Burning Embers

It was as if the last few days had never happened, the minute that Grace stepped into the house. Perfectly dusted and organized, someone had been coming over during her time away to keep the house ship shape for her.

"Is someone there?" She asked, approaching the kitchen cautiously. Rinomve and Falael pulled knives out of their waistbands, as if waiting for someone to attack.

"Just me, dear." A frail old woman exited the kitchen, leaning over a staff.

"Grandma!" Grace shouted in relief. "When did you get here?"

"I left Hollybrook three weeks ago, and arrived yesterday to an empty house. I used the spare key under the flowerpot to get in." Grandma said as Grace helped her ease into one of the armchairs in front of the fire in the parlor. "Where are your parents and siblings?"

"Grandma, Mother, Addalyn and Riker are all dead." Grace took a deep breath. "And we don't know where Father is."

"Oh." Grandma her a sad look. "I'm sorry duck. Who are these two?" She asked, looking at Rinomve and Falael.

"Grandma, these are my friends Rinomve and Falael." Grace motioned for the pair, who had scarcely entered the dwelling, to come into the room. "They are helping me find who killed Mother, Riker and Addalyn, and where Father is."

"Have you talked to Epeseed Cixiram?" Grandma asked, as Grace settled into a chair across from from her.

"We just came from there." Grace replied, gratefully accepting the cup of tea that Falael just handed her. "Why did us siblings not meet our godfather?" Grandma shifted in her chair, as if the topic was uncomfortable for her.

"In their youth, both William and Epeseed were trouble makers. Thank you young man." Grandma said as Falael gave her a cup of tea and Rinomve set about finishing up the dinner that Grandma had started. "It wasn't long before both if them became acquainted with The Grey tears, getting into a lot of legal trouble. That's how Epeseed learned chemistry, and developed his skills to get where he is now."

"What does this have to do with us kids?" Grace asked as Grandma took a sip of her tea.

"I'm getting there duck. When your father met your mother, he left The Grey Tears. In order to keep him on the straight and narrow, she forbid him from seeing anyone from his time as a member, including Epeseed. She didn't know that Epeseed had been made your godfather, as per an agreement made between the pair of them prior to your father meeting your mother." Grandma shifted again, as if the armchair had been made out of solid stone. "She was furious when she found out, and refused to let any of you meet him in spite if the fact that Epeseed had left The Grey Tears the same time your father did."

"Did she ever meet Epeseed?" Grace asked

"Or any of the other members of The Grey Tears?" Rinomve asked as he brought trays of food into the dining room.

"No, and no." Grandma said, as she struggled to get up from her chair. "Your mother was too stuck up for that. She barely tolerated having me around, claiming that I was a bad mother for allowing my son to fall so far from grace." It broke Grace's heart to hear that her mother could be so cruel to someone so important to her. She helped Grandma out of her chair. "Thank you duck." Grandma said as she settled into the dining chair that Falael had pulled out. Rinomve set the dinner of roast chicken and vegetables out on the table.

"So do you know why Father disappeared?" Grace asked, cutting her chicken breast into more manageable pieces.

"No duck, I don't. But if I had to guess, either he was fed up with your mother's controlling nature, or some of his past caught up to him despite his best efforts."

"Or both." Falael mused, popping a piece of baked potato into his mouth.

"Or both."

"You know the one thing that really bugs me about the whole situation?" Grace said, on the verge of tears. "Why was I spared? Why am I special? Why did they choose to strike at a time when I wouldn't be home, yet Riker and Addalyn weren't at school?" A tear slid it's way out of her eye and rolled down her cheek. "Why?"

"I don't know duck. I wish I had the answers that you are looking for, but I don't." Grandma said, sympathy in her eyes. "I am struggling with the fact that someone thought it a good idea to kill someone to achieve their goals."

The group finished their dinner, and Falael and Rinomve were cleaning the dishes as Grace settled Grandma into a chair by the sofa.

