Her Imperfections

Chapter Eight

The Council was waiting on the edge of the whirlpool when they arrived. Or where the whirlpool used to be. Their faces were the same as Sophie's friends. Raw, sore from crying, but mostly shocked. Sophie on the other hand made sure to keep her own face cold.
If she dwelled too much on the attack and let herself cry Sophie feared she might be lost forever in the guilt. Stiffly she approached the line of Councillors, friends by her side.
Oralie was the first to make a sound. Upon seeing Sophie she let out a whimper and pulled her into a hug. Sophie just stood there, frozen in shock. It was the first time Oralie hugged her as a mother, even if the others didn't know it. Sophie couldn't bring herself to hug back though. Her arms felt glued to her sides and Oralie soon released her.
Emery brought a hand to Oralie shoulder and looked down at Sophie through a disheveled wall of hair. "Ms. Foster, thank you for coming."
Sophie returned his strained voice will her own, "May I see it?"
The Council exchanged glances and Sophie cringed painfully at how harsh she sounded. But the Council nodded and backed up, leaving the city just a few steps away. Sophie felt a sudden presence behind her and Fitz hooked his fingers in hers. It wasn't romantic, just supporting. As if he was saying, "I'm here."
Sophie breathed in and took a step towards the edge. Another step, another, three more before the city came into full view.
The damage was worse than Sophie could have ever imagined.
With Hydrokinetics holding up the sea, the demolished city was completely open. You couldn't even tell where the buildings had been. The city was reduced to a pile of stones and shattered gem walls. It looked like a bone sticking out of an arm, dark and unnatural.
Sophie gasped and hid her face in Fitz's arms. She didn't want to imagine the bodies hidden underneath there.
Her friends stayed for a while on the edge, watching the city for as long as they could before having to look away. But Sophie's sadness was slowly being washed away with determination. She had a job to do and she couldn't let her emotions stop that.
Sophie separated herself from the rest of the group and made her way to the edge of the water wall. There was a Hydrokinetic to her left with sweat racing down their face. Sophie paused, then removed her gloves.
"May I?" Sophie asked, holding her hand out.
The Hydrokinetic looked at it confusedly and Sophie reached out farther, "I can help."
They took her hand warily and Sophie let the power flow. The Hydrokinetic sighed and gripped her hand harder. It didn't take a lot to enhance them since there were many others working to keep the water up, but after a few minutes Sophie had to let go.
A second later a scream echoed across the rubble of the ruined city. Sophie turned to see a woman with her hands over her mouth, screaming. Stumbling over the debris Sophie's heart picked up and started racing as she reached the woman.
Once she got there, Sophie slowed down at the sight. A man's head stuck out from a chunk of thick stone.
Just his head.
The woman screamed again and grabbed his hair, pulling her hands through it while sobbing. Sophie stood frozen and felt the bile run up her throat. Before she could stop, Sophie hurled into the ground beside her. Sour taste now filled her mouth and her stomach still felt queasy. She could barely see through the tears and smoke.
Turning away Sophie clutched her stomach, hearing the screams follow her like nightmares. It wasn't the first time she had seen brutality like that, but it was traumatic. Even after everything she had been through. Suddenly the knowledge of bodies, people with lives beneath her feet lit up Sophie's feet until they felt like they were burning.
She had to get out of there.
In a daze Sophie stumbled across the burning ground. Metal and stone tugged her dress to shreds. Sophie tripped and her hands smashed into the rubble, dirt digging into the wounds. Squeezing her eyes, Sophie sprinted back to the edge and gasped in the air.
Her head spun and Sophie fumbled for the home crystal around her neck. She needed to get home....
Home.
She needed to do something, anything. Sophie couldn't stop imaging Fintan's face smiling at the bodies crushed beneath the city as he talked to her. How could he even do something like this?
Sophie's hand shook as she held the crystal up. She was going to bring justice to Fintan's door. He was going to pay for what he had done.