Page 39 of Ashes

Tapping his nose with his index finger, Freddie says, “Don’t worry, boss, it’ll stay between you and me.”

“Thanks Fred.” I make a show of patting down my hoodie. “Seem to have lost my keycard. Can you order me another?”

Freddie nods and taps his keyboard. “Done. Canceled the old one too.” He reaches into a drawer beneath the desk. “Here. Use this til the new card arrives.”

As I take it from me, he noticed my reddened palms and raises his eyebrows. “Shit, Nico. You do the fire play room again?”

I shove my hands, and the card, into my pockets.

After a pause, Freddie lowers his voice and adds, “Want to share any gruesome details? Did you see that gal again? The one with the red hair?”

“Actually, Fred. Do you mind if I…?” I look toward the elevator. “I’m beat.”

Freddie looks disappointed. He’s the kind of guy who’d never have the balls to visit a place likeSpine, but who likes to get off on hearing what other people get up to there.

“Tomorrow,” I promise him. “I’ll bring you coffee and give youallthe details.” When I reach the elevator, I flash him a true Nico Varlac smile and add, “Tall latte, three sugars, and a donut. Am I right?”

Freddie slaps the desk and makes aho hosound like Santa Claus. “Sure thing, Nico. See you tomorrow, buddy.”

In the elevator, I lean back against the wall and allow myself to breathe. The smile drops from my lips. I look at my hands. They’re trembling.

Finally, inside, I go straight to the bathroom and pull off my clothes. I stand naked under the shower. When it runs hot, it scalds the fragile skin on my feet and hands. So, I turn the temperature down and stand beneath a stream if ice-cold water for a very long time.

Since the fire at the hotel, escaping with Nova, and ending up back at The Hollow, I haven’t allowed myself to think about it in any kind of detail. I tried to block out the sound and smell of my burning flesh. The sight of Eve standing above me, taking her time to create a convincing pattern of burns that would convince Nova I was her brother Sam.

I tried not to see my mother’s face as she watched, or the glint in Ragnor’s eyes—anticipation rather than sympathy.

But now it bombards me. The events of the past few days barrel through me and knock me down to the floor. I tuck my knees under my chin, wrap my arms around them, and try to feel clean.

When I finally drag myself to my feet and climb out, wrapping a soft white towel around my waist, I go to the living room, close the electric blinds, and turn on the TV.

Almost every news channel shows the same thing: The Hollow surrounded by SDB agents, trees burning, roots bursting from the ground. Mounds of earth, deep black trenches.

And then they cut to the footage of Nova. She’s standing next to Luther, fire in her hands. Spell blasts bounce off the small shield they’ve formed around themselves. There’s smoke. Lots of smoke. Kole hauls tree roots from the earth and creates a cocoon around the five of them. A wall of fire surrounds the roots. Then a huge wave of water rips across The Hollow’s grounds, coming from the river. When the smoke and the water clears, Nova and Mack are gone.

Her picture appears on the screen. One shows her with auburn hair. The other is a freeze-frame of the silver-haired Nova I know.

I move closer.

As I’m staring at her face, the door buzzes. I breathe out heavily as I stand.

“Yes, Fred?” I speak into the camera on the wall.

Freddie’s eyes dart to something off-camera. When they return to me, he says, “Sorry, Nico. I know you said you were heading straight to bed, but there’s a woman here who says she’s your mother? And she’s very insistent that I let you up.”

A chill drips down my spine. “All right, Freddie. Let her up.”

I wait, staring into the empty hallway. When the elevator opens, my blood runs cold. Mother isn’t inside; it’s Eve who steps out and smiles at me.

Practically floating toward me, Eve coos, “Nico, I’m so relieved you’re safe.”

My mouth is dry. I can’t speak. The scars on my chest and back burn when she looks at them. I step aside and she brushes past me into the room. There’s no one with her. She’s alone.

“We saw what was happening on the news. Your father asked me to retrieve you. By the time I got there, you’d already left.”

I frown. Ragnor asked her to get me out? For a brief moment, my heart swells at the thought he cared enough to send someone to rescue me. Then reality punches me in the gut. He didn’t care about my safety; he simply wanted to make sure I wasn’t captured by the SDB.

“They had me in restraints, but when the SDB broke through the shield the restraint spell failed. I ran. I didn’t know where to find you all, so I came back here—”