Page 39 of Drawn in Blood
“Come with me.” Lord Erevan waved for them to follow as he stood from his seat toward the window that overlooked the city and leaned against the wall as they soaked in the view.
The moon reflected off the crystal-clear water below them, and the entire city looked like it could’ve been floating on the fog that had settled on the surface. A few lights dotted the windows on the houses, and Ember smiled. It was probably a child reading past their bedtime. The entire town square was visible from where they stood, shops and carts and stalls in a shape that looked like the sun. Ember closed her eyes as she imagined what it looked like during the day, what kind of food and drink and trinkets the shopkeepers might sell. Were there books she had never read before? All of a sudden, she had the urge to hunker down and never leave until she had explored every inch of this beautiful city.
“Am I correct in assuming this is your first visit to Arcelia?” Lord Erevan smirked.
Ember snapped her jaw closed and nodded.
“I’ve heard stories,” Fen almost whispered, “but I never imagined it would look like this.”
Ember looked over to Odette, and to her surprise, the girl had silent tears pooling on her lower lash. She didn’t blink, hardly seemed to breath as she looked out toward the ancient city, and Ember couldn’t help but wonder if she was seeing something the others couldn’t.
“Why do you bother coming to work in a tea shop?” Killian asked over his shoulder to Asteria, who was still lounging on the couch in front of the fire. “You could open a shop here, so what’s the point?”
Asteria shrugged as she sat up. “You get a bit stir crazy staying in one place your whole life.” She gracefully stood fromthe couch and waltzed over to where they stood. “Gives me something to do other than stare at the same things every day.”
“Our Asteria has always been a wanderer at heart.” Lady Adalaena smiled as she walked toward them, gently kissing Asteria on the temple. Asteria grimaced as she rolled her eyes.
“These are your parents?” Ember asked, as her eyes widened. “You grew up here?”
Asteria nodded shyly, an emotion Ember wasn’t ever aware she could convey. “With my brother.” She almost whispered it, like it was a secret she kept close to her chest.
“Wicked.” Fen grinned, suddenly emboldened by the fact that they weren’t in imminent danger. “So, you’re rich?”
Ember jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, and he let out a yelp as he jumped away.
“What?” he asked, as he rubbed the bruise Ember was sure was forming under his shirt.
“You have a brother?” Ember asked, as she scrunched her brow, and she didn’t miss the way Lady Adalaena’s eyes grew misty.
Asteria nodded. “He died, during the uprising—the war.” She spat the words like they left an awful taste in her mouth. “I don’t like to remain here for longer than necessary.”
Ember nodded. No other explanation was needed, she understood that feeling all too well.
“Your city is beautiful,” Odette said quietly.
“I’m still not sure why you’ve brought us here, I’m afraid,” Ember continued.
“Don’t ask questions,” Fen mumbled, as he stuffed chocolate in his pockets and mouth from a jar on a table by the window. Killian jabbed him in the ribs, and Fen yelped, quickly wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“You’re both so violent,” he mumbled and stuffed his hands in his now full pockets.
“It’s Fae food,” Killian hissed under his breath.
“Those are silly bedtime stories meant to make young Vala fear us.” Lady Adalaena smiled. “Take as much as you like.”
“I wanted to give you the opportunity to look around the town,” Lord Erevan continued. “You’re free to go wherever you wish, inside the temple and out.” He held both arms behind his back and looked out the window.
“I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Ember said slowly, looking at both Killian and Fen and then to Odette to see if they caught something she might’ve missed. Killian shrugged, and Fen shook his head.
“They want to show you,” Asteria interjected, “that they have nothing to hide.Wehave nothing to hide.”
“You see,” Lady Adalaena said, as she crossed the room to the open window, “our young are going missing too. Every few days, we have reports of a little one not returning home from school or from playing with friends. It’s concerning. Our territory is supposed to be protected from outsiders, from anyone who isn’t of Fae descent, but it seems we’ve let our guard down for too long.”
Ember’s heart sank, and by the looks on their faces, she could tell Fen and Killian were feeling the same way. If the Fae were truly innocent, and victims themselves, where did that leave them? Ember brushed the moisture from her lower lash as she leaned on the open window. People below them were leaving their homes, one by one, and walking out into their gardens. A distant hum started ringing in Ember’s ears as she watched, like a very soft whisper.
”What about someone that’s Faekin?” Fen said, as he peered out the window.
”Fae what?” Ember furrowed her brow.
