Okay, so I updated in the wrong order because I'm stupid. If you read part 14 before this, please read this and then go re-read that. Thanks a ton!
Chapter 13:
Twenty minutes later, Sophie felt (mildly) better, Fitz was confidant in his ability to probe a sleeping human mind, Dex's hair had green sparkles, and Biana was barely containing her inner fangirl. When Sophie asked her why she looked so happy, Biana muttered something about, 'doesn't appreciate' and 'the feels', before walking away distracted. Mildly unnerved, Sophie returned to pacing the room, transmitting advice to Fitz and ignore the still slightly irritated Dex.
As Sophie passed the door for the 49th time, (Dex was counting) Terigan walked in, as Terigan not Granite, with Physic, who was still wearing her green and gold mask. "Are you two ready?"
"Hang on," interrupted Biana. "Two?"
"We can't risk a large group, just in case Amy wakes up."
"Fine," Biana pouted, "but I expect a full report, from both of you." When Sophie and Fitz nodded gravely, she seemed satisfied, and retreated to Dex's side.
"Excellent. Ready?" Physic asked.
"One second," Sophie shouted, as she ran back inside Biana's room, grabbing her gloves from the table. "I'm ready."
"Ready as we'll ever be," her Cognate replied.
"Good," Terigan added. "Then let's go," He reached into the special pocket in his cape, and pulled out a thin, pale blue crystal. It wasn't the usual vibrant cobalt of a crystal that left to the Forbidden cities, and it had an odd opalescence that Sophie had never seen before. When Terigan caught Sophie's glance at the crystal he explained, "It'll still leap to the Forbidden cities. It's just an added security measure, the field of light is weaker. Can you wrap a bit of your concentration around the rest of us? Otherwise, I'm putting a nexus on Fitz."
Laughing slightly at Fitz's look of alarm, she said, "I can cover him."
"Good. Let's go," said Physic, snatching the crystal from Terigan, and holding it up to the light, creating a wide path. And slowly, bravely, Sophie took Fitz's hand and led him into the light, followed closely by Terigan and Physic.
They appeared on a wide, windswept plain, with grey grass and grey sky. Sophie shivered at the harsh wind, and Terigan sorted over the sound of grass and wind, "This way!"
He turned to his left, reached into the grass, and pulled up on something hidden in the soil. As he pulled up whatever it was, he reached forwards and disappeared.
"What just happened?" Sophie shouted, her voice slightly shrill.
"Grab my hand and follow me!" Physic shouted back, holding out her hand to Sophie, before bending down in the same spot asa Terigan and repeating his steps. Then, as she stepped forwards, she pulled Sophie with her, and since Sophie had not yet let go of Fitz's hand, he was pulled along as well. Physic led the way, disappearing fully with Sophie's hand, and Sophie and Fitz were pulled along as well, stumbling into a bright, comfortable looking room with whitewashed stone walls and a worn down floor of wooden planks.
The ceiling was made of exposed beams, and there was a half loft, with a bass wheeled ladder leading up to it. The room was circular and inviting, its bookshelves and a small stove along the walls, shelves of various medicines and vials, and a spiral staircase on the far edge. Sophie turned back to see a wide, round wooden door, with a brass door knob in the middle, like a door out of a J.R.R. Tolkien Hobbit hole.
"Where are we?" Sophie muttered, enjoying the warmth of the room, unlike the child plain outside.
"A very, very, old hideout. This was Prentice's safe house when he was still a Keeper for us. We hadn't used in in nearly 15 years, so we figured it was safe from the Neverseen. We added security measures, of course, after Keefe's betrayal," Terigan informed her, then added, "Your sister is downstairs, Sophie. Fitz, if you'll follow me. Sophie, stay up here. I'm sure Physic has something for you to do."
"Yes, I do. Sophie and I have several things to talk about."
"Should I be scared?" Sophie asked, half teasing, half genuinely concerned.
Picking up on her teasing attitude, Physic joked, "Yes. Be afraid, be very afraid," and when Sophie looked genuinely afraid, she said, "I'm just kidding. Wish Fitz luck, then come upstairs," and disappeared up the ladder to the loft.
