Ashen Feathers: The Anomaly Series, #3

By Aster North

Sharpened Edges. Spilled Lifeblood. Avenging Magics. 

My name is Everly Banks, assassin, creator, and loner. Or I was until four hunters pushed their way into my life. Add in a cursed goat, sassy fox, and stubborn witch, and I have a whole circus following me.

That's the least of my problems though. I have promises to keep and enemies to slaughter. Two innocents are caught in the center of a battle I'd failed to finish long ago. I won't let them pay for my mistakes.

We will have to rescue them while dodging a bounty on my head and preparing for war. As if that wasn't enough, whispers of my past are colliding with my present, and I'm not sure I'm strong enough to handle them.

Unfortunately, life isn't waiting on me to get myself together. My own personal hell is coming whether I like it or not. But it's not only my future at stake if I lose. My nightmare has come to haunt me and if he succeeds, the world will fall at his feet. 

So, if you're unlucky enough to see the clash between the creator and the destroyer, look for me beneath the falling ashen feathers. I'll be the one who duct taped herself back together again. 

*******

Ashen Feathers is the final book in The Anomaly series. It is an urban fantasy with a reverse harem romance. That means she will not choose between her men. This series is not for those under the age of 18 because it contains sensitive content. Please see the foreword for specific triggers. They are located in sections that are listed so anyone who wishes to do so can skip said section without getting lost. There is also a warning by Everly herself just before the break. This book contains steamy scenes as well as battles. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aster North
• Release date: Dec 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215022054

Book preview

1

Everly

War, insidious and brutal, lingered on the horizon. It would not be the typical kind, the sort where ironclad men clashed in an open field or where both sides used tanks and bombs. We had only ourselves against his paid and enslaved men. A series of individual fights would decide the fate of the world.

However it came, I both welcomed and dreaded it. A deviant playing king begged to die at my hand, and I would deliver. Both war and death were used as tools of men too weak and too cowardly to stand on their own. Those same pathetic men sent the poor masses out like pawns in a game. Expendable and powerless to stop it, the soldiers perished for the rich man’s greed and folly.

The time had arrived to remove two of those pawns from the board. Richard, the would-be King, held two young children as hostages in his mad bid for power. After we stole them back, I planned to slit his throat and make sure he stayed dead.

I’d killed him once before. It appeared that it didn’t take, despite the stab wounds and attempt to incinerate his corpse. Pity.

He, along with some others who I’d already punished, set me up over four hundred years ago. While I thought I was doing the honorable thing, I’d been walking into a trap. One that led to torture, humiliation, and a brokenness that I had begun to mend. He came back and recruited more assholes to his side in his effort to obtain control of the world and me. He became obsessed, and that would be his downfall. I refused to be someone’s toy.

Mr. Li, Dixin’s father and our source, sat outside spending a few minutes with his son. He’d dropped by to deliver urgent news. Apparently, Richard had grown tired of Willy missing his check-ins.

Finding out he was a spy was a difficult time. Even though he only did it because his daughters were being held captive to ensure his cooperation, it cut deep into my soul and made me question my instincts. Since then, we had to move, and Willy wasn't always able to get in touch with his handler.

Mr. Li just told us that Willy’s girls were being auctioned in response. The good part was that we knew the route and most of the details about the transfer. Finding them had proven difficult, but with the new intelligence, we only needed to show up. Well, that and kill a bunch of people, but that was a given.

Torin and Ren had already dumped the information out on the table. Both of them were used to planning for raids, so I allowed them to have first dibs as I comforted the little, asshole goat. Even Ember the fox, my newest friend, played nice. She rubbed up against him instead of taunting him.

This is good news, Willy, I said in an attempt to soothe him.

How are my girls being sold off good news? You don't understand what he has planned, what he does to people! he cried out, his little body shaking and voice wobbling. It was why I stayed under the bastard’s control. And I failed. This is all my fault, and my babies will pay the price. I can’t lose them. I can’t.

My heart squeezed at the ache in his words, but I knew we would find them. We would rescue them and hide them for just a little while longer. Richard had an expiration date, and it was rapidly approaching.

Look, I said, failing at inducing calm with soft words, so I switched tactics. We couldn’t afford a hysterical father fucking up everything. You need to stop this pity shit.

Willy gasped and looked at me with murder in his eyes. Hurt feelings were immaterial if it got him focused.

