It had only been a few weeks since we joined the Black Swan, but she'd already learned so much! Mr. Forkle had taught Fitz how to slip past Sophie's blocking which she did not know if she was comfortable with. No! Of course she was comfortable with it! Fritz was friend and she trusted him. Over the course of the past few month he became more of brother. They shared everything with each other she had nothing to hide from him. Either way though in turn Mr. Forkle had taught Sophie how to notice and block someone who was able to get past her original defenses. Sophie had concentrate hard to sense if someone was in her mind, but the Ogre King Domitar sense Sophie as if it was second nature. Sophie winced. She hated thinking about it. About how she'd almost started a war how Dex had been ordered by the council to make a silver band to go on HER head. Dex did not know what it was for but it still stung to find out that he made it. Sophie rubbed her forehead remembering the raw skin and pain the band left. She thought back to the Ogre king. Was he just a good detector or was it actually second nature to him? Sophie thought. She remembered Teirgen her telepathy teacher. He said they would discuss the minds of other intelligent creatures when she returned to school, but she'd never gone back to Foxfire after that. Would she ever go back? She was a fugitive now working with the Elvin council's number one enemy. Would she ever go home? Go home to see Grady and Edaline standing there at the gates of Havenfield smiling, welcoming her with open arms. They loved her more than anyone else. Grady her adoptive father almost got himself exiled for using his a abilities on the council and almost killed someone for trying to hurt her. If Sophie had not been there to stop him both times he would have gone through with each plan. Best of all though Grady and Edaline loved her for her. For her and not because she had special powers or because she reminded them of Jolie. Just her. And she loved them they took her in when she first came to elvin world and when the road got rocky they stood beside her. They were her protectors her friends and most importantly her family. It had only been a few weeks but she missed them dearly. Sophie was awoken from her daze as she realized Fitz was shaking her. "Sophie! Come on Sophie! We need to go!" Fitx whispered rather loudly. If the Neverseen were around they would've most definitely heard him. "Could you whisper a little louder?" She transmitted. "I don't think the people in the forbidden cities could hear you!" She trainsmited louder than she meant to. "Sorry I tried to transmit but you were in a daze." Fitz transmitted back. Then a familiar smug voice echoed through her head saying "Jeez you two sound like an old married couple." "Keefe." Sophie mumbled to herself. A few moments later Sophie saw Keefe's signature smirk printed on his face as he ran towards them from behind a large tree. Something else Mr. Forkle taught her was how to open her very heavily guarded mind to other people as to conduct private conversations. She was seriously doubting letting keefe in her head though. He would always crack jokes about how he now knew her deepest darkest secrets, and saw the memories that the Black Swan had implanted in her head. This bothered her way more than it should've her knowing this was not true. Keefe wasn't a telepath therefore he should not be able to read her mind. " The coast is clear." Keefe transmitted. "All the guards must already be at the meeting. Remember the council are their charges making them their number one priority. Fitz said emphasizing on their. He was right. The guards would be scanning the crowd, but they would keep their eyes focused on the first few rows where the councillors were more likely to be attacked from. That means if all three of them slipped in the back they could go by unnoticed. After all that was what the Black Swan was known for. Going by unnoticed. Sophie, Keefe and Fitz slipped into the room with not so much as a glance from anyone. The cold night made their disguises work perfectly. Most everyone in the room was wearing either a hooded cloak or cape. To their surprise a lot of other children in the room were wearing a black cloak just like theirs. "Tonight is our lucky night." Keefe transmitted making her jump. She was still not used to having other people in her head. "Don't jinx it." She told him. As they made their way to very back of the room standing on boxes only standing up enough to just peer over the heads of the adults trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. "Remember what Mr. Forkle told us." Fritz transmitted. "We should keep an ear out but we don't need t-. To listen to the end, and most importantly go unnoticed. Keefe transmitted cutting Fitz off. "Ya that." Fitz said aloud clearly annoyed about being cut off. "Oh come on WonderBoy". Keefe said earning a few glances from nearby adults. "Keefe!" Both Sophie and Fitz transmitted at the same time. "Sorry." "From now on transmitting only." At first Sophie wondered how Mr. Forkle knew how the big announcement would be at the end, but it did not take too long before she figured it out, the council always made the big announcement till the end. Sophie guessed it was so the council could run away without being questioned. "Welcome!" A voice boomed silencing the crowd. "Thank You for coming." Sophie did not even have to look up to know who was speaking. It was councillor Emery. He always open up events or meetings for the council. Sophie chest felt heavy as she looked up at all the councillors on the stage, and her heart dropped to her stomach as she realized the stage was still empty without councillor Kenric's smile that could light the entire world if it were to ever go dark. The elvin world could use that smile more than ever at the moment. Sophie looked away blinking back tears then returning her eyes to the stage. Deep inside she hoped that she'd she Councillor Kenric standing there flashing his smile of all smiles, but he wasn't. She was hoping that somehow his death wasn't real that it