Ash Giant Pathfinder Novels & Stories

Her eyes went venomous. She spoke slowly, making sure I heard every word. "Letting my son use his ashes as a potty was already giving him face. If it weren't for you, I would have fed his ashes to the dogs." "What... what did you say?" My voice trembled. I could hardly believe my ears. Hudson walked over, arms folded, then hooked an arm around Stella. "Damon, if it weren't for your father, Zane would have been aborted long ago."

Beneath the glass-like surface of her skin, the Shadow Heir was visible—not as a child, but as a swirling vortex of violet smoke and jagged, infantile limbs that moved with a predatory speed. "I don't care about the risk, Rhea! I’m not leaving you to rot in this tomb!" Ash shouted, his voice thick with the desperation of a man who had already sacrificed his soul to reach her. He stood at the edge of the altar, his charred, skinless hands trembling as he reached into the violet flames. "I’ll burn until there’s nothing left if it means I can pull you out of this!"

She did not run. She did not leave. I try to speak. To tell her to go. To tell her to save herself. But my jaw feels heavy. My tongue thick. Words refuse to form cleanly. The hunters are still out there. I hear boots in the distance. Shouting. Repositioning. They are adjusting again. They are always adjusting. Extinction does not retreat. It recalculates. I feel her hand against my shoulder. Warm. Real. Steady. It sends something through my chest that feels dangerously close to peace.

Then, abruptly, the trees fell away. They stepped out onto a wide shelf of black stone at the base of the spire. Up close it was even larger than it had seemed from the ridge — a jagged tower erupting from the earth, its surface veined with glowing sigils that writhed slowly like living script. The silver-veined forest ended at its edge as if cut with a knife. Ava’s breath caught. “This is it.” The token flared against her ribs, a steady burn that was almost pain. The whisper filled her head, clearer than ever: Daughter of ash. Come.

Same result. I turned back toward the main path and started asking the few people still out. A couple walking hand in hand shook their heads when I held up a photo of Zane from my phone. An older woman with a shawl over her shoulders looked at the screen, apologized, and said she had not seen anyone like that.

“Speaking of the family business, Ashley, have you ever considered working with Harrington Tech? We’re always looking for sharp minds, and Christine’s mentioned you’re quite talented.” Ashley’s eyes light up, and she leans forward, her hands clasped in her lap. “Really? That’s flattering. I’ve heard great things about Harrington Tech. I’d love to discuss it sometime.” The conversation shifts to business, and I let Grandfather take the lead, my mind only half-present. Ashley’s words about Christine echo in my head, feeding the panic gnawing at my chest. She’s out there, somewhere, and every second she’s alive is a second closer to my downfall.

Miranda was lucky enough to have locked her ankles, for Jamie wasted no time jumping to the next tree, then the next, and the next. Ash released an angry and fearsome growl, as he kept focus on the vampire which flew through the trees, with his mate locked on her back like a defenseless koala cub. He couldn't allow them to get away from him, and being so focused on the chase, Ash didn't realize in which direction he was being led.

Nova said succinctly around a feral grin that promised things would turn around quickly. “We’re about seventeen turns from the main entrance. There’s at least fifty guys with guns between us and the way out, but they have an old Kazan Ansat sitting out front behind the compound walls.” Kira glanced over at Ysa who was staring at him through narrowed eyes. “Can you fly it?” She bared her teeth in a hard smile. “Honey, I can fly anythin’.” “What did they do with our gear?” Knight asked. “No idea,” Tanner said as he approached the lab table.

Ashley/Olivia's POV I ended up in a stream and across the stream was an inhabited land. It was not Oakstone but somewhere close to Oakstone. Now, the problem was that I did not know how to get across and pass by without having to pass within the land. On the map, I had to pass inside to get through to Oakstone and that meant crossing their territory. "Should I charge forward? How exactly do I pass through? I do not want to be mistaken for a rogue." I thought deeply, trying to figure out a way to overcome this obstacle.

Shards of glass cut into our flesh, but Ashley is not hindered as she lands on the solid ground. Alpha Matt is yelling, Carter is yelling and once again there is complete chaos. Ashley does not stop, running full tilt towards the forest line. Once there she can bound through the trees at optimum speed. Warriors are following us, but they are not able to catch up. Ashley starts to head towards Alpha Kyle’s Pack; however, realizes that anybody would look there first.