SANDS OF ASH

A Dance of the Elements Story

A.M. Deese
 AUTHOR’S NOTE

Although Sands of Ash is a complete story, it is part of a much larger

story arc found in the Dance of the Elements series. For more
information on the series and for book one, Ignited, please check out
my website at www.amdeese.com.
 1341

He didn’t know he was already a dead man. Josper watched the

foreigner with interest. The man cast furtive glances over his
shoulder. His quick steps and hunched posture did little to hide the
large satchel in his arms.
Josper snorted. Anyone from around here knew not to bring
packages through these parts; one was liable to have their clothing
stolen off their own backside.
“Who are we watching?” The whisper came from Josper’s side,
but he didn’t flinch at the sudden presence of his friend, Bard.
“Some poor fool about to get robbed.” Josper raised an eyebrow.
“I haven’t decided yet if I’ll intervene. What are you doing out
here?”
“Business.” Bard grinned, his white teeth glintingin the night.
Josper rolled his eyes. “Business” meant patrolling the streets
for poor fellows such as the easy target in the alley below. Crime was
rampant in the city proper, and the majority of the Tyrant King’s
local army was used to escort and protect the water cart shipments.
These days, in the northern borders and in the central cities
surrounding the Everflame, water was increasingly difficult to come
by. Perhaps that was why so many men turned to a life of crime.
They lacked hope.
A strangled cry erupted from down below, and Josper scowled
into the alley. He’d been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t
noticed the attack. The satchel was gone, and the foreign man
stretched across the street, his body twisted in an unnatural angle.
“I’ve arranged that meeting for you.” Bard polished a silver
dagger as he spoke. “Dawn.”
Josper swore. “As in just an hour or so from now?”
Bard shrugged. “You’re lucky we agreed to this at all. A wise
man would tur—”
“What do you know about wise men?”
Bard chuckled, sheathing his dagger.
“I have to believe I can do this. I have to do this . . . for my
father.” Josper would never disrespect the memory of his father by
wasting water, but he recalled the sharp sting of his loss before
blinking Bard back into focus. His father had been yet another
casualty of Gregor the Great, the man who united the country by
forcing an entire nation to swear their allegiance or face death. The
Tyrant King.
Gregor is no king of mine.
Bard grunted in response. He was uncomfortable around strong
emotions.
Josper changed the subject. “Let’s talk more about this contact.
What do you know about him? Is he a good fighter?”
For some reason the question made his companion smile. “A
good fighter? Yes, one of the finest I’ve ever seen.”
Josper nodded. Good. It was all falling into place. Thank the
Everflame, something was finally going his way.
The sun had only just begun to peek above the distant dunes when
Josper and Bard arrived at the center square. He was unsure why his
friend had chosen it as the designated meeting place. Granted, the
city of Toik was a thriving trade stop given its proximity to Kitoi, but
that’s what made it so stifling to him. Being around too many people
made his skin itch.
Josper stifled the urge to pace and wondered once again how
Bard always remained so stoic. Josper wouldn’t admit it aloud, but
his friend was the one with connections. Bard had arranged every
detail of this meeting, right down to this ridiculous spot. He couldn’t
fault him, though. Bard had achieved the impossible and located a
man who had the power to make all of Josper’s dreams come true.
And he’s late. Josper scowled down the length of abandoned
road. Why did they choose this spot? We’re too exposed. He took careful
surveillance of his surroundings, then noted the quiet rhythm of
Bard’s breathing and the placement of the firepit to his left and
behind him. There.
A young woman walked toward them, her steps lazy and her
expression bored. She was easily the most stunning woman Josper
had ever seen. Her most dramatic feature was her waist-length hair,
stark white with random streaks of deep auburn. Tiny beads and
jewels glimmered from the tips of her hair and swayed together
musically with her approach. She stopped and stared at him in
appraisal, and Josper reminded himself of Adra and the promises
he’d made.
“These streets are dangerous. A woman like you . . .” He trailed
off at Bard’s laughter.
“Josper, this is Ailani.” Bard stepped forward and clasped arms
with the woman.
“You . . . your contact is . . . she’s a girl.”
 “You have a problem with the fact that I am a woman?” The
woman’s voice was fine diamonds falling onto glass, both beautiful
and terrible. Her full lips twisted into a snarl. “I could tear you apart
with just my teeth. I wouldn’t even need to reach for the trishula
strapped to my back, or the dagger sheathed on my thigh.” She
stepped forward. “Or perhaps I’ll just drown you where you stand.”
She held out a palm, and a tiny ball of water formed above it,
flowing with the movement of her hand. “I hear water is precious
here. I wonder, how many deaths are from drowning?”
“Easy, Ailani. Josper meant no disrespect. I gave him no
warning, is all.” Bard stepped between the two, and Ailani dropped
her ball of water with a shrug.
Josper and Bard flinched at the waste.
“Oh, for the sake of the Mother.” With a quick snap of her
fingers, the water was out of the sand and directed back into her
waterskin. “Well, are you going to stand there gaping, or are you
going to tell me your plan?”
Josper gave himself a mental shake and began explaining the
scheme he and Bard had developed. He couldn’t say with any
certainty, but after hearing his plan, he’d seemed to gain some
measure of respect from Ailani.
“As Admiral, I have acting authority to speak for His
WaveMaster and for the interests of my people.” Josper was caught
in her icy stare. “My people are ready to accept these terms. We wish
to open up trade in a safe way beneficial to both parties.” Ailani
crossed her arms over her chest. “But we will not send you any more
of our people. We will not be slaughtered for the name of trade.”
And just like that, all his dreams came crashing down.
“B-but we requested fifty men. We need t—”
 “Fifty of my people’s men. In a fight on the land when our home
is the sea. No, we will not hear of it.” She gestured toward herself,
flicking her wrist down the length of her torso. “I alone will more
than suffice. I am as strong as fifty land men.” She squinted at him in
the early-morning sunlight. “I worry for you, however. You are quite
thin.”
Josper grinned. “I have some secrets up my sleeve.”

