Ashes to New Read online

  Chapter Six

  CLARK PRESTON’S CONTROL, while powerful, paled next to the deliberate practice of John Snowden.

  Over the first week of summer, he shaped and honed Elsbeth’s responses, using cruelty and coercion mixed with reward. The reward was the one thing she cared about most—him not touching Forest. Master John, as she was forced to address him, applied his sadistic principles to condition her responses. Her body broke under his demands, but even more damaging was how he settled himself deep within the crevices of her mind. His dark commands would whisper through her dreams, turning nightmares into reality with the coming of dawn.

  One week into summer, it was Sunday, seven long days after his arrival. The door to the dungeon remained closed but only because Master John had a flight to catch. Elsbeth and Forest would soon be free of his calculating manipulation, and she wept with relief.

  Her gaze kept cutting to the clock on the mantel, watching the minutes tick by.

  “How long this time, John?” Clark Preston wrapped his fingers in Elsbeth’s hair and let the long strands slip through his grip.

  He was in a gentle mood, and she stilled, terrified the wrong movement would make all that change.

  The same could not be said of Master John. He’d been especially horrid this morning. She’d been able to save Forest from most of his attention, but he had wanted a parting gift and brought out the whip. Forest had continued to resist, and she didn’t understand why.

  As his body matured into that of a man, he would become harder to control, if not impossible. If she’d considered that possibility, Clark Preston had, too, and fighting wasn’t helping anyone. For now, Forest’s gangly body and lack of coordination kept the balance of power firmly seated where it had always been.

  “Negotiations on this one are tricky,” Master John said. “With so many agencies involved, the legal land mines are impressive. I anticipate a few weeks, maybe longer.” He gripped the chain attached to Forest’s collar, pulling Forest’s face tighter against his own lap. “I’m going to miss your boy.”

  Clark Preston chuckled. “As I’m certain, he’ll miss you. It’s been quite…educational, having you visit.”

  Master John released the chain and grabbed Forest’s head, his large hands palming Forest’s ears, controlling the up and down motion. His hard stare latched on to what Forest was doing with his mouth, and his jaw clenched with the sensations Forest drew from his body.

  Elaborately knotted rope secured Forest’s arms to his back, and a webbing of intricate ties bound his legs, forcing him into a precarious position on his knees. Heavy welts covered his back, marks from a whip endured less than an hour ago. A cut over his hip, angry and raw, had finally stopped bleeding.

  Elsbeth laid her cheek against Clark Preston’s thigh and closed her eyes.

  “And your plans upon your return?”

  Master John tilted his head back. His jugulars stood in relief over the strain of muscles in his neck. Elsbeth entertained a brief fantasy involving a sharp knife. With growl he released, and then he pushed Forest away and tucked his cock behind the zipper of his expensive suit. Forest wobbled, desperately trying to maintain his balance.

  Icy revulsion rippled through Elsbeth’s body.

  Clark Preston played with her hair, pulling on the strands. As he stood, he brought her from her knees to her feet. “You should say good-bye.” He palmed her neck, steering her toward Master John.

  Forest lost the battle with his balance and fell over onto his side. A whoosh of air escaped with a grunt. Still heaving, his chest billowed in and out with each breath. While he had to be in excruciating pain, he remained still, not resisting the rope binding him.

  “Good-bye, Master John.” Keeping her voice contrite challenged every fiber of her being, but with a glance at Forest’s struggle, she found the strength she desperately needed. Unsure as to what was expected in a farewell, Elsbeth dropped to her knees. As with the ritualized greeting, she stretched out and placed her lips on the top of his shoe.

  Master John’s gentle chuckle gutted her. “Ah, my sweet pet. I’ll spend my evenings thinking of the deliciousness of your screams and fisting my cock to memories of your moans calling out for me. You’re a true treasure and well worth what I paid.”

  She remained silent, maintaining her pose of obeisance.

  He lowered himself to a crouch, cupped her jaw, and tilted her head up. “I’ll be back. In the meantime, Clark will continue your training. You have much to learn.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. Clark Preston was a horrible man, but John Snowden was the true monster. Did this mean his presence would be a recurring thing?

  “She’s shaking,” Clark Preston said as he stepped close. “Impressive.”

  “You’re the one doing an impressive job. I only laid down the finishing touches. But she still needs work before I take possession.” Master John released her chin.

  Blood drained from her face, and her heart slammed against the cage of her chest. She dropped her chin, letting the long curtain of her hair hide her shock. She could barely breathe as his words tumbled in her head. No! She had a future planned. Clark Preston had stolen her childhood, and now, this man planned on stealing her entire life?

  “You know what it takes and use the boy to reinforce her training. I don’t want her getting used to coming only with the wand.”

  “Have you made a decision about the boy?”

  “He’s a fun distraction, but our arrangement is only for the girl. If you have difficulties with placing him, I might have a friend or two in mind.”

  Elsbeth pressed her forehead against the floor. What arrangement? What the hell was he talking about?

  Chapter Seven

  SUNDAY.

