Page 71 of Drawn in Blood
“Let’s take a look, shall we?” Gaelen said, as she floated toward her. She began twirling her hands around her shoulder and ribs, and Ember instinctively held her breath. Glowing lines appeared above her, tracing her injuries, and checking her vitals. Gaelen hummed to herself as she traced complicated looking runes in the air, and that was when Ember noticed the wisps.
They hovered in front of her, wrapping themselves around her wrists and up her arms. Ember looked around, but no oneseemed to notice the way they wove in and out of the runes floating through the air and around her ribs.
No one, that is, except Gaelen and Odette.
Gaelen’s brow rose, and her eyes met Ember’s, but she didn’t say a word. Her mouth turned up at the edges, just briefly, before she gave a small nod and continued her work. Small trails of water wrapped themselves around her ribs and shoulder like bandages as Gaelen whispered her incantations, and Ember felt the pain begin to ease. Breathing came easier, and soon, she could move her shoulder again, though it still twinged if she moved it too far.
Odette just stared, brow still furrowed, head cocked to the side like she was studying for a very important quiz.
“You will be sore for the rest of the day,” Gaelen stated, as she stepped back, her magic dissipating as she wiped her hands clean. “You will need to rest tonight if you want to use that arm again.” She said this more so to the boys flanking her left and right than to Ember. Fen stiffened, almost like he wanted to argue that he wouldnot,under any circumstances, be leaving her side, but the stern look Gaelen gave him seemed to make him decide otherwise.
“We’ll come check on you this weekend,” Killian said. “Someone is going to have to force us to study for exams.”
Ember smiled weakly, allowing Gaelen to help her stand, and told both the boys and the Kitts goodbye. She walked back to the Echopoint with the Merrow and her mum, and Theo held her hand the entire way.
Chapter 21
You Can Always Come Home
Ember laid in bed with a book floating in the air in front of her, flipping the pages as she sighed. She had read this particular chapter three times so far, and every time she got to the end, she couldn’t remember what had happened. She flicked her wrist, closing the book, and then sent it floating into a pile on the nightstand beside her bed.
It was Friday, and though she had only been in bed for twenty-four hours resting, it already felt like an eternity. Her shoulder ached as she rolled out of bed, and she sucked in a breath as she felt pain shoot through her ribs. She blew out a breath, limping toward her bedroom window as she stared at the ever changing leaves at the back of their property.
It was Samhain, one of the best festivals of the year, and thanks to Veda Ellingboe, she was spending it cooped up at home. There would be no dancing or singing or eating till she was so full she was sure she wouldn’t be able to make it home. Considering she missed the festivities last year, she was really hoping she would get to go to this one.
Apparently not.
She jumped when she heard a knock at the door and turned around to see Aoife smiling at her as she popped her head in.“You have some company, Mo Stór,” she said and motioned for her to come downstairs.
Ember crinkled her forehead and followed her down the steps, limping as she went. They walked through the house and to the door that led into the back garden, and Ember winced as she sucked in a breath when they walked out the door.
“We knew you couldn’t come to the festival this year,” Fen beamed, as he shoved his hands in his pockets, “so we thought we might bring the festival to you.”
The garden was bedecked in twinkling lights strung across posts set in a giant circle. Music seemed to play from everywhere and nowhere, and food overflowed from a table set on the side of the garden. Ember’s smile grew as Killian grinned at her, Theo standing beside him with Maeve—both practically vibrating out of their skin with excitement. Eira and Otto both came up and gave her a peck on the cheek, and Thea wrapped her in a tight hug. Ember didn’t even care that her ribs ached at the pressure. Odette gave her a small wave from where she was swaying to the music, and even Gaelen was enjoying the festivities—though she always seemed to have one eye on the two small children now running through the darkening grass.
Everyone was here, all her friends, and she wasn’t at all ashamed about the tears that streaked down her cheeks.
The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.
“You did all of this for me?” Her voice cracked as she smiled. Killian waltzed up to her and planted a kiss right on her cheek that set her skin on fire.
“Considering what you spent last year doing,” he whispered close to her ear, “we thought it best not to leave you alone this time.”
Ember swatted his arm, and he laughed as he backed up next to Fen, who looked like he might be sick.
“One night up and about shouldn’t hurt your recovery too bad,” Otto said, as he walked up with a pair of crutches, charmed to help her stand upright and relieve the growing pressure on her ribs and shoulder. He gave her another kiss on the head and then made his way to grab a drink from Thea, who seemed to be concocting something from the punch and a flask she had pulled from her purse.
“You deserve a night with your friends.” Aoife smiled as she gave her shoulder a squeeze, but something akin to pain settled in her eyes. “Now go have fun.” She kissed Ember on the top of the head and shooed her away.
Fen was piling food onto a plate while Odette leaned against the table, talking animatedly about something or another. Ember tried not to laugh as his face contorted into confusion, painting on a fake smile as he nodded. He shot Ember a look, and she could hear his voice rattle around in her head.
Help me.
Ember let out a laugh as she hobbled over.
“You’re all mad,” she laughed. “You know that, right? You should be in Sigurvik for the festival. You didn’t have to do all of this.”
“And go without you?” Killian said, as he slung an arm over her shoulders, making her wince. “Where would the fun be in that?”
