The Lost Kingdom

Chapter 11 Part 2 - The Negotiation and the Burning Prince

Fire was everywhere, spreading around the small house like an enclosed wildfire. Flames licked at the newly built walls, climbing up to the ceiling. Smoke burned Ivory's lungs, the acrid air making it hard to breath. It was too late to put out the fire now. And it was all her fault.

"Ivory?" Echo screamed, then burst into a fit of coughing. He was in the corner of the room where it had started. "Ivory, get out of here!"

She didn't obey her older brother, but leaped into the heat of the fire and sped through it. She could hear someone else coughing- Ezra. She followed the sound of his weakening wheezes, and found him, back pressed up against the wall, ash covering his face. His leg was trapped beneath a beam that had fallen from the ceiling. He stared up at her, his eyes pleading.

"Listen to Echo," He ordered. "Get out of here before this collapses."

Every instinct told her to do as he said, but she stayed rooted to the spot, embers falling around her. The house groaned and fire danced behind her.

"It isn't your fault, Ivory. Now leave!" Ezra demanded, choking on smoke.

Ivory shook her head, moving towards him. She slid down the wall and sat next to him, curling into his side. "No."

Ezra stared at her as if he couldn't believe what she was doing, but then his arm was around her and they watched the flames get bigger, hotter. Echo stumbled near to them, and sat next to Ivory. The fire cackled like taunting laughter, telling them it had won.

It was the end. It was over. Ivory knew they were all going to die, and she closed her eyes tightly.

"I didn't mean any of it," Ezra coughed out, squeezing her hand. Her rage from earlier was gone now.

"I know," She whispered. Her mind was getting fuzzy now. The smoke burned worse and the heat was incredibly hot, worse than any Summer day spent outside on Dolphin Island. But they were together, and that was all that mattered. "I'm not leaving you."

Black spots formed around her eyes. The heat from the fire lessened, her shoulders relaxed. Was this death, finally coming to get her, steal her from the world? She closed her eyes, welcoming it, and rested her head on Ezra's shoulder... Her rock, who would never let anything hurt her... Echo whispered something in her ear about forgiving her, but she couldn't hear it over the fire and the sound of Ezra's coughs.

"I'm sorry."

And then there was nothing.

Ivory's eyes flew opened, her mouth open in a silent scream. She sat up in a bed too comfrotable to be her own, her heart pounding. Sweat ran down her temple, and she was surprised by how cold it was, before realization dawned back on her.

It was just another nightmare. She had never stayed with Ezra during the fire, but had run out like a coward. "I'm sorry," She repeated, but she was the only witness to the broken words. A tear escaped her eyes, usually so cold and emotionless, and traveled down her cheek.

She took deep, steadying breaths, and pulled her knees to her chest. Her eyes scanned the room, and she remembered that she was in Gariahn, a desert of snow. The complete opposite of fire. Her fingers still trembled as she slipped out of bed, walking over to the window. It was still dark outside, probably not even past midnight.

Sighing, Ivory leaned against the window. Back on Dolphin Island, she would be able to curl up with a book and read until morning. She didn't have many books, and had read them all at least five times, but it didn't matter to her. It was something to pass the time, keep her thoughts off the mistakes of her past. Now she had nothing to do but wait until morning, when she would know if Gariahn had agreed to help them in the war. The dream still lingered in the back of her mind, as it always did, and it would haunt her through the day until she relived it again.