Ash of Prison

SELENE The first thing I noticed about Ash Prison was that it breathed. The mountain beneath the carriage pulsed once beneath my boots. The horses panicked instantly. One reared so violently the driver cursed and yanked the reins hard enough to snap leather. “Easy!” The animal screamed instead. Not neighed. Screamed. I tightened my chained wrists and looked through the narrow carriage window. Ash Prison rose from the mountain like a wound carved into black stone. Iron bridges stretched over a bottomless ravine while armed guards watched from the walls above. Nobody smiled here. Nobody even spoke. “You’re awfully quiet for someone marching toward her execution.” The guard across from me leaned back lazily, scar cutting across his mouth. I met his gaze. “Disappointed?” “That depends. Most noblewomen cry before the gates open.” “I’m saving it for your funeral.” The second guard barked out a laugh. “Careful,” he muttered. “She bites.” “I noticed.” The carriage rolled forward. The gates opened. And every sound disappeared. No chains. No horses. Nothing. Silence slammed into the mountain so suddenly my skin prickled. Scarface frowned. “That’s strange.” Beside him, the other guard shifted uneasily. “The prison does that sometimes.” “Does what?” “Listens.” The carriage passed beneath the archway. Whispers flooded my head instantly. Mine. Mine. Mine. I stiffened. “Did you hear that?” “Hear what?” Scarface asked sharply. The whispers vanished. I swallowed hard and stared ahead. Fear was blood in a place like this. And Ash Prison looked starving. The carriage stopped inside a massive courtyard. Rain poured from the sky in heavy sheets. Soldiers lined the staircase ahead. Wolves and Lycans. The difference was obvious. Werewolves carried aggression openly. Lycans hid theirs behind stillness. The carriage door opened. “Out.” I stepped down into the rain. Cold soaked through my cloak immediately. Nobody offered help. Good. I would’ve bitten them. A tall male descended the staircase toward us, silver armor gleaming darkly beneath the storm. General. Dangerous. “This is her?” he asked. Scarface nodded. “Selene Vale.” The general looked unimpressed. “She volunteered?” “I wasn’t aware sacrifice required enthusiasm.” Something flickered across his expression. “You speak boldly for someone entering Ash Prison.” “You speak too much for someone whose king hides behind soldiers.” Several guards growled softly. The general only stepped closer. “You should stop staring people in the eye.” “Why?” “In Lycan territory, eye contact is dominance.” “Then they should stop staring first.” A horn suddenly echoed through the courtyard. Every soldier straightened instantly. The atmosphere changed. Nobody was looking at me anymore. They were looking behind me. I turned slowly. And saw him. Tall. Dressed in black. Silver eyes fixed directly on mine. Kael Draven. The Beast of Ash Prison. My stomach tightened violently. Ten years disappeared. Blood on stone. My mother screaming. Those same silver eyes watching her die. Kael descended the staircase slowly, rain sliding down the dark fabric of his coat. No crown. No weapon. He didn’t need either. Power followed him like a living thing. He stopped in front of me. “Remove her chains.” The guard hesitated. “My king” “Now.” The cuffs unlocked instantly. Relief burned through my wrists. Kael never looked away from me. “You volunteered in exchange for your brother’s safety.” Not a question. “Yes.” “And you believe honoring bargains is beneath me?” “I believe monsters enjoy breaking them.” Something dangerous flickered across his face. “Do you know what Ash Prison is, Selene?” “A graveyard.” “No.” He stepped closer. “It’s a kingdom.” Rain hammered the stone around us. “You’re afraid,” he said quietly. I lifted my chin. “Should I be?” “Yes.” The honesty unsettled me more than any threat. “You murdered my family,” I said softly. “Forgive me if I’m unimpressed by intimidation.” The courtyard went still. Kael’s expression barely changed. “Your family betrayed the crown.” “My mother was innocent.” A long silence. "Then...." “No one is innocent.” Something about the way he said it felt wrong. Like guilt sharpened every word. “You killed her anyway.” The general muttered under his breath, “This is unwise.” Kael ignored him. Rain dripped from his dark hair as he stared down at me. And suddenly I realized something deeply unsettling. He looked exhausted. Not physically. Soul-deep exhaustion. “You should hate me,” I whispered. “I do.” The answer came too fast. Then screaming erupted somewhere deep beneath the prison. Everyone froze. Another scream followed. Then another. Kael turned instantly toward the eastern tower. A soldier came running into the courtyard, pale and breathless. “My king” “Speak.” “The lower cells…” The soldier swallowed hard. “The doors opened.” Silence crashed over the courtyard. “That’s impossible,” the general said. “That’s not the worst part.” Fear crawled slowly up my spine. The soldier looked directly at me. Then whispere “They’re kneeling.” Kael’s gaze snapped toward me. “Kneeling for who?” the general demanded. The soldier looked terrified. But he answered anyway. “For her.”