Chapter 36 Wild Draics Couldn’t Keep Me Away
Wild Draics Couldn’t Keep Me Away
Ember lay in bed that night, flipping through her father’s journal, another small book, and studying the map of the tunnels over and over again as she gave Theo a brief synopsis of their plan.
He didn’t need all of the grand details—didn’t need to know how their mother truly felt about him—but he didn’t seem heartbroken over the prospect of leaving. If anything, he seemed excited.
So, he studied with her, looking over the maps again and again.
They didn’t know anything about the tunnels, didn’t have time to check them out before they took a gaggle of children into them searching for freedom.
They could be caved in for all they knew, or maybe the Jarl found them and blocked off.
Maybe it was a plan her father had made, but never carried out for a reason.
She rubbed her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut.
They didn’t have time to come up with a plan B—this was it.
They just had to pray to the gods that it would work.
The tether at her sternum tugged lightly, and a lump built in her throat.
Theo was sleeping soundly beside her, a book still open on his chest when a knock at the window sounded.
Ember bolted upright in her bed and snapped the book closed, slipping out of bed toward her balcony door. Another knock, and she gripped the book tighter. She peeked through the closed drapes and let out a gasp at the face smiling at her from the other side.
“You about gave me a heart attack!” she whispered—loudly—as she swung the doors open before she threw herself at the boys on the other side, wrapping her arms tightly around both of their necks. She steadied herself against them, the tether at her chest thrumming as she choked back tears.
“We really have to get you some new weapons.” Killian laughed as he looked down at her, snatching the book she had gripped in her hand as she stepped away.
“I have weapons,” Ember replied, as she sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I have loads of weapons.”
“You,” Killian grinned, “Ember Lothbrok, have weapons—plural?”
“I think you’ll find that I’m full of surprises, Killian Vargr.” She smirked.
“Can we focus on the rescue here?” Fen asked, snapping his finger between them.
“You weren’t very focused when you were screaming at every squirrel snapping a twig on our way here.” Killian grinned.
Fen’s cheeks colored as Ember looked between the two of them.
“Fen’s afraid of Sasquatch.” He smiled, nodding at his friend.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Fen interjected, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “I’m not afraid of Sasquatch. I just think we should all be on alert.”
Ember smiled, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as they bickered. Something inside her shook—her magic taking in air, like it had been underwater since she left Sigurvik. She wrapped Fen in a hug, holding him tight, as if she loosened her grip even for a moment, he might slip away.
“You’re here.” She grinned wildly.
“Wild draic’s couldn’t keep me away,” he whispered in reply.
“How did you get here?” she asked, wiping away the tears that were pooled on her bottom lash.
Fen grinned as he held up his wrist. A braided leather bracelet was wrapped around his arm, metal beads carved with runes scattered about it.
“Where did you get that?” Ember recognized it—it was the same bracelet Collum and that captain wore.
“Nicked it.” Fen shrugged with a grin, like it was no big deal.
Ember furrowed her brow at the boys and suddenly felt like she was back in Galdr, desperately trying to keep them out of trouble. “From whom?”
“Siris,” Killian replied with a slight grimace.
“You stole it from your brother?” Ember asked.
“The details aren’t important,” Fen replied, as he shook his head. “What matters now is that we’re here to take you home.”
Ember’s face fell. “I can’t leave,” she whispered, glancing over at Theo.
Fen seemed to read her mind. “We’re taking Theo too,” he replied. “Killian told me everything. We can easily Echo, like, five people at a time no problem.”
“No, it’s not that,” Ember said, as she shook her head. “The missing kids are here.” She took a breath as she looked at Fen, hope blooming in his eyes. “Maeve is here.”
Fen straightened his spine, his face growing dark as he tapped his finger against his leg. “Where?” he breathed, his voice suddenly shaky.
She heard the question he couldn’t say out loud.
Is she okay?
“She’s in the castle,” Ember whispered, nodding for them to walk onto the balcony and quickly closing the doors. “They all are. In the… dungeons underneath.”
She didn’t mention why they were in the dungeons—what Helvig was doing with them. Fen didn’t need to know that, or he might never leave.
“So, what are we waiting for?” He steeled himself as he looked between his friends. “Let’s go get them.”
“It’s not that simple,” Ember replied, as she shook her head. “We can’t just storm into the dungeons and whisk them away. It’s too heavily guarded. But we have a plan and—"
“Who is ‘we?’” Killian asked, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned on the railing.
