Staring out at the castle on the hill from where she stood, Sydney let her mind wander over her past. Right in front of her was the same broken balcony that always taunted her with its inviting destruction, just like the truth she'd just realized.
Gazing out at that castle from afar, her mind brought little things to her rememberance that she hadn't thought anything of at the time. Now, she realized there were subtle signs and clues to a bigger truth she somehow missed.
"You're such an idiot, Jasp," I teased, shaking my head at him. "That girl was flirting with you."
"So? I was clearly talking to you when she walked up. That's just rude, and rude is not attractive to me."
"She said 'excuse me'!" I pointed out.
He simply shrugged his shoulders innocently as we walked to the gym, getting ready for another one of our workout sessions. The subject changed to something insignificant when the boisterous shout of our favorite ginger caught our attention.
"Jasper Sebastian Pierce!" Liz called out, her tone almost scolding as she marched over to us in her wedge-like heels.
"Elizabeth Marie St. Vincent!" he yelled, mocking her like he usually did.
I focused on keeping my face still, my muscles cramping as I tried not to laugh at Liz's expression.
"You know, I sent Cristiana over to you so that you could finally get a girlfriend, and you turned her down? What's wrong with you?"
Looking at Jasper, I noticed he was uncomfortable because he wasn't making eye contact with either of us. I don't think he knew that was his giveaway, but I did.
"I don't like her like that, Liz," he said.
"I'm starting to think you don't like anyone in that way," she grumbled as she walked away. "Next time, just ask the girl on a date!"
I was mid-laugh when he looked over at me, his stare intense and serious, an expression I only saw on occassion.
"You okay, Jasp?" I asked, lightly tapping his arm.
Clearing his throat, he nodded his head.
"Uh, yeah. Just...tired of Liz always trying to set me up with someone," he answered.
As we walked further toward the gym, I hooked my arm with his.
"She's just trying to make you happy, you goof."
"Yeah, well, some random girl isn't going to make me happy," he countered.
"Oh, so you're waiting for that special someone," I poked playfully, wanting to lighten the mood.
"I already met her. She just doesn't know it's her, yet."
Leaning her head against the aged, wooden door frame, Sydney closed her eyes, completely surrendering herself to her thoughts. The deeper she went, the sadder she felt as she proccessed just how oblivious she had been.
"Hey, Syd?"
I turned my head to look at him, my head still resting on the front seat of his car. He'd driven me to his uncle's property, wanting to help me escape before the police arrested me for a crime I didn't commit.
"Yeah?"
He looked conflicted, like he was having an internal battle. His eyes shifting, unsteady. I had never seen him look so unsure before in all the time I'd known him.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, concern starting to form.
"Nothing's wrong, you know, besides what's wrong," he said, a nervous chuckle following.
"Then what is it?" I asked again.
"It's just, I've been meaning to tell you this for a while now. It just never seemed right, and now, well...I just don't know if I'll be able to-"
"JASPER! WE NEED TO GO NOW!" his uncle screamed from his plane. "I HEARD OVER DISPATCH THAT THEY'RE STARTING TO SEND OUT SEARCH PARTIES FOR YOUR GIRL!"
She'd always wondered what he wanted to tell her, and know she had a pretty good guess.
This whole time, Jasper was working on clearing her name. He hadn't forgotten about her or given up. A tear fell when she thought back to all the times he rejected a girl, or chose to hang back with her at the gym even though he was tired and could have played with the guys. All the times he looked at her longer than just a friend would, and all the times he held back saying something. Like an epiphany, she knew he loved her, and not in the way she always assumed.
Why didn't you ever tell me?
"Syd, you up here?"
The familiar call of her nickname brought Sydney out of her memories as she felt a presence entering the room with her. Shielding her face with her hair, she quickly wiped away the tears that had fallen from her eyes before turning around.
"I'm over here, Jasp!" she called out, glad that her voice didn't mirror her inner storm.
