Follow the Ashes: Book 1 of the Executioner Trilogy Read online

  Her eyes sparkled even though where we were standing the flame’s light couldn’t reach them. Her furrowed brow and the frown she wore completely negated that sparkle. The sparkle was the beast inside of her, I knew that for certain. There was no hiding from that beast. I knew from experience. This expression managed to drain all of the blood out of my face, and a cold overtook me even with the large fire I was standing before emanating so much heat. My hair was sticking to my forehead. Was that the fire or the fear?

  Then she said, “My plans are to build an army and reclaim the Earth. As an Executioner, you are the one who is supposed to stop me and my attempts to make to make this a reality.” She then walked away from me, still looking like she was practically gliding across the cold stone floor. She stopped at the halfway point between me and the other side of the fire. Turning only her head, she looked back at me, inquisitive and impatient like she wanted to hear my answer and it better be the right one. And fast. She hadn’t actually asked anything of me yet, but when she had said it I knew exactly what she wanted of me. She wanted me to join her to expand this army, and to kill anyone who tried to get in her way. If I stood by her those people would be Beth and Gordon. And any other Executioner was walking around out there. There was no way I could agree to this arrangement.

  In what seemed like an instant she was back in front of me, impatience crossing her striking features. “Join me, Executioner, and help me cut down anyone who will cross our path.” I could feel the look of defiance make an appearance across my face which made her eyes sparkle even more and her own face look even more impatient. I decided right then and there I would suffer the consequences of my denial to join her, even though it could mean my life.

  “And if I say no?” I was scared of the answer as soon as the words came out of my mouth, and I instantly regretted them. How was I supposed to tell someone like her that I couldn’t turn my back on my duties to protect? No matter how powerful she was, that was definitely one thing I couldn’t do. Nothing she could say or do could make me.

  “Then you will be free to go home,” she said with a wave of her delicate hand. She looked at me with her crimson eyes that threatened to swallow me whole.

  Had I heard her correctly? I was free to leave? That couldn’t be right.

  I was pretty sure the shock at her answer was plain on my face because she laughed, and when she did I could smell the blood on her breath. It almost made my stomach turn. A few good swallows of the saliva that my mouth was overproducing was what it took to keep me from throwing up all over her beautiful gown. No matter how long I did this, I still couldn’t get used to the sweet, metallic smell of blood. I was covered in blood of my own or others every night, but still couldn’t keep myself from getting nauseated each time the scent hit my nostrils. No matter how hard I tried. I had thrown away a lot of clothes over the years because I just couldn’t get rid of the smell. It seeped into everything and stayed there. Like a reminder of the bloodshed my life was made out of.

  “Then, my answer is going to have to be no,” I stated matter-of-factly. “As good as it sounds to be safe from you and your army, I can’t turn my back on my duties.” I couldn’t believe I had the willpower to turn her down even though it meant a much harder road for us. I couldn’t have said yes to her no matter what kind of rewards she promised. It could have been eternal life or lots of money for all I cared. I couldn’t be the one to help her. If she wanted someone’s help, she would have to get it from someone else.

  She spun away from me and stood directly in front of the dancing blue-orange flames that almost threatened to swallow her whole the closer she got to them. Even the flames dared not touch her.

  “That’s too bad.” Her voice sounded genuinely disappointed, but I couldn’t see the expression on her face. Was she really disappointed, or was she waiting for the appropriate time after my refusal to kill me? I truly couldn’t tell. She looked over her shoulder at me, a calculated smile across her lips that sent yet another chill through not just my spine, but my entire body. Down to my soul.

  I could see the very tips of her fangs in the fire light against her red and pouty lips. They were perfectly white. No chips or stains. Like she had never used them at all. Some vampires that I had encountered had fangs stained with a slight reddish hue on them from all of the blood they had consumed, but not her. And I was willing to bet she had consumed more blood than most vampires. Yet those teeth were still perfect. I guess that was one of the perks of being the mother of all evil. You get a great dental plan.

  “Come, stand beside me,” Lilith suggested. I walked towards her, every muscle in my body tight with so much tension my calves and back were beginning to hurt. I guess I had been standing in the same position so long and was so anxious that movement was going to be painful. I was ready to defend myself if it came down to that, but I had a feeling that Lilith was the type of evil that was cunning. I was betting that she would have a lot more in store for me before it was all over.

  As soon as I was beside her she turned back to the flames and let out a deep and fragile sigh like she was content either way I answered. Somehow a poppy had materialized in her hand and as she tossed the delicate flower into the remorseless fire I could see rage in her movements that told me I needed to be ready for anything, no matter how much she promised a safe return home. If I did make it home without a hitch, I could only imagine the fresh horrors she would have waiting for me along the way. Could I survive them? There was no way to tell until she made them known to us, and who knew when that would be. It could be in the next few seconds, the next few months, or the next few years.

  The scorched floral scent of the burning flower mingled with the scent of a burning wood that I could not place. It smelled ancient like it was a wood that no longer existed, but she had somehow had in her possession. It had a slightly sweet scent that I thought I might have recognized, but I was completely clueless as to what it was. I knew it wasn’t something you could go to your backyard to find. It definitely wasn’t oak or pine. It was possibly poplar, but I highly doubted that. It was something much older. Even standing in front of such a monumental bonfire, I could still feel the darkness creeping up on me. Especially with Lilith in such close proximity.

