"She shouldn't be out for too much longer, then we can introduce her."
"Don't you think flooding her mind with memories that aren't her own is a bit dangerous?"
"It was the only way I could think to get her to understand. She doesn't have the time like Sophie."
I jerk awake and my eyes open widely, being met with blinding lights.
"What the hell did you do to me?" I groggily ask. I realise I'm in a very soft, comfortable bed, and I roll to my side. I can feel my eyes hurting to truly open. My head is pounding, memories that aren't mine, are flooding through.
"Lakelynn? Can you hear me? It's Mr. Klein." I roll over again and look over and see Mr. Klein's face laced with worry and concern.
"What happened? There's memories and- and flashes of terrible things happening to people, like fighting, an-and torturing, and-." I ramble on, stopping when Mr. Klein sits down in front of me.
"Listen Lakelynn, I know that there is a lot going on in your head, and I'll help you sort it out. But I'm being serious when I say that you are an elf. A genetically engineered elf by the Black Swan to help save the world." Mr. Klein explains. Those memories that aren't mine flood into my head, memories of a teal eyed boy with brown hair and a movie star smile telling someone who isn't me the same thing: their an elf and they have been living a lie.
"I'm a living Harry Potter, aren't I?" I whisper to him, raising an eyebrow. Mr. Klein looks down and laughs. I blink rapidly and take in a deep breath, looking at my surroundings.
"Okay so, I'm an elf...but not like a regular elf, I'm a...what? Special elf?" I ask him, struggling to find the words.
"You could say that...listen Lakelyn, we had to sedate you, I told you that my real name is Kenric and I was a councillor here in the Lost Cities- that's what the elven world is called. I'm supposed to be dead here." Memories of people crying, a lady with blond hair and fair skin, stunning features, clutching herself and crying. Flames like I've never seen before. Bright neon yellow, almost blue at the bottom, spreads rapidly.
"Did...did you die in a fire or something? Or I guess supposedly die in a fire?" I ask Kenric, testing the name out. He nods his head and stands up.
"I left the elven world to watch over you since one of the other elves that was watching you couldn't anymore. Lakelyn we had to fill your mind with memories that aren't yours to help speed this process along. You've already missed out on a lot and that's partially my fault because I knew that your family relied on you so much and knew that they weren't ready for you to leave them." At the mention of my family I take a sharp breath in. My family does rely on me for so many things because I'm the eldest. And I didn't even get to say goodbye to them.
Instantly more memories flood my mind of the teal eyed boy again holding hands with the person that isn't me, trying to comfort them.
"What happened to them? My family, I mean."
"It's a long story, but basically we were able to erase any memories of you from your family's life and friends too." Hot tears fill my eyes but I refuse to let them fall.
I don't cry.
I can't cry.
"I didn't get to say goodbye to them. And if you erased me from their lives, that means I can't see them, doesn't it?" I ask, my stomach making it's way up to my throat.
"I think I'm going to be sick." I say rolling over and grabbing my stomach.
"Lakelyn, trust us, this is for the better." I hear Mr. Forkle say. I roll my eyes and look back over at the two.
"You think this is for the best? You've kidnapped me and taken me away from my family who has no memories of me and now I'll never be able to see them again, I didn't even get to say goodbye. You're also telling me that I'm a mythical being, what's next are you going to tell me that I have superpowers too?" I sneer in disgust, glaring at the both of them.
"The accuracy." Kenric whispers almost to a point where I can't hear him. I look at him with wide eyes.
"Elves all have special abilities. One ability each." Flashes of different abilities being used goes throughout my mind in the first person, again, not my memories.
"While the ability is what defines you in this world, you also have talents such as temperature control, seeing in the dark, voice mimicking and even levitation." Okay, I'll admit, that's pretty cool. I raise an eyebrow and ask my next question.
"You're based on what your ability is here? Does that mean everyone is born with one?" I ask. Kenric and Mr. Forkle look over at each other before looking back at me.
"Genetically, you are supposed to be born with an ability, but some are born without, those are called talentless. They are looked down upon in our world." Kenric explained. I can taste the vile of the word talentless coming from Kenric's lips.
"Well that's stupid, just because you don't have a super power means people look down on you?" I say, my face turning into disgust.
"Happens in the human world. Just because of your job or sexual orientation you are looked down upon." Mr. Forkle retaliates. I'll give him that, but sometimes those things are out of your control and so is being talentless, so why does that mean that you have to be looked down upon?
A man with strawberry blonde hair and periwinkle eyes floods my memories. Kesler Dizzznee is his name, said by a girl with brown hair and teal eyes, her smile is striking, like the boy with a movie star smile.
"What else do I need to know?" I ask them, sitting back up on the bed with determination on my face, ready to learn more about this place.
And how I could potentially get out of it.
"I wonder what she'll be like. I mean is she going to look like Sophie, act like Sophie, smell like Sophie?" Keefe leads on. I just sit there in my room, staring at the petals on the floor. I've already asked all of these questions in my head. Well except the one about her smelling like me, that's a bit weird even for questions have been running around in my head ever since Forkle announced I had a biological sister.
