Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

Chapter 237

“You’re wondering how we’ve managed to stay on your lands this entire time without anyone noticing.” Ember spoke softly, Angelica’s hand clutched in her own as she led the child in between houses to where the backyard was.

Tall picket fences divided the properties, each one the same uniform shape, height, and color. With the moon as our guide, Ember led us to the back of the property, right where the forest met the neatly trimmed grass.

“She’s not the only one wondering that.” Brandon muttered sourly, casting a glare in Ember’s direction.” This entire time I thought you brought me to some witchy village.”

“Freya told me to bring you to her, and this just so happened to be where she was.” Ember fired back.

Angelica giggled, watching the two of them with curious eyes that shimmered brightly even in the dark. My only option was to intervene before they could descend into a full-blown argument. We’d be here all night if that was the case..

“How have you been able to stay here for so long without anyone noticing? Someone should’ve been able to pick up mine and Brandon’s scents.” I said, wondering why even now I failed to pick anything up.

Right as we reached the forest line, Ember tugged Angelica to a stop. The little girl whipped around, a knowing grin on her face.

“You don’t have to cloak the house anymore, Angelica. If we’re going to play, you’ll need all your strength, yeah?” Ember said, lowering herself to the girl’s height.

Angelica tapped her chin in thought for a moment before nodding, a look of agreement on her cherub face.

“Okay.” She giggled.

The air around Angelica began to shimmer, like it had been embedded with shards of diamond. It grazed the bare skin of my arms, sending little electrical pulses of magic through my flesh. Angelica waved her hands, a self-satisfied smile on her face when the space surrounding the house and fence began to ripple and change.

The entire length of the fence began to darken in color. Splotches of mold grew across the wood like wisps of moss. A quiet grinding sound filled the air as some began to c*ack and splinter. The baby blue paneling of the house changed as well, warping as spiderwebs of mildew began crawling across its surface. The shudders began to fall, their paint peeling as the scraps fluttered to the ground.

sprouted in heavy clusters, growing higher and higher until they practically reached our knees. Poor Angelica

the child giggled and clapped her

I said, somewhat amazed. There was one thing bothering me, though. “What happened to this place? It’s practically falling apart. None of the other houses in the neighborhood are like

it’s like a poison. It doesn’t matter where you are, that poison seeps into everything…even houses.” Ember said, her voice low and ominous. She peeled her eyes away from the house, and as she did so, they

strength was slowly on the mend, I had just enough to reach out to Asher. The connection between us wasn’t at its strongest, but it was enough to

I am, but I’m here. I’m alive and safe…for the most part. All of that aside there’s something I need you to do for

bond with a speed that made my skull rattle. I could practically feel his eyes turn my way, centering down the length of the bond

wrong direction. Holding the connection was sapping the little strength

and meet me back at the house. Don’t tell them I’m coming, make something

us. Asher’s voice faded into nothingness, it’s absence a reminder

she had done, I didn’t want any harm to come to her.

told

use the last seconds of my life burning someone you love to a crisp. Got it?” Ember hissed under

I

Brandon were either going to flourish together or destroy the world. There would be no

slipped into the forest, the muddy earth squelching beneath our feet. The whisper of cold air against my skin was a pleasant reminder that I was no longer locked in a basement, counting

seconds, but this way I felt like

game. I need you to hide the four of us,

keep her balance over the rocky terrain. Whenever she hit a patch of mud and slid, she’d grab onto Brandon, nearly taking him down with her. The shrill

happily. If Angelica understood what was going on, she didn’t let it show. With her free hand, she made a series of gestures, waving it through the darkness like she was trying to catch a butterfly. Just like back at the house, the air around us began to shimmer, charged with

her, my stomach turning as a dark

I mean, she’s just a child.

held out her hand and blew softly into her palm. A small ball of flame sputtered to life,