Keeper of the Lost Cities: The Second Moonlark (a KOTLC/MLB crossover)

Chapter Thirty-Five: Sophie

Adrien had run away the moment they arrived in Alluveterre.

"Okay, girls this way, boys that way," Dex said, and he and Biana helped the new teens into their respective treehouses.

Sophie started trailing Mirabel as Mirabel entered the girls' side.

"Hey, so about what happened with Adrien earlier," Sophie said. "Ya know, he just seems a lot more quiet and he's barely been trying to make any jokes as Cat Noir lately. And since you were there with him last in Paris, maybe you could tell me what exactly happened back there."

"I don't even think I know what exactly happened," Mirabel shrugged. "He and that Nathalie woman seemed to be talking in code. There was some coffin in a butterfly-infested basement, and then he just ran away like something clicked in his brain."

Sophie didn't need any more information.

She knew.

She remembered Adrien saying something about his human mother–Emilie–having been missing and presumed dead for a couple years.

And if that coffin was empty...

Then the Neverseen must've figured out how to bring her back to life...

"What's confusing is how they did it," Sophie said, rallying the information to Keefe.

"I don't think even Elwin would know anything," Keefe said, thinking it over. "It would take some serious talent and a really good alchemist. Possibly even more talented than Kesler."

Sophie turned to see Dex, who was busy conversing with Mirabel. In fact, everyone seemed to be mingling just fine in the common area. Maybe the threat of the Neverseen was bringing them together, or they thought this was a chance to make new friends. Either way, Sophie wished she had people like that back when she thought she was a human, and everyone would barely talk to her, and if they did, it would be them making fun of her intelligence.

Wait a second...

Was Dex blushing a little?

Sophie and Keefe both fought hard not to snicker.

Yup, Dex was slowly getting redder as he and Mirabel kept talking.

Mirabel, on the other hand, was oblivious to the whole thing.

"And I thought Adrien was oblivious," Keefe snickered.

For safety reasons, Mr. Forkle was making all the teens, elvin and human, to stay in Alluveterre for the time being. He'd already talked to the adults about the situation, and they agreed that the Neverseen wouldn't think of looking in a hideout they've already hidden in.

But it had been a day and Sophie was already going stir-crazy. Sure, she and Keefe already had one of their "window sleepovers," but that was about the only good thing she could think of.

"How exactly did you get your hair silver like that?"

Sophie turned to see Marinette and Linh in the girls' common room, talking as Marinette braided Linh's hair.

"It actually all started when I was banished from the Lost Cities," Linh explained. "My powers grew too out of control, and I flooded Atlantis. The Council ordered me banished and sent to Exillium, which is an alternate school for elves. Tam decided to go with me, and my parents didn't seem to care. After all, they'd already tried to hide the fact that Tam and I were twins. Out of anger at our parents for Tam, we melted our registry pendants and dipped the ends of our hair in them."

"And the front?" Marinette added, and Sophie felt herself scoot a little closer. She'd never really learned how Linh colored the front of her hair, either.