Corrupt

Chapter 30

"Lynny? Lynny!" 

I stir, blearily rubbing my exhausted eyes. I know that voice...

As I push myself to sitting, an excited cacophony of murmurs begins to ripple through my hearing.

"She's awake!" Another familiar voice.

Finally, my eyes adjust to the brightness.

I'm surrounded by all my beloved friends. 

Hetty, hair still an eternal mess, even here... Wherever this is. 

Katie, watching me with a soft, knowing smile. 

Drea, just as beautiful as I remember, immediately throwing her arms around me.

"Wha... What's going on?" I mumble against her hair. 

"We're in your dreams," Katie replies matter-of-factly. I feel myself frown.

"What?" I repeat.

"Lynny, you need to go back. You need to find a way out of the tower," Hetty nods urgently. I notice with a jolt that, as I look at her - as I look at any of them - they seem to coruscate, shimmering and blurring across my sight. Shadows. Ghosts. My eyes brim with tears.

"Lynny. Listen. You have to wake up. You have to fight Nikolas." I see the girls' nods of agreement. They all seem so much wiser now. Hetty holds depths in her eyes that I've never seen before. He did this to them. He's stolen their youth, their happiness.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," I whisper guiltily, gazing at each of them, my friends, frantically memorizing their faces. "I'm so sorry."

"Lynny. Daeva didn't kill me," Drea says suddenly. I snap my gaze to her, jaw dropping open. "He did." 

"What? No, no, he couldn't have..."

"I... You vanished, and I was so worried... I went to confront him myself. I thought, maybe I could take him on, or at least... Cause a scene... But..." She winces with a sharp intake of breath. "He threw me off the tower." 

No.

But it makes sense. 

It was so perfect for his cause. Too perfect.

"He's a liar, Lynette. You know it. He's a liar. A killer. So you have to win. You and Daeva. Okay?" Drea says hurriedly, fixing a grave stare on me. "You need to wake up."

I nod. Close my eyes. Focus. 

Fight. 

Fight.

Fight. 

I sit up with a gasp, neck stinging from the burns still haunting my skin.

His burns. 

I force myself to my feet, racing to the heavy wooden door, throwing myself against it. Nothing gives. 

I try again. And again. And again, screams of fury clawing their way from my throat.  

But nothing happens. 

"Let me out! Help me!" I yell, praying someone, anyone, will hear. 

And there's voices. 

But they're not here for me.

I rush over to the window, looking down from my dizzying height, as the fields flood with citizens. My heart plummets.