The Forever Blaze [3]

C H A P T E R - 2 3

"No," Sophie said, jerking away from Fitz. "Not Kenric."

There had to be a mistake.

She raced down the hill, promising herself that she would find a smiling Kenric standing with the cluster of figures in the distance.

Instead, she found the rest of the Councillors gathered around a sobbing Oralie and Meredith.

"No!" Sophie shouted, spinning around to head to Oblivimyre.

The ground felt slippery as she ran, but Sophie pushed forward, ordering her legs not to trip.

Everything would be better once she got there. She'd find a secret compartment he'd hidden in, or a clue to where he'd leaped to, or . . .

She screeched to a halt when she realized the slick ground was purple.

A few feet away, a lone silver fencepost stuck out of the sea of melted jewel—all that remained of Oblivimyre.

"No," she cried again, dropping to her knees.

"I'm sorry," Alden said behind her, placing a gentle hand on her trembling shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry."

She didn't even know Kenric that well. But he'd always been kind—and was always the first to take her side. She couldn't imagine the Council without him.

And Mer-, she was the one who loved him like her own father...

"He can't really be gone," she whispered, feeling hot tears streak down her face.

Alden pulled her close, his body shaking harder than hers as he told her, "I'm afraid he is. Kenric charged Fintan when the room started raining Everblaze along with Meredith. He managed to shove you, Fitz, and Oralie, away, but then Fintan's body exploded with flames. Meredith tried to bring him back but he sent her away. There was nothing we could do. I—"

His voice broke, and he needed several deep breaths before he could speak again.

"We're going to have to be brave, Sophie. I'm sorry to ask that of you, but Kenric's loss is going to be deeply, deeply felt by our citizens. People are going to need to see that everything is going to be okay."

"But it's not!" she yelled, backing away from him.

The loss was too huge this time.

They'd lost a Councillor.

A hole opened inside of her as she thought of how many people had told her not to do the healing.

"I should've listened," she whispered, barely able to breathe. "It's my fault."

"If it's anyone's fault, it's mine," Fitz said as he stepped out of the darkness. "If I'd noticed the flames earlier, or been a better guide—"

And then coughing was heard. Behind them and Sophie listened to a voice, "Alden...Kenric...Hospital."

And Sophie knew that voice all too well. It was none other than Meredith who seemed to be dragging Kenric up till now and had toppled over just now. Everything froze in that instant and all Sophie could do was stare at the girl in front of her. The resilient child who never gave up hope never backed out of a fight...

Now, she was crumpled on the ground holding somebody dear to her, close to her as if if she let him go, he would vanish.

It was Fitz who jumped into action first as he ran towards Meredith, quickly lifting her up, untangling her from Kenric and shouting at his father to get Kenric to the nearest doctor. 

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Tieragan brought Sophie home and she took him up on his offer to break the news to Grady and Edaline without her.