Lost in Embers (Rising From Ash Saga #1)

Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

R olling around in this huge bed, the softness of the feather-like bedding surrounds me. The blankets remain cool under the fan, even with the heat coming in from the open windows. Just one thing is missing, Aidan. He must not be here; there is too much room. No matter how much I trundle around, I don’t seem to hit his hard body. Why isn’t he laying here next to me?

All thoughts are removed from my mind and replaced with a constant, belligerent pounding. This pain is terrible and has come on out of nowhere. Yet, despite the pain, I feel more in touch with my body than I ever have before.

Trying to open my eyes is exhausting and quite daunting, so I lie here, eyes closed shut, just sensing my body. Every organ in my body is moving. I focus on my heart, and if I listen closely enough, I can hear it softly beating. With a slight amount of concentration, my focus moves to the lungs. My body feels as though it has gone through a serious alteration. I’m out of place in my own body, yet it feels so right, even though every inch of my insides is different.

My eyelids are as heavy as weights, making them difficult to open, and I muster the strength to pry into them. The crusts drop from my lashes, and I can hear it gently gliding off my face and onto the bedsheets. Everything is a blur like I’m learning to see for the first time.

There is an unknown about me. I can feel it inside. Electricity runs through my body, giving me the feeling of slow-moving chills. Rolling my fingertips over each other, there is a subtle static coming from them, and they feel like magnets.

What’s going on with me? I can’t still be drunk from the wedding. This isn’t drunk but more cognizant than I have ever been.

Aidan’s phone is on the nightstand, so I take a peek at the time from a distance. 10:40 AM , October 21. Holy shit, it’s my birthday! That means I have been passed out for two days. Not possible. I try to think back to my last memories…

I was very pleased that Sofia let me wear a lovely maid of honor dress and not some horrendous piece of cloth. She wasn’t a bride who was worried about someone else outshining her or stealing her thunder because she knew it was her day.

Originally, we thought Aidan was going to be the best man, but then David was able to get in touch with some of his good friends to attend the wedding. I’m biased, but I thought Aidan looked much more handsome than the groom. Despite the hot weather, Sofia made sure that all the men were in suits. She was quite the bridezilla the past few days and insisted on a black-tie affair, even with just a few of us attending .

The gentlemen all looked ravishing in their own way. Ryan and Shawn rented tuxedos. I’m just glad they couldn’t find the orange-and-blue Dumb and Dumber suits here in Mexico; it wasn’t from a lack of effort on their part. Dino opted for a blue suit with a pin-striped vest. Then there was the best man, Dillion. Boy, he was quite handsome in a rugged lumberjack way. Dillion was tall, built, and had a light brown beard that was very well-kept and stunning light brown eyes with copper flecks that matched his hair. His tuxedo fit like a glove, and he was not one inch shy of perfection. Amongst this small, intimate crowd were a few of David’s teammates and his parents. I could tell from the look of this group we would have an amazing reception.

My dress, while tasteful, was extremely tight. It was a strapless number that cut low down my cleavage, making my large breasts very noticeable. The skintight, below-the-knee ensemble was very difficult to walk in, not to mention being paired with cream stilettos. I remember thinking the pale pink color might have appeared nude at first from a distant glance to those in the crowd. I could feel the stares from David’s teammates as I made my walk to take my place at the front. I was not sure if the looks were due to the dress or the concentration on my face not to fall. The slightest breeze would have had me ass over face. I stood there waiting for Sofia to make her entrance, and I saw Aidan looking at me with raised eyebrows, looking smug as ever as he blew me a kiss.

Then the soft, elegant “Here Comes the Bride” played by violins made everyone turn to face the back of the room and rise. Sofia was every bit the blushing bride. She managed to add a long train to her dress, which could be removed if she wanted it to. With her signature bob and sleek smile, she was brighter than the sun. She easily put all the other brides we had seen here on this trip to shame. Her olive skin shimmered in the sunlight as she walked down the aisle. The look on David’s face was something I hope someone caught on camera—so in love. That look is the look all women want to receive from their man. The look of pure bliss and gratefulness, accented with a boyish grin that could easily make any woman fall in love with the idea of love. He’s her beloved, no other would do.

