Curse of Ash

Chapter 8

Instead of the abruptness to her voice from their first meeting, she now spoke beautifully, quickly, as if her voice was the result of wind blowing through grass. Soft, yet strong. Light, yet deep. It was a total contradiction to the image Reeves had begun to create for her; the timid maid who's voice broke in strange ways. It definitely suited her better, pairing well with her orange hair, tufted animal ears, and plethora of freckles.

"You're a strange woman," Jenner muttered, looking at Vinny in a new light. Reeves imagined he wore a similar expression.

"Female," she corrected. "I am no woman. That implies I am human, and I most certainly am not that."

Jenner leaned back, throwing an arm across the back of the couch. "Excuse me? What's so wrong with humans?"

Vinny's purple eyes widened in exasperation. "Really? So are you doing to deny you have armies that patrol your streets? You keep your dead in boxes on display? Are you going to deny any of those things, and more, aren't true?"

Jenner scrunched his nose. "What kind of stories are you hearing? Who is telling you these things?"

Vinny straightened. "They're stories our elders tell us so we stay away from the wall. You are our worst nightmares."

Reeves burst out laughing at that. Unable to help himself, he kneeled over his knees, gasping for breath. He knew both Jenner and Vinny were staring at him, but he couldn't stop. Once he started, there was no end. Everything began piling on top of each other; his conversation with Sid, the wall between the two lands falling, meeting fae, finding out they apparently can't go home. Each of those things were incredibly overwhelming on their own, but throwing them all together...pressure began to build at the base of his head and his laughter disappeared into a groan.

"He's losing it," Jenner faux whispered to Vinny before looking back at his brother. "Don't start going crazy on me now, brother." He rolled the glass ball in his palm, a look crossing his face that quietly told Reeves to shut up and stay quiet. A look that he had never seen on his younger brother before. It made him look older, more defined, a true warrior. He dutifully closed his mouth and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest even as his head began drumming against his temples.

"Look," Vinny said, pushing a hand through her hair. She scratched at her ears, finger getting lost in the orange fur. "I've never believed in those stories, but many did. Many still do, and always will. Your kind are welcome here." She gave them a small smile. "I understand that you have been told wildly accusing stories about the fae as well. While I can't say not all of it is untrue, there are still some who are different. Like me."

Vinny looked proud when she said it. A slight flush came to Reeves's cheeks.

"Like Kael?" He asked before he had a second to change his mind.

Vinny turned her violet eyes to Reeves, a color he had never seen before. It had him growing uncomfortable the longer he stared into them.

"Kael Rockwell is many things."

The room fell silent, the brothers waiting for Vinny to continue, but she didn't.

"Wow," Jenner grunted, pushing himself up from the couch. "Super vague...super helpful."

Reeves sighed, rubbing a hand down his face.

Vinny let out a long and heavy breath. "I'll only say this once: you should be careful who you trust. Everything north of your precious wall is not always what it seems."

Jenner's voice was quiet, "What's going to happen now that it was...brought down?"

Vinny sniffed, rubbing a freckled hand over her arm. "Kael says it's going to lead to war. He says a darkness is coming, that it was foretold in one of his prophecies he's obsessed with. But really, no one had any idea." Her eyes met Jenner's before meeting Reeves's. "All I know is things are going to change, they already have."