"Hey," he said, smiling when he saw her, his hands behind his back as he walked over. Seeing the puffiness of her eyes, he tried to be light and added, "It's good to know I can still find you when I need to."
"Well, you do know me better than anyone."
Nodding his head, Sydney waited, scared of what he might say next.
"I missed you," he began, making her heart beat rapidly. "A lot happened while you were gone...but, there's only one thing I wish you could have been here for."
Confused, she looked down at his extended hand that held out two folded pieces of paper. Grabbing them, she felt her hands begin to shake as she read the bold letters printed on the first one.
You are invited to Elizabeth Marie St.Vincent's homegoing service.
Refusing to cry, Sydney held her breath as her fingers brushed against her fallen friend's name. Flipping over to the next paper, she saw that it was the actual program for her funeral. Anger and bitterness rose up in her as she felt the loss all over again.
Closing her eyes, she focused on breathing because the emotions warring inside of her were suffocating. Not even Jasper's hug could ease the hurt. She'd been robbed of her chance to say a proper goodbye, and knowing that Liz was just a casualty in Denali's game only made it worse.
After a few minutes passed, and she'd managed to get a grip, Sydney stepped back from the embrace.
"What happened while you were in the Western Region, Syd?" Jasper asked, breaking the silence.
"Just ask what you really want to know, Jasp," she stated, her azure eyes never leaving his.
He looked away for a moment, a hand combing through his raven hair before exhaling and returning his gaze to hers.
"Do you love him? Do you love Casey?"
She could see the struggle on his face as he voiced his question, but she couldn't sugarcoat her answer. He deserved to know the whole truth, as best she could explain it.
"I don't know," she began. "I don't know if what we have is love...but I know that he has my heart."
The look of pain that flashed across Jasper's face pulled her to him as she rubbed his arm.
"I do know that I love you...I've just never had the time to see if it was more than-"
"Yeah," he sighed. "I get it."
Sensing that now was a good time to change the direction of the conversation, Sydney blurted out, "I bumped into Baron on my way here."
Immediately cocking his head up in alarm, Jasper's eyes widened.
"What did he say?" he quickly questioned.
"That I shouldn't have come back. Jasper, what if he reports that he saw me? I'll have ruined everything."
There was uncertainty in his icy blue eyes as he shook his head.
"That may not be the case, but we're not taking any chances." As he grabbed Sydney's hand, he began pulling her down the stairs. "Come on, we've got to get back to Brenan."
At the bottom of the staircase sat Casey, who was just starting to stand up at the sight of them, hand in hand. Surprised by his presence, it took Sydney a moment to realize what he was looking at. She quickly pulled her hand out of Jasper's, hoping Casey wouldn't wrongly assume anything.
As they began to leave, he gripped her arm and pulled her aside.
"Come on, guys! We have to go, now!" Jasper shouted, but Casey wouldn't let her leave.
"Give me a minute!" he yelled. "I gave you plenty!"
When Jasper didn't argue, Sydney relaxed and look at the man in front of her. Though his body was tense, his eyes were soft as he stared into hers.
"Look, I know he's your friend and that you two have a lot of history together, but...I'm only going to ask this once, Sydney," he said, his hand raising to touch her cheek. "Choose me."
Before she could answer, he placed a chaste kiss on her lips and walked out, leaving her to deal with the puddle of emotions his action left her in. After pulling herself together, she wiped her hair out of her face and joined them, making sure her features were obscured by the shadow of her cap.
The jog back to the dormitory was held in peace, at least on the surface. Inside, each person was dealing with their own version of unrest, but none voiced it. When they got back to Jasper's room, Sydney quickly closed the door behind them and turned around just as a sharp stinging sensation filled her arm.
"Ow! Brooke, what was that for?" she questioned, looking at the cripple in front of her.
Her hazel eyes were glaring at her as she crossed her arms.
"That was for leaving and making us worry."
"I'm sorry, I just needed to get away from everyone and sort some stuff out."
