Page 62 of Drawn in Blood
Ember cocked her brow. “Pint of Many Flavors?” she repeated. “What exactly are the many flavors?”
Mr. Elden grinned as he flicked his wrist, making the condiments behind him come to life and dance through the air as well. “Oh, many things,” he replied, “chocolate chips, marshmallows, other odds and ends that the Brownies find delightful.” He leaned forward, like he was sharing a great secret and whispered, “And the Neverberry, of course.”
Ember furrowed her brow. “Neverberry? What's a Neverberry?”
“The sweetest tasting fruit you’ll ever have,” Mr. Elden replied. “Some say our ancestors brought them over when they landed on the island, others say the Elves have grown them for centuries. But some say they come from somewhere else entirely—another world completely unlike our own, amongst the stars.”
“We’ll take three.” Killian grinned, dropping a handful of coins on the counter. Three cones floated through the air, ice cream landing in each of them before Killian grabbed them, handing them to Ember and Theo.
“Thank you,”Theo signed with a bright smile.
Mr. Elden nodded and signed back,“You’re welcome.”
The trio made their way out of the shop and into the biting November wind, Theo licking his ice cream like it might suddenly disappear. Ember led them to the middle of town, and they sat on the edge of the large fountain watching the people mill about as they did their afternoon shopping. Theo watched the kids run around town, yelling and playing games, and Ember couldn’t help but notice the hint of sadness in his eyes.
“Want to go join them?”she signed after taking her last bite of ice cream.
Theo shook his head, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the cobblestone.
“It’s such a beautiful day for ice cream,” a voice rang out from across the cobblestone, and Ember found herself smiling as the platinum haired girl walked toward them.
“Hello, Odette,” she said, as the girl perched on the fountain beside her. “What are you doing out and about today?” It was so cold that Ember couldn’t imagine why anyone else would want to be outside. But then again, this was Odette.
“I had a lovely conversation with the dryads in the park this morning,” she mused. “They have some wonderful ideas for the Summer Solstice celebration next year.”
Ember grinned as she shook her head. Killian took Theo across the street to hunt for seashells on the beach, and Ember found herself wanting to know more about the odd girl sitting next to her.
“Do you have any plans with friends this weekend?” Ember asked, as she took a bite of her ice cream. After she asked, she realized she never really saw the girl hang out with anyone, and since last spring, Odette had been spending more and more time with her during school hours.
Odette shrugged as she shook her head. “I don’t have many friends,” she replied. It didn’t seem to bother her, but Ember’s heart sank.
Ember bit her lip. Perhaps Odette needed a friend just as much as she did. It scared her to make more friends after how terribly Rowan betrayed her, but maybe it was worth it to try again. Not to replace her friendship with Rowan, but to find a way to open her heart to new friendships. New people that would carve a spot in her life simply because they wanted to, not because they wanted something from her.
“You do now.” Ember smiled, and she truly meant it.
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, watching the boys across the street dig through the sand and run from the seagulls diving in the air. Ember twiddled her thumb as she looked at Odette.
“Can I ask why you spend so much time in the Dark Forest?” It was something she had wondered since last year, since thefirst time they had spoken about it. Ember had dreaded every single time she had to walk into those dark woods, but Odette seemed unfazed by it—maybe even enjoyed it—and Ember couldn’t understand why.
Odette hummed to herself as she closed her eyes, smiling toward the sky. “Did you know that the Dark Forest isn’t its name?”
Ember scrunched her nose. “I’ve never heard it called anything different.” Even the professors all called it that, surely they would know if it had a different name.
Odette nodded. “The Vala gave it their own name when they landed on the island, as they did with everything they touched, claiming it as their own. But this island had a pulse long before our ancestors arrived—long before our ancestors received their magic and decided they deserved more.” She spoke with a conviction that made Ember’s blood run cold.
She swallowed dryly as she tried to nod. “Do you know its name?”
Odette nodded. “Danann Forest.”
Ember furrowed her brow—why did that sound so familiar?
“It is said they arrive on a cloud of mist. The Tuatha Dé Danann are where every being on this island came from,” she continued, “either descended from or made entirely. The Tuatha Dé were the beginning of it all. Legends say that the High Danann kings and queens were descended from Anu—the Mother Goddess.”
Ember mulled over the words, until it all fell into place.
Tuatha Dé.
Tribe of Gods.