"I'm not sure she'll look like Sophie, maybe a little bit but not that she definitely won't smell like Sophie." Biana responds from my closet. Keefe looks up from where he is sitting and crunches his face up.
"Why wouldn't Lakelyn look like Sophie?" Keefe asks looking in the direction of my closet.
"Why would she? I mean it's not like the Black Swan altered all of her appearance, but they did alter some things, like her brown eyes, what if Lakelyn has blue eyes?" Biana retorts. My eyebrows shot up at this. What if she did have blue eyes?
"Why wouldn't she have brown eyes?" Keefe asks, repeating himself. Biana rolls her eyes and answers "What if she doesn't have all the same abilities that Sophie does?" Good point.
"I think that she'll look like Sophie, I mean she is her sister biologically." Keefe shrugs his shoulders and grabs some mallowmelt from the plate that Edaline sent up with them when Biana and Keefe arrived. "Look at all of the Vackers." Keefe points out. "And the Dizznee's."
"Sophie what do you think?" Biana asks, walking out of the closet with a sparkly purple dress on.
"I don't know," I shrug, " I honestly don't care about what she looks like. I'm more worried about how she's going to react to being here. Forkle said that she has an attitude and possibly wouldn't want to stay with me. I guess I'm mostly worried about whether or not she'll like me."
"That's fair. I mean it would be really weird to have her in on all of this and not like you, but I don't think that's possible." Biana says, giving me a soft smile.
"I agree with Biana on this one, she won't not like you, Foster." Keefe adds.
"Hey guys, I just got word from Forkle that Lakelyn is awake and they'll be making their way over here soon so Biana and Keefe, I think that it's time for you guys to head out, you can talk with Sophie later." Edaline says in a soft voice, giving them all a smile.
"Alright, Keefe you coming over to my house to hang with Fitz?" Biana asks, walking out of the closet in her own clothes.
"Yeah, I'll go over with you, Edaline I was wondering-"
"I already put some together, Keefe." Edaline interrupts, giving Keefe a box full of mallowmelt. His face lights up with a genuine smile and rushes to grab the box. Before grabbing the box he gives Edaline a huge bear hug.
"Thank you so much, Edaline." He whispers into her hair since he was a solid foot or two taller than her. Edaline wraps her arms around him and smiles.
"Of course Keefe." she responds.
"I don't get stuff like this anymore. Well I guess I didn't get it before anyway." Keefe says in a small voice. Immediately the mood shifts in the room to sorrow and everyone looks uncomfortable.
"But hey, that's why I got you guys." Keefe says with a wide smile. I give him a small smile in return and stand up to walk all of them out.
"Where's Ro?" I ask, finding it odd that she isn't here to make fun of Keefe.
"Her and Bo are in a heated debate about something downstairs, I didn't really listen." Edaline responds, leading them down the stairs.
"Well that makes sense." Keefe shrugs, following Edaline down the hall to the stairs.
"Hey Foster, don't worry about Lakelyn, it won't be as bad as you think." Keefe whispers into my ear right when I walk down the last few steps. I shiver and look towards him, staring into his concerned ice blue eyes.
"How do you know Keefe? For all we know she could hate me." I raise an eyebrow and smirk at him.
"Foster! We just had this conversation! She is not going to hate you. You were able to make Stina like you. Stina of all people. I'm sure that Lakelyn will like you." Keefe wraps an arm around my shoulder and walks me with him to the door.
When we get to the door, Grady comes up behind me and Keefe, grabbing Keefes arm that's around me and swings it off of me. Keefe and I look back behind us to find Grady glaring at Keefe with his arms crossed.
"Keefe, it was really wonderful of you to be here for Sophie. I'm sure you'll be the first person that she calls when this is all over." Edaline says while holding the door open, glaring at Grady who was still glaring at Keefe and muttering "that boy" under his breath.
"Dad? Stop it." Jolie says from the kitchen, walking in and glaring at Grady, while also smirking and crossing her arms.
"He's very possessive and doesn't really trust guys." Jolie says as she walks towards her mom (our mom) and gives Edaline a side hug.
"I wonder why." Grady grumbles.
"I hope to hear from you tonight Sophie, everything is going to be fine. Keefe lets go so that you and Fitz can argue over," Biana takes a look between me and Keefe, raising an eyebrow before pulling Keefe by his shirt collar and finishing with "things."
"Talk to you guys later." I say, watching everyone leave all together.
"You don't need to be nervous Soph, Lakelyn is nice. Well niceish." Jolie says grimacing, uncrossing her arms and going over to one of the couches.
"Nice, Jolie." Edaline smiles, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
"I'm sorry, Sophie. What I mean to say is she is very different from you. The both of you have similarities that you'll find out, but she's a real hot head. Very sassy and will throw anything she doesn't like right back at you." Jolie explains. I nod and look over to Grady who was still standing there with his arms crossed against his chest.
