Drowning with Fire #3 ✔

Chapter 3 - Ember

The fact that my dad had died felt...numb. I don't think that I'd had the chance to fully process it – being miles and miles away from home and the somewhat secure life I once knew meant that everything felt far removed.

I cried after I found out; the tears flowed and flowed and Theo gave me his shoulder to cry on – literally. But now I was within walking of the house I grew up in, things were starting to feel a hell of a lot more real.

I'd never been that close to my dad, what with my parents resenting me for 'stealing' the Phoenix from my mother. But your dad is still your dad, I guess.

I announced to the others at breakfast that I needed to go home, just for a little while at least.

"That's a really good idea." Theo responded gently, laying his hand on my leg under the table, "I reckon your mom would really want to see you."

"Does she even know you're back in the UK?" Ryder questioned whilst shovelling a mouthful of sausage and egg into his mouth.

"Nope." I shook my head and took a sip of my orange juice. "I should've texted her or called her, but I kinda forget. It also doesn't help that the contract on my phone ran out..."

"That's a great excuse for avoiding your parents." Ryder scoffed.

Thea was sat in silence, contemplating the full English breakfast in front of her and frowning like she had a hangover or something.

I hummed in response to Ryder. Out of the pack that once was, only Theo knew that my dad had died – and that he'd died somehow relating to hunters...or so we assumed anyways.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Theo asked.

I shook my head again, "I'll probably be better off on my own. Besides, the three of you should try and find Wednesday and Al."

"Who are they?" Thea raised her head, showing mild interest.

I let Theo explain while I went to the phone box outside and called my mum.

"Hello?" Her telephone voice was immediately deployed as she answered an unknown number.

"Mum. It's me." I swallowed, surprised to find my eyes tearing up. "It's Ember."

"Ember!" She exclaimed, before her tone turned harsh, "I've been calling you and leaving messages on your phone for over a month! How come you haven't called me back, or even texted? How come you've waited until now to call me?"

The tears were gone in an instant; how stupid of me to think that my mother actually missed me.

"The contract on my phone ran out." I told her, "And I've been saving up with a few other members of the pack so we could come to the UK."

Not that we've really used that much of the money so far... I added on mentally, but decided to wait for a while before telling her I teleported myself and three other people around 6,000 miles and across two continents.

"Why are you back here?" Was her next question.

"Sorry, I guess I should've called to make sure that you're okay with me coming back home." I spat out bitterly, "I'll tell you when I come and see you in a bit."

I hung up the phone before she could get another word in.

Slamming the door back into the breakfast café, I told my friends, "I forgot how much of a bitch my mother is."

At least you still have your mother, all of their faces read instantly. I'd also forgotten that Ryder lost his mum to cancer, and Theo and Thea lost their mum to a fire set by hunters.