Page 62 of When Ashes Fall

Shadows encompassed the home, making it almost impossible to see anything within. Lifting my hand, I attempted to snap my fingers, but they were too frozen to cooperate. It took three tries before I finally made enough sound for the flames to leap to life in the lanterns lining the walls.

I marveled over this fantastic power the shifters had incorporated into their kingdom. In the castle, the sprites usually lit the candles; it was something they enjoyed doing because they loved to fly. Every room I’d entered was already lit, until the meeting with the tribunal. I was glad I’d seen Knox perform this neat trick.

The home was a tidy, small cabin with an open floor plan, revealing the kitchen, sitting area, and bed in the main living space. Two chairs sat before the fireplace; a basket of yarn and knitting needles sat on a table beside one, and a book lay open on the arm of the other. Neatly stacked wood waited beside the empty fireplace.

A layer of dust covered the furniture, but the shifters who once lived here had taken pride in their home. I was sure that if they were still here, there wouldn’t be any dust.

Thankfully, I didn’t see any roses. It was crazy, but I felt like they’d be judging me if they were here.

Water plopped onto the hardwood floor, pooling beneath my boots. I had to find a towel to clean up, but I was afraid to drag more water across the floor.

Gizzi scampered down from my shoulder and onto the floor. His wet fur plastered onto his face, nearly obscured his eyes; he looked like a sad little hairball as he huddled there before shaking himself off.

I almost chided him for sending water everywhere, but he had to get dry. Bending, I tried to ignore the freezing clothes clinging to me in the most uncomfortable of ways as I untied my boots and set them beside the door.

A board creaked beneath my feet as I approached one of the two closed doors in the home. I opened it to reveal the bathroom beyond.

I almost clapped and jumped for joy when I spotted the tub; a hot shower would be better than heaven. My bubble of happiness popped when I recalled I had nothing to change into. It would be worse to get all warm and toasty only to put my wet, frozen clothes back on.

With a sigh, I entered the bathroom and discovered the linen closet inside. I opened the drawers until I found some towels and pulled them free. I wrapped one around my hair and the other around my chest before carrying a couple back out to dry off the floor. The towels did little to warm me, but they were better than nothing.

I paused to kneel beside Gizzi. With a smaller towel, I dried him off. He nuzzled against my hand and the towel as I worked my way around him. When I finished, his hair stood up as if he’d been electrocuted; I bit back a laugh I knew he wouldn’t appreciate and handed him another smaller, dry towel.

He dragged the towel over and set it beneath one of the chairs before burrowing into it. His head poked back out from the white linen, but the rest of him remained nestled warmly inside.

“I’ll stay off the bed until I’m fully dry,” he told me.

I rose and walked over to the puddle by the door. “Good idea.”

“You heard the voices in the graveyard too, didn’t you?”

I knew he was talking about the phantom. “I did.”

“You can’t let him know.”

I knew he was talking about Knox. “I know,” I assured him.

Gizzi stared at me for a minute before lowering his head. He yawned and closed his eyes.

I took the other towels over to the door to clean up the puddle there. Once I finished, I placed the towels near the door so Knox could step on them when he entered.

Returning to the bathroom, I grabbed another towel for Knox to use when he returned. A black coat hung from a hook next to the door, and I placed the towel beside it before turning to examine the home again.

There was only one more space to explore. I crossed through the small kitchen with its light wood cabinets and icebox. A yellow dish towel hung on the white farmhouse sink, and the remnants of wilted flowers hung from the yellow vase beside the sink.

The remaining closed door was in the back of the kitchen, next to the icebox. I opened the door to discover a small pantry, loaded with canned and neatly labeled fruits, vegetables, jellies, pickles, and other assorted foods.

My stomach rumbled in response, but I couldn’t take food from this place. It felt too morbid and too much like stealing.

More dust covered the tops of the jars, but I suspected the sprites spent some time cleaning the homes in town. Otherwise, this place would be a lot dirtier, and there would be rotten food. They couldn’t tend to them often, but they did the best they could.

Retreating to the kitchen, I opened the icebox and discovered it was empty. The sprites wouldn’t take the time to gather ice; they simply didn’t have it. I’d have to make sure I told Bertie and the others how wonderful it was they took such care of the shifters’ homes.

I was shutting the chest when the door swung open and Knox stomped inside. His fiery orange eyes instantly latched onto me. Rain ran down his face in rivulets that emphasized every dip and hollow of his thick muscles.

The man was a specimen of strength and vitality. Power emanated from him, and my mouth went dry as I recalled how he’d taken down the colossal eagle. He’d done it with such grace and confidence and without any hesitation.

I could only stand and stare at him as my pussy clenched and a deep ache sprang to life within me. I’d been so focused on getting everything taken care of inside the cabin that I hadn’t considered what it would be like to be trapped in this place with him.