*Chapter Four*

SARAH BIT HER LIP AND TREMBLED SLIGHTLY. Everything was a nightmare ever since the Neverseen had kidnapped her. This was a new and confusing world, and she just wasn't used to it.

But she was an elf now.

Whatever past secrets she had, well, maybe they'd unfold themselves later. Right now, she had to keep her emphasis on the present. There was no use in ruminating about the past.

And she could be an asset to the Black Swan if they'd trust her. So she needed to show them she could be. Sarah took a deep breath and plunged into the traumatic adventure she'd had once more. Mr. Forkle nodded when she'd finished. The entire time he'd been scrawling down notes. Now he looked up at her, his ancient eyes penetrating. "You've been through an awful ordeal," he nodded. Sighing. He shook his head. "I remember a long time ago when there was great peace…" His eyes went glassy as he reminisced. Sarah cleared her throat, not wishing to be impertinent, but trying to move the discussion along. "Right. Right. Sorry, I got lost in thought," Mr. Forkle said, his eyebrows scrunched up as he zoomed back to the present. He stared at Sarah for a long time, scrutinizing her very studiously. "You're a lot like Sophie," he nodded. "She's always impatient." He sighed and muttered something that sounded a lot like, "You kids." He narrowed his eyes. "But we cannot deny the possibility that you are an unwitting accomplice to the Neverseen. Have you checked for a tracker?" Sarah gasped.

"No, I- OH! I led them right to you! How could I have been so… UGH!"

Alden walked up to Sarah. He had been in the shadows of the room, making sure the Collective had plenty of space. But he was ready in case of any type of question that needed his verification. They were in Atlantis, in an undisclosed location, not a Black Swan hideout, though Sarah worried that it might be an important meeting place. After all, few knew about it. "There's no reason to worry. I already did," Alden nodded. "Just the basic scan." Mr. Forkle nodded approvingly.

Sarah let out a long sigh of relief. But Alden placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "Elves' minds can shatter if they let guilt seep into their minds." His voice broke up slightly. "It almost happened to me." Then it regained a firm tone. "Don't let it happen. Push away any of the slightest feelings of guilt. Got it?"

Sarah nodded.

"You're pretty strong, considering you've been raised by humans. A lot like Sophie," Alden remarked.

"Ahem." The voice came from the disembodied Wraith. "Shall we get back to the discussion?"
"Of course," Alden nodded. "Please don't hesitate to call on me. I'd be more than inclined to help if you require any more facts, or opinions." He stepped back into the shadows.

After a loooooooong questioning about every single detail that happened during her kidnapping, Sarah was excused. "Uh, bye," she said.

"I'm sure we will see you again," Mr. Forkle said. "Until then, however, you will stay in one of our proxies' residence. Please take this crystal to leap there. Oh- and take this nexus. Your concentration power is very strong, similarly to Sophie's…I do so wonder if being raised by humans makes a difference in that aspect…" Mr. Forkle strapped a small wristband onto Sarah's wrist. "It helps you not lose your focus while leaping. That way, you don't fade." Sarah just nodded, even though she had almost no idea what Mr. Forkle was ranting on about. "Just hold the crystal up to the light, and you know the rest."

Sarah lifted the crystal in which was strung on a cord. "Like Alvar's," she mused.

"It's a home crystal," Mr. Forkle explained. Then his eyebrows scrunched up together. "I wonder why he kept it, though."

Sarah shrugged. "Um, bye." She held the crystal up to the sunlight once they got back up on dry land, (there was an incredibly convoluted way to get down to Atlantis- which was sunk to make the humans believe that it didn't exist anymore. Actually, a lot of humans figured it was just a myth. Including Sarah, before she discovered she was an elf.) and she stepped into the light.

When Sarah opened her eyes, she was in front of an enormous estate. It held a dark premonition, with its shadowy towers and almost no windows. It didn't help that it was late evening; the faint outline of the moon up in the clouds beamed down on some of the towers. The view, as a result, was spooky.

She noticed Keefe was walking outside of it. "Keefe! What are you doing here?" Sarah asked, puzzled.
Keefe smirked. "I live here. Shouldn't I ask you what you're doing here?"

"Oh." Sarah's face heated up. "Well, Forkle told me I was going to stay here for a while until they figure out what to do with me."
"I'm sure it's not that bad," Keefe reasoned.

Sarah shrugged. "It basically is." She changed the subject. "They said one of their proxies lives here."
"My dad swore fealty a while ago," Keefe explained, though his face was twisted into a surly smile.

Sarah was confused. Wasn't that good?

Then a tall figure with a foreboding cloak walked up to them. "My father," Keefe whispered.

"Welcome to Candleshade," Keefe's father said.

Sarah followed Keefe through the twisty and dark hallways of Candleshade. "Not very homey, is it?" Keefe remarked quietly as they encountered another right turn.
"Not particularly," acknowledged Sarah. "But hey," she added with a real smile, "at least you have your own haunted house!"

"Uh, what's that?" Keefe asked, mystified.

"Oh, never mind. I probably should just avoid mentioning human things," muttered Sarah. Then she regained her glowing smile. "Tell me about elf stuff."

"Like what?" enquired Keefe as they turned left, passing a closet door. "Oh, and might I suggest you don't go in that closet," advised Keefe, pointing to the closet they had just passed.

"Why not?" Sarah asked.

"I bet you don't like gulons, right?" He sniggered.

"What's that?" Sarah felt flustered that she hardly knew anything about the elvin world.

"A special kind of creature," smirked Keefe.

"Uh-oh. You're smirking. I'm guessing it isn't good," Sarah stated.

"Nope!" Keefe said cheerfully as they stepped into a massive bedroom, complete with dark tapestries and a large, square bed. "This is your room! My room is three left turns, one right turn, and then another three left turns away!" He smiled as he closed the door behind him.

Sarah stared openmouthed at the door. This place was enormous! How was she going to find her way around? She'd just have to wing it and hope she didn't get lost.

She sighed and flopped on her bed. "Ugh," she said. "This is officially the world's most uncomfortable bed." She took a look at the shadowy room. "And room, too." As she sat upright again to rearrange her pillow, which unfortunately felt like a mini boulder, she found a small slip of paper. It said:

Don't get lost!

-K

Taped with some sort of elvin adhesive on the note was a small map. On the very end, it said in bright, bold letters: YOU ARE HERE.

"Great going, Keefe," Sarah said with a smile, but then it vanished, replaced with apprehension. "What if he set this up as a prank to get me lost?" She decided she'd have to worry about that tomorrow. She closed her eyes and dreamt of all the beautiful elvin places she'd visit.