Terigan turned to the spiral staircase, and said, "I'm going to give her the sleeping potion. Fitz, come down when I call," and then disappeared down the steps, leaving them alone.
Sophie turned to her Cognate and, looking him in the eye, said, "You'll be fine. No, you'll be great. Trust me." As she spoke the soft, but heartfelt words, she brushed a feather light kiss across his cheek, then added, "If you need me, you can just transmit."
"Soph, what if I do something wrong? What if she gets hurt?"
"I trust you. And remember, she's human. Her mind is stronger than yours or mine. The worst you can do is bring her memories back."
Fitz leaned down and wrapped her in a hug, both of them knowing the other needed comfort, and relishing to comfort the other gave them. Before Sophie or Fitz could say anything else, however, Terigan shouted from downstairs, "Ready when you are Fitz!" and effectively popped their bubble of tranquility.
Sophie kissed his cheek gently and then turned and climb the ladder in Physic's wake, leaving Fitz to square his shoulders and head into the basement.
As Sophie climbed the ladder and pulled herself into the loft, she tripped over the edge of the floor and fell, face first, onto the floor, her feet sticking off the edge of the loft, her face onto of a soft rug. "Why couldn't you guys've given me some balance? she muttered darkly, as she struggled to her feet.
"Sorry, I guess it slipped our minds!" Physic called cheerfully. Sophie was surprised. There had been hints in the past of Physic being involved in her creation, but this seemed to be Physic admitting that she had, in fact, been involved. When Sophie subtly (or not so subtly) mentioned this fact, Physic looked away and changed the subject.
"I figured you needed someone to talk to."
"I... what?" This was definitely not what Sophie was excepting. Some facts, the outline of a mission, a new problem, a new burden, sure, but not talking.
"This has been a lot to handle. Keefe, Mr. Forkle, your family, your sister, I can imagine you have questions. So go ahead."
"Any question?"
"Within reason. I don't have all the answers either. But I can try to answer most of your questions.
"Okay," Sophie was shocked, to say the least. Since when was the Black Swan ever so open about, well, anything? Swirling through the litany of questions crowding her mind, Sophie chose the one that had never been answered. "Where'd all the goblins go? Sandor, Grizel, Dex, Biana, Grady, Edaline, Della, Alden, Tam, Linh, none of their bodyguards are around."
"Oh, you started with an easy one. Okay. Sandor, Grizel, and the new bodyguards for your parents, as well as Dex and Biana, are dispersed. Sandor was patrolling the grounds of Everglen, as you well know. We sent Dex's goblin to his house to guard the triplets and Mr. Dizznee, and Biana's guard was out with Sandor and Grizel. Alden and Della are still refusing guards, and Grady and Edaline left their guards at Havenfield, and Tam and Linh are still with their guards. Did I forget anyone? No? Okay. Next!"
"Umm..."
"Sophie, you can ask me anything," Physic said comfortingly, "Except my identity. Terigan would kill me."
Sophie could think of hundreds of questions, but the one she was truly overwhelmed by was this, "Why did they go after my family? Everyone I love gets hurt." Her voice broke slightly at the en, and she threw herself down into one of the chairs on the edge of the (semi-circular) room, covering her face with her hands.
"Sophie, they're the bad guys, pure and simple, and they'll do anything to get an advantage. But I promise that they'll pay for this, okay? We'll get your family back safe and sound." Physics words were quiet, comforting, and yet, they held remarkable steel.
"You sound personally offended," Sophie joked, slightly amused, but still very upset.
"Of course. The Moonlark is the daughter of the Black Swan. We all regard you as a daughter, even Terigan. Mr. Forkle did too, I promise. You are the daughter of the Black Swan and so, a daughter of mine." Physic sat down in front of Sophie, taking both her hands but not quite meeting her eyes. "And we will do anything for you."
Sophie allowed herself to be pulled into a hug, enjoying the warmth and relaxing peace the older woman gave her, and feeling safe, and comforted, for once, by the presence of the Black Swan. But too soon, their chat came to an end, when Fitz's voice drifted through her consciousness.
"Sophie? We're done. And Amy is asking for you."