Page 19 of Memory of Ashes

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The next morning, Casyl strolled into her cell with two men. She’d only just woken.

“This is Tharos.” He pointed at the stern blond fae from the beach. “And this is Ruven.” She remembered his mischievous wink.

Tharos merely looked at her whilst Ruven bowed, his mouth curving at one corner.

“I’m sorry to do this before breakfast,” Casyl apologised.

“Do what?” Amelia asked, sitting up sharply.

He nodded at Tharos, who stepped forward. He extended one hand towards Amelia. She recoiled, waiting for the pain she was sure he would inflict.

The pain didn’t land, but a strange sensation swept over her like a wave, clouding her thoughts.

For a moment, Amelia could not remember where she was. She tried to focus.

The feeling stopped.

“What did you do?” she asked him.

“What did she do?” Tharos ignored her, turning to Casyl instead.

“His power scrambles thoughts,” Casyl said.

Ruven cleared his throat, earning an eye roll from Tharos.

“But what did she do just then?” Tharos asked again, louder.

“You felt what she did.”

“My power waned and then just… stopped.”

“She stopped it.”

“She’s a Voider?” Tharos asked. He looked Amelia up and down. He’d gone from looking at her with scorn to disbelief. She preferred the second one.

“You’re going to train her. You both are,” Casyl informed them.

Tharos and Ruven gaped at him.

“Why would we do that?” Tharos asked.

“She could be useful, and she may need to defend herself from people other than us,” Casyl said.

Amelia wondered at that. They had all those powers, and she was just a human.

“No,” Tharos said, folding his arms across his chest.

“What do you mean, no?” Casyl said, his voice going dangerously low.

Tharos stepped back at his tone but continued. “This isn’t right,” he said. “She’s a round-ear, a human.”

He’d said it as if it were a curse. His hostility confused Amelia. Why would he have something against humans? What reason could he have?

“Are you disobeying a direct command?” Casyl demanded.

Tharos paused. The atmosphere in the room had become tense.