Lost in Embers (Rising From Ash Saga #1)

Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“ A va… baby… please…” My eyes flutter, and the vision of Aidan’s bewildered face goes in and out.

“Yes.” The small word is hard to get out of my mouth and instantly tires me.

“I gave you a few stitches on your forehead. The cut on your neck wasn’t as bad as it looked, so it’s just covered with gauze. Do not make any quick movements.” He sounds so upbeat, and I feel like death. He gently lifts my back so I’m in a sitting position and gives me a few sips of water.

“By the way, happy birthday, my love.” He places a chaste kiss on my cheek. Even the slightest touch has me trembling with pain, so I wince.

“You need to be more careful and cognizant now than you ever have been.” His caring for me is endearing. In such a short amount of time, I know he will protect me.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what has gotten into me. I feel…” I’m at a loss of words, how can I possibly explain this? His eyes widen, waiting for me to finish my trailed-off th ought. “Different—I guess that’s the best word for this.” I try gesturing to my whole body, but my arms are too stiff to move.

He can tell I’m getting antsy. “What do you mean different?”

“Well, my body feels different, and these dreams are driving me mad.”

“What dreams?” He’s so serious, it almost makes me giggle. He tries to read my face.

“About my dad and some other things…”

“Your dad is a great man, Ava. He loves and cares for you very much. Or at least the Richard I knew was a great man. What other things are you referring to?”

How does he know my dad? I don’t have the energy to get worked up right now. I must make this as easy and painless as possible.

“Other things—when I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, I was terrified. I saw my brother, Victor, just standing here. My reflection was of him and not myself. He has the most evil eyes and looked different than I ever remember him. Maybe I’m just losing my mind; I have been off since he called me before vacation.” I shrug off his statement about my father, I will address it later.

“I know your dad. Do you remember it all now? It’s happening. You’re making the change. It’s why that man tried to attack you. Ava, you were not hallucinating, and I assure you that you are not going mad. You projected yourself to see your brother. You must have been thinking about him or dreaming about him. No matter what you do, you must promise me that you will not see your brother.”

So much for me not getting heated; my body feels like it is going to burst into flames, and the confusion isn’t helping. “ What do you mean I cannot see my brother?” I snip. Before he can answer, I continue, “How do you know my dad?” So much for letting that go. “What do you mean projected? What the hell are you going on about?”

Aidan looks disgruntled. Perhaps my tone has something to do with it, but I feel better. I need answers, and apparently this Mystery Man has them.

“I will talk to you, but you have to promise me you will be calm. At least until I finish what I have to say, without interruption. Fair?” I nod; that’s about all the strength I can muster after my blowup five seconds ago. Either way, the outcome of this conversation cannot be good—that much I can sense.

“Ava.” He takes a deep breath and looks me in the eyes as he always does. “You and I have known each other for longer than you can remember. Clearly you didn’t remember much, or anything at all, which still doesn’t make sense. Still much to figure out. Your father said he left you something that would help explain all of this to you. There is no easy way to discuss this, so I will just jump right in. We are of the same kind, in a way, but you are exceptional. Your strength and powers are something from our old world.

“This morning when you looked into the mirror, you saw Victor, but what you don’t know is you actually took the form of Victor. You have a keen ability to adapt to situations. My guess is you were having a dream which you wanted to blend into, so you took the form of Victor. You can morph into any person you want once you are able to control your powers. I too take another form, but only as one other. You aren’t the only one who was given a rare gift, I was too, by someone truly spectacular.

“You are limitless. You must now be careful. To be honest, I’m not sure why you live in such a remote area. You are making yourself an easy target, now that people know you are alive, especially with Mishkutou right around the corner. The Elders will want to see you. You should come stay with me and fly home with me now, so you don’t draw attention to yourself on a public flight home. You aren’t in control yet. As for your brother, he and I have history and many unresolved issues. How much do you remember now?”

How much do I remember? Nothing. What the flying shit balls is he talking about? I have powers, cool, not. What realm have I woken in? This cannot be possible. There is only one logical answer, another crazy dream. I decide pinching myself is the best test to wake up. It doesn’t work. Well, let’s have another go. Still doesn’t work. Aidan is now off-the-wall concerned for me. Suddenly, I have my strength back; perfect timing for me to get out of bed and walk around the room.

I walk through the bedroom to the living area and take a seat on the couch. Aidan just skeptically watches me, following my every move, waiting patiently for me to speak. I cannot sit still, so I stand to pace back and forth. My head is pounding, and my heart is aching. It’s too much. My knees buckle in, and Aidan is there to catch me in one swift swoop.

“Ava, you must rest.” He places me on the couch and stands over me. With my eyes to the floor, I cannot see him, and I don’t want to just yet.

“What are those?” My voice is small as I point to the vase of beautiful flowers in the corner of the room. I noticed them briefly in my hectic pacing.

