How Did We Get Into This Mess - KOTLC Oneshots

What Good Is A Bird With Broken Wings?

The sound of rattling startled Sophie, cutting the darkness swimming in her murky mind. She jerked awake, opening her eyes. Light was pouring into the cell through its thickly jeweled jagged bars.

She closed her eyes again, trapping vivid swirls of orange and gold beneath her eyelids. For a few horrible seconds, she was back inside the tower as Alden set the place on fire. She could feel the flames rising, smell the smoke, hear herself screaming.

Oblivimyre was a melted heap of smoldering crystal and acrid debris now, and so were her hopes, her future. Shame burned inside her, as hot as the flames that had devoured the secluded prison, as she realized that Bronte, even Dame Alina - they were right. She was foolish and weak.

She'd trusted Alden because he was kind and dazzling, because he'd spoken a few fake reassurances and made her believe he cared about her. Her heart had been her undoing. Yet again.

Who would even believe her? Who would choose the frantic accusations of a newcomer with far too many discrepancies in her record, gaps in her memory, over a trusted emissary descended from one of the most prestigious noble families in the entire elvin world? Nobody. That's who.

Sophie wished she could convince herself she was wrong. That maybe, just maybe, Alden hadn't been cupping a flame, letting sparks spread to the rope holding Councillor Kenric. That it was just a coincidence when the fire erupted as Alden tapped his foot.

It would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Then again, it would haunt her either way.

It was only when Alden stepped out of the shadows that Sophie dispelled any notion from her mind that the Council was testing her. She couldn't grasp at straws anymore.

"Hello, Sophie dear," came the devious, crisp voice of the liar. He didn't deserve a name, not even in her own thoughts.

Chills ran down Sophie's spine, the thin blonde hairs at the nape of her neck standing on edge."Have you heard the news," he chuckled, teal eyes glinting dangerously. "We're electing a new councillor to be Kenric's replacement. Do tell your foster parents to vote for Dame Alina, won't you? She'll be so much easier to manipulate. Not that you'll remember this." The man smirked, unknotting Sophie's bitter gag with telekinesis.

She'd changed her mind. Alden needed a name she could spit to the ground, inflect with utter disgust. Sophie was ashamed of herself for trembling as he stalked forward.

"Say something, little bird," Alden hissed furiously. "Your wings are already clipped."

Soybean. Suldreen. Moonlark.

She was the moonlark. A helpless bird with powers she couldn't control. And she was completely, utterly, alone.

Forkle couldn't save her now.

( Hey, Just crossposting a fandom bit I wrote! hehe. )