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“Neither my sister nor her child should have died for their beliefs—or suffer the abuse I know they probably turned on her because I wasn’t there. They brainwashed her. I should have taken her with me.”
“How old was she when you left?”
“Two.”
“Two?” I shook my head. “There is no way you could have. You were a child, but she was a baby. You can’t blame yourself.”
“Why not?” His words spat out sharper. “I could have gone back for her, at least. Could have protected her.” He sat up, pulling his knee up, laying his arm over it and brushing his hand through his hair. “That’s why you shouldn’t be here either. When anyone gets close to me, I fail, and they die.”
I had no doubt that remark went deeper than just his sister.
“What was her name?” I asked softly, trying to keep him from plunging into his dark thoughts.
“Hazel.”
“Well.” I wrapped the blanket tighter around me. “I would tell Hazel that her big brother is amazing. All he’s done is protect me.”
His eyes flicked up to mine, watching me for a long time.
“Think we need to get some sleep.” Gravelly and low, he cleared his throat, looking away.
I nodded, knowing the topic was closed. Sinking myself onto the blanket, I curled up in a ball, my limbs frozen, my ribs aching.
Ash lowered the fire in the lantern, covering the room in thick shadows. We didn’t want it completely off, as it was our only source of heat. I could hear him settle, the room going quiet and still.
“Ash?”
“Hmmm?”
“Thank you for telling me.”
A long stretch of silence went on and on, and I was sure he wasn’t going to respond. Tucking my head deeper into my arm, I let my lids close.
So quietly it was a murmur rumbling over my skin, he said, “You’re the first person I’ve told the whole story to.”
This time I didn’t open my mouth, feeling the hiccup in my lungs from his claim, the thrill I didn’t want to acknowledge of being the person he confessed to.
The old confidence I used to have, which owned me without any doubt, burned up my spine and into my brain, prompting me to act. Rising, I didn’t let myself second guess as I crawled over to his blanket with my own.
“Scarlet, what are you—?” He jerked at my approach.
“I’m cold, and I want to sleep, okay?” I cut him off, not wanting to overthink or analyze my actions, my tone almost a plead. “Really sleep.”
His green eyes caught the light, and I could tell he understood. Knew exactly what I meant. No nightmares. No panic attacks. No ghosts haunting us. A time-out, where he and I seemed to battle back the devils wanting to take us.
He scooted over, turning on his side as I burrowed into his warm body, my back to his chest. Stretching my blanket over us, he wrapped his arm around me, tucking tightly around me, and I fell asleep, Ash protecting me from the biggest monster of all.
Myself.
Chapter 13
Ash
The farmland gradually gave way to snow-covered green forests as the elevation began to rise. The temperature dropped even more as thick trees blocked out any dim sunlight the day brought.
This was where I was happy… among the trees. My magic bristled down my skin, causing everything in me to feel more. Absorbing so much energy, I twitched with it. It would need to be released soon, or I would start to lose it.
Scarlet and I had slipped into silence again as we plodded through the snowy paths, as if last night was just a pause in our discord before the tension resumed. Sanctioning a night of sleep we couldn’t seem to find anywhere else.
