Together we fall

22 | Ember

Ember had never been to the forbidden cities.

Sure, she'd wanted to, but she'd never been able to find a leaping crystal; never been able to convince her mother to teleport her either.

The leap wasn't much different than the leap she took to Foxfire every morning—calm and boring. The usual feather feeling was almost softer, like the warm sensation was flooding her body instead of it being channeled outward.

As their feet touched the pavement, Ember gasped in wonder.

Everything was so boxy and dull; the small neighborhood was made of brick and wood, not crystal or glass like she was used to. They stood in the middle of a road, the hot gravel beneath her feet seeping through her thin flats and searing her skin.

Her mother pointed to a small house in front of them with an enormous backyard peeking out from the sides. It was square and gray; the only pop of color was the shutters hinged on the windows, which were buttery yellow. The sloped roof had brown shingles and a small brick chimney peeking out on the left side.

"This is their house," her mother said.

The four of them quickly walked out of the street, not wanting to be hit by any human vehicles.

Ember heard a cacophony of voices coming from the backyard as her mother smiled.

"They must be in the back," her dad said, leading the way as he walked up the driveway, then into the backyard.

Ember smiled. She was excited to finally meet real humans.

"Come on, Emer," she said, tugging on Emerson's arm as they followed her parents to the back of the house.

He grinned. "I love it when you call me that."

She grinned back. "Yeah?"

He nodded, taking her hand in his as they reached the backyard.

They both let out a collective breath as they gazed at the new surroundings.

The yard was tiny by elf standards, but probably enormous by human standards.

It was wide, with towering pine trees lining the fence and a small fire pit on the patio. It had rich green grass and a small shed wedged between two aspen trees and a few scattered bushes.

It was . . . charming.

In the middle of the lawn stood a tall woman with short curly hair, who was pushing a little girl on what Ember assumed was a swing set. The girl had to be her daughter, judging from their similar dark hair and pale green eyes.

Ember's mother immediately rushed over and gave the women a hug. "Amy!"

"Sophie?" Amy gasped as she stopped pushing the little girl and hugged her sister back. "I haven't seen you in years!"

"I know," Ember's mom agreed. "It's been way too long."

Amy glanced back at Emerson and her. "Are these your kids?" She squealed, immediately running over and hugging them both.

"That one is," she said as Amy hugged Ember. "This is Ember."

"Hi," Ember said warmly.

Amy smiled. "You're a perfect mix of your parents, Ember."

Ember smiled back.

"Who's this?" Amy asked as she looked at Emerson.

"That's Emerson," Ember's mom said. "He's Biana and Dex's son."

Amy smirked. "I always thought they'd get married."

Amy looked back to Ember's father and grinned. "Keefe!"