Love in the Darkness (Tam Song x oc)

Chapter 15

Cinnia's POV
“There’s something else I have to tell you,” Sophie mumbled. “But first, I need you to promise that your mind is strong enough to handle it.”

Alden glanced at Fitz and Biana before he nodded.

“Wait,” Elwin said, handing Alden a vial filled with clear liquid. “This will take the edge off reality, if you need it.”

"Can I....can I say something first?" I asked. Everyone nodded. I looked at the Collective and Tam, the only people who knew my father's true identity. "My father isn't Gethen. My father is Ruy." I told them. Everyone looked shocked. "Why did you hide it?" Sophie asked. "Because he abandoned me....at a young age. I didn't want to relive that." I told her. "And Miss Ignis," Mr Forkle started, but I glared at him. "Sorry, Miss Cinnia, will not be answering any questions about her father or her past as we need to focus on what Sophie is going to tell us. You may ask her about it later, if she agrees." He amended.

“Surely the news can’t be that bad,” Alden said, circling back to the conversation before my reveal.

“It is,” Biana whispered, reaching for her dad. “Alvar’s part of the Neverseen.”

The vial slipped from Alden’s hand, hitting the grass with a soft thud. Elwin tried to hand it back to him, but Alden waived the elixir away. “You’re sure?” he whispered.

“Positive,” Fitz mumbled, tearing out chunks of grass by the roots. “He was also one of Sophie’s kidnappers.”

Alden wobbled as the words hit him, and Biana helped him sit on the grass. Elwin tried again to make him take the elixir, but Alden waived the medicine away, calling Fitz to come closer. The three Vackers clung to each other and cried.

Dex turned to Sophie with a look like, Do something.

Grady and Edaline looked just as helpless. Tam looked like he was about to cry, for many reasons, not just the Vackers. I pulled him into a hug. We both cried silently, but neither of us cared. We were just glad to have each other.

Keefe, meanwhile, wandered away from the group, sitting with his back pointed in our direction. Sophie joined him.

“Sophie?” Alden said, waiting for her to turn around. He looked pale, and the tight lines in his features added years to his face. But he didn’t seem ready to shatter as he said, “I’ve often wondered how the Neverseen knew we’d found you. I never considered that I’d told Alvar when Fitz returned from San Diego. He used to be part of the search so I thought he deserved to know . . . I owe you a huge apology.”

“No you don’t,” she promised, rushing over to give him a hug.

Fitz and Biana joined in, and after a moment more arms were added to the group as Grady, Edaline, Elwin—even Dex—held everyone tight. Sophie glanced to where Keefe sat alone and glared at him until he reluctantly got up and hugged his friends. I joined in, pulling Tam and Linh with me.

“What happened?” Della asked, sending everyone scrambling back.

She stood with all five members of the Collective, but she had only just arrived.

Alden cleared his throat. “There’s much to discuss, my love. But we should go home.”

Della shook her head. “Where’s Alvar? What’s going on—”

“It’s not what you think,” Alden interrupted. “He’s . . .”

His voice faded away. Fitz and Biana couldn’t seem to say it either.

Grady stepped forward. “Alvar has . . . lost his way. Like Brant. And Lady Gisela.”

"And my father." I muttered, not meaning anyone ti hear it, but Tam did. He wrapped an arm, around me.