50. Florence
FLORENCE
“The walls crumbled.”
- FLORENCE
Sitting up with a start, I noticed Conrad looming above me, a fierce grin splitting his face. I spat a mouthful of blood onto the concrete ground.
“Cute.” I grinned back, getting to my feet quickly.
“We fight fair at The Temple.” Conrad began circling me as I spoke.
“The Temple is a lot of things, but fair isn’t one of them,” he sneered.
I rolled my eyes. Erin and Jodie were sparring with their partners, none of them in the same danger as me. Had they picked me out because of my history with The Temple? Did they think my staying here was all an elaborate plan to deceive them? I was glad Erin and Jodie were safe, but I couldn’t help but think, why me?
Conrad feigned a punch, I flinched, feeling the embarrassment flood through me when the others began to laugh.
“Scared?” Conrad was enjoying my embarrassment.
“Are you?” The ground began to rumble beneath our feet, small rocks falling from the ceiling.
“We said no powers!” Lucille called from the side of the make-shift ring.
“This isn’t me!” I shouted over the sound of dirt turning over.
“Conrad?” she asked, he shook his head.
“Anyone?”
Silence met Lucille’s words as the whole cavern began to shake, more and more rocks falling from above.
Erin and Jodie moved toward each other, determined to protect their sibling.
The truth rocketed through me.
If this wasn’t Sorcerer magic, then we…
“We’re under attack!” Lucille screamed. “CODE RED! GET ABOVE GROUND!” she shouted, her voice echoing loudly.
People began moving instantly, items dropped, conversations ended.
Moving toward the exit was the only thing to happen. People flooded from the network of tunnels. We ushered them toward the exit, people tripped up the stairs, their fellow Sorcerers lifting them back to their feet.
Several MindWonderers stopped large boulders of falling ceiling from crushing members of The Circle.
A screamed bounced around my skull, I turned and saw it happen. A boulder had fallen next to Erin and Jodie, crushing their sparring partners. The sisters glanced to me, nodded, and headed for the exit.
But more and more people were crushed and buried.
It was a massacre.
Hundreds flooded out of the exit.
But so many did not.
“Florence! You need to leave. Now,” Lucille shouted over the falling stone. Heat began to fill the space, sweat licked my back. More and more people ran for the exit.
Another shout rang through the space. This one brought coldness with it, it touched every part of my body. My eyes searched the space as Lucille called out to me again, but I couldn’t leave.
I knew Erin and Jodie had made it out safely, I knew they were already in the tunnel or possibly even in the fresh air.
A tunnel to my right collapsed, screams of the dying making the hairs on my arms stand on end.
They were too young, too young for such a disgusting death.
Cowards. The Sage Guard were cowards. Killing without even showing their faces.
Fire leaked into the stones around me, I didn’t have long before the whole ceiling would collapse. The shouting sounded again, and I followed it, finding Jameson, shoving against a rock.
“Stop, Jameson, please. Just go.”
It was Rafael. My breath choked me.
His legs were trapped beneath a huge boulder, completely crushed. My whole body froze. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. A cough forced its way through my throat.
Jameson pushed and pushed at the huge rock, but it didn’t budge.
No. No I wouldn’t lose Rafael again, my sweet brother. He had only just got his life back; he had only just managed to break away from our wretched mother. I ran to his side, avoiding the blood staining his clothes. I heaved a breath, my lungs feeling as though they were filled with tiny shards of glass. Jameson tugged at the rock, pushing, and pulling until blood covered his hands and sweat dripped from his skin.
But the stone wouldn’t move. I pushed at it with everything I had, trying to summon every last morsel of power I had within me to save my brother, to save Rafael.
The boulder wouldn’t move, it wouldn’t even budge.
A scream of frustration ripped from me as I punched the rock, and my knuckles crumpled against it.
I began to sob as the world fell apart around me, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.
Realization began to attack my heart and my breathing hitched.
“Hey,” Rafael whispered. I looked down, and his eyes were already coated in a film of white. A drop of blood leaked out of the side of his mouth.
“No.” I shook my head, pushing at the rock again, Jameson had stopped and laid down beside Raf.
Another tunnel collapsed, more screams echoing through the small space.
“Flo,” Raf rasped, “Don’t waste my last minutes by ignoring me.” My eyes snapped to him instantly.
“I am not afraid.” The words left his mouth softly and tears fell from his eyes. Running a hand through his soft, brown hair. I smiled weakly.
“You’re not afraid?” I repeated back, my tears tasting salty on my tongue.
“I got to see the sky again, I got to breath fresh air,” he choked softly. “I got to see you and Khol again, how could I be afraid? How could I be angry?” Despite his words, fear bloomed in his eyes.
“You need to go,” he rasped, and I shook my head. He smiled.
“You need to go and tell Khol what happened to me.” More tears leaked from his eyes, and he reached up with a weak hand and touched my cheek.
“You need to tell him I am gone, but that I love him so very much.” He stared at me. “I love you so much, little sister.” He smiled.
“I don’t want you to go,” I cried.
“I don’t want to go either,” he said quietly, Jameson still laid beside him. The room shook again.
“I wish I could’ve met our sister,” his breath caught in his throat. “Will you tell her about me?” His voice was rushed and I nodded softly.
“I’ll see you again, sister, in the next life. I’ll find you again.” His hand fell from my cheek and his face turned to Jameson.
He kissed him softly, trying to convey every emotion he had ever had, and every one wouldn’t get the chance to have. Jameson wrapped his arms around Raf and sobbed quietly.
“My love, you must go,” he said as rocks began falling close to us.
“I won’t go without you,” Jameson sobbed. Raf pulled back, starring at his love that no one knew about.
“You will never be without me.” He smiled and laid his head back on the ground.
And then, moments later, my brother died in his beloved’s arms.