"Yeah, well, next time, go in the closet or something. We don't need anyone seeing you, considering your situation," she pointed out.
"Actually," Brenan interrupted, raising a finger. "That's exactly what we need."
"What?" Jasper and Casey voiced at the same time. The rest of the LeHorn group watched on, not sure what their place was in all of this.
"You heard me," Brenan said calmly, despite the daggers the two men were throwing at him. "If we want to spread the word that Sydney is innocent fast, we have to use her to attract attention."
"No, no way. We are not using her as bait," Jasper asserted, his eyes holding a fire Sydney had never seen before.
"I actually agree with him. There's no way I'm letting that happen," Casey stated.
"Excuse me, but this is my life, in case you've both forgotten," Sydney spoke up, stepping forward and next to Brenan. "I make the decision."
She tuned out their protests, knowing they'd probably never agree, and focused on the guy with the laptop and glasses. "Brenan, what's your plan?"
As he laid out what his idea was, Sydney found herself impressed by his skills and could feel her heartbeat quicken at the reality of the risk she'd be taking, but this was her life, and she was tired of hiding in its shadow.
"Let's do it."
Leaving Brenan behind to go to his room where his computer equipment was, everyone, including the westerners, rushed out of the building. Following Sydney's lead, she led them to the grounds where it all started, where everything in her life went wrong. She led them to Centre Park.
Ditching the hat and hoodie she was wearing previously, Sydney ran through the streets, her identity unshielded. Casey and Jasper were close behind her while the rest of the group tried to keep up. She felt bad when she saw Reid running with Brooke on his back, but he insisted on coming, and Brooke refused to stay behind.
Each turn she took earned her more looks of recognition, followed by hatred as the students and people on campus recognized her immediately. Still, she stayed on course, taking the busiest roads to gain the most attention. A part of her was fearful of what would happen once she got there, but the other was eager to break free from the lies that caged her.
Entering the park, glimpses of what it looked like the last time she was there filled her vision. The chaos. The bodies. The bombs. The pain she felt in her leg. The moment she learned of Liz's fate. All of it was flooding her senses, nearly debilitating her, but she remembered something Jasper told her.
Don't let your emotions control you. You control them.
Shaking her head, she now only saw the restored park and ran right to the very center of it, where all the paths met, forming a circle of pavement.
Standing exactly where Brenan instructed her to, Sydney was able to see the angry mob forming around her. Insults and accusations were hurled at her, but she stood tall, refusing to cower. It was only when a man charged at her that she started to feel nervous.
"MURDERER!" he roared, his body three times the size of hers as he lunged at her.
She raised her arms to try and cushion the blow that would come, knowing she saw him a second too late to counterattack, but someone pulled her out of the way right as another stepped in front and delivered a powerful blow to the man's face.
Shock seized her body when she saw who stepped in the way.
"B-Baron?"
He turned to face her, his golden eyes serious as he looked at her.
"I told you you shouldn't have come back," he said, before shouting at the crowd. "SHE'S INNOCENT! ANYONE WANTING TO GET TO HER HAS TO GO THROUGH ME!"
She was certainly surprised to see him on her side, sticking up for her when she always assumed he hated her.
"Stay right here," the person holding her said as they stepped back and joined a circle that was starting to form around her.
It was Casey, and just like him, everyone from LeHorn followed his lead in creating a human barrier between her and the crowd. Sydney even noticed Evan among them, and when they made eye contact, he nodded his head in her direction.
Wow.
One by one, people in the mob dared to attack, but they lacked the most basic combat skills. Jasper had just knocked a man down when a loud blaring siren rang throughout the campus speakers, halting all other approaches.
It's about time.
Everyone covered their ears until the alarm stopped, it's menacing blare replaced by the voice of a friend.
"I know you all are upset and angry," Brenan began, his voice echoing throughout the campus grounds. "But, Sydney Donovan is innocent, and I can prove it."
