Page 29 of Drawn in Blood
Ember furrowed her brow as she pressed her arms tightly across her chest. She had been thrown into this life, and she stuck out like a sore thumb. But he had been raised this way, and it was almost infuriating how easy it all was for him.
“Gaelen also told me where the library was.” He smirked, laughing as he dodged the book Ember had hurtled at his head.
“Well, as long as you’re here, you might as well help,” she replied, quickly summoning the book back to her and shoving it into Killian’s chest. “What do you know about sign language?”
“I know a bit.” He shrugged. “Why do you ask?”
“Because Theo isn’t mute,” she replied, as she shuffled through books. “He’s deaf. If I learn, then I can talk to him without Gaelen needing to interpret.”
“Your mum doesn’t know he’s deaf?” Killian narrowed his eyes, and Ember averted hers—she wasn’t interested in hearing what he thought about her mother again.
“She does. She just didn’t tell me.” Ember tried to ignore the sting at that realization, the way the words sighed heavy on her chest. “Theo didn’t want anyone to know, so Gaelen didn’t say anything.” She blew a stray piece of hair out of her eyes as she leaned on the table. “But that is irrelevant,” she continued. “I want to be able to communicate with my brother, even if he didn’t want anyone to know.” She knew how lonely it was to be in a house full of people that couldn’t understand a word you were saying—or didn’t bother to try.
“Right,” Killian nodded. “Well, I suppose let’s start with the basics.” He pushed himself out of the chair and took a step forward, directly in front of Ember. He undid the top button of his shirt, revealing the skin beneath, and rolled both sleeves up to his elbows. Something about it felt strangely intimate, and Ember found herself searching for something else to look at, squeezing the book she was holding tightly against her chest. He placed his hand on the book and tugged it out of her arms.
“First step is to put away the book, Starshine.” He smirked and tossed it into the chair behind him.
Ember nodded as she swallowed dryly. “Right, of course.” She dropped her hands and flexed them at her sides.
“Assuming he probably has no idea who you are,” he huffed, almost angrily, “it’s best start with the introduction.” He placed his fist in the center of his chest and nodded at Ember to do the same.
“My…” he said, moving his hand out and back to his chest. “…name…” He held his right hand in front of his face, holding up just his pointer and thumb in front of his mouth before he pinched them together and pulled his arm to the right. “…is Ember,” he whispered, as he signed each letter of her name.
She could hardly pay attention to what he was doing. The way he breathed her name made her chest tighten, goose bumps running down her arms, heat creeping up her neck.
“Starshine?” he asked, as he waved his hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her trance.
“What?” she whispered.
“You try.” He laughed as he nodded in her direction with a smile.
“Oh, right,” she sighed, as she shook her head. “My… name… is… Ember,” she said, as she concentrated on mirroring the movements Killian had done before. She looked up at him smiling with his hand over his mouth shaking his head. “This is too complicated.”
“It’s not,” he chuckled. “You’re just making it complicated. Here, it's like this.” He stepped closer and gently grabbed her right wrist, put his hand over her fingers, curled them into a fist, and then placed it over the center of her chest. “My…” he whispered, as he stepped closer.
Ember’s breath hitched in her chest as she swallowed dryly and nodded, green eyes locked with charcoal. He took her hand again, moving her fingers to make a backwards ‘L.’ His fingers brushed against her cheek, and he gently pulled her wrist to the right of her face, making her skin tingle and heart flutter.
“Name…” he whispered with a grin, stepping closer, hand still wrapped around her tiny wrist. He slowly moved her hand to form the different letters of her name as she took a shaky breath. “Is Ember,” he said huskily, his fingers gently brushing against the back of her hand.
Ember’s breath stuttered as her heartbeat wildly in her chest. She nodded that she understood, but before either of them could say anything, or acknowledge the heaviness that had settled in the room, a Helio zipped under the closed door of the library and stopped right in the middle of them, hovering at their chests. Ember took a step back as Fen’s panicked voice rang through the room around them.
“Come quick,”was all he said before the blue light vanished in a puff of mist.
Ember randown the steps to tell her mother where she was going and caught the tail end of a Helio she was sending out.
“She’s safe with me,” Aoife snapped on the other side of the study door, “She’s with me now.”
Ember shook away the questions as Killian grabbed her hand and sped out the front door and to the Echopoint at the end of the front path. They grabbed the lowest branch, and Ember barely registered that Killian had grabbed her free hand and muttered,“Kitt,”under his breath. They spun through the air, landing with a thud outside the familiar gate, pushing through it and running quickly up the long drive. When they finally reached the house, Ember’s heart dropped to her stomach. Shesucked in a breath, instinctively squeezing Killian’s hand that she still hadn’t let go of.
The porch was covered in officers of the Guard. Wardens. Men clad in black and brown leather, like warriors from one of her fantasy books, walking in and out of the house and around the back and sides. Ember noticed the leather bracelets that each of them had on their wrists, and the runes tattooed on their right arms. One of them narrowed his eyes at Ember as they made their way across the front lawn, jaw tensing as he watched her walk. Ember swallowed dryly as she averted her eyes. Even Chief Thornsten was there, standing in the yard, talking to Otto and Eira as Killian and Ember made their way toward them.
“Ember!” Maeve yelled, but not in the joyful squeal she had become accustomed to hearing from the little girl. Her freckled cheeks were bright red and coated in dried tears, and she sniffled as she wrapped her arms tightly around Ember’s waist.
“Maeve, what’s wrong?” Ember asked quietly, as she knelt to hug the little girl, who then collapsed into her arms.
“It was so scary,” was all she whispered, as she buried her head into Ember’s neck.
Ember stood up and walked toward the family standing by the porch, Maeve’s arms still wrapped tightly around her waist.
