Cinnia's POV
We scrambled together as we turned to find Brant and Fintan walking toward us, each holding spheres of Everblaze.
"I'm guessing this is the part where you demand to know how we found you,” Fintan said as Brant moved to block our path from behind. The Everblaze flamed brighter with their slightest movement, making it clear that pain would follow any attempt at escape.
“You keep forgetting that this was our plan from the beginning,” Fintan added. “Well—not the flood. You managed to surprise us with that one. And you stopped us from infecting Brackendale and Merrowmarsh. But the rest has gone like clockwork.”
Biana stepped in front of Calla, shielding her from the fire. “How could you do this to the gnomes? After everything they’ve done for the Lost Cities?”
“To expose the Council’s lies,” Brant said. “Now everyone knows how much they hide, and how little protection they truly give their people.”
“Which accomplishes what?” Sophie asked. “All you’ve done is make people afraid.”
“Indeed, Miss Foster,” Fintan agreed. “And fear is the world’s greatest motivator. Look at the power your group harnessed today as a result of your terror.” His eyes roved to Keefe as he added, “That was your mother’s mistake. She surrendered to her fear, and it cost her everything.”
“Including her life?” I asked. Then I covered my mouth, hoping he wouldn't recognise me. Tam was the only one that knew my father was Ruy, not Gethen, and now was not the time for my other friends to find out.
“Interesting that the question does not come from her son,” Fintan noted. I let out a breath.
“That’s because I don’t care about her!” Keefe said.
Fintan smiled. “I suppose it wouldn’t matter, then, if I told you she’s currently locked in an ogre prison? And that your role in today’s invasion surely earned her a death sentence?”
“You’re lying,” Keefe said, his voice cracking.
“Not this time,” Brant told him. “We’re the ones who sealed her in her cell.”
“I suppose there’s a chance we could barter her freedom,” Fintan said. “But we’d need proper motivation.”
Brant said something else after that, but I couldn’t listen. I was thinking hard about my father. I had made a decision, to tell my friends his true identity.
“Why, Miss Foster, you don’t look happy to see me,” Brant said, adding more flames to his fireball. I had focused again. “Didn’t you swear you would find me again? I’ve been looking so forward to thanking you for my makeover. You too,” he told Dex. “I have excellent things planned for you both.”
“Forget it!” Tam shouted as a wave crashed over Brant, and Linh yelled, “RUN!”
We’d barely made it a step before a wall of fire erupted in our path.
“That’s quite enough of that,” Fintan said, curling the fire into a circle, closing us inside a cage of Everblaze.
“You can stop wasting your energy on water tricks,” Brant told Linh. “You’ve complicated things enough already. Luckily, we’ve had eyes on you this whole time.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Alvar said. “What do you want from us?”
The two Pyrokinetics shook their heads.
“I told you, Mr. Vacker,” Fintan said. “The charade is over. I spent weeks in Exile. I let my mind be broken. I let them declare me dead. I’m not going to hide anymore. It’s time you make your choice. Stand with us, or turn against us.”
“What?” I said as the walls of Everblaze flared brighter, painting everything in its eerie yellow glow.
Biana and Fitz stepped away from their brother.
“What does he mean?” Fitz asked.
“I mean that your brother is one of our longest standing members. Youngest to ever enlist—though he made a lot of mistakes back then. One especially big one.”
Fintan’s eyes flicked to Sophie, and his meaning sank in.
Dex held her steady as she wheeled on Alvar. “You were the Boy Who Disappeared?!”
The words seemed to shatter whatever remained of Alvar’s facade. He smoothed his hair and shed his soggy cloak as he said, “Yes.”
“How could you?” she asked
“You wouldn’t understand,” he said.
“Try me,” Fitz told him.
“You really wouldn’t understand,” Alvar snapped. “You’re the Golden Son. I had to find people who appreciated my talents.”
“More like overestimated them,” Brant muttered. “You had her right in front of you, and you walked away. Scratched her off the list.”
“You want to compare mistakes?” Alvar snapped. “Ruy let both of them get away a few weeks back. And let’s not forget the worst kidnapping in the history of kidnappings.” I flinched at the mention of my father and Tam squeezed my hand, calming me.
“NO!” Keefe shouted as Fitz and Biana backed away from their brother.
“You were there?” Dex asked, shaking so hard Tam and Linh had to keep him steady.
“Of course he was,” Fintan said. “He helped plan it.”
“How could you?” Biana asked.
Alvar’s expression softened when he looked at his sister. “You’ll understand, someday, when you see the Vacker legacy for what it is.”
“In the meantime,” Fintan said, “you’re all coming with us. The seven of you have proven very useful. Especially you two,” he told Tam and Linh. “Who’d have thought I’d find so much value in a pair of twins?”
Sophie transmitted a warning to us and reached for her Black Swan pendant. She held the glass in the fading sunlight.
A beam of white fire sparked to life, igniting the silver chest at Alvar’s feet.
“That,” Fintan said calmly, “was a very dumb move.”
But the flames wouldn’t stamp out, and they ignored every command the Pyrokinetics shouted.
“If that’s how you want to play,” Brant said, ordering the wall of flames to tighten.
Sophie launched another beam of her own fire, and it parted the wall of Everblaze.
“Time to go!” she screamed, dragging us through the gap. Flames nipped at my skin, but I barely felt them.
“Is there a cliff nearby?” she asked Tam and Linh as they ran.
"No need,” Calla said.
She belted out a song that made one of the withered trees bend down and tangle its branches around our feet. A quick THWANG! snapped the tree back, whipping them into the sky. We clung to each other as they soared higher and higher.
As soon as we started to drop, Sophie split a crack in the sky.
The last thing I saw was Alvar’s pained expression as we slipped into the void and teleported away.
Grady and Edaline weren’t outside when our traumatized group appeared in Havenfield’s pastures. But as soon as Sophie called for help, they came rushing out of the glittering crystal mansion.
Within minutes Elwin had arrived to treat any burns, cuts, scrapes, and bruises we’d picked up during our various escapes. But nothing could ease the shock that had settled over everyone.
No one wanted to answer the questions Grady and Edaline kept repeating. Even Sophie could only cling to her parents and let her silent tears soak their tunics. But when Alden arrived, looking equal parts worried and relieved, Sophie decided to finally answer the questions. Tam pulled me away.
"What's up?" I asked. "I, um, there's something I need to tell you." He said nervously, which was really unlike him. "Yeah, what is it?" I ask. His eyes lock onto mine and I'm suddenly aware of how little space there was between and how fast my heart was beating. "I really, really like you, and I wanted to know if you wanted to be my girlfriend." He said. "I really, really like you too." I said. He pulled me into a hug. When we pulled away, I grabbed his hand. "I'm planning to tell everyone the true identity of my father." I said. "Are you sure?" He asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm sure." I said. He put an arm around me and we walked back to the group.