Rising From The Ashes Of Betrayal

ssed down on Kala's chest, refusing to let her lungs expand. She coughed, a violent, hac

. A heavy weight pinned her left leg to the floor. Through the stinging haze of gray smoke, she saw the ou

harpened into a white-hot lance shooting up her thigh. She opened her mouth

their place were tongues of orange and blue flame, licking the plaster walls, curling toward the bed where she lay pinned.

tst

ing through the floorboards. Hope, cr

tried to yell

f oxygen fed the fire, causing it to roar

mouth, his eyes wide and watering. Behind him were her brothers-Archer and Jules. The

ent sent a fresh wave of agony through her crushed leg, b

" she

on Kala. He saw the beam. He saw the blood pooli

, his ey

g as if she were a piece of furniture, and loc

ce muffled by the towel but disti

ughing, yes, but she was mobile. There was no beam crushing her

gh-pitched sound that cut thr

her outstretched fingers. He didn't look down. He went straight to the

ice thick with emotion. "We've got

t from the smoke, but from a realizat

ered. The sound was pa

of a second, looking back at Kala. There was no panic in his eyes for her. There w

ust before they crossed the threshold, she lifted her head. Throu

d. It wasn't a grimace of pain. It was a s

n in her leg vanished, eclipsed

oulder at Kala. "This is your mess! You si

a physical slap. Arson? Th

d, but the word

down!" Arthur pushed t

r slamm

A judge's gavel sen

ms. The air was gone. She was inhaling pure poison now. She star

hem. She had dumbed herself down to make them feel smart. She had be

t her to burn because Karly

om her stomach. It wasn't fear anymo

her vision tunneling into

. The metal gave way, melting un

idn't close her eyes. She wanted this to be the last t

mised into the void, I

s swallowed