Page 117 of Drawn in Blood
“She never mentioned that you were my nanny,” Ember said, as she shook her head. “Why didn’t she mention it when I first got there?”
“She didn’t remember.” Gaelen shrugged. “She thinks I found her in Scotland, so she doesn’t remember I was with your family all those years. As far as she is aware, we had never met.”
“You protected me.” Ember smiled through her tears. “All these years I thought I was alone, but you were protecting me.”
Gaelen nodded as she smiled. “I made a promise to your father, and I have done my best to keep it—to protect you both.”
Theo.
“Now, shall we finish getting ready?” Gaelen said, as she stood up, brushing her hands down her dress as she took abreath. She smiled gently, taking out the strap in the box and handing it to Ember.
Ember hooked it around her thigh, slipping the dagger in and letting the dress float back down over it.
“Watch over your brother,” Gaelen said, as a tear rolled down her cheek, “and get him home.”
Home.
Ember sniffed, tears pooling on her lower lash as she pulled the cape out of her bag. “I don’t know what is going to happen tonight,” she said, as she handed the silken material to Gaelen, “but after we leave, go home as quickly as possible. Everyone should be distracted at the castle, so you shouldn’t have a problem making it to the docks.”
Gaelen smiled, more tears rolling down her cheeks as she clutched the cape in her hands, starlight shimmering between her fingers. “You are going to do great things, Ember Lothbrok.”
Collum pickedher up at exactly eight o’clock, his dress uniform finely pressed as he stood with his hands firmly behind his back, waiting as she walked down the stairs. He took her arm, and they walked out the door. Right before he Echoed them to the castle, he mumbled, “You look nice, Princess.”
Ember cringed, even as the air was sucked from her lungs, flying through stars. People milled about the courtyard in masks of all shapes and sizes, the women wearing some of the most beautiful gowns she had ever seen. She fidgeted with the side of the dress as Collum led her through the door toward theballroom. Music filled the castle, reverberating off the arched ceilings making the magic thrum steadily in her veins.
“Are we late?” she whispered as they walked toward the ballroom and the grand set of stairs leading into it.
“A princess is never late,” he replied, as he shook his head.
Ember gritted her teeth but didn’t reply. The crowd below fell into a hush as Collum guided her down the staircase, her dress flowing behind her as everyone watched—every eye on her.
This might be harder than she thought.
The music swelled, and people began dancing again, singing and chanting as whiskey was slung through the air. A boy with pale hair and charcoal eyes walked up to her and Collum, his finely pressed suit rivaling the blackness of the night outside. He had a mask on that resembled a white wolf, and Ember giggled as he bowed.
“I’ll take it from here.” He winked at Collum and took Ember’s arm to walk away. “You look stunning,” Killian whispered, leaning close to her ear. The warmth of his breath sent goosebumps down her neck, her cheeks flushing as she smiled.
“You’re not so bad yourself, Vargr,” she replied with a grin.
They made their way through the dance floor, to the side of the room lined with tables. Food piled every inch of them—roast lamb, duck and rabbit, hot cross buns drenched in honey, bread of all shapes and sizes, bowls filled with seed and fruits and leafy greens, and enough deviled eggs to feed ten armies.
“What the hell is an ‘auroch?’” Fen asked, as they approached the table, picking at a slab of meat he had on a plate. He was wearing all black as well and had a blood red mask on in the shape of a draic. Ember laughed as she grabbed a bun and some cheese and stuffed them in her mouth—she wasfamished.
“It’s like an ancient cow,” Odette hummed, as she popped a few sunflower seeds in her mouth. “Helvig must breed them somewhere.”
“Odette!” Ember nearly shouted, wrapping the girl in a hug. Odette hugged her back, the blushed colored dress she was wearing wrinkling between them. “What on earth are you doing here?” Ember asked, as she stepped back, her chest suddenly feeling lighter.
“Sheinsistedon coming,” Fen replied, as he stuffed a strawberry in his mouth. “Would you believe she even threatened to tell my mum if we didn’t bring her?”
Odette’s cheeks stained crimson as Ember raised a brow. Suddenly, she remembered the woman whose smile so closely resembled her friend’s, and her heart sank.
“Odette, your mum…” she began, but Odette stopped her.
“I know,” she whispered. “I can feel her.”
“We can go find her,” Ember said, as she began to look around the room. “She’s bound to be here somewhere.”
“Not tonight,” Odette said, as she shook her head. “We are here for a reason, and so is she. We will meet again.”
