The Ymbryne Academy

Chapter 86

Esmé had been avoiding her wards as much as possible the last few weeks. She didn't want another scar. The woman was currently working on preparing lunch.

"Miss Gyr?"

"Yes?" She replies quietly, focusing on the food as her hands shook slightly.

"Can we play a game?" Travis asks.

She let out a small sigh of relief. They didn't want to hurt her. They were just children that wanted to play a game. "Sure, do you have something in mind?"

"Hide and seek?" Billy asks, popping up from behind the other boy.

"Sure, do you want lunch first or after?" Esmé asked, willing to stop preparing the food should that be what they want.

"We can wait till after." Travis says and they both left, Esmé feeling a small hint of love for the two. Maybe they were settling in finally.

Esmé put the food she was preparing away to finish later and then went to follow them. "So who's seeking first?"

"You." Billy says. "You have to count to 30 and we'll hide. You have to find us."

Esmé smiled with a nod, internally growing nervous. She wasn't the best at finding people. Oddly, Alma popped into her mind.

She closed her eyes and began counting aloud so they could hear her. She also covered her ears so she couldn't hear where they ran off to.

She eventually got to 30, looking around with a small sigh.

"Ready or not, here I come." She says, managing a smile as she walked around the yard.

She didn't really want to find them. So Esmé instead pretended that she was looking for Alma, so she'd be more motivated to find what she was looking for.

Eventually though she started to grow a bit disappointed, knowing the older woman wouldn't be there. She missed seeing her. The last she did would have been when she graduated which was years ago.

Maybe if the children eased up she could trust they'd behave if they ever went to visit Alma. That would be lovely.

She glanced over quickly when she heard something run by, confused but slowly walked back inside the home, thinking they would be there.

She wondered around, checking behind the couch, in closets, and under beds. Though she struggled a bit to find the two.

She was going to walk back outside to look further when she heard someone running up behind her.

Esmé spun around, only to be tackled by Travis. She was on the ground as he hovered over her. "You took too long."

"Sorry, you're just very good at hiding." She says with a nervous smile, her heart racing as she looked at him unsure.

Billy walked over, glaring down at her. "It's your turn to hide. I suggest you do it well."

"Okay, will do." Esmé says softly, getting back on her feet.

They didn't close their eyes, or look away as she disappeared down the hall. Esmé tried her best to hide, scared for what would happen if they found her.

She glanced around the upstairs bedrooms, eventually settling on going to her room. There was a secret hiding space she had in her closet when the children were acting up.

She hid in the small space, closing the tiny hatch on the way in. She heard as they began searching for her.

She knew if she was caught right away it wouldn't be good. She hid a few supplies in the space or when she had to stay in there for a few days, finding a blanket that she covered herself with just in case they found the hatch.

Esmé was scared for what they might do to her. She tried to keep her breath under control in case they came into her room and heard her.

Eventually she heard the footsteps nearing her room before the door was opened, hearing the two talking quietly.

"Where is she?" Billy muttered, frustrated. She could only hear him due to her birdlike hearing.

"I don't know, but she can't outsmart us. Check under the bed." Travis says, annoyed.

"Why don't we just get rid of her already? I'm sick of this." Billy said as Esmé heard him get to the floor, looking under the bed.

"Because we need to first find a place to go after we do get rid of her." Travis says, looking over to where the closet was.

He walked over and opened it, digging around a little but not finding the hidden door. He groaned and slammed the door. "She's not even hot. Maybe we should mail Avocet, say she's terrible. We could get a new ymbryne that way."

"But what if there are other wards?" Billy asked.

"Who cares? We can still manipulate them." Travis says with a sigh.

"And why do you want them to be hot? Like you have a chance." Billy laughs with a smile.

"I don't need them to like me." Travis pointed out. Esmé nearly let out a gasp at what he was suggesting. Thank the birds he didn't find her attractive.

"She's free bait though." Billy mentions. "With how scared of us she already is, you could easily get to her."

"Ew. No. Brunettes are gross. But if you're so interested have at her." He chuckled.

"I'd rather not, but worse comes to worst, maybe." Billy jokes and the boy scoffs, looking around the room.

"Maybe we should just have some fun. She can't hide forever. Let's get something to drink. Maybe go out into town and find some girls at the pub. They won't remember it tomorrow after all." Travis suggested.

"Or get her drunk." Billy suggests with a grin and Esmé kept herself pitch silent when she heard then go quiet.

"What's that in the closet?" Travis says.

"A fun time." Billy said with what Esmé assumed was a smirk. He walked over and pulled back a few of the clothes on hangers, throwing them to the floor.

"There's a handle. Looks like a hatch." He says, Billy walking over to where he was to see.

"Bet she's in there." Billy said, grabbing the handle and turning it, pulling it open.

Esmé hid herself under the blanket, holding her breath so they wouldn't see it move.

"Awfully lumpy blanket eh?" Billy said, poking it.

"Yeah, I wonder why." Travis says, unamused and quickly ripped it off, grabbing the woman by the hair.

Esmé screamed as she was thrown onto the floor. "Oh shut your trap." Travis rolled his eyes.

"How much did she hear?" Billy says with a glare and Travis looked at him like he was stupid.

"Obviously everything."

"Oh, of course. What do we do with her now?" Billy asked, never a leader, more of a follower.

"I don't know, what were we thinking?" He says with a slight smirk, digging his hands in her hair and yanking her head back a bit.

Esmé let out a small cry and Billy kneeled down to look at her with a smirk.

The woman tried to push him away and when he wouldn't budge, she kicked him off, Travis letting out a frustrated noise.

"I wasn't going to do it, you old hag!" He says and Billy looked over confused.

"You weren't?"

"Ew no, of course not. I want to confuse her, tire her out. Hurt her. But hey, you go right ahead if you want." Travis said with a scoff.

Billy took one look at the woman and-to Esmés relief-walked off with Travis.

"I dunno, maybe we should tie her up and leave her somewhere. Give her to the drunks at the pub or something." Billy suggested as they went downstairs.

"We'll see." The other boy says and Esmé couldn't hear them anymore.