Trenna hears the heavy clash of metal against metal as the door is locked behind them, sealing her fate with a finality that sets her free rather than weighing her down. The thud of feet against stone behind her is heavy and reassuring. Everyone walks in silence, as if the walls of the cave are fragile and they're scared their voices will cause them to shatter.
She trails her hands along the walls as she walks, the rocks flickering as her fingers brush over them, lighting their path. In her mind, feathers take flight in the air, sweeping impossibly thin tendrils across her neck and face and fingertips. Her heartbeat is shallow in her chest, as are her breaths, blood rushing like a river in her ears.
The air is alive with the hope and excitement of the people behind her. She steps across the rocks that fill the pit, now harmless unless one is unwary enough to trip and twist an ankle. Her feet are feather-light as she moves across the rocks to the other side.
She turns her magic off, and light streams into the cave from ahead. Her feet quicken as she steps on the balls of her feet into the welcome sunshine, stepping out onto the grass and tilting her head back, enjoying the sunlight on her skin and the fire at her back, no longer surrounding her, trapping her. She drops her bag to the ground at her feet. She hears gasps, exclamations of wonder and awe as the others behind her make their way out into the sunshine, falling to their knees in the grass, as she once did. She turns her head to the side as someone steps up beside her and sees her mother, clasping the strap of her bag, silent tears falling down her cheeks as she looks out at the world that has suddenly grown before their eyes.
She feels another body stepping up to her other side and wordlessly reaches out, winding their fingers together. Pierce's eyes are on her, as they always are, nothing between them but sweet, fresh air. Her sister and Joss stand beside her mother, and, one by one, the rebels stand and join hands, tears in their eyes as they stare out over the grassy plains and blue skies of a world beyond the flames. Their hopes rise into the air, twisting, tangible things, shouting out their dreams and wants and needs. The air tastes of faith. The fanfare is deafening.
YOU ARE READING
Fanfare
FantasyAll her life the fire wall has been standing. Trenna has been enclosed, her whole city circled by flames. She always thought that her city was the world. But then everything changed. Pierce, a childhood friend, is not dead after all, and her mothe...