“They came for you.” In the blink of an eye, he stands back in front of me holding the flowers. “Would you like to read the card?”

Mental note: Ask Aidan why he’s so fucking fast .

A brief smile is the only way I can convey a “Yes” to his question. He hands me the card. Before I crack the seal, I take one final look at the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I have ever seen; there must be two dozen here. One dozen yellow roses and one dozen lilies, my favorite combination of flowers.

“Probably from my mother.” I tilt my head in curiosity. Either from my mother or Dino, but my mother doesn’t know I’m in this room. They are the only ones who know my favorite arrangement. The card crinkles open, and much to my surprise, they aren’t from my mother or Dino, but Dillion, the best man from the wedding. My mouth drops to the floor as I read the handwritten sentiment:

Beautiful Ava,

I hope this day is filled with joy.

You have enchanted me in just one night.

Your radiance captivates me and your smile brightens my every thought.

I will see you tonight at your birthday dinner.

Dillion

Well, holy Hallmark. If he doesn’t write for them, he should. He’s got some serious balls sending them to this room.

“Who is it from?” Before I can answer, he has swiped the card from my hand, furrowing his brow as he reads each word. I cross my arms in protest, but he doesn’t even notice, nor do I think he will care.

“It was just a nice birthday note,” I say, attempting to calm his anger. “There’s nothing to it; we only briefly spoke at the wedding before you pulled me away mumbling some nonsense. It’s not a big deal.” He was about to speak before my excitement got the best of me. “I forgot about the birthday dinner for tonight! I need to go back to my room and see my friends since I have apparently been out for two days.” Barely able to stand, I make my way to the door without looking at Aidan.

“You’re leaving right now? You need to rest! Besides, you can’t talk to that fucker Dillion. He is a Grimmer, and you don’t know what he’s capable of.” What is a Grimmer? A made-up word for someone he doesn’t like?

“Yes.” Simple and to the point. I need to digest all of this. I leave the room in Aidan’s too-big-for-me clothes, not giving a thought to returning them right now, and there’s no way I’m slinging my bridesmaid dress back on.

The door doesn’t close behind me right away, but a minute later. As it shuts closed, Aidan is by my side, walking me down the hallway. He basically carries me, and I’m very thankful for him. All of this is just too much for me to take in. I don’t understand what is going on and what all this means. I have so many more questions, but now is not the time. Alone time before dinner would be ideal.

Silence consumes us, until we reach my door. “Remember, stay away from Dillion. If you need anything, call me, or yell my name; I will be there.”

Standing on my tiptoes, I lean in to give him an innocent kiss on the cheek. I linger in that position, not wanting to remove my lips, but I cannot stay, or else all my emotions will overcome me.

“Please, don’t leave me right now. Come back with me. We haven’t even scraped the surface.” He croons, begging me to go back with him, and my heart tells me I should .

I slowly remove myself from his tender embrace and reach for the door handle. I have to think of my friends, not just myself. One finger goes on the handle and it flies open, with Dino standing on the other side. Those striking eyes are filled with fury. His mouth is firm in a harsh line, almost like he has been waiting there for me for two days straight. I look at him, but he’s not looking at me; he makes direct eye contact with Aidan over my head. Dino is about six feet tall, and his eyes are looking up to Aidan; Dino even seems small.

“You piece of shit! I have been worried for two days! You haven’t called me back. No one knew what happened to Ava. For all I knew you drugged her and kidnapped her. I swear you are no good.” Dino spits madness directly at Aidan, who stands there and takes every word without lashing back.

Dino turns to me. This is the first time he has gotten a look at me in two days, and I know I look mangled. He holds me at arm’s length and takes me in.

“What the hell did he do to you, Ava?” Dino doesn’t yell, and his voice is not harsh but fearful and concerned. Aidan holds back his protective instinct to step in. Dino pulls me in for a hug, and the pain runs through my body at his tight squeeze.

“Let her go. Can’t you see she’s in pain?” This is the first time Aidan has spoken to Dino since the night of Sofia’s rehearsal dinner, or so I thought. Why didn’t he let my friends know I was okay? Or was it just Dino’s calls he was not returning?

“Because of you!” Dino makes the venom in his voice clear as ever; it would trickle down the hallway and make those it encountered cringe.

This is the last thing that needs to happen between them, another fight, especially since they want resolve from the first one. I know they are both coming from a good place, but this just isn’t helping. My body is weak, and I cannot take the stress, so I think of a happy place, a place where there are no troubles. What if I just stayed with my mum?

“Ava, no, you can’t do this here. You will change.” The plea in Aidan’s voice shocks my focus back. I don’t know what’s going on or if I even believe him. If that’s all it takes for me to change, one little thought, I have to be mindful.

“Don’t tell her what to do!” Dino shakes his head, fighting for the principle, not the words that were spoken.

