Heart of Ashes

Ghost Mist

Caine nodded to both Mercedes and Evelyn, "Excellent job, ladies, if you'd excuse me. I'm going to bed. I need some proper rest before night falls."

He went up the stairs, into his room and locked the door. He threw his jacket in the bed and loosened his tie. He crossed the room to lean on the dressing table and stare in the mirror. He studied the lines around his eyes and mouth. The light caught his salt and pepper hair, adding a new blood red sheen to the mix. His eyes drifted to his jaw where a faint shadow had started to appear. He needed a shave. He opened the doors to the wardrobe and looked for his razor. He couldn't find it. After another minute of rummaging for it, he decided he'd forgotten it. He picked one of the daggers he'd brought with him up and headed to the bathroom across the passage. He removed his tie, unbuttoned his shirt a little and rolled up his sleeves then he splashed water on his face. He raised the blade to his face and that was when he felt it.

A chill entered the air and a fine mist filled the room. He smelled a woman's perfume, jasmine. He turned and lowered the dagger. It was, as he expected, Freya.

"I think a beard suits you," she said, "and I'm loving the silver highlights."

Caine felt a smile tug at his mouth but he fought it, "You never cease to amaze me."

She moved towards him, through her ghostly mist and placed her pale, ethereal hands on his chest - in just the right place so she wouldn't go right through - and said, "It seems that no matter how much I want to get away from you, something keeps pulling me back."

"I sense sarcasm?"

Freya laughed, "No, well not really. I mean it's definitely not your charm and allure. Or your insanely soft hair and good looks. It's this."

She held her left hand up for him to see. There, on her ring finger, rested the ring he'd given her. He stared at in disbelief as the ring he had - the exact same ring - grew heavier on the little finger of his own left hand. Despite being able to feel the cold metal of it on his finger, he satisfied the urge to check if it was there. It was, he frowned, "How... How is this possible?"

Freya shrugged, "Some people say that love is closest thing they have to magic so I'm guessing that, to those who have magic, love is the strongest magic and, I do believe, this is my engagement ring."

Caine took the ring off and studied it, "Mmm, how strange. I'll have to investigate that but I still don't see how it's possible. You don't love me anymore, you said so yourself."

Another shrug, "It's hard to fall out of love when you don't really have anyone else to love."

Caine tilted his, "You're alone there?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I am. Is that normal? I mean, were you alone."

"Most of the time. How did Mercedes find you?"

"No idea," Freya's eyes suddenly lit up as if she'd been struck by an amusing thought, "it's funny, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"You killed the son that killed your wife but she wasn't actually dead and she found you through your dead fiancé who just so happens to be haunting you."

Caine gave in to the smile that had been tugging at his lips, "I suppose it is. Although, stranger things have happened."

"Like?"

He chuckled, "You need to ask?"

She laughed with him then went silent. She stared at him for a minute but, staring into her eyes, he felt it was an eternity. His eyes moved down towards her lips and he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to reach out and touch her but he couldn't. Eventually she broke the silence.

"I miss you, y'know," she said.

His eyes widened in surprise, "Really?"

"Just a little," she looked away, "there's no one to run around after here. Over here, it's not possible to want to kill someone and kiss them at the same time. There's no one to yell at or beat the truth out of. It's not.like life at all."

He laughed, "It sounds lovely."

"Under normal circumstances it would be but you know what?" she said, "I often wish I could be out there with you but then I remember all the inconveniences and struggles that come with being out there. Then, I wish you could be here with me but I realise how selfish that would be. And how obnoxious you are."

He ignored her insult, "Well, all that separates us is a wall, and, as I'm sure you know, I've broken through my fair share of walls."

"You're going to find a way to get me out?"

He shook his head, "Sadly, that cannot be done yet."

"Yet?"

"Evelyn."

"Ah."

"But, in the meantime, I can do something else."

She narrowed her eyes, "Umm... what are you going to do?"

"I'm not going to tell you because you'll try to stop me and for this reason you'll just have to wait and see."

He unbuttoned his shirt all the way and discarded it on the floor. He picked the dagger he was going to use as a razor up and positioned it over his heart. He squeezed his eyes shut and plunged it into his chest. He heard Freya shout his name as he fell to his knees. Then his head connected with the tiles.