Emerson took off through the brush, avoiding the prickly thorns from endearing bushes nearby. He dodged pine trees and hopped over rocks, running full speed out of the forestry.
He had his eyes set on a speckled yellow tree in the distance, so far ahead it was barely visible.
If he could reach it without getting caught, he, Daisy, and Avaline would win the game.
He channeled his energy into his legs, running faster than he'd ever run in his life. His heart was pounding harder than the few times Clove had appeared inside his locker at Foxfire. Vanishers.
Avaline peeked out from a bush and took off towards the tree, just a few feet scarce of Emerson. He wasn't sure where Daisy was at, but he hoped she hadn't been caught.
Clove, Ace, and Ember were the opposing team, and Emerson felt like it was a losing battle to challenge the three of them.
He wasn't particularly scared of Clove—she was his sister after all—but Ace and Ember were a different story. Ace was athletic and confident, and he rarely lost base quest. Ember wasn't necessarily scary, but she always had a way of distracting Emerson. She didn't even try to attract attention to herself—if anything, she tried to do the opposite—but it was hard to keep his eyes off her when she was so pretty.
He could only hope that he, Avaline, or Daisy could reach the base without being caught.
Neither of the twins or Clove were in sight, which meant they were up to something.
If they tried to ambush them . . .
Emerson glanced at Avaline.
She was running up a nearby hill, sprinting full force. As she reached the crest of the hill, she suddenly let out a blood curdling scream.
Ember had popped out from behind a towering aspen tree, lunging to tag Avaline.
Terror painted across her face, Avaline madly leaped to the left, trying to avoid losing at all costs.
It worked for Avaline, but not so much for Ember . . .
She'd obviously underestimated her strength, tripping on the long grass as she narrowly missed Avaline. She tumbled down the hill in a heap, her hands flying as she grappled for something to stop her shaky descent. She rolled down the tall knoll, her body twisting into painful-looking contortions.
Emerson had to pinch himself to make sure he was seeing right. Once he was absolutely sure he wasn't dreaming, he dashed toward the hill.
Daisy, Ace, and Clove appeared from three different directions, all running full speed toward Ember.
Once Emerson had reached Ember, who now lay at the base of the hill, Avaline was by her side, terror apparent in her silvery eyes.
Ember's eyes were lolled back in her head, her face was scrunched in pain.
It hurt Emerson to look at.
Avaline's silver tipped hair fell onto Ember's limp body as she bent down to feel her friend's heartbeat. She checked her pulse and gasped. "She's not breathing!" She screamed frantically.
"What!" Ace yelled hysterically as he reached them, Clove and Daisy on his heels. He dropped to his sister's side and gently shook her. "Ember! Wake up!"
"What do we do?" Clove yelled, and Emerson realized they were all looking at him.
He gulped.
He was the oldest, nearing his seventeenth year. They were depending on him to save Ember.
Even Ace.
His thoughts raced. He didn't have time to build a gadget to save her, didn't have the tools either. Technopathy wouldn't help him in this situation.
He turned to the four of them, who were staring at him expectantly, all scared.
"Everyone," He said as calmly as he could, "go get my grandparents."
Daisy, Clove, and Avaline bobbed their heads up and down, then took off toward the glittering mansion.
"You too," he told Ace.
"I'm not leaving Ember," he insisted from the ground, pressing gently on her chest.
"Please," Emerson begged. "Trust me."
Three beats of silence seemed to stretch for an eternity before Ace complied. "Save her," he pleaded in a whisper, his voice choked up.
"I will," Emerson promised as Ace took off running after the three girls, madly hoping it wasn't a lie.
He had to save her.
He quickly dropped to his knees, taking shaky breaths. He brushed Ember's hair out of her face and tipped her head up.
He took one more calming breath before he propped her mouth open and pressed his lips to hers, sending air into her lungs. Her lips were cold and her face was pallid, completely lost of it's usual color and vibrance.
He'd dreamed of kissing her hundreds of times before, but never under these particular circumstances.
