Chapter 57

Sara

And so it had come to pass, my worst nightmare. Almerious had turned out to be an even worse traitor than I’d thought, and I’d lost my fellow Peace Bringers. It was all gone.

I watched as the others set up the camp. At least we had escaped and found somewhere safe for the night. I turned to stare into the forest. Too many things had happened to wrap my head around. Almerious had known I would come, and somehow, he possessed powers far beyond my imagination. The place I had called my home for such a long time was no more. At one point, I would need to assess what had happened, but now was not the time.

I glanced at the others. Silvi was sitting by the fire. She was stronger now but still weak. How had I not seen what she’d done? For so long, she had travelled by my side, and not once had I stopped to consider what she was doing with our group. It was all clear now. Her frail body that always needed to rest and her tribe’s magic that slowly ate her alive. What had I done? I had left it unchecked and let her manage it herself. It was too big a task, I saw that now.

I heard Cat and the girls chatting among themselves, but I turned back to the forest. I had spent so many years trying to win the tribes over to my cause while ignoring those who had come to my aid. Kim, Cat, Silvi... They all wanted to overthrow the Queen and stand by my side, and I’d scorned their efforts.

“Sara”

It was Kim. She had joined my cause despite her fears, and what had I done? I’d ignored her willingness and mistaken inexperience for weakness. I had brought nothing but disdain to our company, I could see that now. Was I still welcome here? After all, they were capable of leading their own cause, and Cat knew more about the Queen’s inner desires than I ever would.

“Sara,” she called again.

I left my place by the edge of the camp and reluctantly walked over to her.

“The fire is burning. Don’t you want to warm yourself?”

It was more than I deserved. After everything I’d done to her, all my actions towards them, she still cared. I nodded weakly at her suggestion and walked to stand by Silvi. She was staring into the flames, seemingly too weak to talk. I could not heal her, and all I had done was to use my tribe's natural magic to spread warmth and hope. It had been such a long time since I’d exercised that form of our powers that I’d almost forgotten the effects it could have. I cleared my throat.

“How… are you feeling?”

Only now did she raise her gaze to look at me. Her eyes were hollow, empty from the strain, but she smiled nevertheless.

“You’re feeling better.”

It was such a surprising thing to say, I was speechless for a moment. Did I feel better? My world and everything I’d believed in had come crashing down, but… I glanced at the others. What had Cat told me that time before we entered the land of the Peace Bringers? You have the power to really make them listen to you. Could I redeem myself, and could my words have an impact far beyond what I thought was possible?