In the Heart of the Fire (a KOTLC fanfic)

XI

Later, I sit in bed, tracing my fingers over the crest again and again. The twins were cool about what happened, thank goodness. They wanted me to sleep over, but Zeke said no. He walked me back and we both were silent on the way.

I know I didn't make the wrong choice. But why does it feel so awful? The Emerald in the crest seems to glimmer. Oh, right. I hurt the person I love most. I sigh. This is stupid. I have bigger problems. How am I going to survive school? Meluna and I just beat up what may be the most popular people, making us the least popular people. Then again, I did that at Foxfire by saying yes to Keefe. That's the easiest way to make the girls hate you.

A creak in the main room interrupts my brooding. I sneak to the edge of my bed to peek out the door. It's Zeke. He's sneaking out. The lock clicks solidly behind him. I realize I don't care where's he's going. Not my business.

I turn to cuddle into my pillows and I'm met by a face. I bite back a yelp. It's Meluna.

"I didn't even hear you come up." I hiss.

She shrugs. "I phased slightly."

"What do you want?" I ask, a clear edge in my voice.

"It's time I tell you my story."

Wait, what? That came out of nowhere. I know I'm not sleeping tonight, though, so why not? I nod.

"First reason I despise the Council: I was orphaned at birth and they put me in a home with people who were kind, but they just wanted me to do chores. They didn't care about what made me happy. So, I ran away. Soon, I found someone, a whole network of someones actually. But there was one girl who stuck with me through it all. She believed in me. She helped me get into Exillium. Even if it wasn't Foxfire, it was better than the alternative. She sacrificed everything, including her education, for lost souls like me." Meluna's eyes start to shine with tears. "I love her. Even now, I love her. We grew closer and closer and became more than friends. I decided to steal the cloak because I wanted a gift that was as amazing and precious as her. When I failed, I fled back home and pretended like nothing happened. They didn't catch me due to my abilities. Then one day, a couple weeks later, I came back from school and she wasn't there. Instead, the Council was. They told me she was taken in as a suspect. They said if she didn't come forth then they would perform a memory break on her. The only reason they said these things was because they knew she was helping others and they considered it rebellion and the taking of their jobs. They'd been trying to find her for years. Now that they did, they were going to make sure she was out of their way. Anyway, I didn't know what to do about it. I debated the best course of action for so long. The next day I had come to the conclusion that I needed to confess. I ran. I ran until I could leap to Eternalia. I ran into the Tribunal Hall, even though it was a private hearing." Meluna pauses, breath hitching. "I was too late. The love of my life lay broken with Quinlin Sonden's fingers at her temples. I still confessed in exchange for the utmost care for her. She got a caretaker. I got my place here."

Wow. Tears trace mirror images on our faces. "What wa-is her name?" I whisper into the air between us.

"Kieran Erphine."

"That's beautiful."

"Well, moral is do anything for the ones you love, especially the one you love."

I look down at the crest. The emerald seems to sparkle at me. Something clicks in my mind. "Wait. You fell in love with a girl? And how do you know about me and Keefe?"

Meluna nods. "Yeah, I fell in love with a girl. Even though we may not have led a true rebel cause doesn't mean we weren't rebellious ourselves. Also, I phased, vanished and followed you."

My head spins. I feel so young and unintelligent. I have lived my life in a bubble. If I get one thing out of Project Flareadon, it will be exposure to human culture. And non-noble elf culture as well. And awareness if others.

Meluna closes my fingers around the Sencen crest. "Go. Go to him. I remember watching you two being torn apart and it reminded me of the day I lost Kieran. Don't let the Council tear more people apart. Don't let them have this."

You're not the only one who can't. But when we can, you know where to find me.

Can I change my mind that fast? Is that allowed? What if Keefe isn't ready? He did say we which means both of us.

"Zeke's gone." Meluna nudges. "You can go now."

"Meluna, if the Council finds me, I could be sent to Exile."

"You're right. That's why you'll need someone from the other side. I know your group's been to Exillium. Tam and Linh know, but they have their own life along with the rest of the group. You can't even go see your parents."

I rub my palms against my face. "Meluna, this is crazy talk."

"Haesel, this is a potential reality."

"Look, it sounds good and all, but I cannot do it. If anything were to happen to me, specifically being sent to Exile, it would kill Keefe. He would never be able to forgive himself. Please go." I have made up my mind.

The light in Meluna's eyes goes out. She retreats down the ladder. I sigh shakily and fall asleep curled up, Sencen crest gripped tightly in my hands.

The next morning, my mind is swimming. The sensation is odd. I don't like it. I dreamed of being lost in Atlantis and if I just found Keefe, I would be okay. I woke up alone and shaking.

The day passes in a blur. I see everything through a film. It's as if time doesn't exist.

The day after, though, when I climb down the ladder, Meluna is waiting.

"Snap. Out. Of. It." Her arms are crossed.

"Wha...?" I'm not a morning person. Even if it weren't the funk around me, I would still be discombobulated.

She stands and gets in my face. "You don't get to sulk around. You're beautiful. You're smart. You're talented with special abilities. And your significant other is waiting for you."

There is is: the punch line.

Meluna spins me around, pulls my shoulders out of their hunch and smacks my back. "Get to it."

On the bus ride, Meluna let's me stare out the window and piece myself together. That's rare for her. She usually talks to me. Something is up.

But nothing could ever prepare me for school today.

Before making it to my locker, it's clear something is definitely up. There's a giant crowd where my metal box should be. Something is clearly off about the crowd, though. It seems to be full of just girls. There's a couple guys in all fairness, but it's girls.

A couple phrases make their way to me.

"Movie star..."

"Gorgeous..."

"Ten out of ten..."

I finally shove my way through the crowd and stumble into the space between the mob and whatever they're surrounding.

Correction: Whoever.

After staring for a couple seconds, we speak at the same time.

"We can."

*****

Author's Note: I'm back to being strapped onto the roof. I'm not sure what to say. Hope you liked hearing more of Meluna's backstory. I liked creating it a lot. Obviously, I have to explain that ending but after that, I have no idea what will happen. I will figure it out. Anyways, hope you enjoyed. Happy reading, book buds! Love you all!💙