My fingers tingle, and feverish warmth fills me. Violet isn’t wrong. I endangered them both. I did this to them.
“I’m so sorry.” My broken confession rings through the night. It’s not enough, but the words are all I can manage right now.
Marie pulls away from me, throwing herself against Violet. The twins look at me accusingly, and gods, I deserve their hatred. I deserve the way they’re glaring at me, as if I did this on purpose.
Maybe I deserve to be alone.
“I can’t... There aren’t enough words to explain how sorry I am, but Gabriel is... right.” The last word barely makes it out of my lips. Those bands are squeezing so hard, they’re going to slice me in half. “You can’t go home. It’s too dangerous.”
Violet cradles Marie against her chest. They’re mirror images of each other; these sisters I’d do anything for. And together, they take another step away from me.
Barely two feet of space exist between us, but it feels like a whole kingdom.
“This is your fault, Birdie,” Violet accuses. Her eyes shine brightly, twin flames of anger and betrayal.
I don’t deny her claim because she’s right. If I had stayed for my Giving Ceremony, if I’d let the priestesses kill me, none of this would’ve happened.
All of me hurts. My heart. My soul. MyMark, which is ablaze.
I reach for the girls, desperate to hold them one last time. One more hug, and then I’ll say goodbye. But a flash of blue catches my eye, and my gaze drops to my hands. A tremor runs through me, and a low moan echoes through the night. Sky-colored sparks line my fingers, spraying everywhere.
Violet follows my line of sight, and when she sees the death at my fingertips, she pulls Marie with her, moving towards Maia.
As if this stranger is safer than me. As if I might hurt them.
Tiny flames lick my fingers, and a shuddering sob rips through me. I hold my enflamed fists against my chest, but the fire remains. It’s warm against me, and it doesn’t destroy the fabric of my dress, but that doesn’t negate the fact that there areflamescoming from me.
They are dangerous.
Just like me.
I can’t control the fire—can’t make it go away. Fuck. I don’t even know how I summoned it.
Lifetimes seem to pass as I drink in the sight of my sisters through a shimmering silver veil one last time, praying they can see my regret, my pain, and my fervent wish that this had never happened.
Then, I shift my gaze to Maia. “You promise to shield them from the king?”
Her eyes shift to my flaming hands, full of questions that I can’t answer, then back up. “I give you my word.”
Tears burn behind my eyes, but I don’t let them fall. I need to stay strong a little longer.
“Okay,” I whisper. “Thank you for doing this.”
Maia nods, and I turn my attention to the twins.
“I love you both so much.” I clutch the fabric of my dress with flaming fingers, forcing myself to keep my distance. “Be good, okay?” They eye me warily before mumbling their agreement. “I’ll see you again.”
Whether it’s in this life or the next.
I don’t add that last part, but I feel it in the essence of my being.
If the twins reply, I don’t hear them. My legs refuse to hold my weight any longer, and I crash to the ground. Cradling my fiery hands to my chest, I rest my head on my knees, and now, I allow my tears to finally overwhelm me.
Everything happens in a blur.
Voices surround me. Murmurs. Gabriel and Maia talk some more.
A wet nose nudges my arm, but I don’t look at Mist. She reminds me too much of Truffle, the cat I left at home, and thethought of the life I abandoned is something I can’t deal with right now.