You’re sitting here feeling guilty while you should be planning and getting every scrap of information you can. So, shut the fuck up and get your girls back. Steel infused my tone, and as Willy turned to stare at the hunters leafing through the packet, he responded.

You’re right. I will bring my babies home, he said before becoming rigid. Then, that witch and the bastard die.

He jerked away from me and ran over to the guys, the noise of his hooves echoing in the room. After he left, Ember took his place and brushed against me.

"He will be OK?" she asked, her voice floating inside my head. Ever since she was given a bit of my blood, it connected us in ways I didn’t understand.

After scratching between her shoulders, I nodded as I stood. Yeah, he’ll be better once we have the kids, though.

"I’ll help. It’s no fun when I can’t mess with the goat," Ember said as she bounced over to the others.

Ren picked Willy up and put him in a chair, allowing him to see the clutter that littered the table. He studied a page before him until he pushed it aside with his nose.

He glanced up to notice me eyeing them and hacked out, Well? Bring your ass over here and quit staring. It’s creepy and not at all helpful.

Ah, there was my Willy. Grinning, I ambled over to sit beside Ko.

What do we have?

---

Mr. Li entered the room with Dix behind him. All of us paused and stared at the former enemy.

I need to get back. This was the only time I could sneak away, and they’ll miss me if I’m gone too long, he explained as he waved an arm around. You know where I’m at if you have questions. Try to be cautious. Richard's paranoia has ramped up and sent me far more people than I can feed. I’m almost sure at least three are reporting to him.

I stood and crossed the room. As I approached, I thrust my hand out for him to accept. His papery, cool palm fit in mine as we shook.

Thanks, Mr. Li. This means a lot. We’ll be careful, both in avoiding Richard and getting these kids back.

He nodded and leaned in as he whispered, I’m working on an antidote. See me before you go after him.

I stood there speechless, and our hands parted as he spun to pull his son into one final hug. Dix’s eyes looked watery as his father turned away and strode from the room.

Since Ko needed to replace the chair beneath the knob to keep it from banging open as the wind pushed against the battle-damaged door, he followed.

Dix remained frozen until I touched his arm. Startled, he gave me a small, sad smile.

Let’s go. We have work to do. He entwined his fingers with my own and aimed for the table.

Once we reached his seat, he pulled me into his lap, and I snuggled in. His scent of incense and smoke surrounded me, giving me a bit of peace as we waited for Ko to return.

When the sound of scraping along the floor hit my ears, I straightened and announced, We need to move again. I don’t care to sit here like a hobbled lamb.

My eyes found Torin’s, and he nodded before rubbing his eyebrow. Then a glance at Ren showed he’d already stacked the papers before him.

Where are we going? Ko asked as he started a pile on his side.

Torin, where’s the meeting spot for Li’s guys and the others? I inquired.

As he pulled the map towards him, I untangled myself from the warmth of Dixin’s arms to stand. With a furrowed brow, Torin scanned it and looked for the location of our next fight.

The moment I stepped behind him, his finger jabbed at a tiny spot that didn’t even have a name listed beside it. I leaned over his shoulder to see better as my mind began to work.

Here. According to the information Mr. Li gave us, they’re set to meet at an old gas station off Route 20. I pulled up the little town, and there’s nothing there. Only a pass-through place that died out after they built the interstate up here. Mostly farms from what I can tell. He glanced at me. His nostrils flared as he took in my scent, and a twinkle entered his eyes.

As much as I wanted to hide and see where that mischievous look led us, I couldn’t. Not until everything was over.

I don’t have any houses around there. So, should we hole up in another house of mine? Or do we find rooms close by? I gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and pulled away.

Ren’s gravelly voice followed the sound of clattering keys. There’s a dump of a motel about twenty miles away. Looks like a pay by the hour kind of place, but it would suit our needs. I doubt they’d even notice the goat, though I’d recommend hiding him as much as possible. People tend to remember odd occurrences, he said.

I took in the pictures that filled his screen and nodded.

OK then. Motel it is. Everyone grab your shit. When we get done, meet back here, and we’ll go, I said and turned away.

Sketchy motels meant extra weapons. It also meant popping home for some spray and sheets. Unable to catch any nasty bugs, I still didn't care to sleep on blankets that hadn’t been changed in gods know how long. Shudders rolled through me at the thought of the creepy crawlies that likely called that place home as Willy raced past.

