Left Behind (Snowbaz fic)

Chapter: 14

PENELOPE
The field of flowers went on for miles. After a couple hours of walking I was starting to think that Simon and I weren't actually getting anywhere. That maybe the world around us was repeating itself so no matter how far we walk the end will always be just as far away like it was from the very beginning.
Sweat began to bead against my forehead as we climbed a steep hill for what felt like the tenth time. I thought I wasn't going to be able to make it all the way up to the top. My whole body ached and begged me to stop. Simon looked at me and gave me a concerned smile. He didn't even look winded at all. He was so focused on saving Baz that I don't even think his mind had enough room to be tired.
"Let's take a break at the top," he said. I knew he would much rather keep going so I felt guilty for holding him back. But I couldn't help but feel a rush of energy run through me at the promise of a rest. I trudged the rest of the way up the hill and collapsed at the top. I tore open my backpack and grabbed one of the many water bottles inside, handing it to Simon. He almost rejected it but took it anyway knowing I wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"Thanks," he said taking long sips from the water bottle. He sat down among the many flowers around us and handed the bottle back to me. He then pointed to the horizon and smiled. "Look!" He said.
I turned my head to where he was pointing and saw the vast nothingness, that we had been walking in for hours, finally come to an end. The dense wall of flowers tapered off until finally stopping in front a line of trees.
"Do you think that's where the magic is?" He asked hopefully.
"I don't know," I responded. "That seemed almost too easy. The professor said that this was going to be dangerous."
"How could this place be dangerous? Look how beautiful it is!"
"Not everything is what it seems, Simon."
He shook his head and clenched his fist acting like he was caught saying something really stupid.
"You're right. We should be careful."
I leaned back on my elbows and inspected the flower closest to me. It was a big, orange poppy that lightly danced in the wind. I played with its soft petals delicately and plucked it from the ground. I closed my eyes and held it to my nose to smell.
What entered my nose was not the sweet smell of a flower. It was the suffocating smell of smoke billowing all around me. I opened my eyes to the flower in my hand had ignited in flames.
"Penelope!" I heard Simon shout before he smacked the burning flower out of my hand. I watched incredulously as the once beautiful flower was reduced to a black husk on the ground. It was just then that intense pain spread across my skin. A blotchy, red burn stretched against my palm making it tremble.
"Shit," was all I managed to squeak out, fighting the tears that brimmed my eyes.
"Penny," Simon muttered as I was still focused on my injured hand. "We have to get out of here. Now!"
I turned to him. He was staring open mouthed at the field behind us. Every singe flower was engulfed in flames, creating a wall of fire heading strait for us. The wall stretched wide across the entire field and loomed high over our heads.
I didn't have enough time to react, before I knew it I was pulled into Simon's arms. His wings stretched out at his sides. He took a running start before jumping into the air. His wings resembled a heartbeat, evenly spaced and powerful. We were only in the air for a few seconds before we were sent hurtling to the ground again.
The destruction behind us slowly inched closer with every second. I could see the fire reflecting in Simon's scared eyes at this point as we lied there helplessly on the ground.
"What happened?" I shrieked frantically. My eyes were glued to the blazing inferno beginning to cascade over the hill where we were just standing.
"I-I don't know!" He was desperately trying to get back in the air but to no avail. I could feel the intense heat from the fire as it got even closer to us. "Why isn't this working?" I heard him mutter to himself.
"We don't have time for that!" I yelled. I grabbed his hand as we raced through the field toward the line of trees that I prayed would be safe.
I refused to look back. I could already feel the flames nipping at my heels so I didn't need to see the blazing inferno just inches behind us. It was pretty much hopeless at this point. Simon and I were to be swallowed up by the fire and be reduced to ash like the flowers in its wake.
I could feel myself slowing down. I could feel myself giving up and I wondered if Simon would do the same.
I got my answer. Simon wasn't ready to give up. As the flames circled around us he scooped me up in his arms once again. I could feel every muscle in his body tense up as he hurtled himself through the field.
Seeing the expression of pain on his face brought tears to my eyes. His teeth were gritted and his eyes were squeezed shut. But still he marched through the blazing inferno the surrounded us. His wings were wrapped protectively around my body, shielding me from the flames.
After what felt like a lifetime he finally let me go putting me down in soft, wet grass. I opened my eyes seeing the trees all around us. The fire still blazed on behind them but it didn't pass the line of trees.
Simon was barely on his feet when I shifted my body to look at him. His knees buckled under him causing him to fall to the ground just inches from where I was sitting. It was then that I finally saw the damage the fire had caused on his body.
His shirt barely clung to his body revealing wicked burns spreading across his entire torso. Even his wings were reduced to mangled bones hanging off his back.
      "Simon. Simon! Stay with me!" I cried. He looked at me through a wall of tears in his eyes and nodded. His face was hallow and pale and stained with dirt, blood and tears. It broke my heart to see him like that. All because of something that was potentially my fault.
   "I'm so sorry," I muttered as I desperately searched through my bag for anything that could help.
      "Don't be," croaked Simon. His voice was hoarse and cracking. He cleared his throat and said it again with more force keeping his voice steady. He forced himself to sit up and gave me a weak smile. He was trying to reassure me that he was okay but he wasn't very convincing.
   My hands continued to tremble as I scoured my bag for my wand. Simon's head was in his hands when I finally found my wand among the supplies in my bag. I gave my wand a flourish and muttered a spell under my breath.
   I could see the energy from the spell pulse through my wand and Immediately fizzle and die out before it reaches Simon. I tried again and again but to no avail. It took Simon's trembling hand on my shoulder to get me to stop.
   "It's okay, I'm going to be okay," he was pleading with me at this point. But I could see it in his eyes that he wasn't okay and I could sense the pain that he was experiencing.
"There's something weird about this place." I said as I turned my attention back to the fire still raging on behind us. It was like the fire wouldn't dare cross the line of trees that protected us and it just stayed on the other side waiting for us to come back out so it could finish what it started.
   "It's like we've been stripped down of everything we rely on." Simon said forming my exact thoughts into words. He was mesmerized by the fire just like I was. When I looked back at him I could see the flames reflecting in his bright blue eyes. "I feel so defenseless and powerless," he added.
   "I feel it too. No magic." I said absentmindedly, the fire still holding my complete attention.
   "Let's keep going," he said getting to his feet.
   "Go? You almost got roasted alive and you want to keep going without so much as a rest?" I stood up and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to look at me. He yelped in pain at my touch and I quickly took my hands away; apologies flying out of my mouth.
   "We don't have much of a choice, Penelope, we have to keep going." He turned around to keep walking but I stayed right at his side. His pace was slow and labored making it easy to keep up with him.
   "But if you keep going like this then you're not going to make it. Please, Simon, think of yourself for once!" I pleaded.
   "I am!" His eyes narrowed at me as he gave me a cold stare. "I am thinking of myself. I am nothing without him. I'm doing this for myself just as much as I'm doing it for him because if I never see him again I don't know what I'll do to myself."