Gregor’s current holding was a series of tents pitched around the

Everflame. He was known to pack up and move whenever he fought
new land conquests, but he always returned to the Everflame where
he called home. It was ridiculous in Josper’s opinion. He was barely
from the Sand Sea. His parents had been merchants just as Josper’s
had been, struggling to trade for food and precious water while their
country was ripped apart by war. But Gregor had discovered the
blood chains. Now anyone who opposed Gregor was disposed of,
and anyone seen as a threat was enchained. The country was no
longer at war, but at what cost?
It stops now.
The plan was simple. Infiltrate his holdings and kill Gregor.
Josper theorized the death of Gregor would release his hundreds of
captives from the blood chains. He didn’t allow himself to think of
what would happen if the plan wasn’t that simple. Everyone was in
their place. Ailani had drilled them with questions. She left no
outcome uncovered. They were ready.
Josper waited impatiently for a signal. The firepit he waited next
to had just been ignited, and the sun had nearly disappeared from
sight. Dusty orange and purple streaked across the sky. It won’t be
long now. He checked to make sure his scimitar was free in its sheath,
then he released a long, slow breath to still his racing heart. He
heard the sharp cry of a desert hawk, three times in a row, and
stepped forward, embracing the shadows.
Josper could no longer remember when he had first discovered
his odd talent. He’d always been aware of the heat around him and
his connection to it. At one time he had believed everyone was. But
he’d been very young, and it didn’t take him too long to realize he
was special. It had been mere accident or perhaps fate that led him to
discover his gift. Whenever he wanted, Josper could make himself
invisible. He could control the heat particles in the air, and he could
change the temperature in a room. He was very much in danger of
having the powers of a Torch. Even before Gregor’s reign of terror,
people had needed Torches. How else could one get access to fire?
The Everflame chose its servants carefully, and being chosen by the
god meant it was their duty to serve. Was Josper marked by the
Everflame as well? Was he meant to be born a slave? He pushed
aside the old worries, turning his attention to the current task. Josper
needed stealth. He had every faith in Bard and Ailani’s ability to
create a distraction. Josper simply needed to sneak into the king’s
tent and murder him in his sleep. It was easier said than done. He
had never killed a man. Ailani had argued that he should allow her
to do it since she was more experienced in the matter, but he felt he
needed to be the one to complete the deed. He owed it to his father.
Still, sneaking into the heavily guarded camp of the Tyrant
King, murdering a man in his sleep, seemed an impossible task. The
crazy thing was, it seemed like it just might work. He hurried across
the base, picking his way through various tents, careful not to bump
anyone or anything as he moved silently across the sand. A
surprising number of firepits lit the center of the campground, and
Josper once again found his mind wandering to the Torches
employed under the king. There had to be dozens, hundreds maybe.
Were they all enchained? If they were, King Gregor had some means
of creating an endless supply of the blood chains. If they were, it
made his task all the more dire.
He continued south, closer toward the glass walls imprisoning
the Everflame and closer to the massive tent stationed just in front of
it.
It was time for Gregor to die. Josper approached the tent, his
heart hammering in his ears, cutting off any other sound. Did he
hear distant screams? The soldiers posted just outside the king’s tent
took off at a run.
Their distraction was working. Josper continued forward,
emboldened by his invisibility and the lack of guards. He drew his
scimitar and shoved his way into the tent.
It was empty.
Josper whirled in a tight circle, clenching his jaw to prevent a
frustrated growl from escaping. No attendants, no guards, no
Gregor. Rather than waste time exploring the empty tent, Josper
rushed through the back entrance in the hopes of finding an
escaping king.
He was greeted by pandemonium. Bard must have set fires to
the tents. Dozens of them were aflame, and men scrambled to put
them out.
Where is Gregor?
Josper ran past the massive tent that he’d assumed belonged to
Gregor. He had to find him; he couldn’t waste this opportunity. He
ran forward, past the wild flames and chaos, when he became aware
of a new presence, a sense of heat greater than anything he’d ever
felt before.
