Reborn in ash, p.1
Reborn in Ash, page 1
First published 2025 by Thellian
www.thellian.com
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-0683902-1-0
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-0683902-2-7
eBook ISBN: 978-1-0683902-0-3
Copyright © 2025 by Gabrielle Steele
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Using any portion of this work to train an LLM or other generative AI is prohibited, and no portion may be submitted to generative AI tooling. No generative AI was used in the creation of this book.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
Book cover by Gabrielle Steele
Maps by Gabrielle Steele
Map brushes licensed from LizardInkDesign
Contents
Before we begin…
Maps
Map with Descriptions
Dedication
1. Unforgiveable
2. Kindred
3. Mask Upon Mask
4. Temptation
5. What Lies Within
6. Desperation
7. Judgement
8. A Fresh Start
9. Stupid Camels
10. Bonds that Bind
11. The Cost
12. Fire
13. Bitter Regret
14. Scars of the Past
15. Treacherous Invitation
16. The Golden Wolf
17. Retaliation
18. Cracks
19. Jeweller
20. Caged
21. Once a Thief
22. Those They Protect
23. What Makes a Family
24. A Little Joy
25. Orders
26. Awakening
27. Just Once
28. Lines Crossed
29. Traitorous Skies
30. Saboteur
31. Royalty
32. Farewells
33. Scars
34. Contempt
35. Chasm
36. Beyond Despair
37. The Deepest Cuts
38. Change of Plans
39. True Control
40. The Darkness of Love
41. Vow
42. To Honour the Fallen
43. Justify the Means
44. Gift from the Ash
45. Duty
46. To Tame a Wolf
47. One Last Letter
Acknowledgements
About the author
Before we begin…
Let me take this chance to say thank you for picking up this book. As an independent author, it means the world to me that you want to follow Ada on her journey. That said, Reborn in Ash contains adult and dark themes, including some graphic violence. To be sure this book is right for you, please read the content warnings available at https://thellian.com/reborn-in-ash
This novel is written in British English, and no generative AI has been used for any part, including the cover. Generative AI not only harms the environment, but it was built on the theft of my fellow authors’ work. Creativity has been, and always will be, inherently human.
Map with Descriptions
The combination of eBooks and read-aloud or screen readers gives those with visual impairments another way to partake in the love of fiction. However, maps are often overlooked when it comes to image descriptions. Both of this book’s maps are included again below with accompanying descriptions. I have gone into a level of detail I feel is appropriate, however if you would like more information, please contact me via ask@thellian.com .
For most eReaders, pinch-style gestures should allow you to zoom in on the maps. You may need to long press or double tap the image first.
A map of Askar, the last habitable region of Thellian.
The area of land shown is wide with a sea to the north, The Frozen North, and an ocean to the south, The Endless Ocean. To the west is The Unending Desert, and to the east beyond a wide river is The Dragon Waste.
Taking up around a third of the core landmass is Loka in the west, a country shaped like a wide incisor curving down to the southeast. Loka extends further to the south than other countries, coming to about three-quarters of the way down the map. On the southwest coast of Loka is the capital, nestled between a bay with a curved island filling it and an enormous rhinoceros-shaped lake. To the southwest of Loka are scattered islands. The southeastern tip of Loka has a lake partially surrounded by marshland that extends to the ocean. The northwest and southeast of Loka are deserts, while the north is predominantly occupied by a jungle. West of the jungle is a large lake shaped like an upside-down droplet. Across the lake, east to west, is an arching land bridge.
Loka borders Rin in the east, separated by mountains on the southern stretch and a wide river running to the north. The river has treacherous rapids its full length.
The top half of the map’s central area is The Rin Empire, an area of mountains, forests, and rivers. The empire’s original land is in the northeast of the middle kingdoms, bordering the northern sea. In the middle of the northern coastline, the land pushes north with towering cliffs. At the tip of this area is the Rinnite capital. South of there is a lake, and south again is a Y-shaped mountain range. Southeast of there is another mountain range that marks part of Rin’s border with Yriah. Much of eastern Rin is covered by forests.
A huge forest in western Rin was formerly the nation of Belmennos. There is a lake in the middle of the forest, and within it is an island with a single tree. The Belmennian capital is on the southern edge of this lake. It borders The Endless Ocean in the south, where there is a large marsh. In the east, a river borders Karna and Yriah. The river is formed from four sources, three of which join close together, making the river look like a crooked dead tree leaning to the east. I sometimes non-canonically call it The Hydra.
In the very centre of Rin is a small area that was formally the nation of Karna. It has two small forests, some hills, and a lake. The Karnan capital is central, east of the lake.
South of the eastern half of the middle kingdoms is a country called Yriah. It stretches from a river border with Belmennos and Karna in the northwest, towards the ocean in the southeast. It has a large coastline, running southeast from Belmennos, northeast, then north up to Rin. On its southernmost stretch of coastline is a large marsh with a river flowing into it from the north that looks like a rat’s tail. Yriah borders Rin in the north, separated by mountains and a river (one of the four sources mentioned earlier). Yriah’s capital is just south of the river. South of the capital are forests and mountains.
