An Ember in the Dark Read online

  Samantha Raffles (USA)

  Ashley Lepak (USA)

  This edition published in 2022 by Samantha Raffles and Ashley Lepak (USA)

  Copyright © Samantha Raffles and Ashley Lepak

  Cover Design Sentinel Graphics

  Editing Blazing Butterfly Edits

  Interior Format & Design Sentinel Graphics

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, events, and all incidents are either produced by the author’s imagination or used in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  To all the Raenas out there trying to find themselves. We see you.

  1

  Raena’s heart ached to know what it felt like to just be, alive.

  “One, two, three,” she counted, trying to ease the panic. Raena found herself whispering in sets of three often these days. “One, two, three.” She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she counted. Each tap in time with her heart; it was slowing but not quickly enough. Raena either felt too much or nothing at all. She was numb to her existence most of the time, finding it hard to feel peace in any situation, except for one.

  Today, of all days, was when she needed that peace most of all. Her birthday was a stark reminder of another year gone by living in a stranger’s skin, or at least that’s what it felt like. That’s why she spent it there in the woods, because it was the only place she ever felt like her. Exiting her car, she hurried to her place of solace. It was almost like two separate worlds. Once Raena entered the trees, she had no problem leaving the other one behind. She had little ties there, apart from the few friends she’d made. Realistically, she could have packed up all her things, the few that she had, and moved without a second thought. There was one thing, though, that kept her there, that made it worthwhile to stay.

  As long as Raena could remember, she never felt like she belonged, like she was always standing on the outside of life watching. Growing up in foster home after foster home contaminated her sense of self almost more so than growing up without parents. Usually, parents are the map to one’s eventual personality. The people who first write that moral code. It was hard to know where she stood without it. Raena always knew it was because she had no way of knowing who she really was, no connections, no family tree, no lineage to trace. The one thing that kept her there was the prospect of finding her parents, a pipe dream, she knew, but the only one she had. Birds chirped loudly all around, a song of the spring, as she continued down the path. The trees around her swayed in the gentle breeze. Raena’s plan was to find a nice quiet spot, take out her tarot cards and pull a few for a birthday message, even though she was pretty sure she knew what it was going to say. Readings for herself always portrayed the same thing–Raena did not belong. As if I wasn’t already well aware, she thought. She kept walking, focusing on the sound of sticks breaking and leaves crunching beneath her feet. Her heart beat thundered in her chest like a thousand drums. It was all she needed to keep moving.

  Raena walked for a while before she found a small bank at the edge of the lake where the ground sloped down into a muddy beach. She set her blanket down on the bank and dropped her backpack there. Raena walked a little closer to the glistening water and caught her reflection in the darkness at the bottom of the lake. She always tried to avoid her reflection on any surface because she never thought she looked like herself. Today, though, she allowed herself to take a good, hard look, taking her time. There was nothing wrong with her appearance. Raena had a slender face with high cheekbones, and wide green eyes framed in thick dark lashes. Her skin was the color of alabaster stained with honey and the rest of her body was slender but feminine, like her face. She wasn’t tall, but wasn’t short either, just perfectly average, she always thought. Her hair, however, was where she came alive. It was the only part about herself she loved. She had thick curled locks of strawberry blonde, and at the very nape of her neck she had a streak of hair that was so blonde it was almost silver.

  Raena stared into her glassy eyed reflection. Reaching her hand down, she broke the surface of the water, scattering what she could see of herself there. Raena didn’t like what she saw. The girl in the reflection was one she didn’t really know. Raena took her tarot deck from her bag next along with a notebook, her favorite pen and a thermos of home brewed sweet tea. She sat on her blanket in a small patch of sun and instantly felt warm from the inside out. She smiled to herself as she shook the cards from the box and absentmindedly shuffled the deck. She had been reading tarot for a long time; it wasn’t the most well-received hobby by most of her foster families so she hid it growing up, then she used it as an escape. Now, as an adult, it was like an outlet for her to look inside herself when she always felt like she was on the outside. Raena pulled three cards from the deck once she felt she sufficiently shuffled it and put them down one by one.

  From just her first glance at the cards, she could tell this reading was going to be a little different from the others. She pondered each card individually first. The Three of Cups represented a joyful time in a person’s life. Raena scoffed aloud at the thought. Surely that card wasn’t meant for her.

  “Two cups in a row?” She asked, in disbelief as she turned her attention to the second card, Two of Cups. In tarot, Cups were the suit of emotion and right now she was trying to avoid feeling as many of those as possible. The card signified two beings sharing water between them from their cups. Like a cosmic link that can only be felt and not seen. She rolled her eyes at the cards. This cannot be for me.. The last card she pulled was the Chariot, but in reverse. She knew that this meant being uprooted, almost dragged into a new situation. Now that was what she was looking for; however, with the rest of the cards, she was worried about what she would find in this new place. Raena stared down at the spread for a moment and contemplated reshuffling and pulling new ones when a sudden feeling washed over her.

