Page 32 of A Simple Truth

“Well, well, well. Look who is alive and thriving.” Zora’s loud voice cut through the silent space.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” I whispered, not wanting to turn around and face what was now surely an angry Commander, all thanks to my little stunt. I quickly climbed into the sheets, hoping the rest of the Ten would stay asleep.

But it seemed my luck had run out, as Tori’s voice roared through the room.

“We were worried sick!” Tori proclaimed, and Cori enthusiastically agreed.

“I’m glad you are okay, Finn.” Gia’s soft, though sleepy voice sounded from the cot next to me.

“Thanks, Gia,” I murmured, still avoiding looking at them.

“So, do you want to enlighten us all as to why you thought killing yourself was a good idea?” Zora’s voice rumbled again, and a small night light flickered through the tent, lighting up her stern face.

After a moment of hesitation, I turned to face her, rising up onto my elbows just a bit. The small shadows from the nightlight made Zora’s harsh features even more terrifying as she glared at me. Only now, I realized that all of the Ten were awake, with their eyes on me.

The worst part wasn’t even their betrayed stares, it was the fact that I didn’t know anything about what had happened.

Loudly, I exhaled.

“I wasn’t planning on killing myself, and considering I am still alive, I think you can find some truth in that statement. But before I face any more accusations, would anyone care to tellme what happened?” I replied, my eyes running over the few of them still sending me sharp looks.

“You mean, besides the fact that you evaporated the entire damn river?” Yanush mentioned, yawning.

I cringed. A whole river?Damn.

“What else?” I asked, only now noticing the stares lingering on my skin. I turned on the light near me, cringing at the tiny, blood-filled blisters covering me from head to toe.

Well, that explained why my whole body felt like it had been pricked by a thousand needles. I ran my finger through a row of them, popping a few.

“Do not pop those!” Gia revolted. “The blisters will heal, but if you are not careful, you’ll be covered in scars!” She was already pulling out a jar from her nightstand with salves and bandages.

An evaporated river, bloody blisters all over my body… Heart Piercer gone, too.But there were still a few gaps in my story.

“How long was I out?” I asked Gia as she wrapped my hands.

“You were burning for two days before Gideon arrived,” Ashe answered instead, shaking her head. “Another day or so you’ve been in recovery. So, if my math is correct, three days total.”

Damn it. Well, at least that explains why I am so hungry.But I kept that thought to myself.

“What were you thinking, attempting a descentunassisted? You literally pass out trying to summon little heat balls!” Cass added with a touch of dismay.

“Descent?” I asked, as Gia motioned for me to take off my shirt while she continued to treat my skin.

“It’s when Destroyers descend to the bottom of their powers to assess how deep their fire goes before the burn out,” Motra clarified. But I didn’t know about any of that.

“It’s dangerous because if you go too far, you cross the threshold of burn out. Once you reach the burn out, there isno point of return. Our powers need energy, and when they are still being sourced, they will take it from you, even if it means obliterating yourself. And with raw fire…I mean, I, for one, thought you’d for sure be gone; if not physically dead, then for sure brain dead,” Cass explained as her stare softened.

“I didn’t know that,” I mumbled, feeling relieved as the cold sensation from the salve soothed my warm skin.

“Well, it seems that you don’t know a lot of things. I suppose brains were not among the qualities the General liked,” Ioanna snapped, rolling over to her other side.

Though I knew it was a poorly done jab—one that I should ignore, one that didn’t deserve my reaction—it still got under my skin.

I was too tired and exhausted and so damn hungry to just let it go.

“Ioanna, do you have a problem with me?” I said, turning my head to her, my eyes narrowing on her face.

At the mention of her name, Ioanna sat up, offering me an awful sneer.

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