This was a terrifying kiss.
He repeated the motion seventeen times, and was almost about to lose hope, when suddenly Ember gasped for breath. Her eyes flew open, latching onto Emerson as she stared at him in shock.
Emerson quickly pulled away and watched as she coughed, hacking for air. He scooted closer to her and rubbed her back, waiting for the fit to pass.
When it had, she finally looked up at him. "Did you just . . . kiss me?" She asked, her face tinted pink.
Emerson's face went nuclear. "Um, well . . . I mean . . . I was just—"
He stopped when he saw her expression. He'd expected her to look appalled or grossed out, but she looked strangely . . . happy?
"You were just . . . saving my life?" She asked, her ice blue eyes softening at the corners.
Emerson smiled. "Something like that."
A coy smile slowly spread across her lips as her face flushed with heat. "I wouldn't mind you 'saving' me again."
Emerson stared at her for half a second. "You wouldn't?" He couldn't quite keep the surprise out of his voice as his eyebrows flew upward.
His heart was suddenly hammering in his chest, so fast and hard that everything around him seemed to blur.
Did Ember like him back?
"No," she said nervously; she sounded scared to hear his response. "I wouldn't."
Ember slowly pulled herself into a seated position, her wavy tresses spilling over her shoulders as she watched him with timid, cautious eyes.
"Well," he said, his heart flipping around in his chest, "In that case . . ."
Emerson took a deep breath.
He gently tipped Ember's chin up to his height before he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers.
He found himself smiling as Ember shyly kissed him back; she ran her delicate hands through his hair and mussed his strawberry blond waves, her touch soothing as her fingers weaved in and out of his locks. Her hands rippled through his hair like butter, handling each strand daintily.
Her full lips pressed tenderly against his own, soft and warm like smooth velvet and silk. He pleasantly closed his eyes as his hand caressed her cheek, the warmth of her creamy skin sending electric tingles up and down his spine.
It wasn't a movie worthy kiss, not passionate or intense. But it was . . . sweet. Gentle and soft and beautiful.
Peaceful.
To Emerson it was perfect.
Everything was perfect.
As his soft breath tickled her cheeks she giggled, strands of long blond hair falling into her eyes.
The whole thing must have lasted less than ten seconds, yet Emerson seemed to be frozen in time. The world seemed to slow down around him; the only thing he could decipher was Ember's lips on his, her breath sweeping his cheeks like a warm ocean breeze.
He could only realize that Ember—his best friend—liked him back. Liked him enough to kiss him.
On the lips.
He'd wanted to tell her for months, a piece of him dying every day when he saw her at school, so oblivious to how much he cared about her. But he hadn't said anything. He'd been so scared it would ruin their friendship, make her hate or distrust him.
But here she was.
He wondered if he could be dreaming.
Things as wonderful as this never happened in reality.
Right?
When she pulled back she was blushing madly, her eyes shining like a glistening lake of melted ice. Her face was artistic, nearly too pretty to be real. And her smile . . .
Stunning.
He studied every edge and curve of her face that he'd never taken the time to notice, gazing at her in awe and wonder.
She was heavenly.
He might've kissed her again, had not someone cleared their throat from behind them.
Emerson's breath hitched as he glanced back to see Ace, who had his arms crossed and was smirking at the two of them, eyebrows raised.
He was sure his face was tomato red as he waited for Ace to say something, anything at all to break the tenuous silence stretching out between them.
Emerson almost expected Ember's twin to punch him, kick him, or drop him with telekinesis; hurt him in some way, shape, or form. He had that overprotective brother aura that kind of scared Emerson.
But he did nothing of the sort.
Instead Ace laughed wickedly under his breath. "I see you two are having fun."
• • •
Hehe this is so sappy lol 😂
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I actually edited this one before I posted it, so hopefully it's a bit better than my others.
Thanks for putting up with my strange writing style and still taking the time to read it, it means a lot to me!
~Jay