Second Chance

The Trap

It was finally time for the attack. Honoria snuck off, back to the Neverseen.

"Honoria!" Gethen exclaimed, wrapping her in a hug.

"I missed you, dad."

"Are you ready for the first mission in your life?"

"I've been so excited since yesterday and I CAN'T WAIT!"

Alvar laughed.

"Alvar?" Honoria asked.

"Guess what, I'm getting shipped off to the Black Swan."

"What? Why?"

"Honor, one day you'll learn it's time to give up."

"But, they're gonna put you in Exile for life."

"Running is tiring. All I want right now is a normal life, believe it or not."

"Exile isn't life though," she argued, "and I'll miss you."

"You two could argue as much as you want or we could get going," Lady Gisela cut in.

"Honoria, you will stay in the shadows and use your powers but that is the only thing that you will do. Do NOT reveal yourself. Cover yourself in ash so that the goblins won't smell you. Everyone go get ready."

Honoria came out smeared in ash.

Vespera gagged and bound Alvar. She reached for a sedative and poured it down his throat to make it look real. Gethen erased the memories of him agreeing to be the bait. Ruy transported him into the cave first.

They waited until the tracker in Sophie's boot reached the cave, then they leaped over.

-----------------------------------

"AMBUSH!" Ro yelled when she saw the Neverseen. She whipped a dagger toward them but Gisela caught it right before it hit her face. Then Gethen pulled a soporidine gun from his cloak and shot her. Then they tossed Forkle the antidote and said, "You better get her to the Healing Center, huh?"

"Why even bother to save her?"

"Well, she did keep my son protected," Lady Gisela announced, strolling calmly, "We've come to negotiate."

"Of course you are," Keefe rolled his eyes.

One of the dwarves transported her, underground, to the Healing Center.

Honoria hid in a corner and covered herself in shadows, in addition to the obscurer.

"Then I'm going to guess there are others here, covered in Everblaze ash," Forkle observed.

"What makes you think we even want him back?" Fitz asked, pointing to a slumped Alvar.

"Why else would you show up?"

"How did you find out about our plan?" Sophie asked.

"Oh don't worry, we have our ways," Gethen said.

Sophie's skin crawled as she remembered when his voice was the only thing keeping her awake when Umber's shadows attacked her.

Keefe charged at his mom, but a forcefield surrounded him.

"I thoughted I destroyed Ruy's power," Tam said. His shadow crawled to the forcefield but then was stopped by a cloud of shadowflux.

"What the--"

Sophie sank to the floor as the memories of the monster, gnashing its teeth at her, biting and poking through her brain.

"They have new members," Mr. Forkle transmitted to the group, "Miss Linh, try your water. I have a hunch they might have a pyrokinetic."