Chapter 9 Sign Language and Other Secrets #2
“It’s not,” he chuckled. “You’re just making it complicated. Here, it's like this.” He stepped closer and gently grabbed her right wrist, put his hand over her fingers, curled them into a fist, and then placed it over the center of her chest. “My…” he whispered, as he stepped closer.
Ember’s breath hitched in her chest as she swallowed dryly and nodded, green eyes locked with charcoal.
He took her hand again, moving her fingers to make a backwards ‘L.’ His fingers brushed against her cheek, and he gently pulled her wrist to the right of her face, making her skin tingle and heart flutter.
“Name…” he whispered with a grin, stepping closer, hand still wrapped around her tiny wrist. He slowly moved her hand to form the different letters of her name as she took a shaky breath. “Is Ember,” he said huskily, his fingers gently brushing against the back of her hand.
Ember’s breath stuttered as her heartbeat wildly in her chest. She nodded that she understood, but before either of them could say anything, or acknowledge the heaviness that had settled in the room, a Helio zipped under the closed door of the library and stopped right in the middle of them, hovering at their chests.
Ember took a step back as Fen’s panicked voice rang through the room around them.
“Come quick,” was all he said before the blue light vanished in a puff of mist.
Ember ran down the steps to tell her mother where she was going and caught the tail end of a Helio she was sending out.
“She’s safe with me,” Aoife snapped on the other side of the study door, “She’s with me now.”
Ember shook away the questions as Killian grabbed her hand and sped out the front door and to the Echopoint at the end of the front path.
They grabbed the lowest branch, and Ember barely registered that Killian had grabbed her free hand and muttered, “Kitt,” under his breath.
They spun through the air, landing with a thud outside the familiar gate, pushing through it and running quickly up the long drive.
When they finally reached the house, Ember’s heart dropped to her stomach.
She sucked in a breath, instinctively squeezing Killian’s hand that she still hadn’t let go of.
The porch was covered in officers of the Guard.
Wardens. Men clad in black and brown leather, like warriors from one of her fantasy books, walking in and out of the house and around the back and sides.
Ember noticed the leather bracelets that each of them had on their wrists, and the runes tattooed on their right arms. One of them narrowed his eyes at Ember as they made their way across the front lawn, jaw tensing as he watched her walk.
Ember swallowed dryly as she averted her eyes.
Even Chief Thornsten was there, standing in the yard, talking to Otto and Eira as Killian and Ember made their way toward them.
“Ember!” Maeve yelled, but not in the joyful squeal she had become accustomed to hearing from the little girl. Her freckled cheeks were bright red and coated in dried tears, and she sniffled as she wrapped her arms tightly around Ember’s waist.
“Maeve, what’s wrong?” Ember asked quietly, as she knelt to hug the little girl, who then collapsed into her arms.
“It was so scary,” was all she whispered, as she buried her head into Ember’s neck.
Ember stood up and walked toward the family standing by the porch, Maeve’s arms still wrapped tightly around her waist.
“Mo Chroi, you’re okay,” Otto breathed, as he broke away from the chief and wrapped Ember in a hug, kissing her lovingly on the head before scooping Maeve into his arms.
Ember furrowed her brow in confusion as she nodded. Of course she was fine. Her house wasn’t the one covered in Wardens.
“You made it,” Fen said, as he rushed toward them, stopping abruptly as he narrowed his eyes. “At the same time,” he said, as he looked between the two. “Were you together?”
“Killian came over to help me learn some sign language,” Ember said quickly before Killian could chime in. “We got your Helio and came over together.”
She wasn’t sure why she was nervous, or why she felt like she was lying to Fen. All they had done was learn sign language. She was choosing to ignore the butterflies and the way her veins felt like they had molten lava running through them when Killian’s hand touched hers.
“I can’t believe you hung out without me,” Fen grumbled, as they walked toward the house.
Ember rolled her eyes. “Are you going to fill us in or complain about how we spent the afternoon?”
Fen huffed as he took a few steps away from his parents, motioning for the other two to follow him. “Mum had to go to the market, and she didn’t want us staying home alone.”
Killian snickered, and Fen shot him a glare, prompting the blond to quickly close his mouth.
“When we came home, everything seemed normal enough until Maeve went upstairs and started screaming.”
