Now, We Burn

Chapter 23 | Ember

Chapter 23
November 14, 2104

The sky was stained with pink and orange as Ember and Rage flew through the clouds. Ember whooped, the freedom of flying lifting her heart in her chest.

"Higher, Rage!" she cried, the sting of the air making her eyes water.

Up they flew. A dragon, a girl, and the sky. The sun drew closer and closer.

Ember was unstoppable.

Even as triumph charged Ember's nerves, she realized something was terribly wrong. Wings flapping, Rage's scaled body brought them nearer to the stars.

"Rage, stop!" Ember screamed, her skin beginning to burn. But Rage didn't stop, he flew faster and faster until, in an explosion of flame, they flew into the sun. Then Ember was falling, flames licking at her skin as she screamed in agony and fell to her miserable, fiery death.

Ember sat up with her heart in her throat and the memory of flames on her skin.

For a moment Ember just sat there in the dark, breathing deep, the nightmare replaying in her mind. It had been a dream. How harking annoying.

Ember laid back on the nest of ratty blankets that formed her bed, looking up at the woven rubbish that made her and Eliza's shoddy tent. She could smell cold air and must. Not to mention the smells of the stew she had had for dinner that still clung to her clothes. Her stomach growled.

Heart still racing Ember tuned over onto her side and let out a humph. The dream still playing in her mind.

"Harking dragons," She muttered, pulling her blanket up to her chin.

Then Ember heard a scuffling. Annoyed and ready to strangle whatever rodent had gotten to their tent, Ember sat up, turning toward the sound.

For a moment Ember, blinked, her eyes adjusting to the dark to see a figure crouched down in the shadows.

"Hey!" Ember cried, flinging aside her blankets and jumping to her feet, knife branded. "What are you doing here, you crussing creep!"

"Ember, it's me," Eliza hissed from the gloom.

Ember felt the fight go out of her. "Jeez," she grumbled, sitting back down. "Stop scuffling around, some people are trying to get sleep over here."

Ember threw herself down on her blankets. Waiting for Eliza's sharp remark back. But it never came. Instead the tent was filled with an ominous silence. Until finally Eliza spoke.

"Ember," she started, her voice sending an icy chill down Ember's back. "I can't find Echo."

Ember's blood went cold.

"Are you sure?" she asked, standing up and scanning the tent.

Eliza held her backpack so that Ember could see inside. It was empty.

Ember swallowed, her fists clenching and with sudden glaring clarity she realized what this could mean.

"This is really harking bad," she breathed.

If someone found Echo before they did the small dragon would be killed. Ember didn't know how many times she'd seen the skins of the small dragon types being sold at the Market. But if they found out that they had been looking after Echo, Ember knew there would be consequences. Eeros was dead. They were being forced to stay there for labor. She didn't care what Eliza said about staying with the gang for their own good, Thane would kill them for keeping a dragon with them. Ember thought of the leader's cold, grey eyes. She wanted to punch that pretty face of his so harking much right now.