Cardinal Tower (Trinity Central Book #1)

Chapter 37

The difference between me now and me then is that I'm stronger. I don't have time to waste hiding in the corner, so I find myself running towards the torture room, praying to see Aria alive.

She was.

Cowering in a huddle with her sister and Fray, but still very much alive.

"Castelle!" she yells excitedly, running towards me in an open embrace. I let out a sigh of relief and hug her back with my one good arm, explaining to her the urgency of the situation. She complies with every command of mine, fear motivating her actions.

"You can't just take Aria away from me, I just got her back," Scarlett protests, clinging onto her sister as though they were connected at the hip.

She pulls Aria back, black flames taking shape around her. The illuminated shadows waver around her floating locks of hair, identical to my own. I can guess who's blood was on that knife, I think, envying the fact that it comes so easily to her. I've been bested by a child.

"Okay cool it with the flames, you can come too," I say as I grab her wrist in one hand. "You know, Scarlett, your name is awfully fitting."

"Excuse me, Bloody Mary." Fray eyes my uniform up and down, and I realize just how disheveled I must appear with red drenching half of my outfit.

"What makes you think we want to leave?" Fray asks, her arms crossed, staring at me with an all too familiar attitude.

"Lot of spunk in this one, huh?" I turn to her. "Hear those bombs outside, water girl? Who do you think dropped them? Now you can either use your little flood abilities to save those lives, or end some more. Up to you."

After a minute of deliberation, Fray agrees reluctantly. "Fine, but only because Scarlett and Aria are going. They seem to trust you."

Something about that child reminds me of myself, and I can't help but feel slightly terrified.

We exit through the door to the fruit stand in the central market. The streets have run rampant. Crowds are running from Trinity while trampling each other in the process. Everything's fallen into total chaos, and in the madness, I hurry towards the collapsing Capitol everyone else is trying to avoid.

My ears are filled with screams of panic as I try to push my way through the crowd, a chain of suspiciously young children shackled to my arm. In the distance, I can see a cloud of smoke rising from the glass panes of the first floor, gray pouring into the already dull skies.

We don't make it a few feet before I slam into someone I recognize.

"Cas?" Kai asks, holding me at arm's length and blinking in disbelief. He's followed closely by two heavily armed guards, their guns fixed on my head and their trigger fingers itching to shoot someone. "Oh my God, you're okay." He pulls me into a hug, and I release my hand from Aria's as I squeeze him back. They lower their guns and a wave of relief washes over me followed by a sudden slap of worry.

"What are you doing here? This is the worst place for you to be right now," I say, remembering what my father requested from the council of twelve earlier. "They're looking for you Kai."

"I don't care. You didn't come back yesterday, and then they started attacking Cardinal. I had to come find you, and this was the only place I could think of looking." He pulls away, a hand resting on my shoulder, forcing me to wince in pain at the slight touch. "You're hurt," he realizes. Upon further inspection, he notices a cut on the right leg of my uniform, and his already concerned demeanor is plagued by what I can only assume is rage. "What happened? What'd they do to you?"