Half of Ruby

Chapter 36

A woman. 

Elizabeth? No, that wasn't she; Elizabeth's hips were fuller, and she never favored form-fitting gowns. 

Then...who can it be? 

Betty. Ember shrank back, pressing against the wall. 

But that can't be her either; Betty's shorter, rounder. 

This figure was both slender and curved, toned and flattering. 

Yvonne? But she and Lord Tivas...they weren't staying at the Parris household, were they? 

At least she hoped they weren't. 

The figure glanced around furtively, one hand around the bronze knob of the doorway, the other clutching something cloaked in shadows. One foot pointed out the threshold, the other soon to follow suit. 

And then the figure's eyes met Ember's, blue flashing under the moon's silver light. 

They widened, then narrowed in hatred. 

"Yvonne!" 

Ember's voice cracked as the shout tore from her throat. In the room behind her, Ronan stirred, groaning unintelligibly. 

Yvonne shot one more look at Ember, whipped around, and sprinted away, slamming the door behind her. 

Ronan grunted as Ember shot down the stairs, feet pounding against the wood as she hurtled towards the threshold and shot into the garden. 

The cold night air burnt her skin, a million icy daggers sinking into her flesh, as her breath escaped in a cloud of white. 

"Yvonne!" Ember skidded down the street, unable to prevent her teeth from chattering as her flimsy nightgown swirled in a white cloud around her legs. 

The young woman sprinted over the cobblestone, tearing through the darkened streets of the town as she turned to the right. Ember could make out what she held in her hand right as she vanished—a sheaf of papers. 

Ember sprinted after Yvonne, gasping for breath as she slipped against the frosted ground. Frosted. Frosted. 

Yvonne glanced over her shoulder, eyes flooded with panic as Ember bore down upon her. She bared her teeth at her, then veered to her left, towards the marketplace. 

"Come back!" ordered Ember, voice pinging off the walls. "Yvonne, wait! I don't want to hurt you!" I just want to find out what you were doing, bring you back to the Parris household, and have you arrested for breaking in and robbery. 

"No!" came the scream of a response. Yvonne barreled into the marketplace, brown hair aglow under the flames of the moon as she tore past the fountain, blue dress fanning around her like a tail. 

Ember gritted her teeth, forcing herself forwards. The effects of lying awake for three hours and the drug Ronan had given her, and, no doubt, the removal of her magic, bore down upon her body as she skidded over the ground. 

Yvonne increased the distance between them, halfway across the square. Ember shot forwards, feet pounding over the cobblestone as her breaths came in gasps. 

Yvonne spun around again, eyes wide. 

Ember had no time to warn her as she barreled straight into a wooden stall, crumpling to the ground as surprise flickered across her expression, soon superseded by agony. 

"Yvonne!" Ember neared the young woman as she struggled to regain her footing. "Yvonne—"

"All right!" she said. "All right, I didn't mean it—I just didn't want the ball to—"