"Are you guys nervous?" I ask Grady and Edaline. They look at each other and then back at me. Grady uncrosses his arms and changes the look on his face to a more reassuring one, or at least tries to.
"We're more nervous for you. This is a big deal, Sophie. She's biologically related to you." Grady answers.I turn my head to the side, looking at his stroming blue eyes.
"We are all here for you Sophie." Jolie adds. "This is going to be difficult, she's being thrusted into a whole different world, and while that happened to you, she doesn't have the time to learn everything like you did so instead she's actually getting all of your memory's."
My eyes shot up and over toward Jolie. She's getting my memories? How does that even work? Can we share thoughts? I thought that Forkle said she wouldn't have the same abilities as me-
"I can see those gears turning, so let me stop you there," Jolie says, interrupting my mind from going a mile a second. "You have your memory log, well we kind of took that." My jaw drops and I stare at her in shock.
"Those are private! Those are extremely private!" I yell, surging forward towards Jolie.
"I know, I know kiddo, I was against it but things are taking a turn for the worst and we need her more prepared than we thought." Jolie responds, grabbing my hands and looking at me in my eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes hold concern and panic.
"Things must be really bad, I thought we had almost everything under control." I say, sitting down on the couch, Jolie sitting down with me.
"Things are happening a lot faster than we predicted. It'll be at a faster pace from now on." I look back over at mom and dad, both have concern written all over their faces.
"They're here," Sandor announces, standing up straighter "Kenric, Forkle and Sophie's sister."
"Sophie's sister has a name, and it's Lakelyn." a new voice corrects and we all turn our attention to it.
There standing in the doorway is a literal woman, tall, brown hair that matches her intense brown eyes. She has sharp features and a gaze that could quite possibly make Sandor or Bo shake in their boots. (Even though they don't wear boots). She's dressed in a plain pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with a beige sweater. Her dark brown locks are curled and framing her face. She looks powerful, intense, and very confident.
"I hope that I won't be referred to as "Sophie's sister" the entire time I'm here." Lakelyn complains, walking in further to allow Forkle and Kenric along with her.
"Of course not, Lakelyn. But you should expect it for a little while, after all, we've all gotten to know Sophie Foster, we haven't had the pleasure of learning who Lakelyn Harris is." Kenric explains, putting a hand on Lakelyn's shoulder as a sign of comfort. Lakelyn only rolls her eyes in response.
"Well then, I guess that introductions are in order." Forkle says, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Lakelyn turns her attention to Forkle who gives her a smile and looks over at Edaline and Grady.
"This is Lady and Lord Grady and Edaline Ruwen, Grady is Emissary-" at the mention of the word Emissary, Lakelyn's eyes shut really tight for only a moment before opening again like nothing had happened.
"Edaline works here at Havenfield along with Grady. They are both the adoptive parents of Sophie Foster, your biological sister, and Jolie-their biological child." Lakelyn makes eye contact with me and I suddenly feel very intimidated.
Stupidly I reach my hand out to shake and with a weak voice I say "nice to meet you." For one moment I panic, thinking that she won't take my hand to shake.
"Nice to meet you as well, Sophie Foster." she smiles, extending her hand out to me, grasping it in a firm grip and giving me a solid handshake. I smile back at her and she pulls me closer to her and gives me a huge bear hug.
"Just because I'm really angry with many people right now does not mean I will take it out on you, I'm very excited to meet my sister." she whispers into my ear, sending chills all throughout my body at the word sister.
"It's very nice to meet you Grady and Edaline." she says smiling, not even bothering with shaking hands before she goes in to give each of them their own quick hugs. Edaline takes a breath before inviting Lakelyn to sit down and enjoy some mallowmelt with a smile on her face.
"I've seen this before." Lakelyn whispers, confusion written all over her face.
"You'll probably be saying that a lot, Miss Harris. We decided to implement as many memories from Sophie's memory log as we could to hopefully get you up to speed as quickly as we could." Mr. Forkle explains. Lakelyn raises an eyebrow and asks what a memory log is.
"It's like a notebook that you would use to write notes on, except for telepaths, we project our memories onto the pages. That way we can show them to other people and non telepaths are able to see what we see." I explain, trying to give a comforting smile. She gives me a weird look before turning her attention to Mr. Forkle and Kenric.
"They took the memories that you have from your memory log?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, without permission." I respond, raising my own eyebrow and looking over at Mr. Forkle. Both Mr. Forkle and Kenric both have a guilty look on their faces.
"That's not very kind." Lakelyn says with a smirk, looking at both of the guilty faces. She turns her attention back to me and asks how long I've been here.
"I think about three years." I answer, looking over at Grady and Edaline. Mom and dad.
"Wow, you've got three years on me huh." Lakelyn jokes smiling at me.
"Yeah well you're what? Three years older than me anyway?" We both laugh and for the first time since I learned that I had a sister, I feel completely calm.
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