The hopeless romantic in me let the words of the service wash over me, indulging my every fantasy, letting me feel the love that graced this atmosphere. Sofia’s wedding-day giggles drew my attention to the most important part of the ceremony.

“Do you, Sofia?” the preacher asked sweetly.

“I do !” She barely got the words out before she lunged at David, nearly knocking them both to the ground. I guess I missed the part where he said, “I do.” I couldn’t contain my excitement as Sofia turned to me. We gave each other a wide-eyed smile, followed by a naughty wink. She deserved that moment.

Dillion took me by the hand and we raised our linked hands high up as we entered into the reception ballroom. Much to my surprise, he picked me up and carried me in his arms while spinning around the last bit of our entrance. Through my fit of giggles, I locked eyes with Aidan’s unpleasant face. He would just have to get over it. It’s a tradition for the bridesmaids and groomsmen to make some form of an entrance, and since we were the only ones, we had to make it good.

This was an elegant space, so large just for the few of us, but it was well worth it since there was plenty of room to dance. Dancing is what we did. Drinking and dancing. Dancing and drinking. It was a night filled with fun and laughs. Aidan and I slow danced, and he seemed more distant than normal, but what did I know? It wasn’t like I knew everything about him. His phone rang, and the voice on the other end was harsh and clipped.

“Yes, she’s here…” a moment of silence to listen to the person on the other end. “Safe, I have her. What do you mean?” His voice was filled with confusion as he walked off the dance floor and out the door. Without a good-bye, he left me on the dance floor with no explanation.

When I turned around, Dillion stood in front of me. I looked up to him and remembered thinking he was quite the stunner.

“Ava, I’m Dillion. We didn’t have the chance to get properly introduced. Do you mind if I have this dance?” He looked a bit anxious with his hand reached out to me.

I looked around the room; still no sight of Aidan. “Of course.” I smiled and obliged in the friendliest way possible. He seemed nice enough, plus it would be great to get to know some of David’s friends, since he would now be a fixture whenever I saw Sofia. There was the possibility that I would see Dillion more as well.

“Must be a foolish man to leave someone as beautiful as you alone on the dance floor.” He was being inquisitive to see if something was going on between Aidan and me.

I was more in tune with people that day than I had been in a long time. I could see right through him; I could tell his intentions. Even with knowing that, I let him continue to tuck my hair behind my ear. When he tried to pull me closer for the next song, I made sure to keep a bit of distance.

Song after song, I was sad there was still no sight of Aidan, so I got to know this stranger a bit more. It wasn’t any intense conversation, just asking silly random questions, and to be honest, it was nice having an easy, carefree conversation.

It was time for the bouquet toss, and there were only three eligible girls there, including myself; the other two were David’s sisters. I told Dillion that I had no intention of participating, but he insisted, and I was beginning to feel more festive.

“Go on, then, seriously. Can’t start breaking tradition now.” His smirk was captivating.

I laughed at his sarcasm. “They won’t mind if one more is broken. That’s all they have been doing.” I gestured my hand whimsically at David and Sofia.

“Oh, you like traditions?”

“Why, yes, yes, I do. Except this one.” I turned on my heel and headed to the dance floor as Sofia threw the beautiful multicolored flower arrangement. It landed directly at my feet. I bent to grab it, but before I could, Dillion bent down to pick it up for me. He was bent on one knee. There were a few comments floating around and jokes about him proposing to me. He gave me the bouquet, and our fingers touched. I looked into his eyes to see those friendly eyes had turned black. He shook his head to release his gaze from mine and hit me with a smile.

