Page 49 of Up In Flames
I didn't agree with that. My pride told me that I was better than Death, and I was determined to prove it.
“I want to learn how to possess someone as Ara did,” I said.
“Ara?” Death suddenly sounded pleased. “You have given him a nickname?”
I glanced at Ara, who subtly shook his head. He didn't want Death to know that he had asked me to call him by that name. So, cleared my throat and went along with it. “Yes. Now, can you teach me how to do that?”
“That is advanced spellwork. Patience, Ember. You will get there. And now that you are with me, we have an eternity to see my plan come to fruition.”
A shiver of cold ran through me—Death's pleasure.
“Take the rest of the day and night to yourselves, my emperors-to-be,” Death said. “I am going wandering.”
Before I could say anything, Death was gone, along with most of his suppression. I gasped as I returned to a partial version of myself. Hand to my sternum, I felt inside, certain that more of me was back than the last time.
“Ara!” I reached for him.
Aranren turned to me and took my hand. “Are you all right, my friend?”
“No, that was awful, but it was also helpful.” I clutched his hand tightly and drew him away from the remnants of the poor tree. Lowering my voice even though Death was gone, I said, “Killing that tree shocked me so deeply that part of me broke free.”
“What?” Ara gaped at me.
“I feel more of myself now!”
“But . . .” He frowned. “I . . .”
“Why aren't you pleased?”
“I am.” Ara chewed at his lips. “I just . . .” His expression crumpled.
“What is it?”
“Ember, I never broke free like that, not even a little. Was I never horrified enough by what he made me do? How could I not have been? He's made me do terrible things. Terrible! Did Death choose me because I was already partially evil?”
“No!” I transferred my hand to his shoulder. “You are not evil, not even a little. He had more time with you. Death probably had you more firmly under his control by the time he made you do something terrible. You heard him—with me, it's always been a battle.”
“Yes.” He hung his head. “Meaning it was not with me.”
“You didn't know that you had to fight! Or even that you could.” I shook him. “You had no one to warn you, no one to show you what Death could do. I've had everyone warn me, and I still fell for his tricks.”
“You fell to your pride, Ember, not for Death's tricks,” Ara said gently. “You thought you could discover his true intentions, and you did.”
“Yeah, I discovered them when he took control of me.”
“But now you know you have a chance to get free of his influence.”
I went still, staring at Ara. There was something in his expression that worried me. “You have a chance too, Ara.”
“I don't know if I do, Ember.”
“No! You're not giving up, not when we've just been given some hope.”
“Youhave been given hope. I have seen the other side of it. I think I've been under Death's skeletal hand for far too long, my friend. There is no chance of freedom for me.”
“No. I refuse to accept that,” I said.
“I tried to kill myself,” Ara whispered.