  All of a sudden I felt a very dull pound in my left temple, like the beginning of a very intense headache that left you in your bed and a pitch black room for days. Then there was a flash of my mother when I was five and she was singing a lullaby after I’d had a nightmare. I had walked into her and my father’s room terrified of the bogeyman. Little did I know back then, the bogeyman was all too real. Had I been thinking of Lilith subconsciously this whole time? No. I had encountered this trick before with Beth not too long after we first met, when we hadn’t wholly trusted each other just yet. These little mind tricks didn’t help matters at all. If anything, it made me even more afraid.

  Lilith was working her way through my mind and as soon as another flash of my mother crossed my vision, I knew that Lilith had all the ammunition she needed to execute her plan for me. All she needed was a weakness, and when I rotated toward her I found her standing beside me with a malicious sneer on her face. I knew that she had found it.

  The vampire who had tried to apprehend me in my home was suddenly on the other side of me, like he was summoned without a word at all. Wasn’t that a creepy thought? He gently took my arm in his hand and guided me towards the exit. His large and heavily muscled body made me feel so small I could probably fit in his pocket. I was finally leaving where evil was housed, but I knew I would be returning soon. How soon? I had no idea.

  As we left, those tacky walls were all I could think about. Well, that and the fact that Lilith now had information that could be used against me. Information that, used in the right way, could bring me to my knees and have me begging her for death just so the ghastly visions would disappear. And I had let her in. Not consciously, but I hadn’t tried to keep her out either. I blamed myself for that.

  I r
eached out with a shaky hand as we walked and that crimson door leapt into sight once again. I let my fingers slip across the wall. They came away wet, sticky and thick. The sight of bright red blood on my fingers made my mind reel and the world began to spin. If it weren’t for the hand on my arm I probably would’ve fainted. It was like the vampire’s touch was keeping me here with reality so I wouldn’t faint.

  This was the home of pure evil, and she knew all of my secrets. And she was going to use them to her advantage. She would make sure I was the one who ended up in the cold, hard ground and that my own life force would cover these blood-stained walls.

  Chapter 20: Sickness

  The ride back was just as quiet and awkward as the ride there, and just as nerve-wracking. I had no idea what actually awaited me when I entered my home. Would Beth, Gordon and my father be okay? Or would I walk in to their bloody and mutilated bodies strewn over our wooden floors?

  The blood that coated the walls of the warehouse was now on the tips of my fingers. I wiped it onto the seat beside me as soon as I was seated in the middle seat. No one would notice it against the black fabric of the interior and neither vampire gave me a look that said I shouldn’t have done that. All I knew is that I didn’t want the blood of any of her victims that coated those walls on me. Not on my clothes either. Not even just the little bit that had smudged off onto my fingers. It made me cringe just thinking about how many people it must’ve taken to get enough blood to coat the walls of that place. How many lives had been lost so far to her bloodlust? And how many of those people had she turned in her quest to build her vampire army? I was beginning to think maybe all of them, and that was a disturbing thought.

  My head continued to pound the whole ride home. It didn’t stop no matter how many times I rubbed my temples trying to dull the incessant ache. By the time we pulled up to the house it was beginning to turn into a painful pressure that almost made my vision blur and my knees weak. It was almost like I was having a stroke. Just getting out of the SUV was a struggle and I had to lean against one of the hulking vampires, which made my stomach turn a little. But it was either that or fall when I exited the car. I would rather walk to my front door than have to be carried.

  He didn’t seem to mind, but as soon as I got my balance I walked into the house without any help. I was betting this was just from a lack of sleep, but then again that poppy Lilith had burned in the bonfire had an odd smell to it that had me questioning its legitimacy. It wasn’t just the burning floral scent, but something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on that had me worried about its sudden appearance. It was slightly bitter and had a hint of berries with a small hint of iron. Of blood.

  As soon as I was through the door Gordon’s arms were around me, squeezing me so hard I almost couldn’t breathe. I kind of wanted to push him away a little bit for fear he would suffocate me. Beth stood behind him, arms folded across her chest, mirroring the tension rolling off of her.

  “We were so worried about you,” Gordon exclaimed, arms still around me so the words were spoken directly over my head. I don’t know if it was the headache or if the words actually came out at such high a volume, but he was extremely loud to me at that moment. All I wanted to do was stick some cotton balls in my ears to muffle the sound. It was like his voice had been put on stereo. He pulled away from me and smiled his adorably crooked smile I loved so much. All I could do was give him a weak attempt at a smile back since my head seemed to be getting worse by the second. The headache I had after my first encounter with Lilith wasn’t nearly as bad as this. Neither were my previous injuries. That pain was pale in comparison to this. It was like all of the tiny man’s friends had been invited.