Murmurs of indecisiveness floated through the crowd, but Brenan continued. Sydney wondered if he could even hear them, or was he just relying on what he saw through the cameras.
"Turn your attention to the park projector on the stage," he directed, referring to the very stage President Hayes was supposed to give his speech on before he was killed. "If you're hearing this from inside a building, I suggest you turn on the TV and pay attention to what's now on every channel. It's time you all see the truth. "
Time stilled as Sydney stared at the projection screen about ten meters away from her. It was large enough to see over the heads of her covering, as well as the Galdeans that were trying to get to her. As the sound of static filled the airwaves, they all waited for an image to appear.
The very first clip played was one Sydney never expected would even exist. Denali's face was clearly visible through the window of a government model limousine, her chocolate brown skin wrinkled by the scowl on her face. As the audio began to clear, she could hear the heated discussion between her and a younger man, his hair a light blonde, but that was the only detail she could make out.
"We had a deal, and it's taking too long for you to deliver on your end of the bargain," the young man said, his tone slightly aggressive. "When were you going to tell us she was in the Ea-"
"We didn't know she was there until you told us," Denali phrased, her eyes glaring, clearly not liking the tone she was being addressed with.
"Yeah, well, so far we've had to do all the work ourselves. This was supposed to be a simple transaction; your inability to deliver is making things difficult."
"The moment we find her, she'll be handed over to you," she stated, her voice tense.
"She better be! We risked a lot in that bombing. A few of our own were killed, and we still left empty handed. You know, it's starting to look like you're trying to cheat us out of-"
The video closed when a guard shouted something out, and their conversation ended. Sydney's eyes flickered to the corner of the screen, and if they weren't deceiving her, Jasper was there, along with another guy she'd never met before, in uniforms matching the officer.
Wow. What things did he have to do to get this?
The screen blurred to black before another clip played. And then another, each showing a different piece of evidence proving her innocence. There was footage of security stopping reporters from entering the park mere moments before the bombings, and even a video of Denali threatening Sydney's therapist into breaking their confidentiality agreement. The whole park was silent, a cool wind blowing through, ruffling hair and clothes as eyes stayed on the screen. No one moved, too ingulfed in what Brenan would show next.
Slowly, people started to trickle out of surrounding buildings, their eyes wide in shock as they walked toward them. It was as if they were all experiencing an awakening. An awakening that began the moment Brenan intercepted their TV transmissions and replaced the usual programs with the truth he and Jasper had uncovered.
"Oh my God," Sydney whispered, her body filled with an overwhelming sense of hope. "It's working."
As she gazed at the familiar faces she'd grown up around, she could see many emotions flooding them, but one was missing. Hatred. When they looked at her, the violent disgust previously there was lacking, now replaced with one of wonder.
The last video played was one she'd never want to see again, because it sucked her right back into the worst day of her life. As the sound of old freedoms rang through the speakers, reminding her of the days when she didn't have to worry about such burdens, Sydney saw her, Liz, and Jasper huddled together, laughing. It was the day that changed everything for her. The catalyst that led to now.
Remembering what would come next, Sydney chose to look away, closing her eyes right as she heard the first bomb go off. There were a lot of things she could handle, but watching what killed Liz was not one of them.
In that moment, as the screams and cries from the footage and from the crowd erupted through the air, the familiar sensation of comfort rested her when Jasper wrapped his arms around her.
"I can't watch it, Jasp. I just can't."
He rubbed her back to help calm her.
"It's okay, Syd. It's almost over," he assured her, not letting go until the sound died, and the clip stopped.
The lasting image on the screens all throughout Galdon were that of Sydney, on the ground, with an injured leg. Her expression of fear as she looked out at the destruction on Centre Park seemed to be the final nail in the coffin, sealing the conclusions of everyone witnessing it.
"Sydney Donovan is not to blame for this act of terror. The real culprit is President Denali and her partners of mercenaries," Brenan stated with finality. "Don't let her propaganda fool you. Wake up."