In the ocean to the east of Yriah and southern Rin is an area of jagged, half-submerged mountains.
On the eastern side of Askar, between Rin and The Dragon Waste, is Asorea. It is the shortest land area, being half the height of Rin. It is separated from Rin by a large mountain range and a forest on its western border. On Asorea’s eastern border is a very wide river that stretches from a waterfall near The Frozen North to a waterfall leading into The Endless Ocean. Another river runs north to south the full height of Asorea, splitting the nation in two. East of the river, the north and south coastlines both have large marshes. Much of Asorea’s eastern half is covered by a forest, which has a river running through it northwest to southeast. Halfway down Asorea, between the forest and the central river, are three enormous canyons like jagged rips. In the north, between Asorea’s northern marsh and the eastern forest, a land bridge runs up into The Frozen North, which is unnaturally straight.
The coastline from the southern point of Loka runs north, then curves east beneath Belmennos and southeast in Yriah. In this area between the three countries is a large island like a pointed oval with a much smaller island to its east. Clouds hover over the islands.
In the far eastern part of the map, The Dragon Waste runs from level with the north of Asorea down to level with the tip of Loka, curving eastwards off the map. Its west is an area of barren land, shown with dead trees and a dragon skeleton. In the east, it has a long mountain range running north to south, with a volcano just visible in the southeast.
A map of Eastern Askar, showing eastern Rin in the west and Asorea in the east, as well as a small section of northern Yriah to the south of Rin.
Rin and Asorea are separated in the centre of the map by a border running north to south, mostly made up of a mountain range called the Fangs of Ashra, as well as a forest north of those called The King’s Wood. Dividing the forest east to west is a wide road called The King’s Road. At the eastern end of the King’s Road is Varran, Asorea’s capital. A large river flows through Varran, running from The Orrilan Sea on the north coast all the way to the ocean on the south coast. The River Cassagor has large forts at either end: Fort Nara in the north and Ryken in the south.
North of Ryken, a quarter of the way along the River Cassagor, is Elbamir, which has a large mountain to its west with a towering waterfall. North along the river from Elbamir, halfway to the capital, is Hogalt. On the south coast of Asorea, west of Ryken and nestled beside the Fangs of Ashra mountains, is Felgen.
In the very southeast of Asorea is Veskh, a town with Sorren’s Marsh to its west, the Abastian Forest to its north, and the very wide River Daenar to its east. North of the river, separated from Asorea by cliffs, is Lake Wolken, which is big enough to be a sea. Between the Abastian forest and the central part of the River Cassagor are three huge canyons like jagged rips, as if a god-like creature gouged the land with its claws.
On the border between Asorea and Rin, at the western end of The King’s Road and The King’s Wood, is Dire Hold. A road from Dire Hold curves southwest into Rin around the Fangs of Ashra and then south, leading to a forked river, The Serpent’s Tongue, and a town just over the river called Velbes. A short way north of the river, the road is joined by another that heads west to Lake Tolzye and the town of Holzinsi on the lake’s northern shore. The road continues west and a little north to Berchen, a town nestled between Lake Genviok to the south and the Dragon Spine mountains to the west. Between Berchen and Dire Hold is the Hunnadel Forest.
South of the lake near Berchen is a town called Valdor, and south of that is a hilly area called The Contested Lands. South of The Contested Lands, across a river, is Midah, the capital of Yriah. Northeast of Midah are the Leviathan’s Tail mountains. Northeast of those, stretching up to Lake Tolzye, is the sizeable Strillodor Forest. East of the forest near the estuary of The Serpent’s Tail is the town of Dannas. Across the river and along the coast to the northeast is Zulakar. In the ocean to the south between Dannas and Zulakar is an area of jagged partially-submerged mountains called The Fallen Sea.
At the bottom of the map, south of the Leviathan’s Tail, is Lake Enzilus. Southwest of the lake is Dunnador. In the very northwest of the map, northwest of the Dragon Spine mountains, is an unlabelled lake with a town south of it called Kavharis.
For Nanna Pat.
Thank you for always believing in me.
And in memory of Odin,
The rabbit whose stubbornness granted us 12 years of his company. May you and Bera be reunited in your next lives.
Chapter one
Unforgiveable
An ageing floorboard creaked as Ada stepped closer to the small knife she’d hidden behind the shop’s counter. She’d never killed before, but her customer was coming dangerously close to discovering her secret. The man, whose name she didn’t care to remember, was an old friend of her father. He rolled a ruby pendant between his fingers and peered closer. Too close. Ada pushed out her extra sense and touched it to his chest, checking for any change in his pulse. Calm, for now. That sense was the only good thing to happen to her since the ash plague. A gift she alone possessed.
