A Crown Of Smoke And Ash - Sloane Murphy Page 0,36
anger, the anger I saw on the face of my father before he left us here.
I keep my fears silent as I leave our shelter, and head into the forest just beyond the river alongside our hearth. The sound of a twig snapping grabs my attention, the birds crest the canopy of the trees, when I see him emerge from his hiding place.
"Ethan, you should not be here. It is not safe right now," I say, fear lacing my words for the Dracul who has been my closest friend for many sun cycles.
"I know, but I needed to make sure you were not harmed. We heard the news, there is so much fear of a retaliation, lines are being drawn, and I fear for our people and yours." His words practically a whisper of breath as he hugs me tight. I never knew what he was, I just thought he was a boy, but upon my awakening and learning the truth of my family, my life, I discovered my friend had his own truth. Ethan Michaels, a Prince of the Dracul, still so very early in his immortal life, and yet far older than I.
"We must do something—we must try to make them see. All of them. Their anger will change the course of our future, I fear into an ugliness none of us are prepared to live with," I tell him. I saw the Elders, my grandfather’s rage, mirrored in my father, emotion overriding sense.
"We will try. My father, my brothers, they will listen, I am sure of it. They are only preparing to defend themselves. They do not want this war that looms." He sighs, and I believe him. The truth shines in his dark eyes, lined in amber.
"I will try to speak to my father, try to stop it. They have to see that it was not the fault of you all, but I fear they are blinded."
"We can but try, but we shall never turn on each other, you and I."
"Never," I promise, and he gifts me a rare smile.
"I bought you this," he pulls the pack from his shoulder and shows me its contents, filled to the brim with food and other supplies. "I figured you and your mother would be in need of it."
"Thank you, Ethan." I hug him again, fear gripping my heart that I may not see him again if we fail in cooling the tempers of those we hold closest.
"Be safe, Remington. May the fates be on our side," he says with a nod of his head before disappearing back into the forest.
I take in a lungful of air, letting it out slowly, preparing myself to try and stop the madness I fear is going to be the end of us all.
"Remington! Run!" Ethan’s pleading reaches my ears, but rather than run towards our home, I run towards him. I have never heard such fear in his voice. I fly through the forest, thankful for my heightened senses bringing me closer to him. Seven heartbeats in the distance, but I don't think twice and head towards them, fear making me pick up my pace until my heart hammers so hard against my chest I wonder if it could burst free.
I run until a weight across my back bears down and pushes me into the ground. "Foolish child."
I am lifted by strong arms, my own arms pinned behind me, my feet lifted from the floor so that I cannot use the ground to help me break free.
I struggle as he walks me forward, less than a minute passes when I see him, Ethan on his knees, my grandfather behind him, pistol pointed at his head.
"Please, no, he has done nothing wrong!" I scream across the distance, tears rolling down my face.
"He is one of them, no better than an animal," my grandfather snarls as the man holding me passes me to my father.
"Father, please. Ethan is my friend. He would not harm us. This will only lead to war."
"War is already upon us, Remington. Lines have been drawn in the sand. You need to choose which side you fall on."
"They are not all animals. They are our friends! Ethan did not kill Evie, he did not even know about it. That band of rogues worked alone. This is what they wanted. To pit us against each other so that we might be distracted from them!" I scream as my grandfather pulls back the pin on his gun. "No!"