Drowning with Fire #3 ✔

Chapter 8 - Theo

"But I thought I saw an ember spark up." He shifted from one foot to the other, "I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me 'cos I was so tired."

"What if it had something to do with whoever...or whatever...we met last night?" Thea suggested, stepping to stand beside me.

"I think it does..."

"Hang on." Ryder took a few steps back so that he could see the thicket from a distance.

"What is it?" I asked, wondering what he was seeing.

"There's a pattern." Ryder noticed.

"A what?" I rushed over to him, eyes scanning the charred ground.

"A pattern..." He repeated, raising his arm and tracing a pattern with his finger.

A single straight trail led from where we were stood, before splitting off into a horizontal line, then encompassing the circular thicket in an oblong loop. Fire had scolded the pattern into the moorland – seemingly forever.

It has to mean something...anything.

"What does it mean?" Ryder asked once he was sure I'd seen the same pattern.

"I don't know." My head suddenly weighed down heavily on my shoulders; exhaustion and confusion were taking over.

Thea picked up on my fatigue and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Let's get back to Hopecliffe and see if the witch and pixie know anything."

~

Hopecliffe was relatively quiet as we walked through the streets towards the hotel. We'd payed for one more night's stay in the hotel – last night.

The harsh twinge of stress settled in the pit of my stomach as I realised that we would have to find somewhere else to stay that night. We were running dangerously low on money and, since none of us had bothered finding work, we couldn't afford to stay in hotels anymore.

Hell, we were practically broke – I just hadn't gotten around to telling the others yet.

"When we get back to the hotel, you both need to pack." I told Ryder and Thea, "We...can't afford to stay in a hotel any longer."

"That's okay, man." Ryder placed a hand on my shoulder, "We get it."

"Yeah, it's all fine, Theo." Thea forced a tired smile at me. "Where will we stay instead?"

"We'll find somewhere, somehow." I spoke as if I knew what the hell I was going to do next.

I had no idea whatsoever. I was completely at a loss and everyone seemed to be depending on me.

At the hotel, Ember was still sleeping.

She looked so comfy and warm cosied up in bed, and I was so exhausted and so tempted to slide into bed with her, and hold her until she woke up.

Instead, I sank down to my knees beside her bed and stroked her cheek softly, whispering her name, "Ember... Ember, wake up, baby."

I took a punt calling her 'baby' – I had no idea if she'd like it or get annoyed with me... She's being so unpredictable lately.

After a few moments, she still hadn't moved, yet her breathing remained steady. Strands of her hair clung to her forehead, a thin layer of sweat visible – she clearly hadn't had as much of a comfortable sleep as I'd thought.

"Ember? Em, baby, we need to get going." I whispered to her again, not adding on the fact I was pretty sure the hotel owners were going to kick us out – especially after the muck Thea, Ryder and I must've tracked into the carpets on our way in.