I willed myself through space and arrived in my basement. Before giving the others my blood, I was the only one able to access the place thanks to spells and a few other things. It was used as an armory, although it looked more like a library at that moment.

When we’d killed Councilman Alvarez, I’d removed all the texts he hoarded, and they laid around the room waiting on me to open them and root out their secrets. Time didn't allow for it then, but something needed to be done with them soon.

I changed into my leathers before strapping on as many weapons as possible on my body and threw even more in a couple of bags. Most of my blades and guns were at the last house we’d stayed at, but enough remained that I filled the packs to the top and had trouble zipping them up.

Perhaps most people would think my collection extreme, but they would be wrong. Some women collected shoes. I hoarded weapons.

With so many things that might go wrong, and so many people I cared about rushing into danger, I took the time to form my own backup plan. No doubt Ren had his own, but he wasn't the one yanking us around.

It didn’t take long to study a couple of the towns surrounding the one where we would find the children. Few options existed, but I felt better having at least some ideas in case Willy’s kids or one of us needed somewhere to hole up.

Taking one last scan of the room, I spun around. In a last-second decision, I snatched a book off the top of the closest pile and popped back upstairs.

The sight of my men lined up like it was inspection time filled me with both pride and heat. They were all so different, yet they all were gorgeous. Well, except for the goat at the end who was struggling to carry a bottle of whiskey.

Ready? I asked.

Each man and animal nodded before reaching a hand out to touch me. Ember and Willy pressed into my legs, and a place where we could appear out of thin air without too much fanfare fixed itself in my mind.

Ah, shit, was the last thing I heard before taking us away.

Willy

Dammit. I’d lost my grip on the bottle, and when we arrived behind some sad, little dump, it wasn’t with us. I glanced up at Everly and wondered if she would go back and grab it.

As though she knew what I was thinking, she said, Nope. You’ll have to do without. I don’t need a drunk right now, anyway.

That pissed me off. I wasn’t a drunk. So I took a few pulls when it grew to be too much. So what? I was a grown-ass man. Well, goat. Whatever.

I opened my mouth to curse her out, to tell her I damned well needed it. Life had shit all over me, and it was far too painful to handle on my own. The whiskey sanded away the sharp edges that constantly pricked at my heart. Before all the goat bullshit began, I only drank on days like holidays, birthdays, or anniversaries. I wasn’t a godsdamned alcoholic.

But, without my girls to distract me, to need me, every morning I awoke to my heart being crushed and run through a meat grinder. Then every night it was shoved back in, aching and in so many pieces it was unrecognizable, only to have to do it all over again the next day. That was why I needed the shit. Even the nicks seemed like mercy some days.

Before I was able to say anything, she pulled away and dropped the bags at her feet, almost on top of me, as she called out, Ko? Would you mind getting us some rooms? It should be just past this diner.

Ko, the whipped little boy he was, merely nodded and loped off to do her bidding. Narrowing my eyes, I decided it wasn’t worth the fight, at least not right then. I’d get more whiskey soon, even if that meant stealing it. Using my teeth, I unzipped the pouch around me and pulled out my cigs.

If alcohol wasn't an option, nicotine was a necessity to get through it without wanting to kill everyone. They didn’t work as well, but they dampened the chaos in my head and calmed the jittery nerves down some.

The second I got them out, a hand darted down and snatched them from my mouth.

Not these, either. I’m not sitting in a room full of smoke. It will be gross enough. We don’t need to add a smoky-smelling goat to the mix. Her hand crushed the pack, and I saw red.

It was more than I could take. She wasn’t my mother or my babysitter, and her heavy-handed approach to it all fanned the flames of my rage to inferno level. I dropped my head and spread my legs, ready to ram her and inflict even the smallest bit of hurt on her. To show her a miniscule amount of my pain.

Who the fuck do you think you are? I need something to get me through this. You won’t go grab my whiskey, and now you’re telling me I can’t smoke? I will cut you, I growled out.

Her movements were quick as she dropped into a crouch. So sudden that I startled and stumbled backward.

Who am I, you ask? I’m the bitch that‘s going to get your kids back. Kids that, I’m sure, want their dad. Not some drunk-ass bastard who can’t even see straight, let alone help, she said, her tone full of venom. No, goat. I’ll put your ass in a cage before I let you fuck this up. They’re your damn children. Fucking act like it.

She exploded upwards and pivoted away from me. I glanced around at the guys, and they either shook their heads or wouldn’t look at me. I turned and stomped off, fuming.

