Drawn in Blood (The Ellesmere Saga #2)

Chapter 1

Believe Nothing That You Hear

The summer breeze whipped through Ember’s fiery red braid as she felt the board under her feet glide across the air.

Maia flanked her to the right, flapping her wings furiously as she dipped and twirled with the wind, and Fen was to her left, letting out a barking laugh as he sped faster.

They were quickly approaching Dranganir—a large rock formation with the center carved out by the wind and waves.

Ember whipped her head to the side and shot a grin at Fen.

“Meet you at the top,” she shouted over the rushing wind.

The little draic, who was now closer to Maeve’s Cat Sidhe Della’s size, let out a playful growl and barreled forward, Ember still hot on her heels.

Fen raced forward and let out a howl as he shot ahead.

Instead of slowing to avoid the monstrous formation, Ember carefully leaned her body forward, bracing her hands on the edge as she curled her fingers tightly over the smooth surface.

She sped toward the opening, feeling the salt spray against her cheeks as she dipped closer to the water.

The sun was still rising ahead of her, bathing the sea in apricot and violet.

After the school year ended, Eira and Otto had surprised her with an Airwave of her very own.

From the moment she got it, she had spent every early summer morning on it, racing Maia across the waves as they licked at her shoes.

The days were long and sweet, and she spent every moment that she could on the water.

She always thought she should be afraid of the ocean, that it should’ve brought back memories of losing her parents, but it didn’t.

She felt them there, in the way the waves crashed against the rocks and barreled toward the shore.

She could feel her mother running her hands through her hair in the wind and could hear her father’s laughter in the water that brushed her fingertips.

They were there, immortalized. Njord reminded her every chance he got.

The summer solstice had already come and gone, and the start of their second year was quickly approaching.

The events of the previous year felt like a distant memory now.

She had finally settled into life at the Kitts’, spending cozy evenings by the fire playing card games with Maeve or reading a book while Eira patched another hole in the newly seven-year-old’s jumper.

It felt like home, somewhere familiar and exciting all at once.

Her days were spent with Killian and Fen, trying to talk them off the edge of whatever cliff they felt so inclined to throw themselves off that day.

She rolled her eyes at their jokes, but secretly loved every moment of it.

Though, she would never let Killian hear her say that.

“Come on, Em!” Fen shouted from the top of the rock formation, waving his arms wildly in the air.

Ember grinned and waved back at him, slowing to a stop midair before looking back toward Maia, who was flying in circles beside her.

“One more time?” she whispered, but she didn’t wait for a response.

She shot straight up into the air, climbing higher and higher as the wind hit her cheeks and sucked the breath out of her lungs.

Just when she thought she couldn’t get any closer to the clouds, she stopped.

Carefully bending over, she unhooked her shoes from her board.

She spread her arms out to the side and closed her eyes, listening to the god of the wind and sea whisper in her ear.

She sucked in a breath and then fell backwards, plummeting toward the water below.

She fell faster and faster, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she neared the icy water.

Just before she hit the waves, she flipped her body around and felt her AirWave firmly beneath her feet.

She crouched as it zipped forward, leaning her body back and slowing herself to a stop.

She jumped off the board, stumbling for just a moment as her feet sank into the soft grass at the top of Dragnanir.

“That was the smoothest one yet.” Fen smiled as they sat on the grass, legs hanging over the edge of the rock.

“Do you really have such little faith in me, Fenrir?” Ember smirked as Maia purred at her side, sage wings folded against her back.

“You’re getting faster too. How long was that, like three seconds?” Fen laughed, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“You’re so invested in me making the team this year I thought you would have a timer.” Ember grinned. She was trying out for Rukr this fall, and Fen had made it a point to train her all summer long.

“You think breakfast is ready yet?” Fen asked, as he leaned back on his elbows and closed his eyes, the sun warming his tan skin. “She was up making all of your favorites when I went out to take care of Arlo—bacon and potato farls with eggs and sausage…”

Ember could’ve sworn she saw him wipe drool off his chin.

“It’s not your birthday, right?”

Ember laughed, her stomach now growling as she realized how hungry she was. To be frank, everything Eira made was her favorite. She couldn’t think of a single thing that had ever been placed on the table that she hadn’t devoured without a second thought.

