Alright guys so I just started school which means three things:
I will have less time to type and update.
When I do update, it will be infrequent but the chapters will be longer so please, stay with me.
I will be providing brief excerpts from the end of the previous chapter to jog your memory.
This goes for both STML and Fallen. Again, please bear with me. I will be writing when I can over the weekends (like now) but will be very, very busy.
Also, I don't know why (perhaps it's because of my infrequent updating) but lately I haven't been getting any responses from you guys. It's kind of disheartening to post a chapter and a week later have 1 review. So after this chapter, let me know your still there? Awesome. Now that that's over with, here's the continuation of The Scars that Memory Leaves!
Last Time:
Right as I was about to deliver the finishing blow, a shadow passed over us. "Rose!" My name was cawed. I looked up and saw a bird. No, I saw Alex. And then I didn't see anything, because the Alpha had pulled a knife out of his boot and stabbed me in the heart.
The last thought that passed through my brain before I fell unconscious repeated over and over.
We lost. I can't believe that we lost.
Chapter 30
The next few hours were a blur. Kylie and Abby tried to cheer me up with gallons of ice cream (which they had snuck from the kitchen) but all that did was make me feel pathetic. I curled up in bed and told them to wake me up when we had to get ready for the dinner. At which we would be at the normal table. God.
I tried to just fall asleep, but my mind was holding me captive. Thoughts kept running through my head, and I couldn't help but stay awake. I lost. I let every single one of my friends down. I let them die. What's wrong with me? How did I lose? The negative thoughts kept swirling around my brain, beating down on my fragile mind. And then the worst one: I let them die. How can they ever trust me to lead them? A tear slipped down my cheek.
After a fitful nap had finally been achieved (even if it hadn't helped all that much) it was time to get ready for the big dinner. I showered quickly, not allowing myself time to enjoy the hot water, and then pulled on my fancy uniform. Once that was done, I applied some eyeliner and mascara, took a deep breath, and walked into the living room. The heads of my well dressed Pack snapped up when they heard the door open. It was obvious some of them had been crying. But then again, I'm sure it was obvious that I had been too.
Dimitri walked over and stood behind me, ever the perfect guy. He shouted "March formation!" and everyone fell into line instantly. At least they still pretended to follow me. I took another deep breath and then started the march, keeping my head high even when I felt tiny. There were some murmurs as we went by, and I told myself to just get used to it. There would be a lot of murmurs after this.
The dinner was almost painful. When the Alpha of Pack 9 (the guy who had killed me this afternoon, in case you forgot) gave the speech, he had everyone give me a round of applause. It was ridiculous. I mean, was I the only one in the room that realized that he was just mocking me? Seriously. But then I realized – they were in on it too. The entire time, the other Packs were smiling smugly at each other when they thought that I wasn't looking. They were glad to see me knocked down a notch. Everyone had been tired of me winning.
As I had this realization, I found that I had also been tired of me winning. I mean, when I was winning and everyone was expecting me to keep on winning, it was all so hard. Depression and failure were always on my heels chasing me up a mountain that I was quickly ascending. When I got to the top, I found a cliff. But I couldn't stop, so I was chased right of the edge. And now I was at the bottom, struggling to stand back up. I laughed to myself as the grim thought crossed my mind, mostly because this year, I actually had fallen off of a cliff.
The dinner slowly, torturously passed. When it was over, I marched my team back to the dorm and went to sleep without a word. No one minded, or if they did, they didn't say anything.
The next day was a longer version of the dinner. People murmured when we walked past, shot us looks when we weren't looking, and talked about the same thing – why haven't they been taken yet? After all, everyone knew that we were the cost for the safety of the school. Fargh hadn't gone back on his words. We were still safe. But we were also only one day before the deadline, and I didn't know what was going to happen when the time was up.
In one of my classes, Mia stood up and asked the teacher why we hadn't been turned over. The teacher stared at her for a long time, then turned back around and continued the lecture. When she asked again, the teacher turned around and calmly walked over to her desk. He murmured something along the lines of "We don't need the negative attitude" and "What kind of classmate are you?" which made me feel a little bit better about the accusing stares that the rest of the class was giving us. Most of them were on her side. Most wanted us gone. I stood up, motioned for my Pack to stay, and left.
