Now, We Burn

Chapter 17 | Ember

Chapter 17

November 12, 2104

Ember wiped her running nose as she bent over the red-faced gang man. "Hold it out," She said, gesturing to the man's bleeding arm.

The man hesitated, holding his wounded arm tight to his burly chest, suspicion clear in his paint-rimmed eyes.

"For hark's sake!" Ember growled, "I can't help you if you won't let me! Die of infection, for all I care!"

The man's eyes widened, darting back and forth like Ember was about to strike him. He held out his arm.

Grumbling about harking gang idiots with no common sense, Ember hastily cleaned the man's wound, slapping on a poultice and bandages.

When Ember was finished the man mumbled his thanks and hurried out of the infirmary like the devil was at his tail.

"Ungrateful coward," Ember snorted, starting to pick up the medical supplies.

She was on infirmary duty. This was bad enough in itself, but when all the patients are skeptical gang scum ready to either fight you or run away screaming like a little girl, it made things ten times worse.

"Of course Thane had to make this so hard," Ember muttered to herself, throwing the bandages and what was left of the poultice back into her dad's medical bag. "How I harking hate that guy."

Ember's mind traveled to what Eliza had told her last night. A dragon haven, an actual place where dragons lived in harmony. It sounded like a dream to Ember. Who would have thought it would bring her so much happiness. Ember wondered if the red dragon that had followed her went there. She didn't know what it was, but ever since she had seen that fiery beast in the woods, she had felt a connection. The very thought of the dragon should have terrified her. But all she felt was the nagging pull of curiosity. Eliza's dragon, Echo, wasn't out to kill everyone, maybe the red dragon wasn't either.

A warm hand slid around Ember's waist and she turned, ready to smack the living daylights out of whoever had dared to put their hands on her, but as she turned she found her gaze met with Hugo's.

"Oh, it's you," Ember said, unable to shake her initial annoyance.

"What do you mean, 'Oh, it's you?'"Hugo grinned, his other hand going to her waist, pulling her closer to him. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Ember's lips began to curl into a smile before she could stop herself. "Shut up," she said, turning away. Hugo's touch was warm at her hip. "I'm working."

"Awww, come on," Hugo moaned, wrapping his arms around her from behind, running one finger over her stomach making Ember's skin tingle and her insides hot. "I have something to give you."

"Oh yeah?" Ember asked, trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach and strong presence of Hugo's arms around her. He grasped her hand, his long and pale fingers contrasting against her scarred, dark caramel ones.

"Come on, you won't regret it."

Heart fluttering in her chest, Ember let Hugo pull her out of the infirmary and into a hallway leading out into another part of the mall. The cement walls were marked with harsh streaks of graffiti.

Hugo stopped, turning to Ember with his wicked smile that stretched from ear to ear.

Ember looked at him expectantly, her eyes unable to stop looking at his sharp jawline, the dark twinkle in his eye and the mischievous curl of his lip.

"Well?" She asked, her mouth growing dry as Hugo suddenly drew closer.

Hugo's grin widened, his hands going around her waist again, sending shivers up Ember's spine.