Chapter 1: Jolie
POV Edaline
Jolie.
That was all Edaline could think about. Jolie, Jolie, Jolie.
Come on, she thought to herself. Grady had talked to her about this.
She couldn't get stuck in the past. She had to stay in the present.
She had refrained from informing Grady that, while he had told her this, he looked more heartbroken than she did. Not that it was a contest.
To late. She watched the memory unfold.
~Memory~
"Bye Mom!" Jolie called as she dashed out the door.
Edaline laughed as Jolie ran out into the yard to hold up her pathfinder. She had always enjoyed that better than the leapmaster.
Edaline smiled as she realized what Jolie had said. She was finally 'Mom' again. She had been 'Mother' for a long time.
She watched as her daughter disappeared to the elite towers, going back to school from her weekend break.
~Memory~
If she had known that was the last time she would see her daughter, she would have said something different. Instead, her last words to Jolie were; "Hurry up, Jolie!"
If she had known that flames would consume her daughter that afternoon...
Goodness, the flames.
The raging, orange, roaring, flames, and Jolie's scream as they edged closer...
In the present, Edaline let out a sob. She felt Grady's arm wrap around her, pulling her out of her trance.
"Hey," Grady said softly. "It's okay."
But they both knew it wasn't.
-Past-
POV Jolie
Jolie finished up her classes and went to her dorm for the night.
The She glanced at her imparter. She wasn't supposed to use it while other people were working, but...
She hadn't seen Brant in a few days.
No. She wouldn't. She needed to talk to him in person.
Well...
Before she knew it, she was sliding down the roof of the silver tower.
She fell down, catching a window sill.
She glanced down. There was a window every 3 feet down.
She slowly made her way down to the bottom, amazed that no one saw her.
She leapt to Brant's house.
She took a deep breath, and knocked.
Brant answered the door. He didn't ask as she came inside.
She turned to him before he could speak.
"Brant."
He looked at her.
"I know it was you. I know your a Pyrokenetic. I know your part of the Neverseen."
She waited for him to respond. He didn't.
"But please, you don't have to do this-"
"Yes, I do," Brant said.
"But-why?" She asked. Brant glared at her.
"Why? Why? Because they took my talent! Because I'm qualified as a talentless when I'm not! BECAUSE THEY TOOK YOU FROM ME!"
"Brant-but they didn't-"
"Yes, they did." A flame ignited on his palm, casting his face in shadow. "We could have been happy. Not a bad match."
He spit the words out like poison. Jolie flinched.
He held his ignited palm out. "Join me,"
Jolie took a step back. Brant growled.
"Everyone thinks it's just destructive. It's a gift."
Jolie tried to calm herself. "Brant, it's not worth it."
"YES IT IS!" He screamed. "THEY DESERVE IT!"
Before Jolie knew what was happening, the flame was burning the carpet.
Brant seemed to realize what he'd done. He grabbed her and they ran down the hall, into his bedroom.
They backed away from the approaching flame, cornering themselves.
There was nothing they could do.
The flame was inches away...
Brant thrust out his hands. The flame backed away a few inches, and he leaped out of the flame circle, holding out his hand for her.
She ran forward, but tripped. The flames hit her leg.
She screamed in pain as the flames grew closer. She couldn't see Brant through the smoke.
She backed up farther in the corner, but the flames were too close.
She screamed for Brant, but there was no answer.
She only had time to whisper one thing into the smoke and flames.
"Moonlark."
-Past-
Alden cane over later. He looked nervous.
"There-there will be a...new girl. Coming to live in Eternailia." He said.