Fire (Beautiful Ashes Series, Book 2)(15)

Keeley was left speechless when E’s gaze met hers in a flash of light. He was beyond crazed. What popped her into full throttle were the words, “That’s your sister down there.”

Holy shit!

They raced back to the edge, aware of the danger, as the ground slid from under their feet, taking both to their butts in an instant. They looked down in horror as the ledge Lacey was on also was giving way. E eased over to the tree trunk and locked his long legs around it. “Keeley, you need to go over and grab her.”

Keeley nodded, wondering just how the hell she was pulling her sister to safety with their size difference; yet knowing there wasn’t another choice. Time was running out. His big hands easily wrapped around her tiny ankles as she gradually went over the side and called out, “Lacey. Stand up carefully.”

Lacey used the wall of mud behind her, hanging on tightly to the root as she stood up. Fear gripped her in a vice and she couldn’t do more no matter how loudly Keeley shouted, “Lacey. I need you to turn around.”

She was frozen in place. Keeley knew she was going to either lose her sister that night or die trying to save her. Sacrifice was always the right thing to do. She wouldn’t let Lacey fall to her death, looking around for something to use as leverage. E had a mighty grip on her. How could she get him to let of her? The answer presented itself. A baby tree was growing out between two rocks. Keeley grabbed a hold and yanked so hard she thought her hip popped out. But she managed to get the result needed, and E released her ankles. Using the tiny lip those rocks provided, Keeley was able to reach her sister—barely. “Lacey, listen to me,” she was right in her ear. E is up there waiting for you.”

Lacey blinked but wouldn’t speak.

“Okay. Look up for me,” Keeley directed.

What Lacey saw brought tears to her eyes. Her beloved husband was above her with a makeshift rope of some sort. He reached down as she reached up, locking his hand around her wrist. She ever so slowly turned with her face to the mud and held on to his forearm. With his other hand, he reached down to grab hers then pulled. She finally realized she could help and used her legs to help ease the burden of her weight.

E pulled his wife to safety with painstaking precision. Holding onto her with all he had at the relief of having her in his arms again. But their elation was short lived as a bolt of lightning caused the ground to quake beneath them. Both screamed, “KEELEY!”





There was peacefulness in falling. Odd as it might sound, she felt like a feather floating in the wind. Maybe that was because, in her mind, dying would be the best answer for everyone—including herself. But all hopes of finally ending the pain and misery were dashed in an instant when she came in contact with another tree. This time though she hit with enough force to break a rib or three. Agony shot through her bringing with it what she craved, the high she got. Keeley couldn’t help but notice the demon perched on the limb with her, smiling in that all-knowing way. Seemed for each step forward she made to finding some sort of normalcy, one of these monsters rode in to take it all away. “Why won’t you let me die!” she roared out toward the flashing sky.

The demon nodded as he leaned forward to pry her fingers off the branch. “If you just let go,” he hissed.

But something in Keeley just wouldn’t give in and she locked her fingers down tighter. Between the claps of thunder, she could hear E and Lacey screaming for her. She couldn’t see them but knew they were worried. So she yelled back, “I’m here!” shooting pain through her upper torso. And that was where she found her strength as she called out into the raging storm. The pain providing her with what she needed to hold on.

E scrambled around, he hadn’t found a rope earlier, which was why he stood on the edge of a cliff in his boxers. Being proficient at tying knots, he’d managed to use his clothing as a makeshift rope. But he needed it longer. As if Lacey could read his mind, she began to strip. Keeley was considerably lower than they were and E searched for anything he could attach to give more length. By the time he was done, there were a few bent branches between articles of clothing.

Take that MacGyver.

He knew this was a hail Mary, but didn’t see any other option, as he tossed it over praying Keeley could manage the climb up the slippery cliff. Lacey, even in her worn and tattered state, got down on her stomach to look over the edge, using her hand to give E directions on where to move the rope.

Keeley managed to sit up refusing to look down, not from fear of heights but so she wouldn’t contemplate jumping. Every time the temptation to do just that crept in, a flash of lightning or rumble of thunder would shift her focus. Divine intervention? She couldn’t let herself go there either. What she did do was offer up a promise of sorts. “If I’m meant to live, then I will go get the help needed. Just like I planned on doing before this happened.” She glanced around at her precarious predicament as her gaze hit the jagged rocks below her. But the vision that appeared was not the one of her splayed out in a bloody mess. No. What she saw stole her breath. Tar was in some kind of trouble. He seemed physically all right but there was darkness crowding around him, fingers clawing at him like a scene from Tales from the Crypt, inching their way along his body. After a moment, she saw where they were heading—straight to his heart. A light, stunning in its blast of brilliantness, was fighting valiantly to protect what she now realized was his soul. Powerful beings stood at his back while dark and massive ones attacked with a vengeance. The horror and beauty brought together in the battle was one she couldn’t reconcile. Lightning shot across the night sky above her and everything she’d seen was gone. Keeley shook her head to clear it.