Keeper of the Lost Cities: Elysian

Chapter 35

"It better not start raining again," Linh murmured softly as she watched a brown leaf drift gently to the grass below. "Everything is depressing as it is." 

Sophie hardly heard what she said. 

"Interesting coming from the Hydrokinetic," said Rayni evenly, who was sitting on the opposite side of Sophie. 

Nobody laughed. Even Rayni didn't smile. 

"What are we going to do?" Linh asked after a few beats. "Lady Gisela's gone... the Neverseen probably don't have a leader. Mr. Forkle said that given the circumstances, their followers are unlikely powerful enough to stage another rebellion. Well, there's Fintan, but he's locked up." 

See? Sophie's thoughts reminded her. There were more important things occurring while you were asleep. 

It was time to focus. 

"Lady Gisela's Telepath is still out there somewhere," Rayni reminded hollowly. "There really isn't a reason to celebrate, is there?" 

"Life's like a massive beast with a bunch of heads," Fitz's accented voice said from behind them, taking them all by surprise. "Chop down one... another appears." 

Sophie hadn't realized he was there. 

What he said was very true. 

Defeating Lady Gisela only unlocked another list of problems. 

Where would she start? 

"We need to decide on which problems have the most urgency," Sophie said after a moment of silence. 

But it was easier said than done. 

"Like finding out what happened to Biana and Flori," Rayni supplied. "And what it has to do with Trix." 

"That means we'll likely have to search their minds," Fitz said. 

"I don't like this," Linh said suddenly. "You could be putting yourself in danger. Whoever is behind this is awfully powerful. What if... they want you to search their minds?" 

"A trap," Sophie said grimly. "Right." 

I need to talk to you, a voice whispered in Sophie's consciousness. 

Gentler than the wind, but it carried urgency and tension. 

Tam's voice. 

If Tam was shadow-whispering to her, he must be very close. And he definitely didn't want to be found. Or overheard. 

She forced no recognition or changes to appear on her face. 

Very carefully, she transmitted back, Duskbeams.

He didn't reply, so she was confident she understood her message.

Standing up from the rock in the forest where her friends were seated, she said, "I'm going to go for a walk." 

"I'll be with you this time," Sandor's voice said behind her. 

She turned to see her bodyguard, and his expression indicated that she couldn't negotiate her way out of it. 

"Flori's not here, so you need protection more than ever," he insisted. "Remember what happened the last time you ran off?" 

"Okay," Sophie replied, shrugging. "But you didn't have to convince me." 

Linh gave her a small wave as she began walking deeper into the forest.

She tried to look like she wasn't headed anywhere specific.