Curse of Ash

Chapter 10

It was overcast the day Reeves met the woman he wished to be the love of his life.

But it didn't matter that the sky threatened to rain most of the day, or that the wind was brisk and incessant against his skin. It didn't even matter that he was running late to a meeting with his father—it was actually a meeting between his father and a tradesman in the city, but Edvard had asked Reeves to sit in. How could Reeves say no to that when his father was finally starting to trust him with his business?

Suddenly none of that mattered though, not when the wind blew harshly, pushing a barrel of flowers over into Reeves's path, making him try to sidestep the broken petals, and collide directly with a beautiful woman.

Reeves swore the sun was shining, the birds were chorusing, and Lani was a fresh daisy in the mess of the fallen counterparts.

In Reeves's world, everything was suddenly perfect. Nothing could ever touch the bubble of happiness he surrounded himself with. Nothing touched him, but the only thing that gave no damn about discrimination.

Death itself.

And that's how he knew he was dreaming then.

He was dreaming, because Lani was dead.

She stood right in front of him, black hair wrapped in a braid that draped over her shoulder. Blue eyes, darker than his own, were shadowed by the sun setting behind her, circling her head in a golden halo. The dress she wore was her favorite, and his too; a light green, like the grass in spring sprouting anew from winter, that hugged her waist and exposed the pale skin of her ankles.

She was beautiful.

But she shouldn't be here.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She giggled, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her pale ear.

Reeves blinked at her, smiled, just like he did back then. "Just noticing how beautiful you are."

Lani laughed, her fingers tightening around his forearm, her touch warm. "Just noticing, huh? It's taken you this long to figure it out?"

"I've always known how beautiful you are, since the first moment I saw you."

Her cheeks became a flaming red as she ducked her head down. "You say it so easily."

It was almost an accusation, but Reeves caught it for what her words truly were: shyness. He reached a hand up and stroked her cheek, feeling that blushing heat emanating against his fingertips. It stoked a fire inside of him. "Because it's true."

Lani smiled, leaning up and pressing her lips against his.

This was a dream.

No. This was a memory.

The moment Reeves asked Lani to marry him.

With absolutely no control over his own body, Reeves went through the same motions he did that day: he pulled Lanin closer to him, kissed her again just to move back, and down to one knee, the ring already in his fingers, presenting it to the woman. She squealed like a little girl, a bright and happy sound, and crushed Reeves to her small body.

She was a fragile thing in his arms, so breakable, so vulnerable.

Maybe that was why she died so easily.

A fog descended over his memory, his dream. The sun was eaten by the gray first, then everything else around him until Lani was gone, just mist and faux warmth remained. He reached out, as if he could grasp her, pull her back against him, protect her. But all he met was thick air. He could barely even see his hand in front of him.