“Honestly, Fen, do you ever think of anything other than food?”

“Sure,” he shrugged, “I sleep for like ten hours a night.”

Ember shook her head with a laugh. “Well, maybe we should head home and see what the special occasion is?”

The pair kicked off their shoes as they entered the mudroom, flinging sand all over the floor as they went. The smell of bacon, eggs, and potatoes greeted them as they walked into the kitchen and mugs of hot tea sat waiting on the table to their left.

“If the pair of you track sand into my kitchen again, you’ll be mopping the floors for the next week,” Eira scolded, but the shadow of a smile played at the corner of her mouth.

Ember’s heart was fit to burst as she nestled herself in the breakfast nook.

It was a morning like every other she had that summer, but she still found herself thinking about how truly grateful she was for the family that she had.

The family that chose her a year ago and had continued to choose her every day since.

Otto’s gruff laugh boomed as the front door slammed closed, and he shuffled into the kitchen, Maeve giggling beside him as she clung to his leg.

“Good morning, my loves.” Otto smiled as he kissed his wife on the head and pried the giggling seven-year-old off his calf, sticking her in her chair at the table. “What’s the occasion?”

“Can’t I just love on my family with a filling breakfast?” Eira asked, as she used her spatula to point to the mountains of food piled on the kitchen counter.

“You,” Otto smiled as he kissed his wife’s cheek, “are a terrible liar, Mrs. Kitt.”

Fen groaned as he buried his head in his hands, but Ember couldn’t help but smile. The love that lived in their home used to overwhelm her, used to suffocate her and threaten to swallow her whole. But now? Now she couldn’t get enough of it.

“So, what are your plans today?” Otto asked, as he sipped his tea.

“We were thinking about going to the Rukr pitch to practice later,” Fen said through bites of bacon and eggs. “Professor Bjorn said the wards would be open for students, and Em needs a lot more practice at this point.”

Ember kicked his shin under the table, and he proceeded to choke on the too-large bite of eggs he had just stuck in his mouth.

“You’re trying out this year?” Eira asked from the kitchen.

“I think so.” Ember shrugged with a laugh. “I’m just not sure if I could handle taking orders from Killian if we’re being honest.”

Killian Vargr had been made Captain of the Rukr team, the first time a second year had ever been given that honor, and it did nothing to help his already inflated ego.

He strutted around the orchard with his AirWave tucked under his arm, barking orders to Fen and Ember, and it took all her willpower not to peg him with the apples she was hovering beside at the top of tree.

“I’ll run and change and meet you at the door!” Fen almost shouted, as he shoved away from the table and made his way to the stairs.

“Actually,” Eira interrupted, as she grabbed him by the shoulder and redirected him back into the kitchen, “we have something we need to talk to you all about, as a family.”

Ember furrowed her brow as she chewed the last bite of her breakfast. Otto and Eira looked happy, ecstatic even, but their words coiled around the knot that was quickly forming in her stomach.

Maybe such a heavy breakfast wasn’t a good idea.

Fen made his way slowly back to his seat and slumped down, arms crossed over his chest as he tapped his foot impatiently. Eira sat beside Otto, tightly intertwining her small fingers in his.

“Ember,” Eira began, voice shaking slightly, “we—"

A bright ball of red flew through the kitchen and hovered ominously over the top of the table. Ember’s mouth hung open, and her eyes grew wide as she felt the magic buzz around it, and then a voice echoed through the tiny space.

“Chief Thorsten has called a town meeting at twelve o’clock this afternoon. Attendance of all residents on Ellesmere Island is mandatory. Please arrive in Sigurvik at town hall promptly. Thank you.”

And then the ball of light, along with the booming voice, disappeared into a cloud of smoke. The table stayed silent only for a moment before Otto chuckled and finished the last sip of his tea.

“I suppose that solidifies our afternoon plans.” He smirked as he pushed himself up from the table. “Let’s go find you a clean jumper, Maevie.”

“We’ll talk more when we get home.” Eira smiled as she squeezed Ember’s hand. “Both of you better go get cleaned up. We’ll need to leave in just a few minutes.”