Page 7 of Drawn in Blood
Professor Bjorn let out a soft laugh as he shook his head. “While very dangerous, they aren’t what I would classify as an evil creature.”
“But theyeatpeople,” Lydia gasped, as she flipped through the pages of the textbook, landing on the chapter dedicated to the Cu Sidhe, and grimaced.
“Does anyone know what the job of the Cu Sidhe is?” Professor Bjorn directed at the class, as he began to pace up and down the aisles.
“They’re guardians of the gate,” Fen replied.
Ember glanced back at him and gave him a soft smile as he straightened his back. No doubt the trio were all reliving the same memory of their own encounter with the Cu Sidhe. Ember grimaced as she remembered how close they had come to losing Killian. She shuddered as memories of his battered body flashed through her mind and turned to give him a small smile. His eyes caught hers, and he gave her a soft nod, sending her a wink that made heat creep up her neck.
“Correct,” Professor Bjorn nodded, “it guards the gate to Fae territory. That is it’s one purpose, and it takes it very seriously.”
“But it’s still a killer,” Lydia said from the front. “It’s still evil. It kills anyone who gets near the gate.”
Professor Bjorn made his way back to the front of the room, leaning on his desk and crossing his arms over his burly chest. He furrowed his brow as his eyes met each of the students, then turned his head back to Lydia.
“What would you propose they do then, Miss Hawthorne?” He raised a brow as he waited for her to answer.
“Um…” She hesitated as she fidgeted in her seat. “What would I propose who does?”
“The Fae, of course.” He nodded. “How would you propose they protect their land?”
“I… I don’t know, Professor.”
He turned his attention back to the rest of the class, and his eyes landed on Fen. “Mr. Kitt,” he started, “if someone tried to break into your home and threatened your family, what do you think you would do?”
Ember turned around as Fen straightened his back as his eyes met hers. “I would protect them,” he replied. “I would do whatever I had to do to protect them if I could.”
Professor Bjorn nodded. “Even if that meant using deadly force?”
Ember heard Fen choke on his own breath.
“Yes sir,” he replied with an unsteady voice.
Ember’s mind briefly drifted back to just a few months before, when he had defended her against Rowan. She shuddered as she remembered his battered body lying lifeless on the floor and her desperate pleas to the gods to take her instead. She fought the lump building in her throat as she bit down on her lip.
“The Cu Sidhe is a guardian,” Professor Bjorn directed at the class. “He is a protector. He is only dangerous when he needs to be, when he feels like his people are being threatened. We can’t fault a creature for doing what it must do, even if it makes us uncomfortable. Dangerous does not always equate to evil.”
Veda Ellingboe scoffed from the back of the class, and Ember rolled her eyes as she turned to look in her direction.
“They’re Fae,” Veda sneered. “Of course they’re evil.”
Ember felt Odette stiffen next to her for a moment before she relaxed again.
“That is quite the jump, Miss Ellingboe,” Professor Bjorn said, as he furrowed his brow.
“Is it?” Oryn quipped beside her. “They’re a lower class at best, and now they’re taking the children on the island. I heard my father say so himself. They’re evil incarnate, and now they’ll finally be dealt with.”
Ember stiffened as she turned toward the twins and narrowed her eyes. The Fae on the island were protective over their home and their history, and after learning what they did about the Merrow, she understood why. She had no way of knowing what was true and what wasn’t, and she wasn’t about to trust someone like Veda or Oryn Ellingboe to be honest about it.
“They would know about ‘evil incarnate,’” Killian whispered under his breath, as he let out a huff. “Truly following in my uncle’s footsteps.” Fen patted his friend on the shoulder reassuringly.
“There’s no proof of anything,” Ember spat, as she spun around to look the raven-haired twins in the eyes. “You can’t just go throwing around accusations like that with no proof.” Her eyes narrowed on the twins as they smirked. Ember was ready to bolt out of her seat and wrap her hands around their petite little necks when she felt a gentle hand on top of hers. She turned to see Odette smiling, calmly shaking her head. Ember felt the heat in her belly simmer to a dull roar as she turned back around.
“If they think it’s the Fae,” another student said toward the front, “why don’t they kick them all out of town? They shouldn’t be allowed to run businesses if they’re a danger to us.”
Murmurs of agreement broke out in a low hush around the room, and Ember felt herself bristle once again as she thought about Asteria.
“Chief Thornsten has had a team of expert ward breakers place reinforced wards around the forest, as well as more around the school,” Professor Bjorn said pointedly. “Whether it’s the Fae or something else entirely, I can assure you that you are perfectly safe.” He smiled gently at the students, but Embercould see the worry clouding his eyes. He didn’t believe his words any more than they did.
