Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust by Jessica Dalton (book series for 10 year olds txt) 📕

/> “Blasphemy!” exclaimed Cassius.

“wha,t you don‘t think your that good?” I asked him seriously.

The poor guy didn’t know what to do with himself. He spluttered and then looked from me to Dimitri as I tried to hold in my laughter.

Whatever Cassius said now would insult Dimitri.

“don‘t worry Cassius, Nixy here his just trying to wind you up.” Quinn told him.

Cassius’s shoulders visibly relaxed but he still looked at Dimitri for reassurance.

Dimitri nodded his head in confirmation. “don’t worry, she has this effect on a lot of people.”

“it’s a gift.” I tell them flippantly.

“Cassius, the Enforcer needs leathers for fighting, so make her the same clothes you make the Guards.”

“yes of course, of course. Whatever the Enforcer needs.” he said now bowing to me and looking paler than before.

The poor guy, if he was a human he would have had a heart attack by now, what with all his emotions running all over the place. I decided I would be nicer to him.

“so were do you want me?” I asked him.

He looked at me blankly.

“to take my measurements.” I helped him out.

Cassius scoffed. “I have already taken your measurements madam.”

I raised an eyebrow at the madam remark but decided to let it slide.

I looked over at Dimitri and Quinn who were looking back at me. I could see Dimitri’s eyes dancing with the laughter he was holding in.

“did he do it that quickly that I didn‘t notice?” I whispered pointlessly, everyone in the room had super hearing.

“no, he‘s just that good, he was able to size you up the moment you walked in the door.”

“oh. Okay.”

Cassius was mumbling to himself as he walked through a door and then another machine started up and Dimitri motioned for me sit with him and on the sofa while we waited for Cassius to come back.

Quinn stood by the stairs on guard duty.

What are we going to do with our prisoners? I asked Dimitri in our heads. I didn’t want Cassius to know what we were talking about.

Thankfully Dimitri was tuned into my thoughts.

“we‘ll talk to them when we get back to the house.” I suppose I was just going to have to get used to Dimitri calling his fortress a house.

“no training tonight then?” I asked.

“of course there will be training tonight Ashes. There will be training ever night. Once we are finished here, we will go back train for a couple of hours and then we will have a little chat with the boys before we attend to business of our own.” he said referring to the blood exchange we have to do, to top up our blood bond.

“good.”

Dimitri’s eyes swivel around to meet mine. With one eyebrow raised in question.

“what?” I ask defensively. “after that dream I had I feel as though I need intense training for the rest of my life.”

“not quite.” Dimitri says with a small smile just as Cassius reappears with a pile of clothes in his hands, he sets them on the coffee table in front of me and Dimitri and then scurries back into his workshop before returning with three pairs of Shitkickers, amazingly all in my size. After three more trips back and forth he finally stands still enough to demand that I stand up.

I stand up and while still looking at all the items on the table in front of me, there is a pile of black leather trousers, black tank tops, (I guess he can work with more than just leather), black leather jackets, there is also leather gun holsters, and knife holsters.

I look back at Cassius and smile “you really are very good.”

He inclines his head in thanks for my praise. “Strip.” he commands me.

My smile disappears immediately and instead I scowl at him while Quinn chokes back a laugh.

Before I can through a whole lot of foul language at the little tailor, Dimitri stands up beside me and puts a hand on my arm.

“Cassius, where are your manners. The Enforcer needs privacy. If you would point her in the direction of a dressing room we would be very much obliged.” Dimitri says in a gentle voice. Always the diplomat.

“yes, yes of course your majesty. This way Enforcer.” Cassius gathers up some of the clothes and leads me toward a door beside his workshop, I pick up a pile of clothes as well as does Dimitri as he follows me.
When Cassius turns around to indicate the room where he has left the clothes, he again becomes flustered at the sight of Dimitri carrying clothes. I roll my eyes and push past Cassius as Dimitri waves off his rambling apologies.

The room is actually quite big, with a full length mirror on one wall, a bench a long another and an antique screen at the end of the room where I could get changed behind.

The door clicked shut behind Cassius as he left. I grabbed some pants, a top, a jacket, the holsters and the Shitkickers and then went behind the screen to change.

“how did he make these so quickly?” I asked Dimitri as I pulled my clothes off and inspected the quality of my new threads.

“he‘s a vampire Ashes. We‘re fast at everything we do.”

I popped my head over the screen to look at Dimitri. “oh yeah. I keep forgetting that.”

