The Flames That Bind Us (Daughter of Fire #1)

✔Chapter Nine: The Girl Who Shed Flames

"P-Passed away?" My mind reeled over the words the man before me had spoken, trying to comprehend their meaning. But it was as if they were foreign to me. In some way, I couldn't process what was happening, feeling like I was in an unshakeable trance.

One word managed to spin around in my head, tugging at the small part of my brain that was trying to make sense in all of this-just one word.

Dead....

He's dead.

The man whom I had as my only family was gone. The man who had clothed, fed, raised, and trained me was no longer in this world. Yes, he had left me alone with no one else to rely on. But there was still that part of me that hoped-despite my bitter feelings-he would someday come back. Even if the realistic half of me repeated that he would never bother to return, I always had a tiny fraction of faith.

But now, all that shattered away into infinite pieces that by no means would glue together ever again.

As I stood there in my detached state, I could feel everyone's eyes on me. There was no mistaking Gerard's sad, blue eyes that lingered on every detail on my face, nor the pitied look Princess Lis threw at me coupled with dry tears staining her face. Even the king's cold, unreadable gaze that drifted to the ground was noticeable.

I wanted to scratch at my skin or sprint to my room, for I felt extremely uncomfortable at how I was being beheld like a poor, beaten-up orphan child.

"Miss Voltaire," Gerard broke through the insufferable silence, advancing towards me as he reached for his chest pocket and pulled a cream-colored envelope. "I knew Lucius as if he was my brother. He and I were life-long friends. Lucius was an honorable man. Not to mention, a brave and powerful wizard." He smoothed the envelope in his hands with his fingers and resumed, "I can assure you he shall have a funeral worthy of a man such as himself."

King Gabriel stepped in, his face only harboring hardness. "Lucius was one of the ranked wizards that fought for Imarnia, and he was a good friend to my father. He shall be buried in Imarnia, in the Garden of The Nobly Remembered."

Gerard gave him a sharp nod, the king reciprocated by turning to his sister and saying, "Lis, inform the servants of the situation, have them prepare for a funeral two days from now."

He squeezed her shoulder, causing her to tense for a second. The king seemed to notice his sister's reaction but said nothing of it as she moved my way and locked her arms around my stiff shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Lydia. I can't imagine what this must feel for you."

I must have looked like a rock statue, for I had said nothing and done nothing, choosing to remain completely solid. Though it wasn't her fault, I just wasn't able to function in any part of my body for the moment. Instead, I only watched her as she turned around and made her way past the two men to the inside of the palace.

Gerard cleared his throat, and I blinked in his direction. Although, my focus wasn't really on him, just at a random spot on his broad shoulders. "Once again, Miss Lydia, I'm deeply sorry for your loss. But there is one more thing that I wish to tell you."

I wasn't sure if I was even listening, the only thing I could manage to bring to my head were images of how Grandpa died, how his body looked, where they found him. Just constant fragments of imagination that did everything except help my tired mind.

I had to force myself to pay attention to what Gerard was saying.

"...He planned on traveling Ignolia once more. And he handed me a letter addressed to you. His instructions were to give it to you if something happened to him during his travels. He also wrote a will, but that can be discussed another time."