Chapter 4
A Duel on Dranganir
Time seemed to fly by at the speed of sound as Ember threw herself into school, spending the weekends soaking in the last of the summer sun with Fen and Killian in the orchards.
Eira made supper every night, and Ember soaked in the familiar feeling of togetherness that she had become so accustomed to.
It was Friday, the last weekend in September, and Thea was supposed to come over soon to talk about the adoption. Ember was a bundle of nerves walking through the halls of Heksheim after the last class. Bells sounded behind her, and Ember felt herself tense up as Odette walked up beside her.
“You’re looking a little grey today,” Odette said, as she squinted toward Ember, those unseeing eyes piercing her in a way that made the hair on her neck and arms rise. “Or perhaps a tinge of black.” She hummed, almost to herself.
“Black?” Ember asked, as she scrunched her brow, adjusting the bag on her shoulder.
Odette nodded as she continued down the spiraling staircase. “Your aura.” She shrugged, like it should be common knowledge. “It’s normally closer to an indigo, but you seem to be devoid of color all together here lately.”
“You can see my aura?” Ember whispered. “But… you can’t see anything.” Ember mentally berated herself—of course Odette knew that.
“I can see a lot more than many give me credit for,” she replied, almost a whisper, face falling.
“And what about Killian?” Ember asked, trying to steer the conversation in any other direction than the dismal destination it was headed.
“Orange,” Odette nodded, screwing her face in concentration, “sometimes with a halo of red. Very courageous and protective, but sometimes his ego gets in the way.”
Ember chuckled as she nodded—that sounded about right.
“And Fen?” she asked next, feet hitting the last step as she turned and walked toward the towering doors that led out of Heksheim. “What does Fen’s aura look like?”
Odette smiled to herself. “Yellow,” she replied, her grin growing, “a bright, sunny yellow that lights up every dark crevice in the world around him.”
Ember smiled as she nodded, and she could’ve sworn Odette’s cheeks stained crimson. “How long have you been able to see people’s aura’s?” she asked, as they made their way through the large double doors and out into the sun. She sighed as the light touched her face, like magic caressing her cheeks.
“As long as I can remember,” Odette replied. “It’s both a gift and a burden, the things I can see.” Her face fell, only slightly, like the weight of it had suddenly become too heavy.
“Can you see other things?” Ember asked, kicking a rock by her shoe.
Odette nodded but didn’t elaborate.
“Slow down, Em!” Fen said, as he ran up behind the girls, tripping over his feet as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Ember slowed her gait, turning around with a laugh to help her brother back to his feet.
His cheeks flushed as his eyes landed on Odette, and she gave him a small smile. “Oh, um, hi, Odette,” he said, as he cleared his throat, wiping away the bits of dust clinging to his trousers.
“Hello, Fenrir.” She smiled with a nod. “I suppose you have to go get ready for the adoption ceremony.” She turned to Ember, something like concern washing over her face.
Ember felt her heart begin to rattle against her ribs as she swallowed dryly. “I suppose I do,” she replied quietly.
Odette gave her a small smile, and Ember nearly jumped backwards when the girl reached out and took hold of her hand, squeezing it gently. “Be careful,” she whispered, barely audible, her white eyes almost glowing as they seemed to see right through her.
Ember swallowed again. “Right, um, have a good weekend, Odette,” she replied and then turned and sped away, down the walkway toward the wards surrounding the school.
“Slow down!” Fen yelled again, jogging to catch up.
“Thea will be over in two days,” Ember breathed, trying to slow the thumping in her chest.
Fen nodded his head as he scrunched his brow. “Right…. What are we rushing about again?”
Ember huffed as she blew a stray hair out of her eyes and crossed her arms. “I just have stuff to do. I don’t know. I have to get ready.”
“The only thing you have to do this weekend,” Killian said, as he jogged up beside them and threw his arm over her shoulder, “is go flying.”
“Flying?” Ember squinted and wriggled her way out of his grasp.
“This weekend we’re celebrating.” He grinned.
Ember bit her lip. Of course they wanted to celebrate.
She turned and walked down the road, both of the boys flanking her left and right, and a wave of guilt washed over her.
Fen, she was sure, thought that Thea was just going to give her information about how the adoption worked, and then they would celebrate and everything would be finalized.
But if she was being honest, she still wasn’t sure if she wanted to be adopted.
She loved the Kitts so much it hurt, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was betraying her parents.
This was going to be a long weekend.
“Fenrir, honestly,” Ember sighed. She rolled her eyes and let her fingers sink into the sand. “It’s not a Rukr game. Do you have to do that?”
Fen was busy stretching on the beach, currently bent over trying to touch his toes, which he was struggling with.
“Your muscles don’t care if it’s a game or a leisurely ride, Em.” He grunted. “They’ll pull either way if you don’t keep them loose.”
Ember rolled her eyes at his theatrics and leaned back on her elbows in the sand, letting the warm sun wash over her skin. Maia curled up beside her, cooing and clicking as she nuzzled her snout into Ember’s arm.
“Waiting on me, Starshine?” Killian smirked as he walked up beside her and sat in the sand.
“Couldn’t very well start without you, could we?” Ember laughed. “Besides, Fen wouldn’t let me even if I wanted to.” She shouted the last part in Fen’s direction, who shot her a rude gesture over his shoulder.
“I have something for you,” Killian said, a little quieter this time. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box wrapped in green wrapping paper tied with a gold ribbon.
Ember furrowed her brow as she took it from his hand, twirling it around and admiring the way the ribbon shined in the later afternoon sun. “Were we supposed to exchange gifts?” she asked with a laugh.
Killian shook his head as he smiled. “No nothing like that,” he smirked, “Just a little ‘I’m sorry Fen will now legally be your brother’ gift.”
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 way to 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.