Ashes of Our Flame
Episode 14: "Dance With the Devil"
Ronan Vane's grip was firm, but not painful. He guided Nova away from the bar with the ease of someone who had done this a thousand times—separating threats from the herd. The crowd swallowed them whole as the bass of the music vibrated through her ribs.
Nova's knife was still hidden under her sleeve, but something about him made her hesitate.
Not fear.
Instinct.
"Where are we going?" she asked coolly, forcing her heartbeat to steady.
He glanced down at her with a slow smirk. "Someplace quieter. Unless you'd prefer a fight right here in front of a hundred cameras."
"I'm not afraid of being seen."
"Oh, I know," he said, still leading her through the narrow hall behind the VIP section. "But The Crow is watching this place. And you've been sniffing around his nest."
They entered a hallway lined with crimson lights. Quiet. Distant from the chaos outside. Ronan finally let her go.
Nova didn't waste a second.
She lunged.
Steel flashed.
He caught her wrist in the air, twisted it behind her, and pinned her to the wall.
"Easy, firefly," he said against her ear. "You're good. But I'm better."
Her breath caught. Not from pain.
From recognition.
The way he moved. The way he anticipated her strike. It wasn't just training—it was personal.
"Who sent you?" she hissed.
"I work for myself," he said. "But sometimes, I enjoy collecting dangerous creatures. And you…" His eyes dropped to her neck, where the edge of her Kara Voss tattoo peeked from beneath her collar. "You're rare."
She shoved back hard with her elbow. He let her go.
Just like that.
She turned, knife still in hand, but he'd stepped away. Watching her. Studying her.
"I know who you are," he said.
"Then you know I don't play well with others."
"I'm not here to stop you, Nova. I'm here to warn you."
He stepped closer.
"The Crow already knows you're here. And he doesn't like people touching his secrets."
Nova narrowed her eyes. "And what do you care?"
"Because I've seen what he does to people who get in his way. And I have a soft spot for reckless women with a death wish."
He handed her a card. Black. No name. Just a number.
"When you're ready to listen, call me. Or don't. Either way, watch your back."
He walked away.
And vanished.
---
Nova stood alone in the hallway, heart hammering.
Who was Ronan Vane, really? He knew too much. Moved like a ghost. And somehow, he made her feel… seen. Like he was peeling back layers she didn't even know she'd built.
She shook it off.
Focus.
Lysandra was still inside. Still laughing like the Vale empire hadn't destroyed her life.
Nova slid back into the crowd, this time staying out of sight. She watched Lysandra from a distance—studying her interactions, her bodyguards, the way she slipped a flash drive into the hand of a man in a velvet suit.
A deal.
Nova moved to follow, but something shifted in the atmosphere.
She looked up.
A man in a black suit was watching her from the upper balcony.
The Crow?
No. Too tall. Too clean.
But he was holding a phone. And she knew—he'd just sent her photo to someone.
She left immediately.
---
Back in her apartment, she locked the door, checked every window, and set the silent alarm.
Then she plugged in the flash drive Talon had given her.
Files popped up.
Names.
Locations.
Transaction records.
But one name stood out.
Adrian Vale.
She clicked.
A folder opened. Emails. Surveillance photos. Dates.
And then, a recording.
She hit play.
> "...she's alive," a voice said—Adrian's. "I don't care what it costs. If Kara's in Blackridge, I'm going after her."
Nova's breath caught.
She listened again.
The timestamp was only 48 hours ago.
Adrian knew.
He was looking for her.
And that changed everything.
---
She didn't sleep. Again.
By morning, her decision was made.
If Adrian was involved, she needed answers—from him. Even if it hurt.
But first, she needed leverage.
She sent a message to Tessa.
> "Intercept anything about Adrian. Someone is tracking both of us."
Tessa responded instantly.
> "Already on it. Also… found something weird. Ronan Vane was declared dead five years ago."
Nova froze.
> "Come again?"
> "Military records. Special ops mission gone bad. No body recovered. He disappeared."
Nova stared at the message.
If Ronan was dead… then who the hell just whispered in her ear?
---
That night, she received a call.
Unknown number.
She hesitated.
Then answered.
"Nova Quinn," the voice rasped. "The Crow invites you for a conversation."
"How polite."
"Don't mistake this for kindness. Come alone. Tonight. Or don't come back at all."
Click.
She hung up, pulse spiking.
A trap?
Absolutely.
But it was also a chance.
She strapped a knife to her thigh. Hid a wire in her jacket. Took a single photo from the drawer—Adrian's smile staring up at her like a ghost.
And she walked into the fire.
---
The Crow's meeting place wasn't a dungeon or a tower.
It was a cathedral.
Abandoned.
Silent.
Crosses turned upside down. Candles lit in red glass. And figures in suits standing like statues between the pews.
At the altar, a man waited.
Not masked.
Not monstrous.
Just… ordinary.
Late 40s. Slicked hair. A mole under one eye.
"You're braver than I expected," he said.
"I get that a lot."
"You know why you're here?"
"Because you're scared of me."
He chuckled. "No. I'm interested in you. There's a difference."
Nova didn't sit. She didn't blink.
"You've been disrupting my network. Following names. Threatening my people."
"I've only just begun."
He smiled faintly.
"I admired your work in Vale City. The way you brought Marcus to his knees. That was art."
Her fists clenched.
"And Adrian?"
"Ah." His smile grew. "Now we're getting to it."
He stood and walked toward her.
"You think you know him. But Adrian Vale has never been on your side. He's just better at pretending than his father was."
"That's a lie."
"Is it?"
He tossed her a phone.
A video played.
Adrian. At a meeting.
Shaking hands with someone she didn't recognize.
> "We'll expand into Blackridge next month," Adrian said. "The girl's just a loose end. I'll handle her."
The blood in Nova's veins turned to ice.
Fake?
Edited?
But it looked real.
Sounded real.
No.
She refused to believe it.
She threw the phone back.
"You're trying to manipulate me."
"I'm offering you clarity. A place at my table. Use your fire, Nova. Burn the city with me."
She stared at him.
Then spit at his feet.
"You're not the kind of flame I follow."
He sighed.
"Pity."
And then everything exploded.
The guards lunged.
She moved faster.
Blades, fists, blood.
She slashed. Dodged. Ran.
Bullets shattered stained glass.
She dove through a broken window, landing on wet stone.
Running. Bleeding.
Free.
---
She didn't stop until she was back in her apartment.
She collapsed to the f
loor, gasping.
The video.
The voice.
Could Adrian really…?
Her hand trembled as she reached for her phone.
She dialed the number on Ronan's card.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
"Firefly," he answered.
She swallowed.
"I need to know the truth."
---
To be continued in Episode 15...
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