The Everflame towered above him, and for a moment, he stood
paralyzed before it, humbled by its massive beauty. A bone-chilling
roar tore through his senses, and he turned toward the sound,
stumbling and falling to his knees in awe.
A massive beast stood before him. A monstrous creature with
leathery wings and a shining lizard-like body. But this was no desert
lizard. This was the thing nightmares were made of. A dragon.
Josper never thought he would see one alive and in front of him.
And there, just in front of the creature, was Gregor.
The king appeared strong and virile despite his advancing age.
He was sixty-five if intel was correct, yet the man stood straight and
tall, his biceps corded with muscle, his eyes sharp and seeing
everything.
Not you. He doesn’t see you—can’t see you. No one can, so move!
Move! Josper clenched his scimitar with both hands and stumbled
forward, aiming for Gregor’s heart.
“I see there are those here who think they can do me harm,”
Gregor bellowed, effectively stopping Josper in his tracks. “Bring
them forward.”
Soldiers appeared, dragging Ailani and Bard behind them.
Bard’s eyes widened at the dragon. To her credit, Ailani no longer
appeared bored.
“Release him.” Bard was shoved forward. He fell to his knees
before the king, staring up at him with fury. “What is your name?”
King Gregor asked with the authority of a man accustomed to being
answered.
Bard remained silent, causing a sinister chuckle to escape from
the king. “Refusing to answer the question?” He snapped his fingers,
and a soldier carried a golden chain to the king. “You do understand
I have ways of making you talk?”
Bard reached into his boot and pulled out his dagger. A second
later, he’d removed his own tongue. He threw it into the dirt before
the king.
King Gregor shuddered. “That was . . . disturbing. Seize him.”
Bard did not protest when he was once again grabbed by either arm.
“Let me go before I decide to kill you in ways more painful than
necessary.” Ailani’s cool voice echoed across the noisy campground.
The king laughed. “You kill me? Little girl, perhaps you don’t
realize the situation you find yourself in. You’re completely
surrounded by my enchained men, and if they weren’t enough, I
have a dragon who follows me as its own master. What could you
possibly think gives you an advantage enough to make such a
threat?”
“Now, Josper!”
Startled by the mention of his name, Josper started forward,
nearly dropping his scimitar. He tightened his grip and swung
wildly, aiming for Gregor’s head.
He was tackled to the ground by a grinning woman with short
brown hair. He scrambled in the sand, fingers searching for his
scimitar.
The woman laughed. “Was that the big plan? This skinny little
man playing hide and go seek?” She kicked the scimitar farther out
of his reach.
Josper darted to his feet, distorting the heat around him.
“I can still see you.” The woman’s voice was playful. The kick
she sent to his face was not. He blinked back stars and struggled to
regain focus.
How can she see me? He pressed a hand against his chest as if to
stop his heart from exploding. His plan had failed, and they were all
going to die. This was all his fault. What a fool he had been.
“Did you see this coming?” Ailani pulled the water from the
woman’s water supply at her waist and shoved the precious liquid
up the woman’s nose. At the same time, she jumped into the air,
kicking either leg up and behind, ramming her heels into the faces of
the men on either side of her. Startled by her sudden attack, they
released their hold on her arms, and she was off and running to
Josper.
“I’ll take care of her while you get the king. Go. Now!” Ailani
planted a fist into the brunette’s jaw.
Josper reached for his scimitar. The king’s soldiers had
surrounded their charge. Ailani shoved her trishula through the
brunette’s chest. Josper watched as an auburn lock of hair turned
white. She turned toward the sea of men, not breaking her form,
using water magic to disarm and her trishula to stab. Josper parried
a blow from a soldier, ducking low to avoid losing his head. At this
rate he would never get to the king. The air grew thick and hot
around him. He could feel the individual particles of heat against his
skin. What good was invisibility when he couldn’t get close enough
to the king? How could he get over the throng of soldiers?
A sudden idea had him leaping into action. He ripped off his
tunic and shoved the hot air beneath it.
Work. Please work. His feet lifted off the ground. He held on tight
to his makeshift balloon, funneling more hot air under the cloth until
he was shooting into the air and above the king’s line of defense. It
worked—he was over the soldiers—but he had no way of steering
