Prolouge
"You are the craziest girl we have ever met." Tancred said. Orchid chuckled.
"That means alot." Orchid gasped. Everyone bent lower to her. Even Asa. Everyone wore a tired expression. But, in their different ways. Emma and Olivia had tears in their eyes. Orchid couldn't read Charlie's eyes. Asa's weasly red hair was caked with dirt. Tancred and Lysander looked the most tired. But, the worst face Orchid had to see was Gabriel's. Never in her life had she seen so much angst.
Orchid's crimson blood stained her purple cape. An arrow stuck in her side.
Lysander kneeled beside her. "It wasn't supposed to come back." he touched the arrow.
"Manfred caught it and had those twins make it come back to us." Asa said.
"You had to jump in front of it. Didn't you?" Charlie asked. Orchid nodded.
"Of course I did." Orchid said. Just then Olvia broke into a sob. Charlie brought her close. The Flame cats were not far away.
"They're here. Along with Mr. Onimous and Mr. Yewbeam. You're fine. Let's go." Gabriel said as he got up from the Ruin's stoney ground. He brushed off his knees as the others did the same. Just as Gabriel was about to leave Orchid grabbed his hand. He looked anywhere but her.
"Gabriel, look, it wasn't your fault." she assured him.
"That arrow was meant for me, Orchid!" he yelled. "For me!" she didn't even flinch at his words. The others could hear him.
"Gabriel, cool it!" Orchid said.
"Oh? I should be calm? Orchid! That arrow was meant for me! Not you! You didn't have to jump in front of me like that!" he yelled.
"Stop yelling like a dumb idiot!" she said.
"Dumb idiot? That's the best you could come up with?" Gabriel asked.
"I was going to say slimy git." she said.
"That works." he said.
"Fine, next time I jump in front of an arrow for you, I'll remember that." she said sarcastically.
"How do you know there will be a next time?" he asked her.
''There will be!" she assured him.
"You believe what you want to believe, Orchid." he said.
"Fine, you don't think I'll live! Very nice of you! Go the hell away!" she said.
"I was just about to!" he said before walking off.
"Gabriel! You jerk! You self-centered, piano playing, brown haired, jerk! I never want to see you again!" Orchid screamed painfully. He ignored her. He looked at his feet.
Boys, don't cry. Boys, don't cry. He told himself.
