Queen of Ash

I Promise

RYE

 Life had never been this good. I thought I knew what it was to be happy, but it paled in comparison to this. I thought that being happy was something simple, you were happy or you weren't. I now know that this isn't true, being with her, being with Emerson was unlike any happiness I had ever felt. I learned that happiness isn't simple or easy and it's not just one emotion. It's excitement, bliss, contentment, and longing for when the thing that brings you happiness is gone. Happiness is her and I have never known true happiness until now.

It's had been six days since Emerson had almost been killed. Within that week my life had changed more times than I could count. I felt unsurmountable grief, exchanged my afterlife, was utterly terrified of losing the one thing that brought me happiness I had never known, and now I was her.

Emerson was across the training ring from me, sweat dripping from her face. Her hair already coming loose from its' ponytail and a blade gripped in each hand. We circled each other, slowly, like a predator encircling its' prey. She moved on the balls of her toes, just how she was trained to be. I took a step forward, she took one back, she took two forward, I took two back. Every step between us was like a dance, perfectly moving with each other.

Before I could even see what was happening she moved, faster than light itself. I dodged the initial attack with her dagger, but I didn't see what she was doing with the other hand. I felt her pressure on my wrist, then I felt pain as she flipped my onto the ground. One hand pinning both my wrists and a knife at my throat. A deadly smile was on her face.

I had never been overly trained in weapon or hand to hand combat. I had focused on my magic as my weapon which would allow me to attack from a further distance. Emerson however had insisted I learned how to and has been beating me to a pulp since then.

"Don't get distracted," She whispered into my ear. I quickly shifted my hip from underneath her hold spot on my leg. I twisted my arm free and flipped her over, the knife from the floor clattering on the ground.

"Don't forget," I smirked at her, "I do weigh more than you." Her dark hair was plastered to her face from the sweat. I had both of her wrists in one of my hands, I ran my other thumb down her cheek. She smiled, one that went to her eyes.

"Or maybe, I did that on purpose." She leaned her head up, her arms still pinned. I leaned down and rested my nose against hers. I looked at her for just a moment before my lips were on hers. My fire intertwined with her starlight and the world faded away. I ran my free hand down her side, my other hand still pinning her to the mat. I could feel the fire in me, wanting more, needing more.

"Please tell me you are going to sanitize the mats once you're down." I pulled away to find Jase standing over us, hands on his hips. Emerson gave him a wicked smile, I stood up and gave a hand to Emerson who I hauled up from the ground. "Aren'y you supposed to be training. The Bellum is tomorrow and every time I come in here you guys are half a second from ripping each other's clothes off." He reached into his back pocket and handed a towel to Emerson and I. She wiped the sweat from her face. Even sweating and exhausted she took the breath away from me every time I looked at her. It was like I thought my life was bright, until I realized it never was because she was never in it.

You're staring again. She was looking at Jase while he was talking, while I couldn't hear a word he was saying.

It's just— I paused for a moment. Things are just going so good and I'm happy. She turned and met my eyes. I could see the tears lining her eyes. I'm sorry, did I say something? Emerson.