How dare she? What gave her the authority to tell me what to do? I’d helped them just fine on every other fight we’d been in, drunk or not. And most of the fights I’d been sober. Hell, smoking didn’t even impair anything. Bitch. It was unbelievable, and a litany of nasty words passed through my mind as I envisioned forcing her to replace my lost bottle.

That stupid fox followed her, but Dix followed me. I paced at the end of the alley, my hooves stomping on the broken glass and loose gravel.

She’s right, Dix said softly. I could barely hear him, and I didn’t want to.

Go back to your bitch like a good boy, I spit out.

The next second, he snatched me up, and the surprise caused me to let out a little yelp.

Put me down, asshole. Y’all can’t toss me around like this. I’m getting sick of this shit too! I yelled as my feet kicked out trying to find something to hit.

Dix just stared at me with a mixture of pity and anger in his eyes. We’re about to go fight to steal your kids back. Who knows what will happen? But even so, we’re probably going to get shot at and stabbed so that your girls can sleep without worrying about whose hands are coming for them. And you’re bitching about your bad habits? Maybe we should take them to someone else, he bit out.

My legs slowed, and I looked away before saying, You don’t know what you’re talking about. I just need it when it hurts too much. I’m a damned good dad, so all of you can fuck off.

You’d be a better one if you were present. How are you going to help us plan if you’re plastered? You might be a good father, but you’re acting like a toddler who had his toy taken away. Grow up. He lowered and dropped me on the hard lot before spinning back around and striding off.

I sat down, the grit and grime of the nasty ground pressing into my haunches. It seemed fitting at that point in my life. They weren’t right and none of them understood, but for the time being, I was forced to put up with their shit.

2

Everly

I ’ve got us some rooms, preceded Ko just before he entered the alleyway. Let’s go. I rented the ones furthest from the office. They were eyeing me hard. Lone man comes in needing several rooms? I’m sure they think I’m a pimp.

I laughed and heard a few chuckles from the guys. Ko, a pimp? Most likely, because it was a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, they eyed everyone that came in.

Come on. Let’s put everything up and grab something to eat real quick, I suggested as I started towards the opposite end of the alley.

The hotel is the other direction, Dixin pointed out.

My feet carried me to him, and I patted his cheek as I said, I know that. If we go this way, we can avoid most of the street view. We’re already going to be memorable. Do we want to add in a very obvious goat, too? I’d rather everyone here see as little of us as possible and I’m not popping us all inside the bed. I have no idea what that will do to all of you.

His nod came slowly, and he placed his hand on my ass as we turned. It rested below my pack that covered my entire back. My eyes cut to the side and drank in his small smile. He seemed to be more like his old self, as though he’d begun to glue some of his jagged edges back together. If copping a feel helped another piece settle into place, I’d let him.

I stepped over Willy as we got to where he sat pouting about the loss of his crutches. He was mad, and I didn’t give a shit. When he’d first arrived, he was just a goat. Then I learned he was actually a man cursed to be a goat. His drinking and smoking didn’t affect anyone but him at the time, so I didn’t mention anything. Still, I’d been trying to slow him down after finding out his real story.

Right at that moment, we were close to getting his kids back. I’d be damned before he went sauntering in to rescue them with whiskey on his breath. They deserved their whole father there to save them and comfort them after what they’d been through. ‘Whole father’ was a stretch with him being a goat, but mentally, he could still be there unaltered.

So, no, I didn’t care if he pouted, cried, or cursed me out. He’d just have to deal with reality for a while. Often the real world was hard. It was a vindictive bitch who tried her best to grind our souls down to grains of sand. When it was trying to dynamite through us, it mimicked a river and ate away at us little by little. We had to grab the moments of peace and happiness in between and use that to fill our sandbags to block its attempts.

His habits only propped him up with bendable and breakable sticks. They would eventually fall, and he would crumble without a real tool for coping. He grumbled, but the sound of his hooves echoed off the brick walls, signaling that he followed us, even if he wasn’t thrilled about it.

Dixin’s heated hand was still on my ass as we drew closer to the corner of the motel. Ko rushed past us and held his palm up. I nodded even though he wasn’t looking at me and paused. The line behind me came to a standstill as we all scanned the surrounding area, our senses heightened by Ko’s precautions. He’d been the only one to see the streets, so for the time being, he was in charge.

