Embracing Ember by Astrid Cielo Page B

trouble, I’ll sit with the police officers in the mess hall,” Lindsay stated. Ceylon looked at the female taking in her very small and thin frame. She appeared so delicate, but her eyes told a different story. They told him she had strength belied her small stature. She looked into his eyes and he felt as if she knew everything about him with that one glance. He’d only felt that way with one other person in his life. There was an older lady who lived at the edge of town whose mate had died. She always had some kind of treat for the children, and he was no exception. He enjoyed going to her house and doing the odd little job she always requested so that he could have one of those treats. Every time he looked in her eyes it was as if she had read him.
     
    V idensanimarum .
     
    Seer of Souls.
     
    The community had whispered, but as a child he hadn’t understood what they meant. Now, with this fragile appearing female looking into his soul and reading it as if it were an open book, he knew. “I apologize for my rudeness. I am Lindsay as Maria said and you are?” Lindsay stated breaking the awkward moment between them.
     
    “I am Ceylon, Chief healer aboard this ship. It is nice to meet you, Lindsay. I look forward to you helping Ember,” he replied feeling uncomfortable with her attention.
     
    “Yes. I am here to help Ember, if she needs it, but I would be willing to listen to any other crew member who had need of an ear to listen. I’ve always been told that I was a good listener,” she replied tilting her head to the side peering up at him, attempting to look him in the eyes again.
     
    She had no idea what she was doing, he realized. Like Serenity she had no idea what she did was a rare gift, and that it wasn’t intuition. Ceylon remembered the meeting her after she had awoken from her near brush with death. She had smiled at him as he monitored her vitals, before looking down at her mate, Eon. “He is finally sleeping peacefully,” she whispered.
     
    “He is scared to go to sleep and wake up to find you gone,” he had found himself replying. She nodded and looked at him for a few moments.
     
    “Is that what happened to you?” she asked finally, her voice almost too quiet.
     
    He stared at her stunned, his once tight control slipping away from him causing the tears to well in his eyes before he could stop them, “How did you know?” he said his voice sounding weak even to his ears.
     
    Her eyes widened in surprise and it had become apparent to him even before she spoke the words, “I didn’t…well, I-I did, but not really. I had this feeling. I’m sorry if I brought something up that was painful.”
     
    But he didn’t answer her, didn’t even let her know that what her feelings had been was a gift. Serenity may not have been a seer of soul, but she did have some ability. A soft touch on his arm brought him back from his reveries. He looked at Lindsay and could almost feel her need to help him, but he wasn’t ready and he probably never would be. “I apologize sometimes I get lost in my own thoughts. You are welcome to wait in the mess hall. I will let the other crew know of your generosity to aid them if they need,” he stated before looking at Maria. “Maria, you wouldn’t mind taking her to the mess hall and telling Silvius to make the officers and Lindsay feel at home. I think it goes without saying that you most definitely should make yourself at home,” he said turning back to Ember’s sleeping form on the bed. He didn’t hear her reply, but knew they had left with the swishing sound the door made as it opened and closed. Ember held his attention and before he realized what he was doing, he was sitting at her side again, taking her hand into his own. She sighed contentedly in her sleep. He would protect her.
     
    Like you protected Ashwin?
     
    No. He couldn’t allow himself to think like that. He would protect Ember where he had failed Ashwin. He didn’t think he could live