Sparkle (KOTLC) {Completed}

33

As Janessa's other friends came over to celebrate too, Janessa thanked them each for their gifts. Biana noticed the new pin first. 

"Who gave you the pin?" She asked.

"Dex made it for me." Janessa visibly bubbled with happiness, which Biana smirked slightly.

"Wow, that's quite a gift." Biana teased, raising a brow at Dex, who looked away blushing.

Changing the subject quickly, Janessa asked, "Where's Sophie? And Keefe?"

Looking around, they found Edaline and Grady, who didn't have Sophie with them, instead a hastily written note from her saying she went with Keefe and his father to learn what Lord Sencen knew about Nightfall.

Everyone gathered at Havenfield, waiting for Sophie to return, and Mr Forkle arrived. When Sophie and Keefe finally returned, they revealed that the entrance to Nightfall was in the Unity Fountain, on the statue of the human.

The debate of who would go with Lord Cassius to figure out how the entrance worked took hours, but in the end, it was decided Tam, Linh, Fitz, and Grizel, which made the others unhappy to excluded, including Janessa.

The rest waited at Havenfield, pacing and trying to distract themselves, until Sophie spoke up.

"I'm really sorry for how I've been recently."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Mr. Forkle told her. "Nothing."

"Well . . . you did ditch us yesterday," Grady corrected, pulling Sophie into a hug. "But we're letting you off the hook this time, because it's way too good to see you smile."

Janessa was the next to hug her, relieved. "I'm so happy to see you back."

Everyone else nodded in agreement, Edaline was wiping her misty eyes. Even Ro and the goblins expressed their relief.

"Hang on—does anyone else think Foster should have to apologize for ignoring her finals presents?" Keefe asked. "I'm pretty sure I saw half the school crying about it."

"No one was crying," Edaline said, conjuring up Sophie's stack of gifts. "But it's not too late to open them."

Everyone shrugged when Sophie said she hadn't bought them anything. 

"Just promise you won't try to stop us from going with you to Nightfall, and we're good." Biana grinned.

"Hey, speak for yourself," Keefe told her. "I also demand a hug! And public declaration that my gift wins for Best Gift in the History of the Universe!"

"Uh, Fitz showed me what he got her, and it's pretty hard to top," Biana warned him.

Janessa looked down at her new pin, smiling warmly at it. She sincerely doubted Keefe could top that.

"Go on, Foster. Show them who's the Gift Master." Keefe smirked.

Sophie peeled back the wrapping paper and sucked in a breath.

"Told you."

There were two paintings. The first was of Sophie's family: herself, Grady and Edaline. Janessa noted somewhat sadly that she wasn't there, wouldn't ever be there, but clutched her pin to remind herself that she did have a family. The second painting proved that more. It included all of their friends, even Wylie, with Sophie in the centre between Fitz and Keefe, which Janessa found very fitting. Janessa herself was situated between Dex and Biana, which felt even more perfect. All in all, the gift came as a close second in the race for 'Best Gift in the History of the Universe!'.

Keefe had even spelled 'Family' on the back of both paintings in Black Swan cipher runes, which only Sophie and Janessa could read out of all their friends. 

"Fine." Dex grumbled. "You really are the Gift Master."

"Only for some people," Biana noted. "He gave the rest of us mood candy. Again."

"And you loved every bite of it," Keefe insisted. "Besides, you've seen Foster's room. She was in desperate need of personal stuff. And she's been bugging me for a drawing, so I kinda had to—"

He was interrupted by Sophie tackling him in a hug. Janessa smiled as she realized that these paintings had meant something similar to Sophie as what the pin had meant to her.

Janessa nudged Dex, who was still grumbling under his breath. "I still think your gift beats his."

Dex's cheeks flushed and he sputtered for a reply when someone's throat cleared. Those who had gone to Atlantis had returned, and were eyeing Sophie and Keefe's intimate hug. The two jumped apart, though Keefe's hands were still on Sophie's waist. 

Internally, Janessa cheered, despite how unhappy Fitz looked, due to how cute the moment was.

"Looks like we missed something." The jealous boy said.

"So... How'd it go?" Janessa asked, hoping to relieve the tension of the love triangle.  Sophie pulled away from Keefe and smiled gratefully at her sister.

"A mix of good news and bad news." Cassius told them.

"The good news is: The symbol is definitely there. It's on the scepter the human statue is holding." Fitz explained, holding Sophie's hand comfortingly.

"I could feel the currents in the fountain brushing the seam of a door under the statue's pedestal," Linh added. "One that should be easy to access once I part the water."

"So... We definitely found Nightfall." Sophie breathed out, both relieved and frightened.

"The bad news is: the door felt locked." Linh said. "I tried sweeping waves against the handle, but I couldn't budge it."

"No big deal." Dex assured. "I've never met a lock I can't pick."

"What about the cache I hear you've been trying to open for months?" Cassius contested.

"Isn't my dad fun?" Keefe asked. "Aren't you glad we're working with him?"

"Am I wrong?"

Dex was scowling. "The cache isn't locked. It's guarded—which is way more complicated."

"We'll make sure you have enough time," Mr. Forkle told him. "In case there's also an alarm to deal with. And we'll need to stage the raid at night, to ensure that no one's around to see us enter the fountain."

"That's the other bad news," Fitz jumped in. "I don't think there's a way to sneak in without the Neverseen knowing we're coming."

"They're already expecting us, aren't they?" Janessa wondered.

"That's true, but that also means they'll have plenty of security ready." Grady clarified.

Mr Forkle frowned at the danger they would be walking into, before suggesting a diversion. He offered himself up as the bait, but Tam realized they would suspect the trap.

Linh's cheeks paled as she had an idea. "I know who they wouldn't be able to resist. But... I hate to ask him."

"Wylie." Sophie and Mr Forkle mumbled at once, dread seeping out of their expressions.