Half of Ruby

Chapter 15

It was as though Gus had never come, as though Ember had never lost her wallet, as though she'd never received the note. It was as though she'd never ran to the town center to find him, as though Gus had never escaped from her house with his cloak drawn over his head. 

It was as though nothing had happened.

And Ember would've almost thought so, had it not been for the charred black marks she left on the staircase, the little lump of dirt under the rosebushes, the note inside her purse. 

She ran her fingers over the little black burns every time she meandered downstairs. She could be proud of those marks. She could be proud of herself. 

If you can stand up to Ash, you can stand up to anybody. 

I might be a peacemaker, thought Ember, heading downstairs to prepare breakfast. But I'm not weak. 

Yes, she did have a soft spot for humans. But it didn't make her feeble. 

Then what does it make me? 

She spread a thin slice of butter across the heated frying pan and cracked an egg into it. Plumes of oily smoke arose from the pan as she swirled the eggs around absentmindedly and slid them out onto a plate. 

Cutting out a wedge of cornbread, she pointed her finger at the pan, which zoomed into the sink. Sometimes magic helps more than it hinders, and other times...it's the other way around. 

She instinctively touched the breast pocket of her white shift, which she'd sown on years ago to contain the most valuable of her items. 

The bulge in the pocket was her only reminder of Gus. 

She ran an apple under the faucet, sunlight sparkling on the crimson skin in iridescent showers. Ember settled into her seat and bit into the apple, savoring its sweet crispness.

The cornbread melted in buttery chunks against her tongue as she gazed out the window, eyes glassy as she recalled Gus' visit. Muted by the normality of the past three days, it seemed inconceivably distant. 

I wish I could argue with Ash again, thought Ember. Why haven't I? 

Perhaps it had been guilt, or a need to make her Coven happy. No, not her Coven. Her family. Besides, Ash looked so stressed of late, her dirty blonde hair falling out in chunks, sherry-colored eyes narrowed as she gnawed her lips red. 

Did I make her like that? I've been so compliant in these last few days, though....

Ember sighed. 

Not allowed out of the house...not allowed to have any contact with humans...everything's back to normal.

Except I'm not satisfied anymore. 

Yes, before meeting Gus, she'd obeyed Ash and Flame, staying at home while they worked. She'd went along with what they'd wanted because she couldn't argue against their hatred towards humans. 

Now she could. She had. 

And she'd failed. 

But if I could just talk to Gus one more time....

Ember hissed in frustration. Her mind whirled around like a tempest, angry storm clouds bursting through her thoughts in fiery explosions. If she hadn't gone to Astratroix, she wouldn't have lost her purse. Gus wouldn't have come. Or would he have? 

If I hadn't gone to Astatroix....

A swirl of recollections burst into her head like firecrackers, loud and blistering. Ember jabbed her fork against her eggs. The silver tool impaled the tender yolk and white, stabbing against the white porcelain of the plate in a ferocious chink.