Page 116 of Drawn in Blood
“No, I don’t think so.” She shook her head as she smiled. “I’ll just wear mine.”
“I’ll be back in a moment with the finishing touches.” Gaelen smiled, then swiftly left the room.
Ember quickly packed the small bag Elowyn had made for her, stuffing in her books, a few potions she had saved, the map to the tunnels, and anything else she couldn’t leave behind. If all went as planned, she wouldn’t ever be coming back here again. Fen and Killian had taken the important things—her father’s journal, a few of Theo’s books, a small assortment of clothes shehad grown to love, but nothing else mattered. Nothing here washers,and she couldn’t stand what it all represented. She grabbed the cloak she had found in her mother’s study, gripping it in her hand as she twirled the ring on her finger. She walked back to the mirror, straightening the tiara on her head as she steadied her breathing.
They were as ready as they would ever be, but somehow that wasn’t much of a comfort. She went over the plan in her head again and again, praying that no unexpected roadblocks popped up. They hadn’t left much room for error, and they were already going to be cutting it close as it was. She bit her lip as she considered the alternative to success tonight—no, failure wasn’t an option, not with Maeve and Theo’s lives on the line. If Aoife had no problem sacrificing her daughter, she didn’t even want to imagine what she would be willing to do to Theo if it meant the sacrifice was ‘for the greater good.’
Gaelen walked back in the room, quickly shutting the door behind her, a small wooden box in hand. Ember furrowed her brow as the Merrow walked up to her, almost like she was afraid of getting caught.
“I don’t know what you’re planning to do tonight,” Gaelen whispered, “but take this with you, just in case.” She opened the box, and a beautiful dagger lay inside, a handle made of pearl, adorned with coral and jewels, gold etched throughout. But the blade wasn’t made of metal, at least not any metal she had ever seen. It was a deep blue, and waves seemed to pulse inside of it. Ember sucked in a breath as she ran her hand along the blade, the familiar tingle of magic crackling against her skin.
“Galen, this is beautiful,” Ember said, as she felt the weight of the knife in her hand. “Is it from your kingdom?”
“Those who aren’t taken,” Gaelen breathed, “are taught to fight from a very young age, to be able to defend themselves. These knives are handed down by our parents when we are veryyoung. I've had it since I was old enough to understand the consequences of using it.”
“I can’t take this,” Ember said, as she shook her head. “You need to keep it.”
Gaelen shook her head as she put her hand on Ember’s. “After tonight, I won’t have anyone left to protect.”
Ember ran her fingers over the handle of the dagger and felt her magic tug, something deep inside her vibrating like it was locked in a cage. Something brushed up against her ribs, up her spine, and it was almost as if a veil had been lifted in her mind, exposing memories that had been buried so deep she could hardly even picture them.
Her eyes welled with tears as memories of her childhood nanny flitted through her mind. Picnics in the park, midnight snacks in front of the fire, cuts and scrapes that never needed to be bandaged. She choked on a sob as her eyes met Gaelen’s, and the Merrow was already crying.
“I remember you,” Ember whispered, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. “You were my nanny, weren’t you?”
Gaelen nodded as her throat bobbed.
“Why couldn’t I remember you until now?”
Gaelen led Ember to a pair of chairs sitting in front of a warm fire and motioned for her to sit. “Merrow have special gifts.” Gaelen smiled as she brushed a stray hair from in front of Ember’s eyes. “Magic that most Vala don’t even know about. We have the ability to re-weave memories or hide them completely.” She took a shaky breath as she wrung her hands in her lap. “I have been with your family since before you were born.” She smiled softly. “Your father rescued me, he gave me a home and always paid me fairly, and for that, I owe him several life debts. The only thing he ever asked of me is that I protect you.” She looked at the crackling fire, and something akin to grief seemedto flash through her eyes. “I was supposed to get you away from her, but our plan went awry. I was there the night of the storm.”
Ember closed her eyes, chest shaking as she took a breath. Gaelen didn’t have to specify what storm she was talking about.
“It all happened so fast, and I had to make a decision quickly. I knew what your mother was planning, where she wanted to take you, and I knew I couldn’t allow it.” She stiffened as she flexed her hands in her lap. “So, when the boat splintered and everyone went overboard, I did my best to make the waves push you toward shore. I couldn’t stop the storm, but I could do my best to get you out of it.”
A tear slid down her cheek as the memory seemed to play out in front of her, like she was reliving it over and over again.
“Your mother was already with child, but I don’t think even she knew it yet. I didn’t have the power to save all three of you, so I did my best to push her as far away as I could manage. The waves I conjured carried her to the Scotland, and I thought that would be enough. Your father was gone before I could do anything about it.”
Her eyes glistened as she held Ember’s hand, and Ember was certain she had stopped breathing entirely.
“You were so tiny,” she continued, “curled up on the beach completely alone. It destroyed me to leave you there, I need you to understand that.” Her grip tightened around Ember’s fingers. “But I made a promise to your father—I had to keep you safe. I removed your memories, hiding myself and my magic in them, to keep you safe. I told the authorities that I found you on the beach and that your parents were dead. And then I left for Scotland.”
“To find my mother?” Ember asked.
Gaelen nodded. “I found her in the Highlands, and I rewove her memories as well. I couldn’t hide you, but I planted falsememories—memories of the authorities notifying her of the death of her daughter and husband.”
“The body she identified,” Ember said, as her chest shook, “none of that was real?”
Gaelen shook her head. “It wasn’t,” she replied, “but she believed it was. In all reality, she never left Scotland. We stayed while she was with child, the plan was always to go back to Ellesmere, but we stayed. For what reason, I’m not entirely sure. I think part of her couldn’t face the reality of what she had done.”
“Why did you come back?” Ember asked, voice shaky as she tried not to fidget with her dress.
“Your granda’ got sick,” Gaelen sighed, “so she came home to take care of him. After a few months, she got word that you were in Sigurvik, and she was able to track you down.”
“And you got my room ready?” Ember asked, as she thought about all the little touches from her childhood nestled in the room. “The books and my dragon? That was you?”
Gaelen nodded. “I saved it all from the cottage in Galway. I hoped one day you would get to have it all back again.”
