Page 10 of Drawn in Blood
“Whoa there, Starshine,” Killian said, as he laid his hand on hers. “No one said anything about forgetting your parents or changing your last name. You don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.” He furrowed his brow, and suddenly Ember felt far more dramatic than she meant to be.
“Right, right, of course.” She nodded as she shook her head, plastering on a small smile. “I’m just in my head, I’m sorry.”
Killian smiled as he leaned forward, his hand still resting on hers. “Nothing to be sorry about, love.”
“I come bearing gifts!” Fen announced behind them.
Killian pulled his hand away quickly and leaned back in the booth, which resulted in him smacking his elbow against the back of the seat. Ember yanked her hand into her lap and felt heat creep up her neck as she stared at her nails.
Fen squinted between the two, three bottles of Moon Cider still swinging in his hands. “Stop being weird,” was all he said, and then he set the bottles down on the table and took his seat in the booth beside Killian.
“How long till they lock down the whole island, ya reckon?” Killian asked, as he sipped his cider.
Fen shook his head. “I don’t think anyone would be able to get onto the docks, let alone on a ferry to the mainland with a missing child in tow. Too many variables. Whoever, orwhatever, is doing it lives here somewhere. It makes the most sense.”
“Whateveris doing it?” Ember said, as she furrowed her brow. “Please don’t tell me you’re buying into this whole ‘Fae kidnapping’ nonsense too.”
“I mean, we have to consider all possibilities here,” Fen said, as he tilted his bottle to his lips and took a swig. He sat his bottle on the table and cleared his throat. “Only a handful have businesses in town, and the rest tend to stay in their territory. How much do we really know about them?” He took another sip of his cider and leaned back in the booth. “It could be a rogue Fae, like with Rowan’s dad and brother.” He chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully as he tapped his foot. “Or it could be a conspiracy. Maybe they’re trying to take back the island slowly, one by one, slowly weakening our forces.”
Ember rolled her eyes and kicked him under the table. He let out a grunt, gripping his shin and spilling cider all over his flannel shirt.
“Stop it, Fenrir Kitt,” she scolded. “Spreading terrible rumors like that won’t help the situation at all. Rumors like that can ruin lives.”
Fen had the sense to look properly abashed as he hung his head.
“Well, whoever it is,” Killian interjected, as he leaned back in his seat, “they’re doing a wonderful job at leaving behind no evidence if Chief Thornsten is this worried. We’ve never had a town meeting, not over something like this.”
Ember chewed on the bottom of her lip as she slowly sipped her cider. She didn’t want to believe that the Fae had anything to do with the disappearing children, but she also didn’t want to believe there was a Vala running around snatching children and leaving no trace, either. She rubbed the bridge of her nose like she did when she felt a headache coming on. If she was being completely honest, neither felt like wonderful options. She leaned back in her seat and let out a sigh as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Maybe this wouldn’t be such a peaceful year after all.
The trio changed the topic of conversation, steering clear of missing children and evil plans, and before they knew it, they had drunk way too many Moon Ciders, and the sun was slowly beginning to drop on the horizon.
“Bloody hell,” Fen mumbled, as they stepped outside, “Mum is going to kill us.”
Ember rolled her eyes with a laugh. “I don’t know what you mean by ‘us.’ I was very clearly taken here against my will.” Fen cut his eyes at her and stuffed his hands in his pockets as they headed toward the Echopoint. Walking through the YggdrasilTerminal and directly into their house didn’t feel like the best plan
“You wouldn’t dare,” he whispered.
And just like that, a small blue ball of light whizzed in front of the trio, floating in the air ominously. Ember knew who the Helio was from before the message even began.
“Fenrir Kitt! Ember Lothbrok! Come home this instant!”
The sun was quickly settingbehind the house as Fen and Ember walked up the long drive. Dread pooled in her stomach as she prepared for the firestorm they were about to walk into. They hadn’t sent anyone a Helio, didn’t let anyone know they would be making a pit stop after school, and she knew they deserved whatever wrath the Kitt matriarch decided to unleash on them. Fen scratched furiously at his arms beside her and pulled the collar of his shirt away from his neck.
“Are these hives?” he asked erratically. “Do these look like hives to you?”
Ember rolled her eyes as she glanced at his arms. “I don’t see anything,” she replied, “and I don’t know why you’re the one panicking when going out for drinks was your idea.”
Fen let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Felt like a better idea from the safety of school if we’re being honest.”
The front steps creaked as they slowly made their way to the door, each step feeling like they were inching closer and closer to the guillotine. The door creaked open as they walked into the foyer, both stopping to glance at each other.
“Ready?” Fen whispered.
“As I’ll ever be.” Ember nodded.
The house was quiet, far too quiet for a September afternoon. Ember listened closely for the sounds of life she had come so accustomed to, but instead, she was met with silence. Maeve couldn’t be heard chattering away in the kitchen, and the sounds of pots and pans and dinner plates weren’t ringing in her ears. Otto’s laugh was absent, as well as Eira’s sing-song voice she had grown so used to hearing every night.
