Fanfare

Alive

Trenna's breath leaves her body as she looks into her mother's eyes, only now fully understanding what Pierce's father meant. Her heart stops.

Her mother is from the market.

"Kina, Joss, you have to come with us," she says, taking a step back and slamming into Pierce's chest. He squeezes her fingers. Her heart starts again. She stays still, ignoring the look Joss gives her, probably from her proximity to Pierce. She doesn't care; he can't control her. She doesn't belong to anyone but herself. Especially not her mother.

"Where?" Kina asks, sounding puzzled. She seems to just notice Pierce, now that Trenna's practically standing on his feet. "And who the hell's that?"

"Pierce. He's not dead. And I'll tell you what's going on later. Will you come with me?" 

"Where, Trenna? And what're you talking about? You disappear for over a month and expect me to just accept it?" Trenna swears at herself in her mind; she can read her sister like a book. Clearly, she's getting into one of her moods. "Plus, I'm not going anywhere unless mum comes, too." her sister hadn't overlooked the fact that their mother wasn't included in the invitation.

The market screams and rages around them, and she wants nothing more than to leave. Their mother reaches towards Kina, a soft look on her face, and Trenna steps forwards and pulls her sister away. "Don't you touch her," she says, her voice filled with venom. 

Joss looks at her, shocked, as does Kina. Pierce only looks like Pierce, and their mother smiles bitterly. "It's my fault that you don't trust me. I deserve your hate, for what I've done. Leaving you two... alone for so long. I wasn't myself." She looks like she hates herself. Trenna hates herself for another's self-loathing making her feel better.

"They tried to turn her." Pierce; quiet and serious.

Josephine's head snaps up as she looks at Pierce. Her eyes are fiery, and Trenna forces herself not to react, because that look scares her. "They did what to my daughter?" she hisses, and she can't help but jolt in surprise as her mother comes to life. The woman steps forwards, and Pierce gives Trenna a small push. This is how she finds herself in her mother's arms, being held in a way that can only be described as fiercely protective. And this is how she finds herself going to the rebel compound with the shattered remains of her family.