When he finished his last line, the people that once wanted to harm her were now shouting in agreement. The hunger in their eyes for true justice warmed her heart, exposing how it had turned cold toward them when she was forced to be a vagabond.
Laughing as she looked to the sky, she could taste the restorance of her character in the eyes of her people, and felt the lifting of her heart at the rectification. She could see Casey's smile as he looked at her, and shook her head in amazed disbelief at how things were finally looking up after everything she struggled through.
But that feeling dissipated when the roaring of engines began to part the large crowd gathered around. A bee line of military enforced cars headed straight toward the center of the park, where she stood; their matte black coat and dark tinted windows unsettling, sending many of the onlookers fleeing for cover in adjacent buildings. Despite the lessening of numbers, there was no where for Sydney to go, trapped by the remaining human fence that encircled them.
Without saying a word, Casey and Jasper were on either side of her, trying to guard her from what they knew didn't come for them.
The lead car stopped just a foot away from where Baron stood, his arms intimidatingly crossed. Considering no one else from LeHorn was skilled in combat, Sydney was not surprised or disappointed when they stepped behind her, but Baron stayed right where he was, unafraid.
"Guys, we need to get out of here," Reid whispered.
Before anyone could respond, the passenger door of the first car opened, and out stepped a young man. His skin was fair, his hair a light blonde, and his attire gave away his origins. Sydney found his features eerily similar to her own, but focused more on the fact that he was, indeed, a mercenary. Judging by his pompous demeanor, and his deafening claps as he grinned wickedly, Sydney assumed he held some kind of authority in his community.
"Well, I must say, I'm impressed," the man began, pacing around casually as his men exited their vehicles, each person armed with the same machinery as the mercenaries they faced in Shadows Peak. "You've figured a lot out...although I'm not exactly sure how you were able to...still, I'm impressed."
Sydney didn't miss the way his eyes lingered on Jasper before burning into hers.
"Ah, Sydney."
The way her name fell from his lips made her angry, as she finally recognized him as the man in the video earlier. He admitted that they bombed Centre Park expecting to attain her as some sort of tradable commodity. Clenching her fists, she imagined delivering a nasty right hook to his face, instead of herself.
"What's the matter?" he taunted. "Can't recognize your own cousin?"
That final word he spoke tugged at her in a way she'd never felt before, but she cleared her mind, remembering a leason she'd learned during her training. Never fall for your enemies words. They are nothing more than mind games meant to make you vulnerable. That is when they strike.
"I don't have any cousins," she answered, her voice loud and assertive.
The chortle that came from him in response to her caused Sydney to grimace.
What does he find so funny?!
"Oh, you have much to learn about yourself. Don't worry. I'll teach you."
That made her scoff, triggering a switch to flip in the mercenary. His chillingly charming facade faded as he glared at her. He began to take steps toward her, his eyes crazed, but Baron stepped in front, shoving him so hard that he fell to the ground.
When the sound of a gun cocking jolted her into action, Sydney slipped past Casey and Jasper, stepping in front of the dark skinned boy that now had her respect.
"Don't shoot!" she shouted, making eye contact with every mercenary whose gun was aimed at her. "Please!"
"Weapons down! Or I'll shoot you myself!" their leader threatened, standing to his feet as he dusted off his black leather jacket.
"But, Carter, he-"
"Is being shielded by her, and you know that she's untouchable. Anything you do to her, I'll do to you. Now weapons down," he demanded through gritted teeth, his own pistol now pointed at the man that talked back to him.
Baron began to move Sydney away from him, but she gave him a look that said not to bother. She was the one they wanted, and she refused to let anyone else get hurt on her behalf.
"I don't know what you want with me, but you're leaving here disappointed, because I'm not going anywhere with you," Sydney stated, her tone warning.
"You will be coming with me, whether you like it or not. That was the deal, and we intend to get what we were promised."
"If you think I'll ever-"
"Enough of this back and forth!" Carter growled, his brown eyes darkening. "Come with me, or we'll unload our bullets into your friends!"