was somehow a mistake. She knew though his death wasn't like hers or Dex's or Alden's where they came back because it was just a mistake. No he was dead and he was never coming back. Sophie forced herself to look at Councillor Oraile. She looked better but still saddened. Sophie would never forget the day when she saw Councillor Oraile on the ground sobbing while the everblaze burning the precious elvin capital behind her became nothing more than background noise to her pounding ears, and the world seem to spin threatening to never stop, how she was shaking so bad she could have sworn there was an earthquake, as the realization hit her. He's dead. "Sophie. Sophie!" Fitz transmitted as he bumped her arm. "You okay you look pale…. And are you shaking?" Sophie looked down at her hands that were now shaking hard. "Y.. ya i'm fine." She transmitted back. Fitz turned his attention back to the stage but he did not looked convinced. Sophie wondered sometimes if Fitz knew her too well, but he was her cognate in training after all they HAD to tell eachother everything. "Now." Councillor Emery's voice boomed just as loud as before maybe even louder causing Sophie to leave "Our final announcement. We have learned of a group who call themselves the Neverseen. We have also learned that they are the number one enemy of the Black Swan. So as it sadly seems we have two rebel groups who have been fighting a silent war we were unaware of." Sophie could feel the mood plummet as if the news weighed like a ton of bricks on the crowd. "Our goal is to diminish both groups of rebels, but we will need assistance if you hear anything please report to either us or one of our emisiries. Thank you for coming." Sophie was expecting the council to shimmer away as per usual when ending a meeting or any formal event, but they just stood there on stage as if processing the information themselves. The crowd began to shift towards the door. "Is it just me or does it seem like they're hiding something." Keefe transmitted. Sophie did not to be an empath to sense that the council was anxious. That could be because they were in the middle of a silent war that they were completely unprepared for, but something told Sophie that there was to it than that. She just could not place her finger on it. Fitz must have been thinking the same thing because he turned to her and said "You ready?" If they were going to find out what the council was hiding they would need to probe their minds, but they would need to slip in undetected. Mr Forkle told Sophie that one day she would be able to go in undetected on her own though for now it was better, and safer to use Fitz. After what seemed like forever Sophie noded. Fitz held her hands to assure her that everything would be fine, but that only made her faint heart beat faster. "Jeez Foster calm down I can feel your fear from here." Keefe transmitted. Sophie did not reply just gave Keefe a quick glare. She couldn't help it though she was afraid if they got caught they would for sure be exiled, and the Black Swan would become an even bigger enemy of the council. Though at this point Sophie did not know if that was possible they already seemed to despise the Black Swan. "Let's do this." Sophie told Fitz aloud. Sophie reached her mind out to councillor Emery's using most of her strength to make sure he did not detect her. After seconds that felt like days Sophie felt a familiar warmth. "I'm in." she transmitted to Fitz. Sophie took the next few minutes probing around Emery's mind finding a lot about his childhood, but not what she was looking for. It came as a surprise to her on old Emery actually was. He had to be a least a thousand years old, which was nothing compared to Bronte the bald headed grumpy old councillor who has been around long before the human dark ages. Living with the humans she had been taught that life only lasted a hundred years IF you were lucky, but so far no elf has died of old age or even looked old they seemed indefinite, like a storybook that would never end. After a few more minutes of probing Sophie came across a dark nook of Emery's mind almost like he needed to tuck it away. At that point she knew she found it! She stood there watching the memory willing the play like a remote to a TV. As the memory started to play she suddenly realized Fitz was standing there beside her in the dark crevice of councillor Emery's mind. She had to lean on him for support as the memory continued. It showed the council there with a PYROTECHNIC setting telli… NO ordering him to set EVERBLAZE! Sophie was horrified. The council were setting fires just so they could swoop in and play hero while claiming groups like the Black Swan set the fires. A sour taste sat on Sophie's tongue. Once the memory finished Fitz suggested that they stay and probe further, but Sophie had seen enough. "No" Sophie said in a bitter tone "We got what we came for. The Collective needs to hear this." Sophie and Fitz left Emery's mind making sure they left no trace that they were there. Once free of his mind Sophie turned to Keefe "We got what we needed." She transmitted. "Let's go." Fitz, Sophie and Keefe followed the rest of the crowd out of the what Sophie now realized was a giant hollow tree. Most things the elves had was made of crystal, but this tree was different. Sophie did not know why they choose this for a meeting spot, but at the moment she couldn't care less. With the information Sophie had just received she felt betrayed. Sophie thought that when the Neverseen was defeated, and they cleared the Black Swan's name they could trust the council she now see that dream would never be a reality. That's all it was was a dream. Somewhere deep inside her always knew nothing would ever be right with the council again. She just did not want to believe it. They were at the edge of the woods now took one last look at the giant tree where the meeting had been held. She had many questions, and things she was unsure of, but she knew one thing for sure. Nothing, would ever be the same.
I do not own the Keeper of the Lost Cities series or any of it's characters.