Venom And Vice

14

I would have to play my part perfectly because the power Ashley had just exhibited was extraordinary. I’d never known anyone with the ability to push inside the memories of another. I could only imagine what Guin would do if she found out. Ashley would be hunted until the day she died. That outcome was simply unacceptable. She might not like the man I was about to become, but that man would keep her alive, and that was the only thing that mattered. OceanofPDF.com Chapter Five OceanofPDF.com ASHLEY Guilt cast my gaze to the floor as I retreated to my apartment. I felt as though one look into my eyes would give away the horrible transgression I’d committed. What I’d done was an assault in every way that counted, and it made no difference that the intrusion had been unintentional. I’d forced my way into Casek’s most guarded memories and made him relive what had to have been the most painful moment of his life. To have ripped those secrets from him was unforgivable. I’d seen what he’d lived through. Felt what he’d experienced. I hadn’t simply been a curious bystander. My eyes were his, and for a moment, I had lived his heartache. While I couldn’t hear any of his thoughts, the experience had felt real in every other way, as if the memory had been my own. Had this new ability been uncovered in any other manner, I would have been thrilled to have made progress with my magic. Instead, I was mired in shame and mortification. It wasn’t until I was home and curled under my covers that my angst expanded to worry about what such a power entailed. The potential uses were limitless—both helpful and horrific. For the first time since becoming Fae, the icy hand of fear grazed its fingers along my skin, chilling me to the bone. I’d hoped to be able to trace and been thrilled when sparks had leaped from my hand. Those were the types of powers I’d expected. I’d never considered I might possess a more sinister ability. Something that might hurt people. A power that could alienate me from everyone around me. The potential risks made it even more critical that I learned to control my magic. I had no idea how I’d pushed my way into Casek’s head. All I knew was that I was suddenly transported to another time and place. I hadn’t even been sure what had happened until I returned to the present and saw Casek’s face leached of color. I knew innately what I’d done. That I’d witnessed his deepest sorrow. His greatest regret. Who had the woman been? Whoever she was, his love for her had been as vast as the deepest ocean, and she’d been brutally killed. His grief left a viscous black residue that I didn’t know how to escape or whether I should even try. The least I could do after my intrusion was honor his loss with the sorrow it deserved. Not that I could have forgotten if I’d wanted to. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw the lifeless woman. Her auburn hair was mussed and dirty, hanging lifelessly toward the concrete ground. Or was it wood? When I focused on the mental picture of the area beneath her chair, it morphed into dark mahogany planks. As I studied the memory, new images surfaced. They were scattered and made little sense. There was a puddle, and next to it … a glass—a beer pint spilled on its side—and wavy red hair sprawled across the worn wood floor. The thing that stood out the most was the smell. I thought it had been putrid down in that basement, but now it was muskier with a bitter twang. Everything about the memory seemed to mutate and shift. I had no idea what was happening and was suddenly too tired to tackle the inconsistencies. I fell asleep cradled in the arms of heartbreak and remorse, hoping morning would bring relief. I tossed and turned in the night but still woke feeling more like myself. Casek’s memory would stick with me until the day I died, but it no longer held me captive. I could see the scene—as it had originally been, not the sleep-muddled version—but I could also lock it away so it didn’t control me. Now, it was time to face what I’d done. Becca needed to know about this extraordinary new power I’d discovered and help me figure out what to do about it. I went looking for her in her room, my eyes catching on the hole in our wall next to the front door. I’d noticed it when I’d come back from Faery and known exactly who had left the mark. The why had confounded me. Casek hadn’t been thrilled with Merlin stealing me away, but punching a wall was a far more explosive reaction than I would have expected from him. His memory shed an entirely new light on the outburst. I pulled my gaze away as a fresh wave of guilt assaulted me. Becca wasn’t in her room. I didn’t worry because she spent most nights with Lochlan anymore. I texted her and arranged to get coffee together in an hour, giving me plenty of time to take a scalding shower and mentally prepare for my day. I would see Casek again that evening for my next training session, assuming we were still working together. I’d need all the strength I could summon for our next meeting. Clean and refreshed, I met Becca in the lobby. “I’m going to need you to tone down the wattage on your smile. It’s a bit too early in the morning for so much sunshine,” I teased as we left the building for the coffee shop around the corner. “I can’t help it. Life is looking pretty damn great right now.” “I suppose you’re right,” I conceded. “Why do I get the feeling there’s a but at the end of that?” “It’s not that, exactly. Something happened last night. I discovered a new ability of my magic.”