Fire Moon

11

THREE SECONDS.

It took the children three seconds to burn. I was patting the small body closest to me, trying to put my own flames out but it was too late. Their skin was charcoal and blistered. It was sticking to me like glue and the vile smell was suffocating.

Kier laughter crackled like static. He tricked me. Kier knew I would do anything to save my sister. He knew the lengths I would go to. Kier knew I would do this.

It was a speaker.

A tall round speaker sitting on a small three-legged table.

It was on fire but I knew what it was.

Alice was never in here. Kier was never in here. I killed these kids without a reason. They died for nothing.

Cries filled the air. My cries. Collapsing into Alexei's arms, I was sobbing. I killed them. My body lurched away as I vomited on the ground in front of us. The acid burning my throat as it went.

"Eden!" Alexei was shaking me, "We need to go!"

He pulled me away when I didn't respond, his cool hands on my hot skin and the tears falling harsh on my face. I killed them. Kier didn't kill them. Alexei didn't kill them. It was me. I killed them.

"You lied to me!" I screamed at him, my lungs worked to keep me breathing, "You told me Alice wasn't here!"

He kept holding onto my arm, "I didn't know, Eden!"

I didn't believe him. I couldn't believe him. I killed them and he lied to me.

Alexei rushed us out of the children's prison that was now, a crematorium and out to the hall where he grabbed the sides of my face, "Eden, I need to you to focus for a second" his voice was fast and out of breathe, "Sawyer is waiting for you at the end of this corridor and you need to be extremely fast so you can make it before they put the building into lockdown."

I was blinking through his words, my tears drying thick on my face and I turned to see the long haired Soothsayer, he waved slowly and I wanted to cry again.

Everything that happens from now on is meant to be.

Sawyer knew. He knew I would kill the children, that's why he looked so forlorn when I mentioned them and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it.

I turned back to the emerald eyed Null-Hound, "Come with us" it wasn't a question but a demand. A beg. Kier would kill him for this. He didn't deserve death yet. Liar or not, he helped me and I had to help him, "He'll kill you."

Alexei nodded with a small smile, "I know but at least he can't kill you" he shoved at me, "Now, go!"

I wanted to argue longer, change his mind but the hallway glowed with red and I ran to Sawyer. An explosion rippled through the building, walls rattling and cracking. The Soothsayer's hands grabbed me just as the siren blared to life and I turned back to Alexei to see him looking back at me. His emerald eyes doused in sadness, fear and acceptance, "Where's Alice?" I shouted over the siren at Sawyer.

Confusion clear on his face, "Alice isn't here, Blazer" he pulled at me to start running, "She never was."

My mind spun with the new information and I looked back at Alexei, who was now gone, "We can't leave without him!"

Sawyer started dragging me behind him, "Don't worry, he's coming with us!" I met his eyes in shock and he laughed, "What, you think I'm going to leave such a specimen behind? He will meet us at the east wing!"

Relief washed over me hard enough that my guilt almost left my body completely. Almost.

The halls filled with my bare feet slapping the dirt floor, my blood rushing in my ears and we rounded a corner just as the four Zetas did. Sawyer waved his hand and we ran around the four. Not attempting to stop us. They stared at us with confusion, like they knew we should be stopped but they couldn't stop us. They were frozen into compliance.