“It’s richly coloured for a garnet,” the man said. Ada sensed his pulse quicken, but she couldn’t tell whether it was from excitement or suspicion.
With a smile fixed on her face, Ada set her hand on the knife’s hilt. “My former supplier tried to pass that garnet off as a ruby so he could charge more. Fortunately, I’m as honest as my father was.”
Ada hated invoking her father’s memory as part of a lie. He’d been a good man, and his reputation as a skilled jeweller had ensured both his daughters lived an easy life, before the ash fell. His legacy allowed Ada to remain unwed, and she would do whatever it took to keep the shop open. Even use her father’s name to sway customers.
The man set a weighty purse on the counter. “I believe this is a more accurate reflection of the piece’s value. The setting isn’t up to your father’s standards.”
Ada released the knife and peered into the purse. Barely two-thirds of what she’d asked. She would have to use guilt. “I was, after all, only seventeen when the ash plague took my family. But if this is all you can spend on your wife’s gift, I’ll have to accept.”
The man cleared his throat. “No price is too high for my Celia, even in these times.” He set some silvers beside the purse. Two more than Ada’s original offer.
“If she has need of more jewellery, do visit again.”
As the man left, Ada was genuine in her silent wish for him to escape the notice of thieves. The last thing she needed was anyone scrutinising that necklace. The man had been right to question if it was a garnet. She’d rather have sold it for its true worth, but she could hardly have admitted it was a ruby. Its former owner kept calling on any lady in possession of new jewellery, if the rumour mill was to be believed. Eavesdropping on servants at the market had never let Ada down before.
If only she’d done more than change the setting from gold to silver. She could have altered the cut or split the gem for earrings, then she might have got away with selling it as a ruby. Unfortunately, she’d been in a rush. She was running out of time to gather the coin she needed.
As if to rub that fact in, her landlord’s lackey approached the shop. Tomas shoved the door open, almost smashing its small panes as it crashed against a display stand. He strode in with his usual swagger, one hand on the hilt of his sword, the other grasping his belt buckle. Ada seethed at his presence, but she kept her hand far away from the hidden knife. Fighting him wouldn’t end well for her.
“What do you want?” Ada said.
“Saw your customer leave, didn’t I. Clutching his pocket. I assume you’ve made a sale.”
Ada scowled. “Only a garnet necklace.”
“Should be more than enough to cover what’s left of this week’s fee.”
Ada bristled. Her father’s lease on the shop and attached house had passed to her, with added clauses she’d had no power to fight. She was still paying off the damage looters had caused during the riots near two years ago.
“How many more instalments are there?” Ada asked, fully aware it was eight. She wanted to see if Tomas thought her a fool.
“Should be finished by the time the lease comes due. Two months, Ada. You better have the coin ready.”
“I’ll have it.” She tossed her customer’s coin purse at Tomas, aiming for his head. He snatched it from the air and weighed it in his hand before adding it to a large pouch hanging from his belt. The clink of coins betrayed that she wasn’t his first victim that day.
“Be sure you have it all. Don’t want to end up on the streets, do you.” He looked her up and down, eyes lingering on her flat chest. “At least you wouldn’t have to worry about your virtue.” He chuckled to himself as he left, as if he found himself remarkably clever. If he were, he’d have known the men who prowled dark alleys didn’t care what a woman looked like, only what she had beneath her skirts. Ada locked the door, which failed to shut out the chill Tomas had brought into her shop.
After packing away her few display items, Ada replaced them with cheap decoys. Without them, looters would ransack the entire building like they had during the riots. She’d rather deal with Tomas demanding payment for repairs than have looters find her secrets.
Going through to the house, Ada fetched three keys from their hiding places and went to the storage room where she slept. There, she shoved a box off the basement hatch and used each key in the trio of locks. After lighting the lanterns below, Ada shut the way behind her, eager to return to her most important work.
She plucked a pale sapphire necklace from a box of recent additions and got to work prying it from its setting, which had unusually long prongs. It didn’t take long to discover why. A great score marred the back of the sapphire. Ada tossed it onto the workbench and lifted her eyes to the ceiling. She’d hoped to pass it off as blue topaz, which wasn’t worth the time it would take to cut the sapphire into smaller gems. Damn the elite. They’d grown crafty with hiding their jewellery, but she never imagined they would damage their precious finery to catch her.
Despite the loss, that particular night’s work hadn’t been about the jewellery, though the pieces were a welcome bonus. Ada unrolled her sketch of the manor’s layout and studied her notes about the patrols of her true target – an identical manor higher up Haranor Hill. Her heart beat faster. It was time to take revenge against the man responsible for her life of crime.
Tamir Alzahar. Ada would never forget that name. His flowing signature adorned the contract shown to her by the owner of Felgen’s mine. A contract that superseded the one Ada should have inherited. She’d had no chance of arguing against it. Tamir was a wealthy merchant who spent much of his time in the capital, and his contract bore the seal of Asorea’s king.
