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Ash's Redemption

Gillian POV

Cold-dark-wrong. Not just wrong, but almost diabolic. These were people who might do anything and enjoy it. Their eyes glittered at her. More than glittered. Some of the eyes were shinning . . . like an animal's at night . . . and now they were smiling and she could see teeth. Long delicate canine teeth that came to a point. Fangs . . .

All the legendary creatures . . .

Sheer panic surged through her. And at the same instant, she felt strong hands on her elbows.

"Why don't you come outside with me?" a voice behind her said.

Then things were confused. Angel was yelling again, but Gillian couldn't really hear him over the pounding of her own heart. The hands were exerting pressure, forcing her away from the bar. And the figures with their diabolical faces were settling back, most of them wearing conspiratorial grins.

"Have fun," somebody called.

Gillian was being hurried up the stairs, whisked through the dim building. A blast of cold air hit her as the door opened and she suddenly felt clearer. She tried to break out of the iron grip that was holding her. It didn't do any good.

She was out in the snow, leaving the house behind. The street was completely deserted.

"Is that your car?"

The hands on her arms eased their pressure. Gillian gave one desperate wrench and turned around.

Moonlight was shining on the snow around her, giving it the texture of white satin. Every shadow was like an indigo stain on the sparkling coverlet.

The person who'd been holding her was a boy a few years older than Gillian. He was lanky and elegant, with ash-blond hair and slightly tilted eyes. Something about the way he held himself made her think of lazy predatory animals.

But his face wasn't wrong, the way the other faces had been. It was set and grim, maybe even a little scary, but it wasn't evil.

"Now, look," he said, and his voice wasn't evil, either, just rapid and short. "I don't know who you are, or how you managed to get in there, but you'd better turn around and go home right now. Because whatever you are, you're not a Harman."

"How do you know?" Gillian blurted before Angel could tell her what to say.

"Because I'm related to the Harmans. I'm Ash Redfern. You don't even know what that means, do you? If you were a Harman you'd know that our families are kin."

(You are a Harman, and you are a witch!) Angel was actually raging. (Tell him! Tell him!)

But the ash-blond boy was going on. "They'll eat you alive in there if they find out for sure. They're not as-tolerant-of humans as I am. So my advice is, get in your car, drive away, and never come back. And never mention this place to anybody else."

(You're a lost witch! You're not a human. Tell him!)

"How come you're so tolerant?" Gillian was staring at the boy. His eyes . . . she'd thought they were amber-coloured originally, like Steffi's, but now they were emerald green.

He gave her an odd look. Then he smiled. It was a lazy smile, but with something heart-wrenching behind it.

"I met a human girl last summer," he said quietly, and that seemed to explain everything.

Then he nodded at her car. "Get out of here. Never come back. I'm just passing through; I won't be around to save you again."

(Don't get in the car. Don't go. Tell him. You're a witch; you belong to Circle Midnight. Don't go!)

For the first time, Gillian deliberately disobeyed an order of Angel's. She unlocked the car with shaky hands. As she got in, she looked back at the boy. Ash.

"Thank you," she said.

"Bye." He wiggled his figures. He watched as she drove away.


Ash POV

I was standing across the road from a huge mansion. Well this was it, the first really dramatic change for me. No more just sitting in bars waiting for something to happen that I can make right. No one would ever accept me to go and ask to join Circle Daybreak.

"Too bad James isn't here to see this. He would have never expected this from me." I stared at the estate from across the road. I was now studying the estate and debating whether or not James would even talk to me. I've heard rumours that both he and Poppy joined Circle Daybreak after the whole incident. Maybe he would forgive me for that thing with Poppy if he knew that I'm trying to change.

Looking back at that night I knew what I'd done was wrong. That was the old Ash Redfern. And it was. I would try my hardest to never threaten anyone else again, unless they deserved it.

Deciding that I've waited long enough, I picked up my bag. Hardly anything was in it except for some clothes and an old book or two.

It was only three weeks since I left my Mary-Lynette, but it already felt like months. I missed everything about her. The way that she would watch the stars. The way that she cared about everyone. Even the way that she kept on kicking me.

I just needed someone else to help me stay on track and not start running back home to her. I've heard that more people had joined Circle Daybreak and that there was always something to do there. They were willing to accept anyone that wanted to join and help with the fight. That's what I needed at this point.

As I walked up the driveway I just thought. I thought about all of the stuff that I did in my past. All of the lying, tricking and killing that I've done. Before when I'd look back on my life, I was satisfied. I felt like I could get anyone and everything I wanted whenever I wanted it. Now when I looked back and I felt discussed.

I couldn't believe what I had done in my past. Most of me was revolted at what I did. The other part of me wondered what Mare ever seen in me that would make her believe that I could actually right all of the wrong that I've done.

I needed to find that courage and hope that she'd found in me. Only I think that she was just hopeful that I could at least try.

Before I knew it I was standing right at the front door. Bracing myself for the worse reaction that I could get I raised my hand and began to knock on the door. What I saw when the door opened amazed me.

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