cascade | kotlc

17. A Visitor From Home

 Sophie had gone with the Collective, recollecting Prentice. June was sitting near the waterfall, tilting her head and letting the water crash down. It was loud, yes. But it was a different form of melodic.

Dex had come next to her, and they sat there quietly.

"Hey, Dex?"

He turned in surprise. "What do you need?"

"So you know how the Neverseen has a Psionipath?"

"Yeah. But I haven't managed to secure any information on him, if that's what you mean."

"No. I was thinking... Biana's Black Swan pendant broke the force field, but we don't wear all pendants all the time, especially not in public. So we wouldn't be able to break them. But then I realized something."

"What?" Dex asked, raising an eyebrow. "You want to carry a magnifying glass around all the time?"

"No, that's impractical," June agreed. "That only guarantees one break. He could always just make more. So I started thinking. What's something that can gather light and direct it?"

"I could build something, maybe," Dex offered. "Perhaps some sort of laser-based weapon?"

"I thought of a simpler idea, but I'm not sure if it'll work. I was thinking... a stellarscope."

He nodded, turning to the waterfall, his mental gears turning and processing the request. "It'd likely work. But you'd have to wear gloves. I'd find it quite likely the stellarscope would turn white-hot, like bottling Elementine."

"A normal person would need gloves," June corrected. "But I can coat my hands with air, creating an insulating layer."

"That would work, yes," he mused. "I have a portable stellarscope somewhere in Rimeshire, and it's really small, you'd be able to fit it. But for now we've got Black Swan pendants."

"Yes. I just thought it'd be useful."

"I agree. I'll get it for you immediately when we... get out of this mess. Did you hear we're actually going to go to Exilium?"

"I'm excited, honestly."

A bit more silence.

"Why does light break the force field?" Dex asked.

"What?"
"I mean, why can light break through force fields? It's because a force field lets in light, just like Oblivimyre, right? The force field obviously can't block all light, it'd be pitch black in there. So what else can break through force fields?"

"Well, if light can, shadows could too," June said slowly. "But we don't have a shade. Wait -- are force fields airtight?"

He grinned. "That's exactly what I was wondering. We should test it out sometime, when we get the chance."

"Yeah. That's actually really interesting. If I can use wind through force fields... that'd be amazing."

"It's just a guess, though, so I wouldn't- Edaline?"

Indeed, standing near the waterfall, in a simple blue gown, was Edaline.

"Mom!" June almost yelled, rushing up to hug her. "I thought you were with Grady and Alden!" Tears leaked out of her eyes. "I can't believe you're here," she repeated. "Are you- staying with us?"

Edaline smiled down at her. "No, unfortunately. Mr. Forkle called me here to help Sophie store the cache in the void." She traced her hand across her back. Tracing her scar, June realized. Her scar, from almost a year ago.