“Oh,” Ember replied, gritting her teeth, “um, Rowan has been helping me.”
“You’re joking,” Fen gaped. “Ember, I will not leave my little sister’s life in that psycho’s claws.”
“I’m not saying we should trust her entirely, Fenrir,” Ember replied, “but she’s not that girl from last year. She could be our only shot at getting Maeve out alive.”
Alive. The opposite is something she hadn’t allowed herself to think about, to even consider.
“And what’s the plan?” Killian asked, as he furrowed his brow. “Why can’t we just execute it now, see if we can Echo the kids out?”
“We would never get past all of Helvig’s guards,” Ember replied, as she shook her head. “During the ball, they’ll be busy. There will be so many guests, they’ll be too focused on keeping an eye on them to heavily guard the dungeons. It should work.”
It was a big should.
“Oh, great.” Fen rolled his eyes. “Rowan has a plan, and I’m sure it’s lovely and not riddled with boobytraps.”
“She knows the castle like that back of her hand,” Ember replied. “She can help us if you will set your stupid pride aside.”
“Stupid pride?” Fen bristled. “Shall I remind you why she knows the castle so well? She’s been working with him for over a year, Ember! Or do you not remember last spring and how she almost killed all three of us? She can’t be trusted.”
“I’m not asking you to trust her,” Ember pleaded. “I’m asking you to trust me.”
Fen bit his lip. He didn’t say anything else.
“So, what’s the plan then?” Killian asked, as he checked over the garden again, shoulders tense. “If the dungeon is crawling with as many guards as Rowan says, how are we supposed to get down there?”
“The castle will be busy during the ball,” Ember replied, beginning to pace, “and while that likely means a larger presence of guards, they should be mostly upstairs. Rowan will cause a distraction while we slip away, and she’ll meet us downstairs.”
“I’m listening.” Fen nodded, brows furrowed.
Ember detailed the plan she and Rowan had outlined, down to the abandoned hallway they would be meeting in. She pulled out the map Elowyn gave them, marking the rendezvous points and the tunnel that led under the mountain—to freedom. To home.
“Why can’t we just Echo them out of the dungeon?” Fen asked, as he studied the map.
“It would take too long,” Killian replied, almost reading Ember’s thoughts. “There are so many children, and we would have to take long breaks in between groups to make sure our magic wasn’t depleted too much. It leaves too much room for error, too much time to get caught.”
“And the castle is warded,” Ember added. “Collum has only ever echoed me outside of it, never inside. I don’t even know that echoing out would even be possible.”
“There are too many variables,” Fen said, as he shook his head and handed her the map. “What if it doesn’t work?”
Ember folded the parchment and stuffed it in her pocket. “We will make it work,” she replied, “and if something goes wrong, then we pivot. But we will get those kids out.” She sucked in a breath as her eye’s met Fen’s. “We will get Maeve out.”
“And what’s to stop him from just snatching them back afterward?” Killian asked. “What if this just becomes a game of cat and mouse?”
“We need to tell Eira and Otto,” Ember replied, as she fidgeted with the pendant around her neck, “and maybe even Captain Balor. This isn’t something we can keep to ourselves anymore. It’s too big.”
“They’re not going to believe us,” Fen replied, shaking his head.
“Then, we make them believe us,” Ember snapped. “I feel like the bruises around Maeve’s wrists and neck will be enough proof.”
Fen paled, sinking back against the railing as the life seemed to drain from his eyes.
“After we free them,” Ember continued, “they won’t be as protected as they are now. It might not be forever, but it’ll buy us some time.”
Killian studied her as she bit the inside of her cheek, averting her eyes as much as possible.
“There’s something you aren’t saying,” he prodded. “Spill, Starshine.”
Ember swallowed dryly. “He’s looking for a Wildling,” she replied, keeping her eyes glued to the balcony floor. “He’s been looking for me. He’s sick and something about my blood—about Wildling blood—is important to him. It’s why he’s been kidnapping kids.”
“So, then, it’s simple.” Fen nodded. “We free the children, and we don’t let you anywhere near him.”
Ember sighed as she blew a stray hair from in front of her eyes. “I don’t think it will be that simple unfortunately. I don’t think he’ll ever simply leave me alone. He needs me for a lot more than healing it seems.”