“Dino, please.” I gently touch his arm, hoping we can let all of this go. “I’m tired.” Dino bends down and kisses my forehead, causing Aidan to cringe, but he knows to leave this alone for now.

“Remember, if you need me…”

“I know.” I leave Aidan with a smile. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

Dino blatantly rolls his eyes and helps me inside our suite. Before the door closes behind him, he leaves parting words for Aidan: “She won’t need you now that she’s with me.”

Well, that was definitely unnecessary and adds fuel to the fire. With a firm hand, he leads me to the living area where we sit on the plush, comfortable couch together. His gentle touch on my face makes me anxious, but I try not to recoil at his touch. No words are spoken as he gets up and walks elegantly, the way he does, into the kitchen to return with two bottles of water and some Mexican painkiller. He holds out his hand, gesturing me to take the pill, and without reservation I do so. The little sips of water feel refreshing against my dry throat.

“What the hell has he done to you, Ava? If this is Lucas all over again, I will protect you this time. I swear it. ”

“He hasn’t done anything to me. Honestly, I fell, twice.”

“You have stitches. I know you are klutzy, but you are black-and-blue. Jesus, Ava, why are you protecting him? This is classic battered-woman syndrome.”

“I’m not a battered woman,” I try to explain as calm and collected as I can possibly be, making my voice soft and sweet. “I fell. That’s a true story. For some reason, I blacked out when I was walking to the bathroom. When I came to, there was blood everywhere.” I manage to skip the part of me taking the form of Victor. “Then I was frightened when I saw all the blood, so I jumped back and fell against the bathtub. I tried to grab the towel rack, but it fell on my stomach. You’ll be happy to know he’s going to have to pay a lot for the damage I’ve done to his room.”

Dino laughs a pleasant laugh at the last bit. “You seriously need to be put in a bubble.” His hand charitably touches my knee. “So that’s why you were out for two days? Because of that accident? You could have called… I even stopped by his room…”

I know where he’s going with this. Aidan wouldn’t let him see me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I would have called if I could have.” Great, now I’m shaky and meek as the tears well up in my eyes, but I refuse to cry.

“Ava, be honest. Those stitches look new. When did that happen?” Inquisitive Dino, as always, points at my forehead. I wouldn’t expect anything less, except right now it’s a huge pain in the butt.

“This morning …”

“What the fuck! Then where were you the other two days?”

Safe! I was safe! I can’t tell him that, though, because it is no excuse. Nothing I say will make him feel better. “In his room, I think; I don’t remember much. I must have been sick.”

“You don’t remember? Did he drug you?” Great, now I’m digging myself into a bigger hole.

“I’m certain he did not drug me. He’s not a bad guy like you think. I don’t know why you two can’t get along…” I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth. He’s going to go on a rampage now.

“You come back looking like this.” Here we go; I brought this upon myself. “How am I supposed to get along with him? Or think he’s a good guy when you can’t even remember what happened? I despise him, Ava, with every fiber of my being.”

From that standpoint, I can understand why he doesn’t like Aidan, but that hasn’t been the situation from day one. I will always admire and respect Dino for his honesty and how forthcoming he has been with me. Liars and people who omit the truth get under my skin, yet here I am.

The door creaks open. Ryan and Shawn make their way to the couches. They plop down next to me, one on either side, pushing Dino out of the way and forcing him to stand. They wrap their arms around me and give me a kiss on the cheek.

“Happy birthday, toots!” Shawn always makes me giggle; each time he sees me, he calls me a new pet name.

“Happy birthday, A,” Oh, Ryan, keeping it short, sweet, and to the point. I have missed these guys for the past two days.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to wish you happy birthday, and I was so caught up in, well, you know…” Dino is astonished at himself that amongst the chaos he forgot to wish me happy birthday. I wave my hand at him in the “Don’t worry about it” manner and decide to continue with the lightheartedness.

“Who is excited for tonight? Drinks and dancing! I cannot wait.” Smiling feels so good. Even if I don’t have the strength for tonight, I will rally.

“I don’t know who hit you in the face with a brick, but you might want to put some makeup on before you go out; just a suggestion.” Leave it to Shawn to be deathly honest with me. Dino shoves him hard, but I love the jokes, so I let out a huge laugh but wince instantly and grab my right ribs. Damn it!

“Sorry, bro, can’t put makeup on it, you will have to deal with the zombie for tonight. Hopefully I don’t scare off your prey.” He shrugs, knowing he will cope well and lets out a deep, contagious laugh.

“At least chicks dig scars. Who knows, maybe Aidan does too.” Ryan can’t resist chiming in and shooting me a playful wink.

“At least I can put makeup on to cover the scar if no one likes it; you can’t do anything about your face,” I quip, making even Dino crack a smile.

It will be a perfect night to forget about everything that happened this morning. With nothing but time, I can deal with the madness later. I need to escape; too bad I’m already on vacation.