Page 23 of Drawn in Blood
Emberand her mother took the Echopoint outside of the Kitts’ home straight to the manor. Hearing Aoife whisper,“Lothbrok Manor,”under her breath sent Ember’s stomach flipping, but it wasn’t from the spin of the Echopoint. She landed with a thud in a patch of bright green grass with yellow daffodils blooming around the trunk of the tree. A smooth cobblestone path stretched past the tree and through a pair of tall iron gates into a courtyard. A fountain sat in the middle of the cobblestone courtyard, the statue of a Kelpie standing in the center, surrounded by bushes of colorful, exotic looking plants and flowers.
Dryads walked amongst the rows of trees outside of the path, trimming low hanging branches while simultaneously sending floating watering cans to gently water the flowers scattered across the grounds. Ember smiled as one particular dryad, vines twisting across his arms and legs and a dark brown tunic with a cape hanging on his shoulders, whispered to one of the lower branches in a language that sounded like wind blowing through the leaves. A bright blue flower grew in his palm where he heldthe branch before he smiled to himself and turned to tend to the rest of the trees.
“Come, we’ll have Maize get Maia situated while he’s out here,” Aoife said, as she motioned toward the dryad walking their way.
He stood tall, both hands behind his back as he nodded to Aoife, who gave him a kind smile back.
“Good evening, Maize,” Aoife said sweetly. “I am very excited to introduce you to my daughter Ember. Ember, this is Maize, the groundskeeper for the manor.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Maize,” Ember whispered.
“And you, Miss Ember.” He smiled with a nod.
“Maize, would you be so kind as to take Maia and get her settled in the stables?” Aoife asked, as she motioned to the small draic.
Ember’s grip tightened around Maia’s lead rope.
“I will take very good care of her, Miss Lothbrok,” Maize assured her, as she reluctantly handed over the lead.
Maia whipped her head back, trying to rip the lead from the dryad’s hands, and let out a deafening roar like Ember had never heard before. She jumped forward to snatch the lead from his spindly fingers, but before she could get there, Maize was whispering something in Maia’s ear, hand running down the draic’s snout. Maia immediately settled, purring and clicking as she nuzzled his hand.
“She’ll be in the stables waiting for you when you’re settled.” Maize smiled.
Ember’s jaw hung slack as she nodded, her heart beginning to race in her chest before she felt her mother’s hand on her shoulder and began to gently guide her toward the manor. Ember followed her mother up the path to the large, oak double doors. She sucked in a breath as they swung open, eyes raking over the mahogany floors bathed in apricot and plum shiningthrough the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the walls. A grand staircase was directly in front of her, spiraling up to the second and third floors, no doubt filled with long halls and cozy rooms. The living room could be seen through a large archway to her right, and Ember’s mind reeled with the idea of all the cozy winter nights in front of the fire curled up with a book and a warm cup of tea. Somewhere in the house, a clock chimed eight times, and the door behind her swung shut.
“Your room is up on the second floor, first door on the right.” Aoife smiled as she motioned toward the staircase. “Do you need help getting settled in?”
Ember shook her head with a small smile. “I’ve got it down to a science at this point,” she half laughed. “I’ll be okay.”
Aoife frowned as she wrapped her in a hug, kissing her gently on the head as she stroked her hair. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, as she pulled away and took a shaky breath. “All of that is over now. Now, you’re home.”
Home.
“Mum?”Ember shouted, as she walked down the stairs the next morning, rounding into the hall toward where she assumed the kitchen was, evident only by the heavenly smell that was wafting toward her. “Mum, are you in here?”
“Good morning, Miss Ember,” a voice said from the kitchen. “Breakfast is ready.”
Ember walked into the room to see a young Merrow standing at the counter preparing a plate of eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes. A fresh pot of tea was sitting on the stove, and theMerrow summoned it to the teacups sitting on the counter beside her.
“Oh, um, good morning,” Ember mumbled, as she entered the room. “I’m sorry, do I know you?” There was something familiar about her that Ember couldn’t quite place. The memory was there, buried in the back of her mind, but it was like a shadow lingered over it. She was older than Maren, perhaps a little younger than her mother, and her hair fell in deep mauve waves over her shoulders. Ember’s heart broke as she thought about the Clann and what her parents must be going through. How long had she been gone? Had she lived here at the manor her whole life? Did her mum understand what the Merrow went through? Where was her cape?
They would have to talk about that later.
“I don’t believe so.” The Merrow smiled warmly. “My name is Gaelen. Tea?”
“Oh, yes please.” Ember nodded. She walked further into the kitchen but stopped short, her heart jumping into her throat when she peeked into the little breakfast nook in the corner by the large window. There was a little boy with fiery red hair and bright green eyes tucked into the corner eating his breakfast. He didn’t so much as flinch when Ember walked into the room, didn’t even look up to acknowledge her presence. Gaelen summoned the pot of tea to the center of the small table, charming it to pour the amber liquid into each mug.
“Sit,” she said to Ember, as she motioned to the table. “Your mum should be down shortly.”
Ember nodded as she slipped into the seat across from the boy, barely acknowledging the plate in front of her as she studied him intently. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn’t place what it was. He bit the edge of his lip as he traced his fingers along the grains of wood. Her breath hitched in her throat with the way his nose scrunched, highlighting thefreckles that traveled across the bridge of his nose and over his cheeks.
“Hello there,” she whispered, as she tapped her finger against the table. “My name is Ember. What’s yours?”
The boy looked up at her for a moment, emerald eyes meeting hers, before he quickly averted them and focused again on his breakfast. Ember furrowed her brow as she waited for a response, but one never came. She let out a sigh as she reached for her tea when another pair of footsteps entered the room.
“Oh, good morning, loves.” Aoife smiled as she walked to the table and kissed Ember gently on the head, then did the same with the boy. “I see you’ve met Theo.”
Ember tilted her head in confusion as she looked at her mother and then back to the boy, who was now staring back at her.