  The feeling was like the warmth she had felt from the sun when she first sat down on her blanket, except more familiar. In fact, she was no stranger to the feeling. Raena shook her head in an attempt to shake the feeling from her body. She was unsuccessful. The hair on her bare arms and the back of her neck stood on edge and a chill ran through her.

  “Hello?” She said into the empty forest. The only response was the chirping of birds in a far-off nest. Raena laughed at herself for being so paranoid and looked back out into the water. Almost all at once, the woods surrounding her went completely still. There was no ripple on the water, no leaves blowing across the forest floor. Her breath hitched in her chest as she felt a pair of eyes on the back of her head. Her first and only instinct was to run but it was like the sudden nothingness glued her to the ground below. Another part of her, though, was curious and ached to turn around and take a peek, just a small one that would quench the curiosity boiling in her chest. There was always a part of Raena that craved this, a small darkness that reveled in the quiet chaos o
f danger. This was the part of her that persevered. Raena counted to three below her breath.

  As soon as she turned around, she saw a flash of a figure. It wasn’t long enough to tell what it was, but she knew that something was there. The shadowy figure disappeared just as fast as it came, but the feeling still lingered. Her gut was telling her that whatever it was might have still been there, might have still been watching. Raena’s back straightened at the thought. Deciding that she didn’t want to stick around to find out if it was still there, she packed her things into her bag and made her way back through the woods. The entire walk back, that familiar feeling tingled on her skin. It was intoxicating.

  When she was finally out and at a safe distance, Raena turned and looked back into the woods. It looked the same as it ever did. The trees the same color, the ground still littered with brush but, it felt different. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for or what she expected to see. Still she stared for a while, her hands balled anxiously into fists at her sides, and saw nothing. Feeling disappointed, she climbed into her car and drove home.

  Raena didn’t turn on the radio for the drive. Music seemed so irrelevant right now driving home in silence was a better option. She was in the woods for longer than she thought she was because by the time she pulled into her driveway, the sun was setting; shades of pinks and purples swirled around clouds that looked like cotton candy. Her legs ached from the days events, the creaking of the old hardwood floor followed her up the stairs and to the front door of her apartment, until she stopped in front of her bedroom.

  Taking a deep breath she paused before she reached to grab the tarnished brass knob. The cool metal biting into her palm. The last remaining bits of sunlight were shining through her sheer curtains. The sun always hit her room in the best way. She could stare at the way it glittered through the window before resting somewhere on the walls, for hours. It was her favorite part of being home. Raena threw her backpack down at the foot of her bed, deciding that she was too tired to unpack it now, and flopped down onto the mattress, shoes, and all. She sighed. She needed to change her clothes. Reluctantly, she stood and peeled off her clothes. As she pulled her shirt over her head, she noticed it smelled like fresh lavender and jasmine. Trying not to think anything of it, Raena threw it towards her hamper. She pulled a large tee shirt over her head and crawled in under her blankets. It was too early for bed, and she would regret laying down in the morning, but for right now, she was too tired to consider the consequences. Her time in the woods had drained her energy. Raena snuggled deep into her pillow and let out a sigh before her eyes got heavy and she drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  When Raena woke, she found herself right back in the forest, sitting on the same blanket, staring at the same water, and feeling that same familiar feeling. Her heart thrummed wildly in her chest and her palms dampened with sweat. How the hell did I get back here? Her mind tried to retrace her steps, but she was coming up blank. The last thing Raena remembered was laying down in bed. She felt those eyes again, like she was repeating her last few minutes in the woods this afternoon. Raena followed the same breathing pattern, counted to three, and turned to look behind her. This time, though, her eyes met with something much, much different.

  A man stood atop a small hill just behind her. He wasn’t close enough for her to make out his facial features; he was tall, and muscular. Raena could clearly see the contours of his chest through the flowing, sheer white tunic, and the slenderness of his lower body hugged by his fitted pants. She noticed immediately that his hands, comparative to hers, were giant. Raena couldn’t say a word. They were all stuck in her throat, being held captive there. The man started moving closer to her , his gait steady, and she jumped to her feet but couldn’t move. Raena watched him get closer and closer until he was close enough to see the sharp features of his face. Immediately her eyes traveled upward and she noticed probably the most interesting thing about him. He had horns.. He tilted his head to the right and grinned at her. Raena’s breath caught and her heart pounded in her chest.

  “Who are you?” She choked out, but the man did not answer.Instead he returned a question of his own.

  “Who are you?” He asked, his voice as smooth as velvet.

  Like her words weren’t her own, she opened her mouth and “Raena” fell out. It was like he pulled it from her. Raena wasn’t entirely sure she minded.

