From the Ashes (Force of Nature Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

more slurred than I remembered sounding earlier. I tried to push against his back to lift myself up, but all that earned me was a close-up of Merc, who trailed directly behind us. Our faces were only inches apart. I stifled the squeal that threatened to escape and flopped back down, my head resting against Jase's back.
    The cool night air felt good against my overheated skin. I was starting to remember why I didn't drink much. The stuff never did jell well with my system.
    “Shall we try this again?” Jase asked, placing me down gently on my feet. I wavered for a second, but waved him off with floppy hands when he came to aid me.
    “I'm good. Nothing to see here,” I quipped, spreading my arms wide to catch my balance. I heard Dean snicker from my left and shot him the nastiest glare I could. “What's so funny?”
    “You,” he said, stating the rather obvious, “and him.” He jerked his thumb over to Merc, who stood between his brothers, staring at me intently.
    “What about him?” I demanded, pulling myself up as straight as I could.
    “Like there's any point in me telling you. You won't remember tomorrow anyway.”
    Before I could launch my rebuttal, Jase grabbed my hand and led me down the street. He was walking briskly, which meant he was mad. For a second I felt like shit, knowing that I was the reason behind that anger. Me and my drunk ass.
    I opened my mouth to tell him that I was sorry, but snapped it shut the second we rounded the corner leading into the alley. Shortcuts; I'd learned long ago that they just weren't worth it.
    “Fancy running into you here, Piper,” an unwelcome voice called out from the depths of the narrow way. I stopped dead in my tracks. “And look, you even have your goon squad babysitters with you, not that that's surprising. Maybe you're smarter than we thought.”
    “Kingston,” Jase drawled, covering his irritation with an ambivalent tone. “Always such a pleasure.”
    “Fuck you, Jase,” the warlock snapped, stepping out from the shadows. The very sight of him made my whole body shake with fear. To one who didn't know better, he looked like a model with a hint of goth flair: tall, wiry, with black hair and piercing dark eyes. But to me, he looked like the grim reaper.
    My eyes immediately went to his hands. They always had the subtlest hint of blue under that pale white skin. I doubted humans ever noticed. But I did. I knew what that thin veil of flesh withheld.
    “It seems we won't be doing any fucking tonight, thanks to Piper,” Dean said coolly. “But you're hardly our type anyway. Thanks, but no thanks.”
    “Is she your type?” Kingston fired back. “Because I have to warn you, she's hardly worth it. Pretty disappointing, if I'm being honest.”
    I cringed at the reference, my skin crawling at the memory of his hands on my body. My traitorous mind recalled the event Kingston was none-too-subtly referring to in vivid detail. A night I deeply regretted. I had fallen victim to temptation and given myself to him, all under the promise that it would help unlock my powers. Help free my gifts.
    The only thing it freed me of was my dignity.
    Not long after he cast me aside, disgusted by my inability to live up to the magical expectations he held. It was then that I knew I'd been played all along—that he'd used me to gain access to whatever power he thought I possessed. It was then that everything started to go wrong.
    Every nerve in my body was begging me to run as I stood in the alley, my focus now returned to his hands. The second they started glowing, all hell would break loose.
    “Watch your fucking mouth,” Jase ground out through gritted teeth, pulling me from my downward spiral. “Unless you want a war on your hands, warlock , I suggest you get the fuck out of our way.”
    “War, you say?” Kingston queried. “Well now, we wouldn't want that, would we?” His sarcasm was hard to miss. Right on cue, his warlock brethren poured from the darkness at the end