Keeper of the Lost Cities: Elysian

Chapter 37

As Sophie regained consciousness, she felt someone's strong arms around her.

For an instant, she thought it was Keefe.

Then, she wanted to slap herself for even thinking that it was a possibility.

Her head spun back into focus.

She forced the nausea away, opened her eyes, and found herself staring into Sandor's cold eyes. 

"Explanation," he growled angrily. "Now."

Sophie looked around. She was wrapped- strangled- in Sandor's arms, which were there likely to prevent any escape.

Tam stood a few feet away from them. His frown was both cautious and curious.

Beside him were Linh, Rayni, and Fitz.

The situation was getting more and more impossible to escape from with so many of her friends there.

"How long was I out?" she whispered to Sandor.

His eyes were dark. "Fifteen minutes."

Had she really been in the strange hallway for so long? She didn't know. Time was difficult.

Sophie wanted to panic.

How was she going to tell her friends?

She didn't have much of a choice... but she needed to try negotiating first.

"During the fifteen minutes I was out, did you guys see anything?" Sophie asked. "Anything at all?"

Sandor narrowed his eyes. "No. You cracked the void and stepped inside before we could do anything."

"What?" Sophie exclaimed a little louder than she intended. "That's not true!"

That wasn't what she remembered.

Sandor and Tam had entered the void alongside her...

Right?

She could picture the memories clearly. Their frozen faces and frozen postures.

And the strange girl who had run away.

"Show me," Sophie mouthed at Tam.

Tam gave an almost imperceptible nod.

A moment later, she opened her consciousness to his thoughts.

His mental voice sounded much more quiet and tense than usual. After we finished talking about your visions, you held our hands and cracked the void. We could both see how much it was draining you, so we were shouting to get your attention. To stop and to let go of the energy you were channeling. A moment later, the crack vanished like it was never there. That's when you fainted.

Sophie paled. You didn't... hear me say anything?

No, Tam admitted. I even tried shadow-whispering to you... but you wouldn't respond.

I couldn't, Sophie protested. I was... somewhere.

I gathered, Tam sighed. I sensed some strange darkness in your mind... so I guess you managed to enter the void.

I did, but how did my body not enter the void? Sophie asked incredulously. What I saw...

Did you see something different? Tam interjected.

She already knew the answer. From Tam and Sandor's weird reactions. From everything not adding up. Something was wrong.

She had to get to the bottom of this.