TWO YEARS AGO
Ember's POV
I held my brother tightly against my chest, his fifteen year old body trembling against my eighteen year old one.
"I'm so cold, Ember," Caden said to me, his teeth were chattering violently.
"I know," I whispered, even though my voice trembled more than I wanted it to. "Mum will be back soon, okay? Just hold on." I ruffled his hair and rubbed his back, hoping the small gestures would bring him comfort, or at least distract him.
The truth was, I was worried. Mum had left us to hunt hours ago, long before the rain started pouring. She had no hat, no umbrella, nothing to shield her from this storm. My eyes kept darting to the tent's entrance, half expecting her to appear, soaked but safe.
The tent flapped wildly in the wind, its thin fabric offering us little protection. Every so often, the entrance slit would fly open, letting in cold rain and streaks of mud. I had tried to secure it, but the pin was too weak against the force of the wind.
Caden's arms tightened around me suddenly, and I felt his body stiffen. "Do you hear that?" he whispered, his voice shaking in fear.
I froze and strained to listen. That's when I heard it, the distant pounding of hooves. My stomach clenched.
"Who are they?" Caden asked, his voice barely audible.
"Shhh," I said, holding him closer. "They'll pass by. Just close your eyes." I tried to sound calm, but my chest was already tight with fear.
The hoofbeats grew louder, and then, to my horror, they stopped right outside our tent.
Men's voices broke through the rain, laughing and jeering.
"No," I whispered as I pulled Caden closer, as though I could make us both disappear.
The tent flap was torn open with a sudden violent rip, and the icy air flooded in. Three men stood there, their faces shadowed but unmistakably cruel and wicked. One of them stepped forward and grabbed Caden, yanking him out of my arms.
"Leave him alone!" I screamed, lunging after him.
A heavy boot struck my leg, and I went down hard, my hands sinking into the mud. The wet earth stung my eyes, leaving my vision blurred with a murky brown haze.
"Well, well, well," one of the men said, his tone mockingly cheerful. "What do we have here?"
I tried to scramble to my feet, but a large hand grabbed my hair and yanked me upright. Pain shot through my scalp as the man dragged me forward, his grip unrelenting.
"Look at this one," he said, his lips curling into a grin. "What a sweet little thing. Don't you think, Sirius?"
"Sweet enough," another man replied, his voice laced with amusement. "Bring her here, Draven. Let's have a closer look."
"Leave her alone!" Caden screamed, his voice cracking with desperation.
He stomped hard on the foot of the man holding him and the man cursed loudly, releasing Caden for just a moment. But before my brother could reach me, a massive fist swung through the air, striking him across the head.
"No!" I screamed as Caden crumpled to the ground. "Caden!"
Tears blurred my vision, but I couldn't look away from him as he lay face down in the mud, motionless.
"Stop it! He's just a boy!" I yelled, my voice breaking as I twisted in the man's grasp.
The man holding me chuckled, a deep guttural sound. "The girl's right, Sirius," he said to the other man. "You'll break him."
"Please," I begged, choking on a sob. "We don't have anything. We didn't do anything. Just let us go."
"Oh, but you do have something of value, love," the man said, his tone dripping with malice. "You can work. You can dance. And you're a woman."
The other men laughed, their amusement cutting through the storm like sharp knives.
"No," I whispered, shaking my head as my knees gave away. "Please…"
The ropes bit into my wrists and ankles as Draven tied me up, his movements rough and careless. I couldn't stop him. I could only watch as the other men spread through our small clan, ripping open the tents and dragging people out into the mud. Screams echoed all around me, but they didn't care. They didn't stop.
I was hoisted onto the back of a horse like a sack of grain, my body limp with exhaustion and fear. Draven mounted behind me, his hand holding me in place as the horse began to move.
I twisted my head, straining for one last glimpse of Caden. He was still lying in the mud, his small body was curled in on itself. One of the men kicked him, and I saw him clutch his stomach weakly in response.
Tears spilled down my cheeks as the distance grew, and soon, the only thing I could see was the rain.
I lost consciousness with his name on my lips, wondering what mum would do when she came back and found us gone.