Chapter 3 - The First Night
The rooms they were given were lavish, filled with toys and clothes that were new, tags still attached. But for the children, the space was terrifying.
Emer sat in his room, the door cracked open, watching the hallway. He didn't sleep. He couldn't. His body was wired for the sound of a closing door, a shout, the heavy tread of a foster father who drank too much.
Around 3:00 AM, he heard a sound. A soft, rhythmic thumping.
He crept out of his room, following the sound to the library. He found Ren sitting on the floor in the center of the vast, circular room. Ren was stacking books. He had built a fortress of leather-bound classics, and he was sitting in the middle of it, his eyes tracking the dust motes dancing in the moonlight.
"Ren?" Emer whispered.
Ren didn't look at him, but his hand stopped.
May you like
Emer sat down beside him. He didn't try to force a conversation. He just sat, keeping watch, just like he had in the alley. After an hour, Ren leaned over and rested his head on Emer’s shoulder. It was the first time in a year that Ren had initiated contact. Emer felt a sob catch in his throat, but he swallowed it. He was the oldest. He had to be the wall.
He didn't realize that in the shadows of the doorway, Julian Vane was watching them. Vane’s face was unreadable, but his hand gripped his cane tightly. He saw the resilience of the boy, the protective instinct that burned brighter than fear. He knew he had made the right choice.
