Jolie yanked the hood back over her horrified face, but too late. "Fintan's in there," she said in a choked whisper, and then ran back down the hall, leaving a stream of frantic questions without answer in her wake.
Sophie drew a shuddering breath. She could only imagine what this would be like for Grady and Edaline… actually, she couldn't. The only thing she could do now was what she came for. Distract Fintan.
Holding her head high, she pushed the door open. Fintan was sitting in a metal chair at a metal desk. He turned to look at her, and she could see menace in his eyes. He wasn't going to let her go until he got some answers. Sophie swallowed.
At that small noise, Fintan sprang with catlike grace from his chair. As he lunged towards Sophie, he flicked his wrist, slamming the door shut.
"The Moonlark," he said in a cold voice. "Fancy meeting you here." Fintan ignited fire in his hand, pinning her against the cold hard wall, also made of metal. He waved the fire under her chin.
"Why have you come here?" He hissed angrily, moving the fire closer.
"I want- to talk about- uniting for a common cause," Sophie choked out. Fintan turned away, his cape swishing dramatically behind him. Sophie sank to the floor, rubbing her throat. Then, remembering that she was the Moonlark, she summoned up her strength and bravery up and stood.
"It makes sense," she said, her voice stronger now. "We are both campaigning for change. If we work together, we have more strength, more resources."
Fintan turned to face her. "How do I know you're not lying?" he said. "How do I know that the second we uncloak and reveal our true identities, that you're not going to turn us all in?"
"You don't," Sophie said. "But we won't."
"Well, what would we work for?" Fintan asked, and Sophie's mind hit a wall.
"Well- The, um- What do you want changed?" she asked.
Fintan chuckled, an ominous noise. "Well, to start, I want the life that has been taken away from me. Do you know what it was like," he said, "having to pretend I was talentless? I went from riches to rags. Councillor to working class."
Sophie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "You brought that all down on yourself by your craving for power! None of this would have happened if you hadn't tried to ignite the Everblaze, so stop whining." Sophie was feeling brave and reckless.
Fintan practically snarled at her, but Sophie could see sadness in his eyes.
"We can fix your problem," she said. "Make Pyrokinesis legal again, and have it taught in the schools." Fintan scowled. "That won't help," he said bitterly.
"Yes it will-" Sophie started, but was interrupted by someone running in through the door. Jolie again. But Jolie completely disregarded Sophie as she frantically addressed Fintan.
"Sir, we have intruders! They're everywhere! Call for backup!"
Fintan lunged for Sophie. "You knew about this?" he asked, rancid breath blowing in her face as he panted in anger. His hands on her arms burned, and she screamed in pain. Drawing all of her fear and anger out of the pit of her stomach, she shoved it at Fintan, and with a pang of guilt, Jolie.
Sophie burst the door open, running down the hallway. When she came to a fork in the passageway, she stretched out her mind, listening for Fitz, or Mr. Forkle, or Keefe. But instead, she heard Edaline's thoughts. Grady and Edaline were here! Then reality struck her. Jolie. Grady. Edaline. They had gone so long, thinking that Jolie was lost. What would happen to them now? And would they… This was the worst thought of all. Would they still want Sophie?
She sucked a deep breath, and followed the thoughts. Left. Left. Straight. Then she came to a door. Behind it she could hear banging and screaming. Taking a deep breath, and readying her inflicting, Sophie ran in to find total chaos. Fitz's cage had been broken, and he was free. Somebody had set the room ablaze, and it was also raining. Lightning crackled, and the earth was shaking. Quite frankly, it was a battle of the elements. When she entered the room, everyone stared at her, and then everything shifted. Then Neverseen started trying to get her instead of Fitz, and the Black Swan all rushed in front of her. As the battle resumed, Sophie scanned the scene. Several dwarves were down, and looked hurt. And then she saw Fitz, and started crying. He had burn marks all over his arms, in the shape of thumbprints. He was slumped against a wall, and Sophie ran over to him. She took his beautiful face in her hands, and his eyelids fluttered, then opened.
"Sophie?" he rasped. Her tears were falling onto his face, mixing with blood from a split lip. He tried to stand, but Sophie stopped him with a kiss.
It was the worst time and place for a kiss, but it felt so good to feel Fitz, feel his life and love for her.
She pulled away, and his mouth was bloody from hers. She smiled through tears of joy and tried to wipe it off, then realized it didn't matter.
Sophie rallied her strength, and lifted Fitz right off the ground with telekinesis. She was floating him towards the door when it slammed open. Jolie ran inside with Fintan.
"Stop!" Fintan shouted, drawing attention an halting the battle. He ignited a sphere of Everblaze, grabbing Jolie and holding the Everblaze under her chin. She struggled, screaming in pain from the heat as the fire blazed over her body. Grady and Edaline ran over to her, and Edaline shoved fintan aside, snapping her fingers and conjuring him who knows where as her tears of loss and love began to quench the Everblaze. Grady clung to both Edaline and Jolie, and then Edaline started to sing.
"Sing swan, Spring swan..." her voice was so sad, so broken as she sang her daughter to her grave for the second time in her life.
"Follow the pretty bird..." Edaline's beautiful voice cracked as Jolie took one last shuddering breath.
"I love you." Jolie whispered, and then her chest fell still and Edaline and Grady clung to each other, tears flowing like a waterfall.
It was like a knife in Sophie's back to see this heartbroken scene. But her mission was not yet complete. Supporting Fitz with both telekinesis and her own strength, she let her photographic memory lead them to the exit and through the tunnels. Sophie collapsed, exhausted and stressed, underneath the ladder with the warm sunlight falling down on her as tears streamed down her face, shuddering with sobs. Her last memory was of Fitz wrapping his scarred arms around her as she lost everything and sank into blackness.