He Left Me - KotLC fic (after Unlocked)

Chapter 9

After that last one, I gave you a little bit of a reprieve, only 1k words... its a bit choppy because my brain isn't working but GOOD NEWS i got my history book for $20 instead of $160. Thank you, PDFs. 

Two days after Keefe's planting, I was pinning my Regent cape in place when there was a knock at my bedroom door. "I'll be right there," I shouted, thinking it was Biana or Dex coming to get me for our meeting with the Councilors. They had insisted on us missing school to see them, but still wanted to meet us early in the morning. They could at least let us sleep in. 

I carefully lifted the moonlight circlet out of the trunk and placed it on my tightly braided hair. My deep blue dress would match the rest of my team's, and we decided on the starlight cape for today.

Vertina grinned. "You look good, Sophie. Go get some concealer for those shadows."

"You look good in blue." A deep voice came from behind me, and I whirled, Vertina yelping and vanishing in the mirror.

"Fitz? What are you doing here? You should be at school."

My cognate stood in the center of my room, toeing at the flowers in the carpet. "I wanted to see how you were holding up."

"I'm fine." I turned back to the mirror. Vertina was still absent, so I gave up on the idea of hiding the shadows under my eyes.

In truth, I was not fine. I hadn't slept in days. But I refused to show that. I hated the Neverseen for taking Keefe from us, and I hated the Council and the Black Swan for not doing more. I hated the way I was hurting, so I had forced down any pain or sadness. I pushed away my emotions, growing cold around other people. I spent more time alone than I had with any of my friends.

Keefe was gone, and I didn't know how to be happy without him.

"No. Not really. Or you would be sleeping more." Fitz moved so he could see me in the mirror.

I held his gaze. "I'm fine. I have to go," I turned towards the door, grabbing my imparter from where it sat on my dresser.

"Promise you'll sleep tonight?"

I nodded, not looking at him as he followed me downstairs.

"Even if you have to take a sedative?"

I paused halfway down the steps. "I hate them."

"You need to sleep." Fitz had that determined glint in his eye. "Keefe would want you to," he added when I started to interrupt.

I shut my mouth, glaring at the floor. "Keefe is gone."

I turned and descended, ignoring him asking me to listen. Dex and Biana were waiting in the front room, and I joined them as we walked outside. After a few minutes, Stina and Wylie appeared in separate flashes of light. With one last look at Fitz, standing near us with his arms crossed, I took Sandor's hand as the team and all the bodyguards made a chain. I held the crystal going to Lumenaria up to the light and pulled the chain of bodies after me as I stepped into the beam it made.

The Councilors were waiting for us in a line outside the crystal palaces.

"Team Valiant," Emery greeted us. "Thank you for your punctuality. Today you have a very important mission." The dark-skinned Councilor turned to look at his companions, and each of them moved to stand by their charges, leaving Terik and Emery remaining in front.

Terik stepped forward. "Today, you will be presented in front of Foxfire. You will be announcing a new training program to better prepare students for possible conflicts. I understand that some of you have experience in this kind of training, and the Exillium program died before it could make a difference, but this type of skills is useful for students in a variety of ways."

Each of my team was given a card with their assigned part of the speech. Bronte handed me mine, a thick cardstock with black printed words.

Despite the danger in our world, these skills are not being presented to you as weapons. They are tools we can use to better ourselves and our world in ways we have yet to discover. We are the next generation, the next rulers, the next community. We are to inherit the world, and we must be prepared for the responsibility and everything that comes with growing up. There is always an easier way, and we shall use all opportunities presented to create it.

I was the last speaker, and when I finished, the five of us would lift ourselves into the air with telekinesis, as an example of one of these skills. That might be the hardest challenge. I hated public speaking, but my telekinesis wasn't up to par, especially with an audience. 

I bit my lip, taking the hands of my teammates and my bodyguards as the Councilors leaped us to Foxfire.

The school was gather in the atrium. I felt a rising blush in my cheeks at the thought of talking to them all, but I forced down my nerves, schooling my features into something hard and cold. I couldn't afford to let myself feel anything, even embarrassment.

The five of us lined up in front of the crowd. The Councilors and the bodyguards stood off to the side, against the wall.

Biana stepped forward to begin, introducing the new changes. Stina went next, giving a few examples and the benefits. Dex followed her speech, and then Wylie, but I tuned it out, focusing on the words I would have to say. The speeches turned to blurry messes in my mind.

Wylie finished, stepping back into our line, and I, in turn, stepped forward. But as I opened my mouth, a darkness covered the crowd, seeping over the students and then overcoming us.

The dark cloud smelled like soot, and when I breathed in, it felt like thousands of tiny shards of glass were annihilating my lungs. I coughed and retched, and heard my teammates doing the same, but it only made the pain worse. I dropped to the ground, hoping it was like smoke and would rise, but the air was just as bad there. The glass crawled through my throat, the pain in my chest growing until I couldn't breathe.

As quickly as it appeared, the cloud evaporated. Every student was collapsed to their knees, clutching at their chests. I struggled to inhale, wincing when it still hurt. But the pain was fading, and I breathed a sigh of relief that Elwin wouldn't have to treat the entire school.

"Sorry to interrupt," a sharp, feminine voice announced, laughing down at us. Before I even looked up, I knew who I would find hovering above the crowd. 

Don't worry, I'm writing the next part as I post this. I love you all very much... also 80 views??? it seems like so many. 

love, momo