Free A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1) by Rae Lori Page A

chuckled to herself and continued walking toward the club.
    Suddenly Shelly felt her body whisked into the air by an invisible wind. The darkness enveloped her like a snake coiling around her limbs. She opened her mouth to scream but the creature bound her throat, cutting off her breathing and oxygen supply as something wrapped around her and seeped into the pores of her skin. Below her, the city grew smaller and smaller as she was pulled higher into the sky. Then the creature freed her and she fell through the air like a rock against in the wind.
    The pavement raced toward her below as she fell. Invisible blades cut into her shirt and jeans, eventually ripping into her flesh like the metal claws of a shredder. Her tired body crashed against the ground with a loud smack, knocking the air out of her. She forced herself to breathe and cough out the blood building within her lungs.
    Shelly coached herself to stand and walk toward the club which was only a block away. She needed to find help fast before it was too late.
    * * * *
    Jace forced himself to breathe. His mind tried to make sense of the beautiful naked, glowing creature standing before him. In a blink of an eye he watched as bright, thin translucent wings unwrapped from behind her back and fluttered outward to their full reach.
    It couldn’t be.
    Jace felt his body freeze in place while his mind raced to the past. Visions of this very creature would pop up into his mind from the stories his grandmother shared of beautiful Fey creatures. Her thin wide wings and ethereal glow revealed before him was a tangible representation of those stories he thought only as fiction, but such creatures don’t exist.
    Or do they?
    * * * *
    Sounds of Shelly’s heavy footsteps broke through the air. Her breathing was heavy and jagged. Each step felt as if her legs were tied to heavy weights dragging along the ground. She tried to focus on the parking lot of the Torch club just ahead where her boyfriend Vex, Jace’s best friend Rich, Gael, and her friends hung out. She tried to call out to them despite the pain of fire enveloping her body from the bleeding jagged cuts across her body. She was losing blood—so much blood. The cool wind dried the thick sweet substance of her own blood staining her face and body. She tried to scream despite feeling the thick liquid cloud her throat.
    That creature—what was it?
    She didn’t even have a chance to fight back before it came down upon her.
    “Vex—Rich—Gael—please—” The names fell from her strained lips. Finally she gave out and fell upon the ground like a lifeless marionette.
    “Shelly!” Vex’s familiar deep voice was sweet nectar to her ear. She had no control over her body anymore as she allowed him to haul her up into his strong arms.
    “Shelly, what happened?” Rich peered over Vex’s thick shoulders. “Tell us.”
    “J-Ja-Jace—” she struggled. “The girl—she—” Shelly’s body froze in place with a sharp gasp. Her eyes widened then she fell limp as she stared ahead into the darkness forever.
    * * * *
    Vex lowered his head over her body saying a silent prayer. Gently he closed her eyelids, feeling his muscles tense.
    “What did it mean?”
    “What was she saying?”
    The voices among the curious group echoed in the parking lot as a small crowd wandered over. Vex looked over his shoulder at Rich while folding his thick arms around Shelly. He held her close despite death’s hold on her.
    “You have to do something about this, Rich. Your fellow regent is harboring a female who killed one of us. If she is of the houses, she must be punished.”
    “You don’t know that, Vex,” Rich shot back.
    “Yeah, man,” Gael stepped in between them. “We can’t jump to silly conclusions and turn this into a witch hunt.”
    “Did you two not hear Shelly just now!” Vex said through tense jaws.
    “I heard her as clear as anybody in this area. But Gael’s right, we can’t just go attacking with our pitchforks,