Compassion (A Selection Story)

> 12 <

I stare at Toby for the longest time.

"Fleur, I-"

"No. No, It's... it's your choice. When do I board the plane?" I ask, staring blankly at a spot just below his eyes, right around his cheekbones.

His expression stays pained, as if his words are being forced from him. "In an hour."

"Alright. So, how does this work? Do I live with my family in Caste Seven again, or do they live with me in Caste Three?" I wonder aloud, moving my eyes around to hold back tears.

Toby looks stunned. "Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. I, uh-"

I blink a few more times, unsuccessfully holding back the salty tears. "Why?" I burst out. "Will you at least let me know why?"

"That's what I was going to say," he informs me. "I sent someone to arrest your parents and retrieve your brother."

My blood goes cold and my heart sinks. My parents. My father. "Oh."

"How could you not tell me that your father is Hark Forshal?"

"Well," I said, brushing hair from my eyes, "It's not exactly the kind of thing you work into a conversation."

"You could have mentioned it at some point! How about when you were telling me the truth about yourself?"

"You didn't ask."

"Fleur!" he yells. "This is serious! Your father openly rebelled against us; he murdered six people."

"He wasn't exactly rebelling... They were more like personal crimes," I say, feeling the need to correct him.

"Are you defending him?"

"Well... no. I mean, I guess I am. I don't know, maybe?"

He runs his hand through his hair- I hate how when he does that, I can't think straight. "Fleur, I don't want to kick you out. I fell in love with you, for crying out loud!"

I reach out and place my hand on his upper arm. "Then why are you?"

"Your father is a rebel, you could be a rebel! You could be here to orchestrate attacks."

I freeze. "What?"

"Fleur, you show up, and we have a higher concentration of attacks than ever before."

"I was injured in two of them!"

"You could have planned that to seem innocent."

"Toby! You can't kick me out on this! It's a bunch of guesses!"

"Fleur, you're lucky we aren't imprisoning you or worse. Don't push it."

"You know what? Fine. Fine! I didn't want to be here in the first place, and this place doesn't seem very safe or welcoming at a-" I stop; sure I can feel the color drain from my face. "Wait."

"What?" Toby asks, sounding defeated and betrayed.

"You arrested my parents, didn't you?"

"Yes..."

"What did you do with Kai? Is he living with me?" I felt paler. "Are you having us live in Caste Eight because we're orphans?"

"Fleur..." He trails off, the pained look back on his face. "When they searched the house, they found him..." He grips my arm, like he thinks either he or I will fall. "Kai is dead."

My heart drops, sinking lower than it's ever been before. I can hear my blood rushing in my ears, and I stare straight ahead; looking, but not seeing. Grateful now for Toby's grip on my arm, I feel my knees give out, leaving me with air between me and the floor.