himself toward the king, and he was running out of time.
Bard brandished his daggers, miraculously still pressing an
attack. Blood was still dripping from his mouth, covering his chin
and chest.
Ailani was outnumbered by nearly thirty men. Somehow, she
was still alive, spinning a wide whirlpool of death around her.
 The king was directly below Josper now. He had one more
chance to make this right. He let go of his tunic and fell.
King Gregor waited for him, twin scimitars drawn and ready.
Josper met Gregor’s thrust with one of his own, cursing his lack of
skill with a sword and once again wishing things had gone
according to plan.
They still can. He disappeared only to reappear behind the king
and slice across his arm. The king spun toward him, pivoting tightly
and bringing his steel down with what would have been a crushing
blow. But Josper rolled to the side and once again disappeared,
reappearing when the king’s wild swing met with Josper’s scimitar.
Gregor changed direction, whirling his twin scimitars together and
pinning Josper’s sword beneath them. The younger man’s scimitar
was yanked from his arm and thrown to the ground behind him.
King Gregor laughed. “I like you, boy. I’m going to enjoy
turning you into my latest pet.”
“Why?” Josper strangled out, leaping to the side to avoid being
sliced in half. Cold steel drew a gash across his exposed stomach,
and warm blood flowed from his wound.
“Why? What sort of question is that? Because I can.” King
Gregor bore down with his scimitar, slicing across Josper’s leg and
causing him to crumple into the sand.
“Because I have the power to make nations bow to me. Because
centuries after I am gone, people will remember my name as the
most powerful man to ever live. And people love me for it. Before
Gregor the Great, there was only war. Now we are united. The entire
Sand Sea has come to know my power, and soon, the rest of the
world will know too.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew the
tiny, delicate chain he had called for before. “When I put this on you,
you’re going to feel a tiny pinch. That’s the chain tasting your blood.
It feels good at first, I’m told. And then—well, Everflame only knows
what you’ll feel then.” He smiled. “But you’ll be mine.”
Josper’s fingers curled into the dirt. He tried to stand up, but he
was exhausted from using so much of his power and blood. He only
wanted to close his eyes, but he struggled to focus on King Gregor’s
advancing form. His fingers found something.
My scimitar. His heart sang, but as his fingertips closed around
the object, he realized it was too narrow to be his sword. What did it
matter? His friends were both dead anyhow, and soon he would be
too. The king jumped forward, and Josper held up his stick. A spear,
he realized—not a stick but salvation. His grip tightened as he
shoved the length of the spear deep into Gregor’s throat. The king
fell forward, his blood pooling in the sand.
The dragon bugled in anger. No longer a docile monster at his
master’s side, the beast rose onto his hind legs and released a stream
of molten fire. Soldiers, now civilians awakened from Gregor’s spell,
struggled to run from the angry creature. The dragon released
another deadly stream of fire directly at him. Josper was too weak to
do anything except close his eyes and wait for the rush of flames.
A Torch stepped in front of Josper, blocking the fire with a
furious twist from his arms. He sent the flames toward the night sky,
and Josper scrambled to his feet, surprised to see Ailani making her
way to his side.
“Did you see that?” he exclaimed, his jaw dropping as the Torch
dispelled yet another stream of fire from the dragon.
“These fires are out of control,” Ailani growled. She sported
several cuts along the lengths of her arms, and dozens of bruises
marred her beautiful face, but she looked no worse for wear. Every
strand on her head glowed white, though it was covered in blood
and gore. She directed water onto a tent burning just to the side of
them. “We need to leave. Now.”
“Not without Bard!” Josper shouted over the dragon’s roar.
More Torches had surrounded the creature. Every time the beast
blew fire, they directed the flames out of harm’s way. The dunes
were glowing embers, and shadows danced on the sands as ash fell
from the sky.
“We don’t have time for this,” Ailani growled. She gripped the
tip of her trishula and heaved it forward, out of her arms and
directly into the angry dragon’s belly.
She shoved past the falling beast as though she killed dragons
every day. She called back over her shoulder. “I Found Bard! He
looks like a sodden mess, though. I’m going to need help carrying
him.” She glared at Josper’s slack jaw. “Are you coming or not?”

