King of Ashes

Roman Carruthers runs a wealth management firm in Atlanta, Georgia. The 35-year-old attends a party with his friend Khalil, who provides security for celebrities. That night, he dreams of his mother, who disappeared when he was 16. The next morning, his sister, Neveah, calls to tell him that their father is in a coma following a car accident. He immediately rearranges his business calendar and tells his assistant that he will be gone “[l]ong enough to make sure [his] daddy isn’t going to die” (3).

Before he flies to Virginia, Roman visits a dominatrix named Miss Delicate, who is at least 10 years older than him. At the end of the session, Roman tells Miss Delicate that he is going to Virginia because his father was in an accident. She points out that he creates situations that lead him to be punished due to his issues with guilt and forgiveness, and she tells him to go to his father at once because this is not an appropriate time to perpetuate that pattern. During his flight, Roman reflects on the tragedies that have struck his parents and the seeming malice and indifference of the universe.