The Ymbryne Academy

Chapter 26

Esmé was busy in the kitchen while Alma was speaking with the mentors about something. The younger woman heard a knock on the door and walked over, opening it.

"Oh hello, what a nice surprise." Esmé said with a smile. "Come in, come in. How are you doing?"

"Just fine." Orchid says with a suspicious look. The mentors looked over when they heard the two talking and the woman tensed up, seeing all of them.

"It's alright, I already spoke to them." Esmé says though all of the ymbrynes were still unsure how they felt towards her.

"Maybe I should go. I'm not sure it was a great idea to come here." She said, turning to leave.

"No! Don't go, please?" Esmé asked.

"Why do you care?" She says with a glare.

"As I've said before, I apologize for everything that Miss Avocet had done. None of us ever accepted the way she ran things. You can leave if you would really like to, but it would be appreciated if you didn't kill anymore ymbrynes."

"Well I don't plan to." She said stiffly. She gazed into the house, at the many pairs of eyes watching her every move.

Ayn came downstairs, surprised when she saw the woman. "Woah, she's hot."

"Ayn!" Esmé scolds and the woman looked at her.

"You're a wight." She says, unfazed.

"I'm also dead." Ayn shrugs.

"Ayn, enough." Esmé says firmly.

"This is an.. interesting home." The woman said as she looked around.

Alma stepped out from the parlor and the woman backed up, unsure what to make of them all.

"Am I unwelcome here?" She asked as she glanced nervously around. Her mind was telling her to run.

"No, no, of course you're welcome." Esmé says softly and gently took her hand. Orchid look at her hand unsure before she was gently pulled into the kitchen. "I could make you some tea if you'd like."

"Sure." She said as she followed Esmé into the house. "Do a lot of people live here?" She asked.

"Yes, well, for our home I suppose it's more than it used to be." Esmé says, turning on the kettle.

"It feels.. full." She said as she looked around, feeling a bit claustrophobic.

"Would you like to go somewhere else to sit? The library is bigger and more quiet." Esmé offers and the woman sends her a strange look.

"What?" Esmé asked, curious. The woman simply shook her head.

"Orchid, right?" Alma asked as she entered the kitchen.

"Yes." The woman says, unsure as she looked over the ymbryne, her tension still there.

Alma walked over and wrapped her arm around Esmé's waist. She kissed the younger woman's cheek and leaned against her.

The woman didn't say anything as she looked over at them, as if she could determine something.

"We're not going to do anything." Esmé says softly.

She seemed unsure but eased up a bit. She wanted to trust Esmé, and she did. But she couldn't yet trust the others around her.

Esmé heard the kettle and carefully lifted it off the stove and poured her some tea, handing the mug to the woman. Orchid eyed the drink down suspiciously before looking up at the ymbryne.