  THE DAY WAS supposed to be a one of reflection. A day of prayer. And, like each breaking dawn, it was time to renew and refresh one’s soul. Sunday was meant to prepare for the challenges of the coming week.

  It wasn’t meant to be was a day of torment.

  Elsbeth prayed to end her existence. Several times, she plotted the best way to end her life. Strangulation seemed to be the most effective option. Clark Preston kept plenty of rope in the basement, and the overhead beams were sufficiently high. Knives terrified her. Even if slitting her wrists would bring a swift end, it would be messy. Overdosing? Not an option. She had no access to drugs and had been confined to the house for the duration of the summer.

  And Forest? What would he do without her? She couldn’t leave him behind, but would she dare take him?

  She wanted to scream. She wanted nothing other than to lift her face to the heavens and belt out her misery.

  Instead, she remained in position, impotent and weak, while Master John collected his luggage and departed the house. Her prayers for respite went unanswered because Clark Preston marched back into the great room and commanded her to release the rope binding Forest. They were then both ordered to the basement.

  The next few hours, Clark Preston refined the techniques he’d learned from Master John. As evening chased the sun under the blanket of night, Elsbeth struggled to catch her breath. She couldn’t handle any more, and even worse, Clark Preston had developed a newfound fascination with voyeuristic sex.

  He directed their every move, forcing them into the most intimate embrace, every inch explored, every passage breached. She kept her eyes closed during most of it, her insides a writhing mess of fractured emotions, but Forest’s reaction was much more concerning. While his body responded to the physical stimuli, his mind faded, growing distant.

  During the bleakest times, he had always been the one to provide an anchor, curling his fingers around hers. That touch had given her hope. He’d fortified her strength by lending his.

  But, the last three times she’d reached for his hand, moments when Clark Preston could not see the tender connection, Forest had withdrawn.

  Forced into an intimacy neither of them desired, the one thing she needed was what Forest withheld—his fing
ers gripping hers. Without him to tell her it would be okay, Elsbeth’s mind spiraled into darkness. Her vow to survive splintered. Hope fled. Nothing mattered. Her body worked on autopilot, responding to Clark Preston’s demands, while she disappeared.

  Time passed. It was the one thing Clark Preston could not control. They missed lunch and suffered through dinner, but eventually, the bright summer sky shining through the tiny basement window turned gray and then darkened to ink black.

  Finally, Clark Preston rose from his chair. “You may go to your rooms.”

  She cleared her throat and dared a question. “Sir, may I prepare a meal before you turn in?”

  He turned his wrist, glancing at the time. “That would be nice, little one.” He patted her head and walked to the stairs. At the top of the landing, he turned, glancing down. “Master John is very taken with you.”

  “Sir, may I ask a question?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Not one you already know the answer to.”

  His gaze held hers for an eternity, and she found the answer held within the fondness of his expression. He would miss her, which meant she would be leaving.

  But what would happen to Forest? And when was her departure scheduled?

  * * *

  Elsbeth knocked on the door to Forest’s computer room. He hadn’t been in his bedroom, unusual for a boy who scheduled his sleep with religious zeal—or at least during those times when he was allowed to do so. Perhaps that explained his dogged determination to achieve a minimum of seven-point-five hours of sleep every night.

  “Elz?” he called out.

  Why he’d questioned who was knocking at his door surprised her. Clark Preston wouldn’t have bothered with the courtesy.

  She pulled at the leather band encircling her neck. While she hated the collar, she did give a moment of thanks to Clark Preston for the well-crafted leather. It fit perfectly and stunned her in those rare moments when she forgot its presence.

  “Forest?”

  “Come in.”

  He sat in front of a bank of computer screens—gifts earned through compliance and jealously guarded by his continued good behavior. The screen in front of Forest glowed with lines of blue text. Squinting, she couldn’t make out intelligible words and wondered what project held his attention today. His game?

  On the last day of school, a day that seemed like years in the past rather than a week ago, he’d asked her to look at his new game. With the arrival of Master John and all that had ensued, she hadn’t had a chance to make it back to his rooms. Master John’s visit had sent Forest into withdrawal. She tried to give him the space he needed, but she missed her Beanpole. She craved the easy interaction they’d always maintained in those few moments between waking, school, and the arrival of their foster father.

  The screen to his left was an expanded display, easily the size of two monitors combined. It held a graph of ragged up and down lines. The screen to his right had a movie playing, some action flick involving a most unrealistic car chase through crowded city streets. He had the sound muted. One more monitor completed his workstation, elevated above the main working screen, one of his older games playing.

  “Working on your game?”

  “Nah, I’m trying something out.” He tapped the screen to the left. “I’m working on an algorithm.”

  “For what?”

  “Commodities and stocks. I’m trying to figure out the pattern.” With a flick of his mouse, his game disappeared. He pulled up a trading website. “I think I’m close.”

  The speed with which his fingers flew over the keys astounded her, and she considered herself a fast keyboarder.

  Elsbeth liked to think of herself as smart. Top of her class with straight As, she barely had to work to make good grades. Her chemistry teacher, Mr. Peterson, had said her GPA would open doors for her. With scholarship money available to children in the foster care system, she hoped to pay for college. Many had said she had been blessed with brilliance, yet her abilities paled when compared to her most treasured friend.

