Page 13 of Drawn in Blood
Ember felt her face drop, and Killian gave her a confused look. She forced a smile as she slowly unwrapped the box, wrapping her fingers around the ribbon and pulling it away. Her eyes widened as she took the lid off the box and pulled out a pair of fingerless, leather gloves.
“Killian, these are beautiful,” she breathed, though guilt began to coil into a tight knot in her stomach. She averted her eyes, afraid that if she looked into his that he would see right through the already weak facade she was wearing.
Killian’s face fell as she bit her lip. “What’s wrong?” he asked, as he furrowed his brow.
Ember shook her head as she tried—and failed—to smile. “It’s just too much,” she replied quietly. “I can’t accept these.” Not only because she was sure they were wildly expensive, but what if she decided not to go through with the adoption at all?
“You can, and you will,” he replied sternly, as a grin played at the corner of his mouth. “Try them on.”
Ember hesitated, then finally slipped the gloves over her hands, feeling the leather hug her fingers as she snapped the buttons on the side.
“You’re going to mess your hands up with that death grip.” Killian shrugged with a smirk. “Just trying to save you some pain in the future.”
Ember rolled her eyes and stood to her feet, brushing the sand from her shirt and leggings. “Well,” she sighed. “Thank you either way.”
“Anytime, Starshine.” He winked and then turned to walk toward Fen.
Ember rolled her eyes as she picked up her board and walked over to the boys, Maia a step behind her.
“Ready, Em?” Fen asked enthusiastically.
“I’ve been ready for ages, dear brother.” She grinned as she hopped on her board and snapped the clasps around her shoes, shoving her hands in her pockets. “Shall we?”
Fen barked a laugh as he stepped on his own board, Killian following suit behind him, and the trio sped into the air. Ember closed her eyes as the wind whipped through her hair and bit at her cheeks, falling into a familiarity she never could’ve imagined was possible. Her body bent and swayed with the board under her feet, and Maia flapped her wings furiously to keep up. Ember gripped the sides of her board and did a nosedive toward the water, pulling up just in time. She hovered just above the waves, stretching out her arm to run her fingers along the crystal water. Maia chirped at her, and she turned her board back up, climbing into the sky.
Killian flew up beside her, flipping the pale hair out of his eyes and nodding toward the rock formation in the distance that was growing closer. “Race ya!” he shouted and then sped off toward Dranganir.
Ember grinned as she looked back toward her brother, who was currently fighting off two seagulls that were pecking at his hair and glasses.
“Fen!” she yelled, as he raised his hand to undoubtedly try and hex them. “They’re a protected species—don’t hurt them!”
Fen shot her a disgruntled look as he lowered his hand and sped toward her. Ember turned back around and made her wayto Dranganir where Killian had already kicked off his board and was lounging in the grass that was spread across the top of the giant rock.
Ember and Fen both hopped off their boards, leaning them against a small rock that sat toward the top of Dranganir, and walked over to Killian.
“You seem to have forgotten what a race is, Starshine,” he said smugly, as he laid back in the grass and closed his eyes.
Ember rolled her eyes. “Your mate was being bested by a flock of seagulls, and someone had to rescue him.” She quipped as she sat beside him and hung her legs over the edge of the stone formation.
“I was not,” Fen scoffed, as he crossed his arm and sat beside her. “I had everything under control, thank you very much.”
“You and I have two very different ideas of control.”
Killian smiled, eyes still closed as he soaked in the late afternoon sun. Ember shook her head as she laughed.
Fen scoffed as he stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. “Care to test that theory?” he asked, as he backed away from the edge and over to the flat piece of grass at the top of Dranganir. The very top of the formation sat perfectly flat, devoid of any bumps or hills. When one walked to one of the edges, it sloped downward dramatically toward the ocean right before leveling off at the bottom.
Killian pushed himself up on his elbow and stared back at his friend. “Challenge accepted,” he said, as he jumped up and ran to the center, directly across from where Fen stood.
“Oh, honestly,” Ember sighed, as she rolled her eyes. Their constant ‘dueling practice’ was getting very old, very quick, and the last thing she wanted to do was watch Fen be bested yet again. Killian didn’t have much going for him when it came to his family, but the dueling arena in the manor, complete withtargets that hexed back, was something he seemed to not take for granted.
“Hit me with your best shot, Vargr!” Fen yelled, as he got in position, “Don’t hold ba—” But before he could finish his thought, Killian fired a stunning spell in his direction, and he fell to the ground.
“Sometimes it’s just too easy,” Killian laughed, as he jogged to his friend and helped him off the ground. “Less talking might help, Kitt.” He grinned.
Fen narrowed his eyes at him as he brushed the dirt off his shirt. “That was a cheap shot, and you know it,” he grumbled.
“There’s no room for honor in war, my friend.” Killian smirked as he dodged Fen’s fist.
