Page 122 of Drawn in Blood
Collum used his free hand, shooting a spell at the group. Theo’s eyes were wide with fear, hiding behind Odette as he clutched her shirt, dodging the hex. Killian tried to fire back, but Collum blocked it with ease.
“I saw the five of you slip out of the ballroom after the explosion,” Collum almost bragged. “I decided then and there that your mum’s faith in you wasn’t enough, so I followed you to see what mischief you had planned.”
Killian took a step forward, but that only made Collum press the knife tighter to her neck.
“I have to say,” he laughed, almost manically, “I never imagined I would hit such a jackpot. Turning over thieves to the Jarl? Catching you in the act of trying to break out prisoners? He’ll reward me greatly for handing you over.”
Ember took a shaky break, the knife digging into her skin. She felt blood trickle down her neck as she steadied her breathing and closed her eyes. “You don’t have to do this, Collum,” she whispered. “Just let us go, and no one will be the wiser. These children are innocent, even you should agree that they don’t deserve to be locked up like wild animals.”
“The Jarl’s word is law,” Collum hissed. He removed the knife, running it down the side of her face.
Ember winced as blood trickled down her cheek.
“Maybe,” he continued, whispering in her ear, “you will be my prize from Helvig when I turn you over.” His breath was hot on her neck, reeking of whiskey. He ran his free hand down her side, grabbing her waist, gripping her dress in his bony fingers.
Ember held her breath, holding back the whimper threatening at her lips.
“You will not touch her,” Killian growled, his eyes flashing amber as he clenched his fists.
“I would love to see you try and stop me.” Collum grinned.
Fen came at him first. Not with a spell, no. He ran toward him, flying through the air and grabbing Collum’s arm to wrestle the knife away. Ember dropped to the floor right as Collum shoved Fen off him into the stone wall. Fen cried out as his head collided with the wall, and Ember moved to crawl away as fast asshe could, toward Theo and Odette. He grabbed her ankle, dug in with all his might as he dragged her back to him.
A growl sounded through the dungeons, bouncing off the ceiling and piercing her ears. In less than a second, a great white wolf was standing where Killian stood, tearing toward Collum. He let go of Ember's ankle, swinging the knife with all his might at the wolf, and Killian grabbed his wrist in his mouth, clamping down until Collum screamed. Killian but down harder, bones crunching as he hurtled him harder than Ember had ever seen, straight into the wall. He crumbled as his head made contact with the stone and slumped on the floor where he landed.
Theo ran to Ember, eyes rimmed red as he wrapped his arms around her still halfway behind Odette, Fen breathing rapidly behind her. She squeezed his hand as she wrapped him in a hug.
I’m here.
“Bloody hell,” a voice sounded from the end of the hall, “you couldn’t wait fifteen minutes to begin the bloodshed?” Rowan made her way quickly to the end of the dungeon. “What happened to you?” She looked at Fen on the floor, a bruise blooming on his cheek and blood trickling down his lip.
“I had to try something.” Fen shrugged, pushing himself off the floor. “I thought I could get to him before he realized what was happening.”
Rowan laughed as she gave him a once over. “Are you implying that you are even remotely capable of stealth?”
Fen huffed as he shoved away from the wall he was leaning against, jamming a finger in her chest, teeth clenched. “The risk I took was calculated.”
Rowan smirked as she raised a brow. “Man, are you bad at math.”
“I did not come here to be insulted by you, Rowan O’Rourke,” he hissed, nostrils flaring.
“Oh?” She grinned as she crossed her arms lazily over her chest. “And where do you usually go?”
“Can we finish this later?” Killian asked. He was back in his finely pressed suit, sporting only a cut on his cheek, no doubt where the knife had nicked him. He walked past the group and over to the cell door, all of the children huddled in the corner whimpering.
All of them, except for Maeve.
She was still standing at the bars, back straight as wisps floated around her hands, like she had been in a dozen battles before, her eyes harder than Ember ever remembered them being. Something burned behind them. Maybe she would’ve thought it was anger or self-preservation or guilt for not being able to help, except Ember knew that look. She had given herself the same look in the mirror a thousand times before. Her childhood had gone up in flames, and she was watching it burn to ash.
Ember swallowed as she gave her a gentle smile. “Are you ready to go home?”
Maeve gave her a nod, and the wisps suddenly floated out of the dungeon and into the lock. Maeve flicked her eyes to the lock, and then pushed the door open, ushering the smaller children out, and ran to her brother, wrapping him in a hug and whispering something in his ear that he didn’t seem to hear.
Ember furrowed her brow as the wisp floated beside her, and then she walked back over to her friends.
“Head for the tunnels,” she said. “I’ll get Aesira out and meet you down there.”
Killian acted like he wanted to argue, but she held up her hand, his charcoal eyes meeting hers.