That stopped the snarky comment Sydney was about to make from coming out her mouth. There was no doubt, he wasn't bluffing. They'd already killed dozens of people in the bombing, killing a dozen more would be nothing. Without even a second of hesitation, she agreed.
"Okay."
"Hell no!" Jasper shouted as Casey pushed past Baron and stood next to her.
"Sydney, don't do this," he pleaded. "There's got to be another way."
Shaking her head she lifted her arms in defeat, feeling emotionally weak by the sudden change of events. Just moments ago, she'd thought freedom was in her reach, and now it was farther than it's ever been.
"Like what, Casey? We don't have our weapons, we can't fight back, and I can't let them hurt you."
"But, maybe-"
"Just, don't let this stop you from saving your people," she huffed out, a strained laugh escaping her to mask the pain.
Pulling her into a heartwrenching hug, Casey brought his mouth to her ear, his lips barely brushing against her skin. She could hear Carter dramatically gag at what must have looked like a display of affection, but what he didn't know was that Casey was whispering something to her.
"And don't stop fighting. I'll come for you."
This time, he actually did kiss her, heat filling her cheek as she felt something being shoved into her back pocket.
"Alright, I've been gracious, but that's enough of that," Carter said, his tone digusted.
Before being able to see what Casey had given her, Carter's men pulled them apart, dragging her toward their cars.
"Ooo, she's a pretty thing. Take her, too."
"Get your hands off of her!" Reid yelled, his voice showing rage Sydney never thought could exist within the sweet farmer boy that she'd grown to care for.
"No, stop! Why are you doing this?!" Sydney questioned, hatred now boiling over inside of her.
She couldn't cope with the sight of Brooke being ripped from Reid's arms. Casey and Charlie were already there, tugging on whatever part of Brooke they could, desperate to keep her with them, but once guns were raised, they realized they had to surrender. The only person still unable to accept this situation was Reid.
Lunging forward, he tried to grab one of the men hauling a distraught Brooke toward their car, but Jasper stopped him just in time. It was a good thing, too, because Sydney could tell Carter's patience was running thin as he breathed heavily beside her.
"NO! STOP! PLEASE!" Reid cried, his cracked voice twisting Sydney's insides to mush. "SHE'S THE WOMAN I LOVE!"
The look on Brooke's face as she broke down in tears, seconds before being shoved into a different car, was enough to make Sydney want to stop believing in happy endings.
"Don't let them hurt her, Sydney!" Reid begged, and she put on the bravest face she could muster, subtly nodding her head to show she would do everything she could to protect her.
She's not going to die by their hands. I promise.
Her eyes were forced closed when someone wrenched her arms behind her back, pain shooting up her spine as they bound her hands together. Prodding her into the back seat of the vehicle, Sydney took a deep breath, not sure if this truly would be the last time she breathed in Galdean air.
As the cars began to back out the way that they'd come, Carter's voice ripped at her ears, his tone mocking her in one of her darkest moments.
"Well this has been one hell of a family reunion. Let's go home, shall we?"
"No matter where you take me, it will never be my home," she spat, looking at him with disgust.
"You only say that because you don't know who you are."
"Oh, and you do?" she countered, not expecting a response.
"Of course I do. I'm a Moraa...and so are you."
Her mouth went dry at his notion that she was a descendent of Avi Moraa. There was no way a little orphan like herself was what he insinuated. He was simply toying with her, trying to create a tie that wasn't there. She refused to believe him, drowning out his cackles at the expression on her face.
Looking back at the shrinking view she still had left of Centre Park, Sydney could make out two figures standing in the pathway they drove on. She was uncertain of what would come next, but one thing was sure; she would do everything she could to get back to them.
For one of them held her heart.
And one of them was her home.
The End
*Final thoughts, words, and news about the sequel with all be included in the next update. Hope to see you there! I can't believe it's over...but I had a blast writing this story!
-Mac