Fire

Family History

My heart leapt, “kinda?”

Asher laughed, “oh man, you wouldn’t believe the stuff she tells those rebels. That my mother is an evil ice queen, that Charlotte – she’s our sorceress – eats babies for lunch, that kind of thing. And of course, she wants the throne, so she has to lie about having royal blood.”

“She doesn’t?” I could hardly breath.

Asher shrugged, “technically, no. She’s my grandfather’s step sister. Married into the family, so really, she has no claim to the throne. But you can bet she’s claiming that she’s my grandfather’s full sister. She gets more support that way, the rebels think she’s destined for the throne or whatever.” He chuckled.

I hoped my face didn’t betray the utter relief I was feeling. He would probably think I was totally weird if I started grinning like a loony after he’d just been telling me what a head case my mother was.

“Anything else you want to know?” Asher leaned forward slightly, and his knee actually brushed mine. My pulse jumped, and this time I didn’t try to suppress it.

“I think…that pretty much covers it,” I honestly didn’t care if Kari was a spotted giraffe at this point. I didn’t give a crap about her.

“So, you’re clear on tomorrow?” Asher said, and then he grinned when I stared at him blankly, “yeah, you looked distracted. Okay, what I pretty much said was that they’ll be hot on our tail tomorrow. We have several hotels that cater specifically to our…needs. They’ll be stationed at all of them. Waiting for us.”

“What’s stopping them from just busting in here?”

“It’s not neutral territory.  This is a safe zone, so busting in here would pretty much be declaring all out war on us. They’re nowhere near ready for that yet. They know we’d wipe them out.”

I said, “Why don’t you?”

Asher quirked one eyebrow at me, “don’t we what?”

“Wipe them out, I mean…there’s obviously way more of you then them. Why don’t you just attack them and put an end to the rebellion?”

“I think my parents would rather not do that,” Asher rubbed one thumb over the bumps in the covers, eyes flickering from me and back down, “I personally think they’re being too soft hearted. I think Kari is a nut job, she’s dangerous. I’ve…argued with my dad over it more than once. But he says that amount of violence isn’t necessary,” he snorted, “like she’s just rebelling a little bit, just a phrase…you know, like an adolescent kid that’s just going through something.” He rolled his eyes, “my mom takes it a bit more seriously, thankfully. She’s keeping an eye on Kari.”

“Well someone sure should,” I muttered, “you’re right. She’s telling everyone a pack of lies. She’s got them eating out of her hand,” instantly I got a clear flash of memory. Trent and my mother entwined on the carpet by the fire. Asher must have seen something in my face, because he reached out and brushed the top of my hand with one finger, sending tingles trailing after his touch, “Jess? Are you alright? What were you just thinking?”

I hesitated, not really wanting to tell him about Trent and I, about Trent and my mother. I ducked my head, “it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, obviously,” Asher tilted his head sideways, dark curls flopping over his eyes. He brushed them aside impatiently, then reached out and brushed my hair back, “Jess?”

Would he hate me if I told him about Trent? Would he think I was like the girls at my highschool, jumping from one guy to the next? “I…Trent…we…” I blushed brightly under Asher’s bright blue eyes. To my surprise he chuckled, shaking his head, “let me guess…he kissed you.”