All Our Lives

Preface

Memories of things she doesn't remember happening are rushing through her brain. The only thing that is clear to her right now is a beautiful pair of pale silvery blue eyes gazing back at her. She should have been faster maybe she wouldn't be where she is now. Maybe she would see those pale silvery blue eyes in another life. She remembers the first time they spoke to each other.

Flashback:

“If you’re thinking it’ll get easier, it won’t,” a deep voice whispered in her ear.

She turned to find the Shade with his head tilted toward her. But he was too far away to be the whisperer.

She opened her mouth to reply and he nudged her attention to where the purple Coach stood watching.

“You should be careful,” his whispery voice said, despite the distance between them. “The Coaches are very interested in you.”

She couldn’t figure out how he was doing it, until she glanced down and noticed his shadow crossing hers.

Wait, Sophie transmitted, as he turned to walk away.

She hadn’t forgotten the physician’s warnings—or Fitz’s—but she couldn’t pass up a chance to make a connection.

She didn’t trust him, though, so she went with something safe.

Can you tell your Hydrokinetic friend “thank-you” for saving me?

His shadow slipped over hers again, and she could almost feel his eyes studying her. “You’re different,” his voice whispered. “I can’t decide if that’s a good thing.”

It is, she transmitted, surprised at how much she wanted him to believe her.

He walked away without another word.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

The leap felt shakier than normal, or maybe that was Sophie. She couldn’t believe she’d left Exillium with two strangers—without even asking where she was going.

They’d leaped to a place that had probably once been a beautiful garden. But now the cascading vines and enormous trees looked withered and crunchy and speckled with plague.

“Where are we?” Sophie asked.

“Introductions first,” the Shade said, throwing back his hood and tearing off his mask.

The Hydrokinetic girl did the same, and Sophie was stunned by the similarities between them. They both had the same pink lips and creamy complexion. But the biggest similarity was their eyes—the palest of pale blue, with flecks of silver glinting in the sunlight. Touches of silver in their hair enhanced the effect. The girl’s waist-length jet-black hair looked like the ends had been dipped in platinum, and the tips of the boy’s jagged bangs glinted every time he tossed them out of his eyes. (She kinda felt deep inside he looked familiar but she kept that to herself)

Together they looked like K-pop idols, or like they’d stepped straight out of anime. But Sophie realized the more logical option was, “You’re brother and sister.”

“Twins,” the Shade corrected. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Why would it . . . ,” Sophie started to ask, then remembered how rare multiple births were in the Lost Cities—and how judgmental most elves were when it happened. “Of course not,” she promised. “I know what it’s like to be different.”

She threw back her hood and pulled off her mask, not missing the way they gawked at her eyes.

The Shade glanced at his sister before he said, “I’m Tam, and this is Linh.”

Sophie smiled. “I’m Sophie.”

“That’s a human name,” Tam said.

“It is.” Sophie realized then that  Tam and Linh wouldn’t have heard any of the gossip about her.

Flashback over:
She could have saved him, but instead they all are going to have the same fate. Forced to live it over and over.

"We will stop you if not in this life, then the next and you'll get what you deserve." She said with the last breath she had as she looked at the figure hidden by the shadows.  She closed her eyes and with those last words she died ready to move on to the next life.