I intended to go straight to my balcony, tired of trying to ignore the stares. Halfway back to the dorm, I saw a giant bird flying above me. I froze, thinking it was Alex. Then the thought hit me. I started at a run in the opposite direction. It didn't take long to get to Administration, and Fargh looked as if he had expected me.
"What were their exact demands?" I wasn't wasting anytime.
"They asked for the teachers to leave, and for Pack 2 and the Alphas. They said that we had until the end of the week. Why?"
I didn't respond to his question immediately, lost in thought. They wanted me and my pack specifically. They could only have targeted us if they knew the institute and us personally. Which meant that either Judge Harks had talked, or, the more likely answer, that Alex was working with them, and had considerable influence. That wasn't good for us. Alex was just as smart, if not smarter than me when it came to strategy.
Then another thought hit. "They asked for the teachers to leave?" Fargh nodded, staring at me.
"Rose, what are you thinking?" I put a hand up, mulling it over in my head.
If Alex was in influencing the leader, then Pack 2 was the real goal. So why have the teachers leave? If all they wanted was a Pack, they could easily have us dropped off and then take us. They didn't need the teachers leave unless they were planning to come into the institute. It just didn't make sense.
I explained this to Fargh, who nodded. "We thought of that too. It doesn't add up, but since when have the Damis used logic?"
"Well, they've been smart enough to avoid getting killed all these years. And anyways, they have Alex, which means that they'll have more logic and strategy. I mean taking the Judge, that was…" I trailed off as my eyes found a statue behind Fargh's head. It was of a bird in flight. The same bird that Alex always morphed into. The same bird that I had seen before coming over here. Suddenly, a memory jumped to the front of my mind.
As I lifted my hand to open the door, I heard Harks talking. He was on the phone, and didn't seem happy, so I listened decided to listen in.
"I don't care what it takes, we can't give any hint that something's wrong…No, I don't want to have to tell you what to do! You should know! …Alright. I expect this to be sorted out by the next time we talk. Goodbye." His call ended abruptly, and then I heard him stand.
"Call the teachers back. Call them back right now! We've been fooled!"
Fargh stood, alarmed. "What are you talking about? They're out searching for Judge Harks!"
I turned to him, fear streaking my face. "They're probably dead." My voice was hoarse, and wouldn't go above a whisper.
"Rose, the search team is a group of twenty fully trained Strijders!"
"How long has it been since you've contacted the search party?" His face visibly paled. It had been a while. "Don't you think it's odd that even though they want my Pack, they're asking the teachers to leave? They would only do that if they planned to come on campus!"
Fargh still didn't understand.
I wanted to scream. "Don't you see? Alex takes the shape of a bird! That bird!" I pointed to the statue, and Fargh turned, confused. "Isn't it odd that Judge Harks has a replica of the same bird that Alex has been taking the shape of for most of the year? Judge Harks wasn't kidnapped. He's one of them! He's been one of them! They're planning an attack! Prepare for battle!"
Fargh sat down. "Even if Harks is a Dami, even with half of the teacher's gone, the walls still can't be breached."
"They can fly, dammit! They're birds! Prepare for battle!" He looked at me, all color from his face fully drained.
"If you're right, then there's no use. It's already too late. They already took down twenty teachers, which is as many as we have. Back up could never get here in time. There's no hope." I reached across the desk and slapped him.
Ignoring how good that felt, I yelled at him. "There's always hope. We have twenty fully trained Strijders, 400 well trained Krijders, and a defendable fortress. NOW PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" He picked up the phone, still glaring at me for slapping him, and started making the calls.
"Go back to the dorms. We need some of the Packs protecting the Lower Krijders. And someone to organize them. I'm placing you in charge." My moment of confidence was over. I wasn't even worthy to command my own Pack. Why did he think I could handle the Krijders? And anyway, the senior Alphas would know more strategy, be better than I could ever be.
I told him this, but he just shook his head. "You're not only the best strategist, but you have the ability to inspire people in the bleakest moments. What you've done this year, dealing with every shot that we threw at you, it's astounding. And you know Alex and the moves that he'll be taking. You're the best option for the job, so you've got it."
I was hesitant, and about to argue when he looked up and saw I was still there. "GO!" His yell spurred me into action. Even if I had no right, I had to at least pretend. It was an order. I sprinted to the Dorms, and burst inside. My Pack looked up, all clustered in the living room.
"Everyone up. We're preparing for battle."