"Do you have a place to stay, Grandma?" She asked.

"No I don't."

"Where did you stay last night."

"I spent the night here."

"Do you think that you would be okay looking after yourself for long periods of time>

"Duck." Grandma took Grace's hand. "I have been looking after myself for the past five years. I will be okay." Grace smiled. "Why do you ask?"

"Rinomve and Falael aren't two random strangers." She said, sitting across from Grandma. "They are helping me figure out who killed Mother, Addalyn and Riker. We have just spent the last two days on Oakenspell, and I don't know whether we will be able to stay in Penrith much longer."

"Okay."

"If I made you a bed up, would you be okay?"

"Yes, I would." Grandma gave her a warm smile. "It's nice to see that your mother's dislike for impropriety didn't rub off on you."

"Alright, I will go and make up some beds." Grace got up from the chair, and went upstairs.

Falael steadied himself against the counter, feeling dizzy.

"Are you okay?" Rinomve asked, following his lead.

"No. Something is off." Falael replied. "I feel dizzy."

"Do you want me to go get Grace? She might know what to do."

"No, I don't want to stress her even more. What was in that chicken?"

"I don't know. I will go and ask Grandma." Rinomve left the kitchen just as Grace entered.

"Is everything okay?" She asked,

"Every thing is just fine." Falael tried to reassure her, straightening up.

"Everything is not okay." Rinomve shouted from the parlor. Grace looked at Falael quizzically. A moment later, Rinomve reappeared at the entrance to the kitchen. "Grandma put thyme in seasoning."

"Holy hell, how are you still standing?" Grace said, her eyes wide. "Lets get you seated. Rinomve, there is a poison kit on the top shelf behind the cured meats in the pantry." she said as she lead Falael to a seat.

"It's not there." Rinomve said, racing back to the kitchen.

"That is because it isn't there." Grandma said, entering the kitchen.

"Grandma, why are you not back in your chair?" Grace asked, handing Rinomve a glass of water. "Make sure Falael drinks this." She ordered.

"I came to see my handiwork." Grandma said, leaning on her staff. "I didn't expect it to take so long."

"You poisoned him deliberately?!"

"He is the reason that Addalyn and Riker are dead." Grandma straightened up. "Not to mention that both of your companions are criminals of the state."

"You still cannot be judge, jury and executioner. Plus, do you not care about what I feel? These are my friends!" Grace screamed.

"So what?!" Grandma screamed back. "They aren't your family!"

"Get out of my house!" Grace shouted, fury boiling in her veins. Grandma didn't move a muscle.

"How dare you young lady! That is not how you speak to your Grandma!"

"OUT! NOW!" Grace yelled, moving so that she hid the weakened Falael behind her.

"NO!" Grandma screamed back. She grabbed a kitchen knife from the knife block and lunged toward Grace. Grace dodged the knife and caught the hand that held it, millimeters from Falael's nose. Struggling against her grandmother's grip, she managed to wrestle the knife out of her hand.

"Leave now, before I kill you." She said, breathing heavily.

"I will not leave until I see Queen Envano's will be done." Grandma lunged at Grace again, with a surprising amount of energy and force. She knocked Grace down, took the knife that Grace had confiscated, and lunged towards Falael again.

Rinomve, apparently thinking ten steps ahead, stepped in front of his best friend and forcefully took the knife from Grandma and put it back into the knife block. She tried to retaliate by lunging at him, but he and Grace managed to restrain her.

"There is a length of rope in the pantry, next to the door." Grace said to Rinomve as she held onto her grandmother. "Please go and get it." He left the room. He did so, reemerging with a length of rope. Working together, the pair bound the old woman to a chair. Falael, feeling worse than he did when Grace first entered the kitchen, threw up.

"Right, lets get you feeling better." Grace said, returning her attention to him. "Rinomve, keep him drinking water and make sure he doesn't collapse. I am going to see my godfather to see whether he has any charcoal."