"So, how is itDavid managed to get all this time off? He's been here forever. Isn't it football season?" It's the only thing I can think to talk to him about that is a safe bet, keeping his hungry eyes off me.

"Unfortunately, he is an undrafted agent, but he is in negotiation with a news network about broadcasting. We aren't getting any younger." He laughs it off. I don't know enough about football to even talk about it more, "It's good for him. Especially, now that he met Sofia."

"That makes sense I guess, and how aboutyou?" My eyes dart to him.

"Well, as horrible as this sounds, timing wise this all worked out for me or else I wouldn't be able to be here for him. There have been a numerous amounts of threats circulating right now, so theleague cancelled games until the bomb threat is dealt with. You clearly don't follow the news do you. Bomb threats for every sportscenter. We will not be playing for quite some time, maybe the rest of the season unless they find out who the threat came from. I don't have faith that the government will figure it out..." That smirk he has on his face, is something I should be terrified for. There's a wavering thought in my mind that he knows what caused the bomb threat, but I shake it away. That's impossible. "So, tell me about you..."

"What do you want to know?" You could cut the tension with a knife and serve it for dinner.

“So, where is your boyfriend at anyway?” Dillion asks in a not so causal tone.

“He isn’t my boyfriend...”

Aidan’s possessive fingers grip my waist from behind, brushing my skin. “You are right. I’m much more than that. You are and always have been, my wife. ” He leads me away without a care, his grip tightening on me more. “Fuck, Ava. He’s a Grimmer. You cannot talk to him.” He was stern and quiet all at once, so only I could hear him. Then with his voice commanding, as it always did, “He wants what is mine. He touches you again, and I will deliver his fingers to you in a box. Remember who you belong to.” His hands on my body claim me, reminding me, he’s the only one who gets to touch me.

That is the last thing I remember before my endless sleep. There isn’t much I remember from after the wedding or that exact moment. I shuffle around on the bed until my feet dangle off the edge. A deep breath hits my lungs, and I stand, feeling so strong and rejuvenated, although my sight is not yet restored. I’m surprisingly light on my feet, not making a sound on the creaky wooden floors as I start to feel my way into the bathroom. Relying on my sense of touch is something I’m not accustomed to.

Ava Buchanan,

Open on your 25th birthday

-Dad-

The same package that has been capturing my thoughts appears again, and I reach out to grab the label on the brown paper package wrapped in twine. It is old and tarnished. My dad appears and looks different than the last time I saw him in my mind. His salt-and-pepper hair is a bit longer and curled into his face; his blue eyes look into my soul while his hand points to the door of my room. He walks tall into the room, gliding through the door, and I follow. I move myself through walls and do not feel a thing besides a harsh, fast wind across my face. My dad gestures to the floor, then starts disappearing into thin air .

“Wait! Dad! Come back! What is going on with me?” I run toward him, but not before my sight comes back all at once.

I’m in the bathroom, face down on the countertop, and blood is running down my face. It covers my hands and the beautiful marble floor. Why are these dreams still happening to me? This reaction has never happened before; normally I end in the same position I started.

Trying to calm myself and looking in the mirror to see the damage isn’t helping. My throat is coarse and filled with pain. I try to scream while picking out a small shard of glass, but nothing comes out.

The sight of the person staring back at me in the mirror, with such evil eyes, makes me leap backward. Grabbing the towel rack to keep me from falling isn’t working at all; it’s making it worse. I fall until I feel the impact of the marble floor on my lower back and the hurt caused by my head hitting the tub. The rack lands on my stomach, knocking me short of breath. My eyes start closing without me giving them the permission, deeper and deeper, until I barely see Aidan’s concerned face running toward me.

“Ava!” His voice sounds like I have never heard it before, with the deepest apprehension. His eyes change to that beautiful blue right before my eyes, and that’s the last thing I see before the darkness takes over. His low, monstrous growl echoes in my ears and through my mind until I find him in my dreams once more.