  “Can you get me some Tylenol?” The words seemed to come out in a whisper. He nodded and headed to the kitchen where we kept all of our medical supplies in a packed cabinet. Its contents threatened to spill out as soon as you opened it. We were prepared for anything as far as war wounds and pain, just like a hospital. I went into our crimson living room and sat down on the couch in front of the fire place. I instantly thought we needed to repaint before I started trying to rip the paint off of the walls. Beth sat down beside me and took my hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her dark blue eyes were full of concern and I knew mine were mirroring the same concern. Her bronze hair was reflecting the fire roaring away in the fireplace.

  “What happened?” she asked. I think she could tell that something wasn’t quite right because she was trying her best not to speak too loudly. Worry was written all over her face. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes were glittering with silent tears which she then wiped away when Gordon handed me two white capsules and a glass of cool water. I popped the pills in my mouth and drank the water like I hadn’t seen water in months. I was just hoping this wasn’t really a mirage. He then sat in an armchair diagonal from the couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, questions filling his eyes. I hated to tell him I had a lot more questions than he did at this point.

  “She asked me to join her.” They both looked confused instantly just like I had felt right after she made her proposal. It was funny. I was almost as confused as they were.

  “To join her in what?” Beth inquired, shifting positions to look me directly in the eyes like she was interrogating me. It was like she was the cop and I was the law breaker. The pounding in my head was making it hard to answer any questions they had, but I had to try to at least tell them the gist of what transpired. They absolutely had to know, because if my body kept this up there was going to be no way I’d be of any use to anyone. Not even a little bit.

  “To build an army so she can rule the world,” I said as I gently squeezed the bridge of my nose, trying to make the pain lessen even a little bit. It seemed to do no good whatsoever. I knew more questions were going to be asked, but I wasn’t sure how much good I was going to be with this headache. It was probably going to be excruciating by the time I was able to answer them all.

  I had just noticed my father was nowhere to be seen. “Where is my father?” I asked, not even bothering to keep the fright out of my voice. What was the point?

  “He went home, Robin. He couldn’t sleep here anymore. Not after what happened.” That was the only answer Beth could offer and I was kind of glad that was all she could say. I honestly couldn’t blame him for that. If I had a choice I wouldn’t stay here either since pure evil now had my address. Of course I did have a choice, but if I ran like a coward everyone else would suffer, and I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for that. So I just had to suck it up and stay and fight as hard as I could. Plus, this didn’t exactly shock me. He always had a tendency to run away when things got hairy.

  A thirst so strong I could drink all of the water in every Great Lake hit me like a freight train. I held the glass out to Gordon and without me having to say a single word he grabbed the glass and returned a minute later with it full of crystal clear water. It looked so good I couldn’t help myself. I chugged the whole glassful within what seemed to be five seconds, but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. I got up quickly, walked steadily to the kitchen and grabbed a liter sized bottle of water out of the fridge. I downed it quickly, but that didn’t even make a dent in the level of thirst I was experiencing.

  What else could I do? I glanced around the kitchen and instantly knew the sink was the only way to go. No matter how crazy it made me look or how insane they would think I had become. It was the only unlimited source I had at my disposal and I would take full advantage of that fact. At the same time I turned on the faucet, Gordon and Beth were in the doorway of the kitchen, watching every move I made with astonishment apparent on their faces. I found myself not caring. Not even a little bit. I put my mouth to the running water and gulped like nothing else existed. It was just me and the water flowing from the pipes and into my mouth. After a few minutes my thirst was finally quenched enough so that I could turn off the faucet and think about other things. Like how much worse the headache had gotten with
out me noticing when I drank half of the Atlantic.

  Something was definitely wrong with me, and I had no idea what. I was beginning to think that poppy Lilith so casually threw into the fire that night wasn’t so innocent at all.

  Chapter 21: Losing Grip

  The last thing I remembered before things went completely dark was Beth and Gordon running to catch me before I hit the ground. I wasn’t sure who made it to me first. Things went black before I could register who it was or if the floor had caught me instead. All I knew is that I woke up and felt the stinging sensation at my right temple, along with the return of the splitting pain that had progressively gotten worse since I blacked out. It was like all it wanted was to progress and it didn’t care if I was awake to experience it. Almost to the point of screaming, but I had the will power to be able to keep myself from doing so no matter how bad the pain would become. I had a feeling this would be the worst I’ve ever experienced up to this point in my life. Wasn’t this just great? After all of the broken bones and concussions and near fatal injuries there was something worse waiting for me? That was just lovely.

  The nagging thirst was also making a swift comeback, but I chose to ignore it and just lay there motionless. I did this mostly because I didn’t want to get up. I also knew there was no way to quench the overwhelming thirst that was taking over. This was a time where I just had to suck it up and ignore it as best I could.

  I noticed I wasn’t alone in my room. Not even close. There was a figure standing at the end of my bed, just staring. Silent. It was too quiet for there to have been another living being in the room. All I could hear was my own labored breathing. It was pitch black in my room so I couldn’t tell who it was. All I wanted was this person gone so I could be alone with my pain and not have to subject anyone else to it. I know I wouldn’t want to be in that situation so I never wanted anyone to be around me like this. At this point I didn’t care who it was. Suffering alone seemed the best alternative then making everyone else suffer right along with me.