The Republic of Linae (Book 1)

Chapter 24: Cameron

Two weeks ago, Jen Linder died at the age of eighteen. According to the official report, she bled to death from a gunshot wound. If Allyson and I hadn't collapsed the building, Jen might have lived long enough to have been put into the hospital. She might have lived long enough to read the admissions letter from the school she applied to.

The letter feels heavy in my hands. I shouldn't have this letter. It belonged to Jen Linder, who will never have the opportunity to read its contents.

The young woman that I killed.

My vision blurs from my tears while I choke back tears. I force myself to rip open the letter, to know what kind of future I took away from her. The envelope makes a horrible noise as I rip the paper out. I unfold the papers, staring at the blurred mess of words. I stop reading after the first one.

Congratulations.

Jen had made it out. She was going to achieve things on her own, without her family's extended reach. I took that all away from her.

The letter floats to the ground. I lower my head into my hands, squeezing my eyes shut.

I'm sorry. I should've left the guardship to do their jobs. I should've let those stupid Calamities escape with their lives. I should've stopped myself from playing the hero.

I'm sorry.

The rubble surrounding me is all my doing. If only I hadn't talked Allyson into doing this. If only I hadn't come up with the idea in the first place.

My sister seems to have moved on from the horrible moment. She grieved for a week then pretended like nothing happened. Allyson even went on a date with Prince Caspian yesterday, changing the topic of conversation from the terrorist attack to the couple of the century. For at least the next month and a half, the news isn't going to shut up about the two of them.

As aggravating as it is, I can't really blame her. All anyone talked about was how brave Allyson and I were after the incident. They never talked once about the students that were killed because of the Calamities or because of us.

Tomorrow, my father is pushing for construction workers to fix this mess as well as make a memorial for the fallen students. The building should be entirely fixed within the week, depending on how many workers the school chooses to hire.

Soon, Jen's face is going to haunt more than just my dreams.

Someone scrapes their shoe as they approach, announcing their presence. I don't turn, instead staring at the pile of rubble Allyson and I had emerged from. The surrounding area is completely singed.

"I didn't expect anyone to be over here," a feminine voice comments from behind me.

I turn my head slightly, finding a redhead staring at me. Her green eyes are wide while she stands a few feet away. Light freckles dot her cheeks. "Me neither," I respond. I return my attention back to the patch in front of me.

The girl doesn't move from her spot. "Did you lose someone here?" She asks me. The answer should be painfully obvious. Why else would I be here? I'm not here to mourn the terrorist that came here to kill a bunch of children.

"Yeah. Someone very important to me."

She takes this as an invitation to approach me. "A girlfriend?"

My hand curls into a tight fist. Normally, I would snap at her for prying. I don't have the energy to do anything, however. "Something like that."

The girl pauses right next to me, staring at the same spot that I am. "I'm sorry," she apologizes. "I'm being rude."