin as he whispered. “Don’t move a muscle.”
And then Bael was there, moving around the pallet, the sickly sweet stench of him seeping into our hiding place, making me want to gag. I fought the urge, burying my face in Asher’s shirt and calling myself a coward.
But I could not. It was all I could do to stand, immobile and full of fear, while Bael scoped the small space behind the pallet outside the doorway where we hid. His boot steps fell, heavy and purposeful, stopping only feet away. I was shocked when, a moment later, he spoke.
“I can smell her, Apprentice.” The last word was spat with venom, his voice low and guttural. “I could take her now, but I must admit, I’m enjoying the game. It’s always entertaining to toy with someone who thinks they stand a chance of winning. Besides, you can’t be with her every minute.”
The blood pumped through my body with extraordinary speed, and I looked up at Asher, wondering what he would do.
The answer was nothing. He only gave a small shake of his head as if to say no.
Bael remained a moment longer as if reveling in our predicament. Then his boots fell on the hard ground once again, growing farther and farther away until there was only my breath mingled with the muffled beat of Asher’s heart.
“I want to go home.” I willed my voice steady, aiming the words at Asher’s back.
“It would be foolish to do so now.” He prodded the logs with an iron poker, his voice partially lost in the quickening flame of the fire.
After making our way carefully out of town, Asher had brought me to a cottage at the edge of an empty field. It had seemed desolate at first glance. Abandoned. But once inside, it was surprisingly comfortable, though very small. The rugs blanketing the floors were similar to the ones in my own fire-damaged home, the ancient furniture covered with worn blankets and tapestries.
Asher stood, rising to his full height, and I realized that he was quite tall. His shoulders strained at the fabric of his shirt, and I had a moment’s memory of my face pressed against his muscled chest, the scent of him nearly as distracting as Bael’s footsteps in the alley. A ripple of excitement passed through me.
“I have been sleeping at home since the fire.” I said, lifting my chin with conviction.
“Perhaps.” Asher grabbed a rag from the mantle, wiping his hands on it as he spoke. “But that does not mean it wasn’t foolish. You have only lived this long because Bael thought you had died in the fire. Now that he knows you’re alive, he will come for you. Even more so now that he knows you are under my protection.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, looking away as the truth of his words rang through my mind. It had been an unnecessary risk to remain in my home, despite my precautions to go unseen. But it was all I had left. My parents were gone, the servants released the day after the fire. My home, crumbling and sooty though it may be, was the only thing that remained of my other life. A life I knew I would never lead again.
Still, I recognized the facts. It would be impossible to destroy Bael if he killed me first.
“Fine.” I turned back to Asher, meeting his eyes. “I’ll go back one last time to pack my things before taking a room in town.”
Asher sighed, setting the rag back on the mantle before turning to look at me. “You cannot go back now, in the dark, and none of the lower-profile inns and boarding houses are fit for an unescorted young woman.”
“That is all well and good,” I snapped. “But I need to gather my things, and I’ve nowhere else to go.”
My voice cracked at the end, and tears stung my eyes. I forced myself to blink them away, hoping Asher had not seen them.
He crossed the room, stopping in front of me. “If I promise to go with you tomorrow to gather your things, will you agree to stay here until my business is done?”