He crept forward, and I lost sight of him as he rounded the corner. My hands clenched and unclenched on the handles of the bags I carried. Nerves began to zip through me when he didn’t stick his head around the edge and give us the all clear. Dixin’s arm dropped as the tension in the air crackled. Seconds ticked by like hours, and the urge to move forced me to shift from foot to foot. Just as I contemplated going to check on him, he popped up with empty hands and waved us forward.

He appeared to be relaxed and unharmed, so I walked towards him with quick steps, the anxiety from the wait still riding me. Until I could calm it, the need for cover was greater than the need for quiet. The group gathered behind me, and Ko slipped the keycard into the pad beside the door. It opened seconds before I reached him. I nodded as I swung the bags around, one before me, one behind me, and entered the room.

After stepping inside, I glanced around at our new humble abode for at least the next couple of days. It was old and worn with decor left over from the eighties. Gaudy and not my style at all, it would work while we needed it. The bags rattled and clinked as I released my hold on them, and they fell to the floor. I spun and threw my arms out before saying, Welcome home, boys.

---

"I know it’s not a fancy place, but it seemed pretty decent. Besides, it’s the only motel around here," Ko said in an apologetic voice as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Everyone else spread out around the room, and Ember leapt from bed to bed.

I’ve stayed in much worse. At least it seems to be mostly clean, I called over my shoulder as I went to check out the bathroom. A quick peek inside showed that it was consistent with the rest of the place, clean but tired. How many rooms did you get?

Oh, um, two, Ko said from his spot by the door.

He still seemed unsure, so I crossed the room to brush a kiss across his lips and whispered a thanks. Patting his chest, I stepped back to will myself home.

I’ll be right back, I called out just before I disappeared.

The house was quiet and unsettling as I appeared in my hall. We hadn’t been together very long, but I’d already grown used to the noise of others around me. A footfall, someone preparing a snack in the kitchen, snores as we all slept, just the tiny, unimportant sounds that proved that we lived.

I shook off the feeling and took a few steps before pulling the closet door open. My eyes darted to the top shelf, but it was empty. I looked down at my feet where every single bit of fabric it held lay on the floor. A sigh ran through me, the kind that moves the entire body. I crouched down and dug through the mountain of linen until I found what I needed. When I pushed the door shut, it didn’t close and a glance down showed why. A quick shove at the bits sticking out helped, and I leaned my weight on the wood until it latched closed.

Pile in my arms, I crossed the land in one breath, and I was back in the motel room. My body spun around to see Dixin laying across the bed, his legs hanging off so that his booted feet remained on the floor. I gave them a kick, and he jerked up into a sitting position.

What? I didn’t do anything this time, he said with raised eyebrows and an air of false innocence around him.

Get up and change the sheets. You have no idea what you’re laying on. The pile of bedding hit him across the face, and he fell back onto the mattress with all the drama of a terrible daytime soap opera. What does everyone want to eat? I’ll grab it. Hopefully, they’ll have some to-go boxes. We need to remain unseen as much as possible.

I’ll go with you. I know what they normally get, Ko’s voice floated out from the bathroom, and he followed it.

My tongue darted out to swipe along my bottom lip in a reflex at the sight of him barefoot and shirtless. His jeans hung low on his hips and beads of water trailed down his chest as he dried his hair with a thin towel. A few sparks danced across his skin in response to my perusal, and when I glanced up to his face, the confidence he was missing when we arrived reappeared. It was off somehow, though, as if he’d slipped it on and missed a hook. Unnecessary with me, but if it made him more comfortable, I wouldn’t say anything.

The sounds of the others rushed back in, piercing the moment where I was lost in my own fantasies. I patted my pockets, making sure that I had my card when I heard someone clear their throat. My head lifted, and I sought the source. Ren sat staring at me with a brow raised.

As my eyes met his, he glanced down my body and asked, You certain you want to go in there like that? I’m sure nothing says inconspicuous like a woman in leathers and covered in more metal than the average car. But it might be a good idea to tone it down.

Smartass. It was a valid point, though, so I stepped over to the cheaply made dresser and started to unstrap the most visible of my weapons. When I thought I had removed enough, I turned back to Ren and held my arms out to my sides and spun around like I was showing off a new dress. When I made the full turn and faced him again, he shook his head and mouthed ‘pants.’ I glanced down to take in my leathers.