Ember winced at the thought of the terrified little girl, the little one who she considered her sister for the last year, and her heart ached. She remembered all too vividly how it felt to be a terrified seven-year-old.
“Her room was a disaster,” he continued. “Sheets ripped off the bed, window broken, door ripped damn near off it’s hinges.” He shuddered as he crossed his arms.
Ember furrowed her brow as her heart sank. “They only went in Maevie’s room?”
Fen sighed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “And yours.”
Ember’s heart sank. She didn’t even live here anymore, so why would anyone be in her room? She shook her head.
My old room.
“Mum and Dad were worried they had gone to your house when they realized you were gone,” Fen continued. “That’s why I sent the Helio.”
Ember shook her head. “No I’m fine. Mum has some pretty strong wards.” She furrowed her brow as her eyes narrowed at Killian. “How did you get through them actually?”
Killian smirked as he cocked his brow. “Mothers love me, what can I say.” He shrugged.
Ember rolled her eyes before turning back to Fen. “Don’t your parents have wards up?”
Fen sighed as he nodded. “Da’ took them down to rework something. He didn’t feel like the ‘standard’ wards the chief suggested were strong enough. He had planned to reinforce them when he got off work.”
“Did they take anything?” Ember knew the answer before she asked the question, but she didn’t want to believe it.
Out of all the break ins and kidnappings that had happened over the summer, the only thing that ever turned up missing were the children.
Pearls and priceless family heirlooms were always left untouched, but they still took the most valuable thing from these families.
The thought that they had gone into the Kitts’ home, with only the intention of taking Maeve, made her sick to her stomach.
“Nothing,” Fen confirmed, as he shook his head, though it looked like that thought had settled him just as much as it had her. “It was odd, though. Your room looked like a war zone, like a bomb had been dropped in the center of it. Maeve’s wasn’t as bad, almost like it was an afterthought.”
Ember shuddered as she shook her head. “Maybe they thought it was Maeve’s room. Maybe it was a mistake.”
“Maybe,” Killian shrugged as he ran his hand through his hair, “but these people don’t strike me as the type to make mistakes.”
“There’s another problem, though,” Fen whispered, as he checked over his shoulder. “You remember the O’Malley’s down the road?”
Ember nodded as she furrowed her brow. They had spent many days last summer helping Mrs. O’Malley with things around their farm while her husband was away visiting family in Scotland.
She had her hands full with three young children, and another on the way, and didn’t have the time or energy to take care of the garden or livestock the way she normally could.
Ember spent many mornings pulling weeds and harvesting vegetables while Mrs. O’Malley chatted her ear off and brought her honey sandwiches and moon cider for lunch.
“Kady went missing last night,” he whispered. “Plucked straight out of her bed without a sound. All of this is getting far too close to home for my liking.”
Ember’s breath caught in her chest. Fen was right, this was becoming very real very fast.
“Oh, my love,” Ember heard Eira say, as she walked up to the group of teenagers, wrapping her in a hug that felt like warmth and home and adventure all at once.
“Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?
” Eira cupped Ember’s face gently in her hands, checking her over once, twice, three times for any obvious injuries.
After a moment, she wrapped her in another hug, and Ember felt herself relax in the embrace.
“Ah, Miss Lothbrok,” Chief Thornsten’s voice rang, as he walked toward the group, “I didn’t see you when we arrived.”
Ember squared her shoulders as he walked closer—something about him made her skin crawl.
“I only just arrived, sir,” she replied quietly.
A Warden walked up to the small group, both hands behind his back as he stood tall beside Chief Thornsten.
He squared his broad shoulders, his back stiff as a board, green eyes boring holes into the three teenagers.
His red, wavy hair was cut short around his ears, left longer at the top, and freckles traveled across his tan face.
“Ah, Captain,” the chief said to the man with a nod, turning back to Otto. “Otto, this is Captain Eoghan Balor.”
Captain Balor nodded, shaking Otto’s hand.
“My men have finished searching the premises, and everything seems to be clear, no sign of the intruders wandering about or hiding in the barn.” He gave a nod in the direction of the barn and house.
“You are free to go inside and get your room back in order, Miss Lothbrok.” He looked straight at her, like they had already been introduced and had known each other for years. A chill ran down her spine.