  “Raena,” he repeated. It sounded like silk coming from his mouth. He moved in a little closer and she trembled. He was so close she couldn’t think, nothing outside of him existed. “A pleasure to meet you,” he continued. Raena nodded her head, unable to say another word. She couldn’t help but glance up and when she did, she was met with his intense stare. The deepness of his eyes enchanted her, like the ocean Raena thought, but that wasn’t right. No, not the ocean. His eyes were like staring into the night sky. Breaking her focus, she noticed his arm moving at his side. Slowly he lifted it and brought his hand to under her chin, he tilted it slightly upwards, and she let him. He was studying her face, inch by inch. When he finished, he backed up and his eyes trace down the rest of her body. Raena felt utterly exposed and entirely self conscious. He grinned again.

  “Beautiful,” he breathed, moving closer again and tilting her head just a little higher. Without another word and so smoothly, he bent his neck and pressed his full lips to Raena’s forehead. She gasped, but didn’t move. Then he kissed the tip of her nose. He readjusted his hand so that his thumb was on her chin. He pulled her lips apart. Still, she didn’t back away. Raena was grounded there, stuck by desire. He gave her a questioning look, as if asking for her permission to go any further. She should have said no, she should have wanted to say no. The problem was that she didn’t. Although Raena knew she was going to regret it, she gave him the smallest nod, a silent confirmation.

  He bent his neck, but this time his lips did not press to her forehead. His lips were the softest Raena had ever felt. He didn’t move at first. They just stood there, their lips together. Suddenly, he moved his hand to the small of her back and Raena stumbled forward into his chest. There was no more space between them. His tongue entered her mouth through her parted lips and swirled around in small circles. Warmth exploded between Raena’s legs, and she thought she would not be able to stand. As if he could feel her body weaken with his kiss, he held a little tighter, carrying her weight on the arm that was wrapped around her back. Their mouths moved in perfect motions, like a dance. The smell of lavender overwhelmed Raena, and for a moment the panic rose, again, in her chest. Just then he pressed his hips into hers and she felt a hardness in his pants. The sudden pressure caused her to let a moan escape from her lips. She felt him smile into the kiss, and then he deepened it. It turned from something hesitant to something full of hunger and want. His hand dropped from her chin and lightly gripped her throat. Raena moaned again, unable to help herself, and he laughed, breaking the kiss. They stood there breathing heavily, forehead to forehead. Raena could still feel his stiffness pressed into her.

  “Raena,” he whispered again, and then he was gone. She looked around frantically, suddenly alone in the woods and feeling very vulnerable. The space that he occupied grew cold, and the forest grew dark. Raena watched as mist curled around the forest floor, swirling around her feet and up her ankles. Like tentacles, it wrapped around her legs and slithered up her body until her arms and hands were bound to her side. Raena struggled to get free, pushing and pulling against the tendrils of night constricting her. Then a woman’s voice, filled with venom, breathed from behind her.

  “Raena,” it whispered before dropping the silken darkness from her body. She whirled around, but before Raena could see who it was, her alarm went off and she was back in her bed, in her bedroom, with the sun shining through her sheer curtains.

  2

  It was another typical day in the castle, painfully listening in on the Queen’s latest political aspirations and pla
ns as she consulted with the Advisory Counsel. Wishing to be anywhere but there, Emrys imagined exploring the forest and trails out past the castle grounds, escaping his princely duties. Why do I even need to be at these things? he thought. I don’t have any say in these matters. My opinions or ideas couldn’t matter less to my aunt, and besides, it’s not like I’m going to be king any time soon. This is such a waste of time. He thought for sure his aunt made him attend just to torture him and know his whereabouts. She had to be in control of everything in this castle and kingdom, Emrys being no exception.

  “Anything you’d like to add to this discussion, Emrys? Or is keeping up with the kingdom’s affairs too boring for you?” the Queen spat, annoyance filling her voice. The intrusion of her words intercepted his daydream. “One of these days, you will lead these meetings instead of forcing yourself out of them. Go on then; go do whatever it is you’d rather be doing. Just heed the consequences of your actions,” she added, waving her hands to dismiss him.

  Emrys smirked to himself and dashed out of the Counsel Courtroom, brushing off his aunt’s snarky comments. He never knew her to be a very kind woman. Even when he was a child, she was cold. It appeared she always had an ulterior motive, a back handed reason for doing what she did. Nothing was an accident, and that was why Emrys never trusted her. He made his way through the castle, Emrys had lived there his whole life, it wasn’t often that he noticed anything about his surroundings, except for today. Everything was brighter and the old dim hallways didn’t seem so sad. He walked until he reached his bedroom. Emrys went inside and crossed the room to another door that revealed a secret staircase. One he only had access to. The walls of the spiral staircase housed many artifacts and trinkets he’d bring home from his trips to the human world. The one place forbidden to him fascinated him, which was exactly where he headed.