Soooooo sorry it took forever! I promise that the chapters will be as long as possible in the future.
OMG ITS FINALS WEEK!
Della, Alden, Julliene, and Kesler were knelt by their kids' trees, weeping. Well, Della and Julliene were. Alden and Kesler were there, trying to comfort their wives, trying to refrain from sobbing.
"Sophie?" Della called as I turned to leave.
"Yes." I asked, numb from grief.
"We've all agreed that you should be the one to go through their things first. Elves dont really write wills, so, um, we thought you were closest to them."
"I-I couldn't. Their your sons." I replied, surprised at the declaration.
"You deserve it." Alden insisted
"Ok. If you insist."
"Come over to Everglen in the morning and you can go to Rimeshire afterword." Alden added.
"Ok. See you then." And I was gone.
The next morning I woke to sunlight streaming into my room.
I got up, still numb, not realizing what I was doing. I put on black leggings and a black sweatshirt I had brought from the Lost Cities.
Vertina said nothing, silently surveying the scene.
"Bye, V."
"Bye, Soph. Good luck." But I didn't hear Vertina.
All I heard was "If there's a reason I'm still alive, when half the ones that love me have died, then I'm willing to wait for it," ringing in my ears.
I arrived at Everglen, to find the gate open, and Alden waiting for her.
"I trust you know where his room is?"
I nodded, walking to his room.
The things I took were Mr. Snuggles, the charm I gave him, and his Cognate rings. That was before I found the watch. And the pages.
It was poetry.
The pocket watch was gold, with a little knob at the top. In the center, where you would see the gears, he had put in a picture. The frame was a heart. The picture was of me. Of all people, me.
I sucked in a breathe, suddenly feeling claustrophobic.
I grabbed the things, stuck them into my black satchel, and ran.
Ran to their tree house. Ran to the lake. To the Pures. To the moonlarks.
The sight of them always calmed me.
As I sat, I thought about that night, thoughts renewed.
If only I hadn't let them do what they wanted.
I saw that as a good deed. They wanted to do something and I let them.
I should have died with them.
"Sophie?" Keefe was there. Next to me.
"LEAVE ME ALONE! AND HIS THINGS!" I wasn't done searching yet. I ran back to his room, slamming and locking the door.
As I frantically searched for something else, anything else that would say this was true, pounding started.
It lasted hours after I left. My leaving thought was "I'll be back."
When I got to Rimeshire no one was waiting.
It was like a ghost town. I went inside quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone that might be mourning.
I tried every door. They were all locked. A trail of black rose petals led up the stairs to a tower.
That door was open. There were tools, books, clothes everywhere. A huge painting hung on the wall. It was the gang. Keefe was lying in front of us, striking a pose. Biana and I were in the middle, Fitz next to me, Dex next to her. Biana was also posing. We were all happy.
Dex's room.
I grabbed the painting, a few gadgets, and before I left I saw it.
A book, the bonding very old, with a picture on the front. It was the same as the painting, except everyone's faces were crossed out... except for mine. What?
It was claustrophobic again.
GET OUT
was all I could think as I crammed the stuff into my bag, and everything else in my arms, glittering away.
I started to read Fitz' poetry that night...
Again, everything should be a LOT longer after Friday because then school is out! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!