Tarnished Embers Book Novels & Stories

He simply holds me, looks out the window, breathes against my clean hair. And I remain there. Prisoner of the warmth of the fabric, of the warmth of his body. Prisoner of this parody of tenderness that seals, more deeply than any violence, the fact that I belong to him. The ashes in the fireplace do not move. But inside me, something still burns. An ember remains, buried under tons of wet ashes. An ember that only needs to be blown upon to become a new fire. But for now, there is only the cold of the ashes. And the waiting.

“You won’t win by matching her. You’ll win by being what she’ll never understand.” “What’s that?” He leaned closer. “Human.” Ember steps into the underground weapons vault and stands in the center. She lights the match and drops it into a bucket filled with her old Vairo uniforms. They go up in flames crimson, crackling, smoking like hell’s breath. Lucien watches from the shadows. When she turns to him, her eyes aren’t soft. They’re sharp. Wet with grief. Carved by fire. “You just burned your past,” Lucien says. “No,” Ember replies. “I buried my ghost.”

Ember says, and I hear footsteps retreating from the library doorway. I mask my scent as they walk away. I didn’t want them to know I was listening in on their conversation, so I unmasked my scent. It’s confusing, but my real scent isn’t the one they all know. It's my masked scent. Except for my mate, none of them can tell I'm the same person when my scent is masked and unmasked. It’s a gift and a curse. Opening my book, I continue to read, hoping to finish this chapter before Ember finds out I am around. ***

“Esmerelda is not responsible for what happened to Melanie. Nor is she a police officer who is required to investigate what happened. She’s a guest in this house just like the rest of you. I would appreciate your consideration in this matter.” Ignoring the open glowering and snide remarks that were being whispered about me and my association with the very coveted Lance Northrup, I closed my eyes to see if I could get an impression from the house as to what happened. All I could get were the words, ‘The other side of the mirror.’ They made absolutely no sense to me, even though they sounded in my head over and over again. Frustrated and irritated, I walked to the far side of the room, a

Keegan could see her hands shaking though, so he grabbed one of them and held it in his. “Absolutely. I want to know everything about you.” Rubbing his thumb across her hand. Letting the sparks between them soothe them both. His eyes conveyed his sincerity and that was what was truly hard to deny. In a rush, Ember decided to try just this once to let someone know a piece of her. Hoping she was right and could trust this feeling. “Honestly, I’m running until I can find answers as well. I don’t know what I am. I have control over heat, fire, and smoke. I am trying to find out the truth behind it all as well. I was captured when I was young. How young I’m not even sure. I don’t know if I have a

The early morning fog blanketed Ember Hollow like a veil of mourning. Ash clung to every leaf, and the ruins of the chapel smoldered still, a scar on the village's sanctity. The fire that had ravaged it hadn’t merely burned timber and stone—it had scorched truths, hidden old sins, and unsealed whispers buried for generations. As dawn broke with a bleeding sky, Isabella stood at the edge of the rubble, her eyes rimmed red, her heart thundering.

--- Burning Empire Chapter 1 Matteo’s heart hammered like a drum as he slipped through the crowded streets, clutching the small leather pouch tight beneath his coat. The city buzzed all around him — neon signs flickering, voices shouting, music pounding from nearby bars. But Matteo barely heard it. All he could focus on was the pounding in his chest and the sharp, cold weight in his pocket. This was it. His first real score.

Right then, Blazewing breathed fire across the surface, and the glass shimmered instantly, clearing to reveal an image. Raven and Snowviper. Still confused, I glanced at him. He explained, "This is a treasure of the Phoenix Clan. It works kind of like your human surveillance stuff, but better. No internet or power needed." I nodded slowly, then fixed my eyes on the moving picture. Raven was draped against Snowviper, sweat pouring down her face. She whined over and over, "It's so hot—I'm dying! Snowviper, aren't you supposed to have cooling powers? Use them already!"

“Who are they?” Kael’s jaw tightened, his words looming heavy with gravity. “The ones who burn without purpose. The ones who forgot what fire is for.” With that, he turned away, gathering Ember’s belongings with swift, practiced hands, a sense of urgency imbued in his every movement. Ember’s pendant pulsed once—soft, warm, like a heartbeat reminding Isla of an inner light. It shimmered faintly in the half-light, and with an imperceptible shift in the atmosphere, the monitor beside the bed flickered, then went dark.

Zavian I was very interested in the reason why they needed me to lug this heavy fucking book. I hadn’t touched this book in years. I haven’t needed to. I personally didn’t know any of the Meridian. So, needless to say, when Emerald asked me if I have a book with all their symbols within it piqued my interest. I could see why Emerald would be interested in it, but when she said that Devon and Nate asked her to ask me about the book, I found that weird. The fact that no one outside the magic community had even heard, so when she said that, I was intrigued.