*Chapter Eight*
SARAH AND KEEFE ARRIVED at Everglen moments later. They were brought in by Biana. "Is everything okay?" Biana asked, noticing their faces.
"Not really," admitted Sarah, sighing. "Are Sophie and Fitz here? We need their Cognate powers."
Keefe face-palmed himself. Clearly he wouldn't have said it that way. Sarah smirked.
Biana still looked confused, but she led them into the dining room. Sophie and Fitz were staring into each other's' eyes. "Cognate stuff," Keefe explained to Sarah.
"Ooookay…" Sarah said, waving a hand in front of them, breaking them apart.
Sophie jumped in her seat, and Fitz flinched.
"They need your Cognate powers," Biana informed the two.
Keefe hit his forehead again. "Seriously?"
Biana ignored him. "I don't know what it's about, but they just came."
"What is it?" Fitz asked.
"We think Sarah might have some hidden memories," Keefe explained grimly. "from our mom."
Sophie, Fitz, and Biana all were staring at Keefe and Sarah, trying to notice the resemblance. "Wow, I didn't realize you guys had the same shade of eye color," Sophie whispered.
"Freaky," Fitz nodded.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "We just found out."
Sophie's mouth was completely slack. "How?" she sputtered.
"Easy, Foster," Keefe said, grabbing Sophie's hand, ripping off the glove, and squeezing her hand. It seemed to calm her, somehow, because she was breathing steadily a minute afterward. Keefe gently slid the glove back on and turned to Fitz. "So, can you guys see if our mom hid anything?"
"We can try," Fitz bit his lip.
Sophie nodded. She put her hand on Fitz's and Sarah saw some sort of ring underneath the gloves that linked with Fitz's matching one.
They closed their eyes and reached for Sarah's temples with their free hands.
Nothing happened for a few minutes, but now Sarah felt a tingle in the back of her brain. An irritating tingle that seemed to not only tickle, but scratch her.
Sarah gasped as a fluid memory began to solidify.
It was hazy, but she thought she could vaguely make out Lady Gisela standing in front of her.
Beside her stood a boy with a Neverseen cloak.
"Ruy," Sarah heard a whisper from Sophie.
Lady Gisela's lips were spread into a thin smile. "Oh, Karcey. You will do much for the Neverseen…" Her voice distorted slightly, but she continued, "And I have no doubt you will carry the Lodestar Initiative to another level, unlike my pathetic son…" Her voice crinkled, as if it was merely paper. Then the entire memory faded, leaving Sarah to collapse on the ground.
Cries of, "Are you okay?"
"Sarah, say something!"
"It's okay, Sarah," filled the room.
But Sarah was too weak to get up.
Sarah blinked her eyes and blinding light filled her vision. Keefe was hugging her. Wait, the distant Keefe was hugging her?
"You're awake!" Sophie cried.
"Y-yeah," Sarah nodded.
Keefe pulled away, looking slightly embarrassed as he said, "Are you okay, Sarah?"
"I-I-I think so," she stammered. Her body trembled.
"The Lodestar Initiative," Sophie whispered to herself.
"What?" Keefe's head snapped around to face Sophie, though he still held Sarah's hand tightly.
So tightly Sarah's was turning white.
"Uh, oww, Keefe?" Sarah bit her lip. Keefe was squeezing very tight.
"Oh, uh, sorry," he said, letting go. Sarah shook her head, sighing as she rubbed her palm.
"Please explain everything you know about Sarah, Keefe," Sophie ordered, though her voice shook.
Keefe obliged, telling Sophie of how Lord Cassius came to confess to them, and how they had the theory about a hidden memory.
Sophie nodded at each pause, ruminating. Finally, what felt like hours later, she said, "I think Sarah was supposed to be the original Lodestar Initiative."