Fuck that. We would be memorable no matter what I wore. I could have walked in naked or in the blandest clothes on Earth, and Ko and I would still have stood out in the tiny town. If I couldn’t go unnoticed, the next best option was leading people to believe what I wanted them to. Instead of stripping my pants off, I yanked the jacket off and tossed it over one of my bags. My shirt followed, and I heard a few throats clear and a whistle.

Ignoring them all, I dug through the pack I’d stuffed some clothes in and found a tank top. A few strategic slices later, it had a lot less fabric which was a feat for a shirt that started out with very little to begin with. Pulling the skimpy top over my head, I looked in the dirty mirror to make sure that it covered my throwing stars. The wrap was barely hidden, but it was good enough to pass. Then I twisted, and they flashed in the light. Curse words passed my lips, and I unstrapped them and dropped them on the pile. The clink of metal on metal sounded ominous, but I shook it off, chalking it up to my paranoia.

When my eyes met my reflection, everything seemed to pause around me as I saw deep inside. I knew more about myself than I ever had, but I was still so unsure of who I truly was. I had the power to obliterate the universe, and I chased vengeance as though it were the air that my soul breathed. Did I kill an entire universe because of a personal vendetta? Did I doom innocents to become the dust and the catalyst for new lives? Or was I just not enough to stop the ones who did?

Doubt and disgust pressed at my mind. Was my chase of Richard going to end the same way? Or was I on the side of right? Was I the monster, or was I the hunter? A single word crossed my mind as I took in the image before me, one that didn’t feel like my own. Both.

I shivered and slipped on my jacket. My eyes flicked to the reflection of Ko standing behind me, his brow furrowed as he studied me. A pasted-on smile covered my true thoughts, and I spun with my hand out. His face relaxed, but the glint in his eye said that I wasn’t fooling him completely.

Kohana

As I watched, for just a moment, she paused and a phantom weight pressed on her. She shrunk and faded as her eyes peered into places I wasn’t privy to. Whatever she thought about, it wasn’t light and sparkles. It was shadows and silence.

I was frozen, my sight tracing her face as I tried to force my way into her thoughts and wrench her free. Then, as though she heard me, her gaze found mine, and a brittle smile manipulated her lips, marking a poor attempt at covering her true feelings. They curled upwards, but they didn’t remove the turmoil that remained staring at me.

Her arm extended out, and I lunged forward, probably seeming too eager if the chuckles behind me were any indication. It didn’t matter. In that moment, my mind saw her hand as an attempt to grasp onto anything to stay above water. If I wasn’t able to save her from whatever chased her, I wanted to stand by her side as she confronted the bullets with her name on them.

It felt like the darkness she faced in the mirror was something she couldn’t escape, and it would eventually cover her. I’d promised her I would be her light and the guide that led her out. I grasped her palm and stepped forward as I pulled her close, trying to wrap myself around her. If possible, I’d have shielded her from herself, but I couldn’t.

Her skin was unusually cool against mine and a tremor ran through her. She tensed as she tried to cover what she probably thought of as a weakness. My arms squeezed, seeking to engulf us in a bubble until she dispelled the thoughts that pulled at her. My hand rubbed up and down her back, her breath shallow. Slowly, she began to relax into me and tilted her head up to meet my eyes. As she searched mine, I found the false veil in hers once again. But through the cracks of her shield, I spotted the hands of hell trying to drag her down.

She lifted, her lips aiming for mine, and I bent to reach them. Just a brush of a kiss, but it was also more. It was a message, one that delivered a promise and took a tiny crumble of pain away in exchange. Her body slid against mine as she lowered herself down, and even as I wanted to hide forever, I loosened my arms allowing the world to come in between us.

I glanced around the room to find them all staring at us, silent statues frozen in the moment. As though our movement triggered life to restart, it broke the quiet. Ember’s head laid back down on her forelegs. Ren and Tor went to the papers before them again. Dixin finished folding the motel sheets he’d placed in a pile. Willy, well, he remained asleep on the floor in the corner, as far from everyone as possible.

A tug on my arm pulled me off balance, and I stumbled behind the woman I was attached to. Everly turned her head and a genuine smile lit up her face. It made me nearly fall on mine which drew music from her lips as her laugh weaved through the air. She deserved more of that to offset the life she’d been given. Her goodness needed to be stamped on the world.

We still didn’t understand what she was, but if I had to categorize her, I’d say a goddess of revenge and righteousness. Maybe protector of innocents with how she reacted to some things we’d seen. Vengeance and justice