Three days later, Josper found himself back in front of the

smoldering remains of Gregor’s former campsite. Bard, a silent
statue beside him, and Ailani, bored and playing with the colored
stones in her hair. Hundreds of people gathered before him. The
blood chains had all been removed. They came off easily now that
King Gregor was gone.
Josper struggled to find the correct words for the waiting crowd.
“It’s been a rough time lately. I don’t remember a world without
King Gregor in it—”
“That’s because you’re just a kid!” someone shouted from the
crowd. The man was doused with a splash of water from Ailani.
“I might be young, and maybe I don’t remember a world
without the Tyrant King in it, but . . . my father did. I did this for
him. No, I’m not saying things should go back to the way they were
before.” He held up a hand to stop more protests. “No, it’s time we
leave the old world and build a new world, a better world. I’m
saying that we have an opportunity here to truly make a change. To
be better. Together we can create a republic of nations where we all
experience fair trade and equal opportunities. That’s why I’m
proposing this alliance. An alliance that prevents us from starting
more wars. An alliance that offers religious freedom and equal trade.
An alliance for a better tomorrow.”

Over an hour later, and the crowd still hadn’t thinned out. If
anything, it was growing. Josper couldn’t keep himself from smiling
as yet another man gave him a hearty slap on the back. His
shoulders would be bruised after today, but he didn’t care.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’ll miss you.” Ailani
cocked her head to the side as if regarding him in a new light.
“You could stay here in the Sand Sea.”
“And make a home in this new Republic you’ve created?” She
snorted. “My people need me. Besides, there is no place for me
here.” She sent an appraising look over to Adra, who watched them
from a distance. “She’s beautiful.”
Josper smiled. Adra was his future. A future he’d once believed
would never be possible.
“Keep an eye on our friend.” Ailani gripped Bard’s shoulder,
giving it a gentle squeeze. “You’re lucky, Josper. Not everyone can
say they have a friend as willing to keep their secrets as you do.” She
winked at Bard. “You’ll have to find another way to talk now.”
She interlocked her fingers and wriggled her thumbs. “There.
That means goodbye.” She pulled Bard in for an embrace and then
turned back toward Josper.
“You think Kitoi will hold up their end of the bargain?” Nearly
everyone in the new Republic seemed to be thrilled with the
assassination of King Gregor. The few supporters remaining had all
fled the country, presumably seeking refuge in Kitoi. They had just
signed their treaties this morning. The Tri-Alliance was everything
Josper hoped it could be.
“I think so,” Josper replied. “I think everyone is ready for a little
peace.”
Ailani nodded. “And the chains? You destroyed them all?”
“Of course,” Josper answered. “No one in this world should
hold such absolute power.” His fingers stretched toward the single
chain that lay hidden in his pocket.
Ailani smiled. “Well then, I guess I’ll head home. Mother knows
I’ve missed the sea.” She pulled Josper in for one final, tight
embrace. “You’re tougher than you seem. I think you’ll make a great
king.”
“King? Oh no, the Republic won’t have another king. I’ve
devised a new system. A fair system that allows us to uphold our
beliefs and one that prevents any one person from gaining too much
power. There will be Thirteen . . .”
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexis Marrero Deese is an avid reader of Young Adult and fantasy.

Her favorite authors include Brandon Sanderson and Jaqueline
Carey. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a
Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing. Ignited, book one of the Dance
of the Elements series, is her debut novel. When she isn’t writing,
Alexis is probably cooking an elaborate meal, enjoying the outdoors
with her three dogs or wasting her day on Pinterest.
 SANDS OF ASH

Learn more about A.M. Deese

and explore her other titles at
www.amdeese.com
 This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are either
products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

SANDS OF ASH

Copyright © 2022 A.M. Deese

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, including photocopying, recording, or
other electronic or mechanical methods—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
articles or reviews—without written permission by the publisher.

Cover by Jade Dee at JD Cadewell Book Cover Design

Proofreading and typesetting by Kingsman Editing Services

First Edition March 2022

www.amdeese.com