AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter One
Ash
An icy breeze rippled over my skin, as the howl of winter whipped the holiday lights through the Stephansplatz. The nightly festival glittered in the darkness, the lights decorating the wooden huts, Christmas trees, and shops. Music danced on my nerves like fat, bitter sugarplums. The scents of roasting nuts, gingerbread, and mulled wine filled my nose while people laughed and sang in cheerful cadence.
It was sandpaper to my skin. Their joy and lightness felt like barbed wire to my soul.
Burrowing my pounding head against the frosty night, still suffering from the extensive drugs from the night before, I turned down a dark alley, steering away from the festivities and weaving closer to my destination. Glancing over my shoulder, I used my senses to pick up any followers. Anyone with nefarious notions.
To say I’ve made friends in the last eleven months would be far from the truth. I had created more enemies, even of my friends. It was something the old Ash wouldn’t have done, but I wasn’t that person anymore. He died almost a year ago and left nothing but hate, vengeance, and rage within these bones I carried.
It was why I hadn’t been in Budapest in over three months. I got sick of the looks, the interventions, the judgment. Being told I wasn’t “being myself.”
There was no self to be. So, I left.
While all of them wanted to focus on the future, I was locked on the past, unable to move on, not understanding how they all seemed to want to forget so easily.
I breathed vengeance and dreamed about death.
Tree fairies were known to be even-tempered and serene, though I had never been a typical one. But even with my composed personality, I could be broken.
Weaving through the streets of Vienna, the influence and protection of Austria being under the umbrella of the Unified Nations was seen everywhere. The maintenance of roads, the advanced electricity system keeping this place glowing even in the darkest of nights. No mass destitution, no crumbling buildings. Not that there wasn’t a social divide between fae and human, nor was it even close to perfect, but it was a world away from the decay and poverty of the East, which was only two hours by train.
Checking over my shoulder again, I tugged my hood higher up, making sure my dark blond hair was covered. A couple of people strolled hand in hand down the lane, and a group of college kids laughed and stumbled down the street, singing like drunken fools, oblivious to real life and real problems.
Heading for the buttery light burning inside the pub, I noted the wordsBeer Saloonwritten out in English on the side of the building. I stepped into the holiday-decorated pub designed with arched white stone ceilings, barrel tables, random beer signage, and dark wood décor. It gave off a distinctive German-but-wanna-be-American-cowboy vibe. A place to relax to live music or get lost in the dim corners lit with dim candles.
A good place to go unnoticed while meeting with seedy connections.
The warm, stuffy air blasted my nose and cheeks with burning heat. The aroma of fried food and beer filled my nostrils while the loud chatter of people hummed off the ceiling and walls, crackling against my ears.
I tended to stay away from people now. I had no patience to be nice, or care about anyone else. The only time I could handle more than one was when I was high as fuck and in a brothel.
Tinsel and lights were strung over the bar, ceiling, and walls. A cheap plastic tinsel tree was propped up next to the bar while a dozen poinsettias were placed around the room, once again harping on the fact the holidays were coming. We should be joyous. Happy. It only reminded me I wasn’t.
My reasons for being happy were dead.
For one moment, I let myself be happy, when I should’ve known better. Even my childhood was a red flag, warning me I was not meant for love. I grew up never having unconditional love, except from one person, and I abandoned her, leaving her to suffer what I could not. Running away to save myself. Until Warwick and Kitty, I didn’t understand what true family was.
Shoving the pang of memories, I rolled back my shoulders, strolling for a table. I scanned the place, searching for the person I was meeting here. He had been almost impossible to track down, and it was even harder for him to obtain the information I had been seeking for months.
With no sign of him, I tucked myself against the wall in the darkest area, giving me a perfect view of the room and entrance. I nodded at the pretty server as she approached me.
“What can I get you?” She grinned, her lids lowering submissively, the candle on my table flicking over her alabaster skin.
“Paulaner,” I answered as I ordered a beer.
Pretending to write it down, her attention stayed on me. “Can I get youanythingelse?” Her blonde eyebrow arched up, her blue eyes glinting with interest. “Even off menu.” The insinuation was clear.
“No.”
“You sure?”
Shoulders rising, I felt the lash of my tongue, the words ready to break across her in a torrent. Everything about her coy expression, her flirty vibe, crawled up the back of my neck in a storm, taking all I had to barricade it back. I just wanted to be left the hell alone.
“No.” My reply punched from my lips, and I turned my head away, staring over the dimly lit room, making it very clear I wasn’t interested.
She sucked in at my harsh dismissal, her cheeks heating with embarrassment, probably not used to being rejected, and she retreated.
