Love in the Darkness (Tam Song x oc)

Chapter 7

Cinnia's POV
Keefe was silent at breakfast, and the meal became awkward with a side of miserable. I was about to ask him what happened, but Sophie caught my eye and shook her head, so I didn't. Keefe disappeared into his room the second he was done eating. The rest of us moved to the boys’ common room to work. Dex was hammering tiny stone wheels—apparently he and Blur had decided that was the best way to add them to the Twiggler. Biana, Calla and I worked by the windows, testing to see how long Biana could fool Calla’s eyes and seeing if I could fool Calla's eyes with my shadows, and what happened if we did the two together. Fitz and Sophie plopped into the boulder beanbag chairs for another Cognate exercise. When I covered myself with shadows, Calla couldn't see me. When Biana vanished herself and I covered her with shadows Calla couldn't see her.  I looked over at Sophie and she was blushing. Keefe came out of his room at that moment. He didn’t acknowledge anyone as he plopped into one of the beanbag chairs near Sophie. I walked over to him. "Are you alright?" I asked tentatively. He shrugged. "I just need to be alone." He said. I nodded and went back to Biana and Calla. “I DID IT!” Dex screamed. I jumped about a foot in the air. "You got the Twiggler to work?” Sophie asked, rushing to his side. She was obviously more rational than me. “Does that mean you can use keywords now?”
“And all kinds of other things,” Dex said. “Like, if I do this”—he spun the wheels he’d attached like knobs—“it pulls up all the files that have text blacked out. And right here”—he spun to the middle of the scroll—“it tells us what the drakostomes are. They’re nematodes!”
“Are those some sort of frog?” Biana asked.
“They’re parasites,” Calla corrected. “Microscopic parasitic roundworms. I’ve cured many kinds from many forests.” We looked at each other, knowing what that meant. “What am I looking at?” Calla asked, leaning closer to the hologram. “This looks like an ancient scroll.” Dex nodded slowly, realizing his mistake the same moment as I did. “Maybe we should—” I started. But I was too late. “Is this a transcript of the ogre treaty negotiations?” Calla asked. “Why is it talking about nematodes? I don’t . . .” Calla sank to her knees as the understanding washed over her. “They knew?” she whispered. Her eyes locked with Sophie’s. “You knew?”
“Not for sure,” Sophie promised. “Not until right now.” Calla stumbled back, rushing for the stairs. “Wait,” I called, chasing after her. “I know this is huge, but we need to think this through before we tell anyone. Once the news breaks, there’s going to be chaos.” Calla’s voice was as hollow as her eyes as she whispered, “The Council has wasted far too much time already. Now we’re too late.”
“YOU TOLD CALLA?” Mr. Forkle shouted, storming around the girls’ common room.
“Not on purpose. Calla was here when Dex had the breakthrough,” Fitz said. “Oh, so it’s my fault?” Dex asked. “I didn’t say that. I’m just saying that’s how it happened,” Fitz said. “Plus . . . Calla has a right to know, doesn’t she?” Sophie asked. I nodded in agreement. Mr. Forkle rubbed his temples. “I think it’s important we try to remember that the Council still could have good reasons.”
“Like what?” Sophie asked. “Perhaps they didn’t want the gnomes to live their lives under constant fear,” Mr. Forkle suggested. “Or perhaps they worried what would happen if other species discovered the ogres held this powerful weapon? Don’t you think someone else might try to get their hands on the drakostomes as well? It would put them in exponentially more danger.” I found myself nodding in agreement. Sophie sighed. “I must speak with the Collective,” Mr. Forkle said. “We must try to prepare for the backlash.”
“What kind of backlash do you think there will be?” Sophie asked.
“Like nothing we’ve ever seen.”
He leaped away before any of us could ask any further questions, and when he returned hours later, I’d never seen him look so pale. “The gnomes are gathering in Eternalia for a protest,” he said, sinking into one of the chairs. “The Lost Cities are in chaos.” My mouth dropped open in alarm. “So what happens now?” Biana asked. “Now we wait for the Council to respond.”
Three endless days passed, giving everyone a glimpse of life in the Lost Cities without the gnomes. Fruit fell from wilting trees, bushes sagged, grass shriveled, gardens yellowed.
On the morning of the fourth day, the Council sent out scrolls informing everyone that they’d be giving a statement in Eternalia that afternoon. “Can we go?” Sophie asked Mr. Forkle. “Need I remind you that you have been banished?” he asked. “So?” Dex said. “Give me five minutes in Slurps and Burps and I’ll have us all unrecognizable.”
“What are the odds of you actually staying here and obeying me?” Mr. Forkle asked. “Soooo not gonna happen,” Keefe said. Everyone nodded—even Della. I didn't though. Mr. Forkle muttered a string of things that started with “you kids.” But in the end, he pulled out a pathfinder with a dark crystal, adjusted it to a facet, and handed it to Fitz.