The Five Dimensions Part 1: Shadow World

Chapter 25

Somewhere during the story, both Ash and Hailey went to sit on the bed, next to each other. He was telling her a love story. About how Ash's mother, Faithanne, and Leo's father, Tavion, fell in love at a very young age and how Tavion was killed on a mission. It was a tragic death. He walked into an ambush because of miscommunications within his Team, just when he was about to go home. Leo was eleven.

Faithanne was heartbroken but eventually remarried, to Ash's father, Riddick. That was when she had Ash and his two other siblings, Alexandre and Aribelle. Ash told Hailey about how hard it was for his mother to reconnect but that it was her duty as a Soul Hunter to keep trying. There was some unease in Ash's voice when he mentioned his mother's difficulties. He ended with saying that his parents were happy now. He also mentioned that Leo was married to Hazel Calderwood, and they had a four-year-old daughter called Luna.

After Ash finished storytelling, he sighed. Then he eyed Hailey expectantly. She could only stare at him. From the way he told Hailey about the pain that his mother went through, it seemed as if it was something he'd never said out loud before. Maybe he hadn't. Everything he told her was all so personal, and he didn't even hide his emotions. She was sure of his complete honesty, it was all over his face. Hailey found it hard not to trust him after this.

She felt like she should stop these kinds of thoughts, like she should still resent him. But there was something about him that drew her to him. Ash was so ... different, and definitely still mysterious. One honest story that wasn't technically about himself didn't change that.

Hailey felt the desire to explore this period of honesty, however brief it might be, she wanted to know more about him. Everything there was to know. She couldn't explain the sensation even to herself. It was like some external force had bestowed a great thirst upon her. A thirst for him, for his personality, his history, everything about him. It made her want to run towards and away from the feeling at the same time.

Despite the story being mostly about his family, she managed to learn a bit about Ash himself, just by watching him closely. She didn't think she had ever paid so much attention to one person in her life. He was so fascinating to her. Whether he was putting up a mask or bearing himself to her like this. She saw the small changes in his expression, the way his eyes drifted, and when he tensed slightly. He was hard on the outside, but it was taught behavior. She recognized it only too well.

Hailey wondered what had happened in his past for him to feel the need to hide his emotions. She could see that his mask was built based on an active decision that changed him completely. It was too much like her own mask to have originated from anything else. A small part in the back of her mind remembered that she wanted to escape Ash's world with its Dimensions and Orders and Souls. She didn't want any part of it.

There was another part of her mind that was getting stronger with every minute. A part that really did understand the Soul Hunters' duty and that their goal for balance was noble and even in her own interest as well. A part that was undoubtedly not only interested in helping the Team fulfill their mission of finding the Connected Souls. There was one particular member of that Team that part of her mind was more interested in than anything else. She wanted to understand his mask, understand him. There were parts in him, even parts in his crazy, unbelievable world, that felt familiar. Like they were a part of her too. Hailey's incomprehensible curiosity might just be able to overwhelm her much more physical need to escape and get as far away as possible.

This battle went on silently in her mind. And try as she might, she could feel her mask slipping. She was scared by the thought of what her eyes were relieving to Ash now that he was done talking and focusing on her completely. Hailey regained herself as well as she could manage and smiled at Ash, not quite sure what he would gain from that.

"I don't really talk about it. You're the first one I actually told the whole story to," he added after some time, still looking intently at her eyes.

"Why did you?" she asked. He looked slightly puzzled. Instantly, new thoughts started popping up in her mind. Like how the crease between his eyebrows was a little lopsided because one of his brows was lower than the other.

"Why did I what?" The smirk that she recognized only too well was playing on his lips.

Hailey suspected that her question was perfectly clear to him. He was vying for more time to come up with a satisfying answer. It was shockingly obvious to her eyes. His lips were pressed together a bit too hard to make his smirk casual the way he tried to.

"Why did you tell me? We don't even really know each other, and I wasn't under the impression you trusted me much," Hailey answered. She knew that she could just be happy that he was open with her at all. Except that it wasn't in her nature to make it easy for him. And she really did want to know his reasons. She thought that, at least partially, he was giving her this information to try and gain her trust. She was very familiar with the technique, having – unsuccessfully – used it on Ash himself in the last week.

"I told you because I wanted to. To be honest, there never has been someone who gave me that kind of feeling," Ash said, looking around him as if searching for something on the ceiling. It was apparent that it was hard for him to admit. Like it hurt to reveal this part of himself.

Hailey could relate to that. Maybe it only seemed like a generic story about his family that loads of people already knew about, but he was aware that he wasn't just surrendering the words. He might not realize the extent of it, but he was allowing Hailey something that he was used to hiding.

He looked back at her. "And I do think we know each other, at least it feels that way ... for me."

It was Hailey's turned to look puzzled. She hadn't expected him to say something like that. Yes, she did think that she knew him a little, for her it felt the same way. But she didn't expect Ash to say that, at least not out loud.

After a couple seconds, he added, "I know you don't think you can trust me because I drugged you and didn't tell you about all this. But you have to know I had a very good reason to do so."

"What is that reason?" she asked calmly. She'd almost forgotten the hatred she felt towards him earlier. Him bringing up the drugging brought back a portion of it. She couldn't bring it all back, even a small part was straining. She knew now that she didn't hate him, not at all. Even if she should. Not after lowering his mask a bit for her. Maybe, if she'd been any other person, she would not have thought much about him telling one story. But Hailey, being the person that she was and knowing what that mask felt like, how important it was, couldn't help herself being moved.

Their legs were touching, even though they didn't need to be. There was more than enough room on the bed. They were very close together. Strangely enough, it felt natural to Hailey, like it was wrong to be further away from each other. She didn't know for sure if the feeling was mutual, but she hoped so. She also hated herself for hoping that. Once again Hailey couldn't stop herself from feeling comfortable around Ash. His soft smell of roses was so familiar to her that she was happy to get a fresh waft of it as he shifted slightly. Their legs didn't break their touch.

"I was the one who found you and when I did, I watched you for a while. I wouldn't have expected myself to do so ― why would I care if a random mortal would or would not handle the truth well? I usually don't really think about those things ― but I kept your whereabouts a secret until I was sure to know you'd be strong enough. I'm not exactly sure why I did it, but it felt like the right thing to do. When I told Leo about my plan to gain your trust and let you come to us yourself, he accepted it. He thought it would be better if you came along willingly. But I did it because I wanted to get to know you. Not that I would ever admit that." Ash rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile. Hailey felt herself blush. She wished the color in her cheeks wouldn't betray her like that. Ash's tone became harder as he went on. "But then we were running out of time and Nix said she would drag you right out of your bed if I didn't get you here soon. So, I told her I would get you that same night, which happened to be the night of the party. I thought you would rather have me holding you in my arms while being brought here than Phoenix dragging you here by your hair."

Hailey stifled a laugh. She was trying to understand. At least she understood that he had given her a much more peaceful way of kidnapping than the rest of the Team would have done. She looked into his eyes.