  Forest’s mind operated on another plane than the rest of humanity. He perceived the world in subtly different patterns, making it difficult for him to interact with his peers. Socially, he was a mess, an awkward outsider crippled by his uniqueness. Oddly, he struggled to maintain the Cs demanded by their foster father. It didn’t make sense why he failed when he should be leading the class.

  “You’re trading? Is that even allowed?”

  “I’ve been trading since I was fifteen, but there aren’t any laws against it—as long as you’re over fourteen.”

  “Where did you get the money?”

  Neither of them was allowed anything more than what was required for their school lunches. They depended on Clark Preston for everything.

  His fingers stopped tapping, and his body stilled.

  “Forest?”

  “It’s our money, Elz.” He turned around to face her. “We earned it.”

  The money was tainted, paid to steal their innocence, but that didn’t mean it belonged to them.

  “How did you—”

  “I cracked the lock. It’s a simple combination. Hardly a challenge.”

  “When?”

  “When he was sleeping.”

  Oh, that had been a dangerous move.

  “If he ever finds out…”

  Her words of warning were wasted on Forest. He’d already taken the cash.

  “Relax. He’ll never know.”

  “He will.”

  Clark Preston knew everything.

  “Don’t worry; I put it all back.”

  She pressed a palm to her belly and tried to stop the sinking sensation happening in her gut. “Why did you take it, only to put it back?”

  “I needed seed money for the investments.” He tapped the display with the jagged red line. “Once I pulled off enough profit, I put the money back in the safe. He’s never going to know because nothing is missing.”

  The entire e-commerce trading market baffled her desire to make sense of it. Her mind gravitated toward biological sciences. Her ultimate goal was to go to medical school, working toward a career where she could cure the sick and heal the wounded. That first night when she’d held Forest’s broken, battered, and bleeding body, she’d made a vow to learn how to fix people.

  “And how is it going?”

  His lips firmed into a thin line. “Not as well as it could be. It’s a struggle.”

  She crept closer, cautious about invading his personal space; it was yet another change in their relationship after Master John’s visit. Leaning over his shoulder, she peered at the screen. A balance of three thousand dollars showed in an account. The line below held seventeen hundred. The one below that held seventy-two hundred.

  But the line at the bottom made her gasp.

  “Fifty thousand! How much money did you take?”

  He shrugged. “I needed ten to start.”

  And, now, he had well over…

  She added up the accounts, rounding as she went. Fifty…fifty-three…fifty four…fifty five, sixty one! No…nearly sixty two thousand sat in his online accounts.

  “How long have you been at this?” And why had he never mentioned it?

  “I wanted it to be a surprise. I didn’t know if I could make it work, but I’m figuring out a rhythm.”

  “Make what work?”

  He stretched his hand out but withdrew at the last minute. The shakiness of his fingers betrayed his unease.

  Forest hadn’t touched her outside of what was required in the basement. She missed her Beanpole hugs.

  “I wanted to give you a graduation present.” He tapped the bottom line of the screen. “You’ll need a lot more, of course. Medical school is crazy expensive, and this six-year program you want isn’t any cheaper. I almost have enough to cover the cost of the first year. I’m hoping to pay for it all by the time we graduate.”

  Her heart ripped open upon hearing his plans, followed shortly by tears bursting from
the corners of her eyes. “You want to pay for my school?”

  She shivered with the looming weight of what Master John had intimated before he left. She wasn’t naïve; she understood his intent for her future.

  Forest rose from his seat and gathered her into a hug. “I won’t let him take you, Elz. We’ll stop him. Whatever it takes.” He brushed back her hair and kissed her forehead. “A healer is waiting inside your heart. And a kick-ass doctor is swirling in that brain of yours. I won’t let them steal your future.”

  Releasing her, he turned back to his monitors and lowered himself into the chair. “No matter what it takes.”

  Chapter Eight

  IT TOOK ANOTHER month and a half before Master John returned. Whatever business he’d had overseas kept him out of their home for the majority of the summer, but time had marched on, relentless and determined.

  Soon, Elsbeth and Forest found themselves on their knees, waiting on his arrival.

  School would start in a couple weeks. Their senior year.

  At eighteen, they would be legally eligible to exit the foster care system. One question remained though. After everything he’d done, would Clark Preston let them leave?

  An arrangement had been struck between Master John and Clark Preston. Forest didn’t seem to be included in the deal. How did he plan on controlling her without the threat of hurting Forest? She was missing something. And what did Clark Preston have planned for Forest?

  Clark Preston sat in the library, working on his case files. She had no idea what kind of lawyer he was. She didn’t care. And it never came up in idle conversation, not that the three of them engaged in chitchat.

  She needed to focus on the here and now. Slow her breathing. Calm her heart. Tackle the nerves fluttering in her belly and channel that energy into something useful. Control what she could and worry about the rest later.

  To her left, Forest’s deep breathing pulsed into the air separating them.