Not surprisingly the clothes fit me like a glove. After I had adjusted the leather holsters to my thigh’s waist and shoulders I laced up my Shitkickers and walked around the screen.

“what do you think?” I asked him while running my hands over the leather pants. I loved the feel of them. Like I said the clothes fit like a glove. The pants we low slung and tight, the vest top was also tight and figure hugging. I had a feeling they were tight more for easy access to weapons rather than being fashionable or sexy. But to be honest I felt extremely sexy right then.

“kick me.” Dimitri said.

Without hesitation I did.

“wow, you were right. Leather pants are so much easier to kick in than jeans.” Dimitri nodded as he circled around me and looking me over, when he stood in front of me again he looked me up and down and then gave me an approving look.

Suddenly I felt self conscience as I followed his eyes down my body and then back up again.

I brought my hands up to my chest and then turned to look in the mirror.

“Ah shit, it’s a bit low cut don‘t you think?” I asked him as I looked at my chest from different angles.

“not at all.” Dimitri said with a smirk. “jump and down till we see what happens.”

I narrowed my eyes at him through the reflection of the mirror.

“what the heck.” I shrugged and then jumped up and down. Both me and Dimitri watched my chest.

“perfect.” Dimitri said as I spun around to face him in horror.

“perfect??!” I almost screeched. “They seem to have a mind of there own!” I said pointing accusingly at my breasts.

“Exactly.” was Dimitri’s calm reply.

“what do you mean ‘exactly.’”

“they are subtly on show, there is nothing sluty about the way you‘re dressed. However, the male rogues will defiantly be distracted by you and that my dear is going to be an advantage for you, if they are gay or female however, you will have to rely solely on your fighting skills instead. Speaking of which we should get going so we can train.”

Without speaking I turned around and picked up the clothes I had just taken off, put them beside my new ones and then strode out, leaving Dimitri to gather up and bring my clothes to the car.

I walked past a stunned looking Quinn and down the stairs and out the door where I found Ari smoking yet another cigarette.

“Nix.” he greeted me as he opened the back door and I slid in.

Less than a minute later Dimitri and Quinn and my new clothes were all in the car and we were heading out of the industrial estate.

Up front Quinn cleared his voice ant then turned in his seat to look at me.

“you look really good Nixy.” his eyes roamed over me and I tried not to squirm. “I mean really good.”

Dimitri, sensing my discomfort at the attention and compliments spoke up. “that’s enough Quinn, turn around and leave Ashes alone.”

Thank god for Dimitri, I silently thought. Quinn had to obey his king no matter what.

Hearing my thoughts Dimitri squeezed my hand and then let it go so that I could have my space.

I really needed to get used to the attention that was no doubt going to be coming my way from now on.

*********************************

I loved the showers in my new bathroom. The power jet of the shower acted like a massage as it pounded into my sore, tight muscles from my training session with Dimitri.

Unfortunately I couldn’t stay in the shower all night though, so I grudgingly left and changed into my leathers.

I slid my guns into my new shoulder holster and then I sheathed my new knives that Dimitri had given to me after today’s training session into my new knife holsters on my thighs and waist.

Walking into the kitchen I ignored all the stares the men were giving me. Instead I opened the fridge and started to pull a lot of food.

Quinn came up beside me and silently started to take some of the food over to the oven where he proceeded to make me spaghetti bolognaise.

“thank you.” I said to him.

He looked over his shoulder at me with a smile. “no problem, I love to cook, I just haven‘t had the opportunity to for a quite a while.”

My stomach rumbled so I grabbed an apple and a bottle of water and then went over to the table and sat next to Dimitri.

Finally I lifted my gaze and looked at all the men sitting around the table. They were still staring.

“what?!” I asked in exasperation

“nothing..”

“umm.”

“ah.. Sorry…”

Were the only coherent replies I got.

“what?” I asked Dimitri instead when I realised the other vamps weren’t going to answer me.

“did you know that when you’re tired you are really grouchy?” Dimitri asked me.

“yes I did know that!” I snapped and then mellowed a little when I realised I was just being bad tempered now. “sorry Dimitri, I shouldn‘t have snapped at you.” I said with a sigh.

“no worries.” he said while trying to hide a smile.

“but seriously guys, what is with the starring?” I asked the table in general.

“Ashes, remember what I told you in the dressing room?”

“yes.”

“well that doesn’t just apply to male rogues. I think it