Heart of Ashes

Coincidence Or Fate

I grimaced at the taste of the coffee before taking a bite of the pastry, trying to remove the bitterness with the sugary sweet flavor. Sadly, the pastry was so dry that it just ended up making me drink more of the coffee, starting the horrid cycle all over again. It was only when Rae finally took pity and got me a cup of milk to wash down the last of the pastry that I managed to find relief.

"So, ready to go Rae?" I questioned as I looked at them, taking in how they'd pulled some of their tightly woven braids back into a hair-tie, something they usually only did if they expected trouble and didn't want their vision obscured in a fight.

"Almost, (y/n). Just let me finish this cinnamon bun. The ones here are just divine! Trust me, I would know," they said with a wink, the amber in their eyes catching the light for a moment and practically glowing.

"Sure thing, Rae! Whatever you say," I grinned as I grabbed a napkin to clean some of the frosting off my fingers.

Several minutes later, I was listening to the bell chime as we entered the shop, the smell of incense floating through the room and making me wrinkle my nose at the overbearing strength. If not for the hard to find treasures they tended to get in, I would avoid this place just to save my nose.

"Oh! Look! They have fabric over there!" Rae was nearly jumping in place as they pointed at the bundles of folded fabric laying in a neat pile on a shelf nearby.

Laughing quietly, I followed along as they hurried between tables and chairs to reach the shelves on the far wall.

"You can look at the fabric while I check buttons, okay Rae? Just let me know if you see anything you or your friend would like," I said, my attention already moving to the small glass bowls filled with various beads, buttons, and other small craft-related items.

"Will do, sweetie! Oh! You've got to feel this one! It's so soft!"

~~~~~~~~

He'd wrapped himself in shadows as soon as he arrived, remaining motionless as he watched the two move through the store. He hadn't expected Azrael to be with a human, but the moment she'd opened her mouth and spoken, he'd known who she was. Not just a human, the human. The one who had captured the attention of the Angel of Death, Fallen or not, although, he had yet to determine how far that attention went.

Was it merely idle curiosity? A desire to stay close to one who made them clothing on request? Perhaps a simple friendship? Or was it the budding crush that Ashe thought it to be, with how territorial the Angel had gotten? Oh, but if that were the case, then surely there was something special about this human and he could feel his curiosity raise. It had nothing to do with the warmth he felt pressing against his skin, not at all.

When he felt the shadows around him shift, he glanced to see the clerk standing bored at the desk give a soft cough, the black growth in their lungs as easy for him to see as the stars above. With a shrug, he cautiously summoned a shadow to take the soul, careful to make sure that Azrael did not take notice of his presence.

He might have promised not to seek the human out, but he had never promised not to take advantage of the opportunity if the female happened to be where he went. Especially if she was with Azrael at the time and thus more likely to give Ashe clues to what was going on and who she was.

"Rae, do you think your friend would like this one?" She spoke, turning to hold out a roll of black fabric, a faint pattern of dark grey visible to his eyes.

He smiled when he heard Azrael sigh, their eyes rolling before they shrugged at the female and held out a bundle of soft green fabric.

"Sure, he likes black. But what about this, do you think this would work for a new skirt for me? Something to show off my legs, perhaps?" The Fallen One beamed when the human's attention turned to them, a thoughtful look on her face as she ran her fingers along the cloth.

"Hmm, no, that one is no good. The quality is far too poor for something that would last long enough to be worth the price. Hmmm, how about this one instead?" She reached out and grabbed one of the fabrics she had been holding earlier, a filmy looking misty green. "We could use this to make a layered skirt, like the blue one I made you last year for summer. It might not look as strong, but the fabric is higher quality and if you are willing to hand wash it, it'll last a lot longer. Or you can bring it to me and I'll wash it for you?"

A crash from near the front desk had the two jumping to attention, the woman's face growing pale as soon as she saw the elder mortal kneeling on the ground, hand to their chest. It was only when the shadows around her shifted that Ashe felt his interest grow beyond the thought of clothing.

After all, he hadn't seen the shadows shift like this since...

"Kohmus... Is she... can she be... how?" As soon as the words, barely even breathed out into the universe, escaped his lips, Ashe vanished from the spot he'd been.

No, it was that warmth, those feelings he didn't want anymore. They were messing with him, making him see things that were not there. Kohmus and his family were gone, the bloodline so diluted there was no way that the Gift was still around, not without interference to keep the gift alive. And the only ones who could do that were... No, she wouldn't... Would she?

"Mother! What have you been up to?" He called out, a faint hint of agitation in his voice.

And the Darkness around him shifted at his words.