Sophie felt her hopes plummet, her spirit sink. 

Down. 

             Down. 

                       Down. 

Into the depths of no hope. 

Nothing. 

But a rushing wind brought her out of it, ice-blue, fueling her empty, hopeless spirit.

Up.

       Up.

             Up.

Until she was staring into a pair of beautiful, ice-blue eyes- the same exact shade of that wonderful, rushing wind. 

Keefe held her hand, giving it a squeeze as he wrapped his free arm around her waist.

Keeping her together. 

Fitz glared at them both. Then, he walked over to Sophie and grabbed her other hand. 

Sophie squeezed both of them, grateful for their support as she looked directly into Emery's sapphire eyes. 

Emery continued, "I'm sorry that you have to look for an alicorn that can be anywhere in the world, along with a group of dangerous rebels that can kill you, or hurt you. Whether you are going to be banished or not, is in your hands. The votes have been cast, and your wish is granted. You have three days to find the alicorn- under one condition; if you do not return at sunset on the third day, then you, your family, and your friends will be banished." 

Sophie shook her head. Hard. "Wait, I never said anything about my friends being banished as well." 

Emery exhaled through his nose. "Like I have said Ms. Foster, there is one condition. You can either face a tribunal, in which there is a ninety-five percent chance that you will be exiled. Or, you can face the condition I have said before."

Keefe looked at Emery, his gaze shooting daggers at the Councillor's face. "All right, we'll-"

"NO!" Sophie interrupted. She turned to her friends. "I am not willing to risk all of your lives, plus let you be separated from your families."  

Her gaze landed on Emery's, eyes as hard as steel. "I won't take the deal," she said in a low voice. "I will face the tribunal." 

((Sorry that the last couple of chapters are super short. The next few will be longer)).