Untamed Spirits - KOTLC - (DISCONTINUED)

Thirteen

Keefe was waiting when Noreh leaped back to Candleshade.

He gave her a small smile and they leaped to Everglen. He asked how Exilium was and she told him about her mystery friend, deciding to leave out the part that she was a pyrokinetic and possibly her half-sister.

She'd tell him later, when she was a hundred percent sure and when things weren't so fragile. But she did confront Alden about it after dinner. Her curiosity could only be contained for so long.

"I need to speak with you," she said.

"Noreh," he said, standing up from behind his deck. "Come in."

Noreh walked in and sat down in the overly-cushioned chair. Alden sat back down, his cape swishing as he did. He looked at her curiously, slightly confused, waiting for her to start.

"What's the Black Swan?"

He sighed. "Noreh, what me and Alvar were talking about at the dinner—"

"It's not just that," she interrupted, taking a deep breath before explaining how someone tried to recruit her.

Alden was by her side in seconds. "Noreh, listen to me. We cannot trust them. We don't know anything about them—"

"Except they're the reason me and Sophie were in the Forbidden Cities. And Prentice worked for them. And—"

"Noreh!" He took her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Whatever you're thinking, you need to stop. The Black Swan is not to be trusted."

"But I need to know," she insisted. "They created me. They're why I exist—why Sophie exists. And they had Fitz bring me here—it's only fair that I at least ask them why. Maybe I can join and—"

"No, Noreh." Alden looked her in the eyes, his voice the most stern and urgent she'd ever heard him use. "You need to stop thinking about this immediately, okay? You can't go back to Exilium until we find the Black Swan's agent. Do you have a name or anything that might be useful?"

"No. But that wouldn't help, anyway. They don't use names and everyone wears masks, so you can't identify them."

He sighed. "I'll alert the Council about this. I'm sure they'll want to meet with you to ensure you're safe. Until then, I'll hail the Sencens and see if you and Keefe can stay the night."

Fitz, Biana, and Keefe were waiting for Noreh at the door. She walked down the stairs reluctantly, wishing Alden had told her more. She wanted to go back to the Black Swan, and more than she wanted to admit, she really, really wanted to see Shang again.

When Keefe asked if she was ready to get back to CandleShade, she said Alden wanted them to spend the night and was in the process of hailing his parents. Fitz seemed suspicious and tried to ask what was going on but she just told him it was nothing. He didn't seem to like her answer but she didn't give him anything else.

Biana let her borrow a pair of indigo pajamas with peacocks on them while Keefe borrowed a pair of blue ones from Fitz. The four of them gathered in Everglen's large living room and sat in a circle.

"So. . ." Biana said. "Who's up for a little truth or dare?"

"I'm down if Keefe is," Noreh said.

"I'm down," Keefe said. "Fitzy?"

FItz's sigh sounded more like a groan. "I have a feeling we're going to do it anyway, despite my opinion?"

"Yep!" Biana said.

"Fine."

Biana looked too giddy for Noreh to feel comfortable, and Keefe looked like he was already thinking of some disastrous dares. Fitz and Noreh exchanged some looks of regret as they shuffled uncomfortably.

"So, who's going first?" Biana asked.

"Noreh, truth or dare?" Keefe asked.

"Dare all the way," Noreh said.

Keefe smirked and Fitz leaned over to whisper, "you're gonna regret that." She shrugged and stared Keefe down, waiting for her dare.

"Let's see," he said, putting his hands together. "I dare you to dye your hair neon colors."

She shrugged. "Okay. But I'm picking the colors and you can't see it till tomorrow."

They went on for a while, Biana having to eat a strange concoction Noreh whipped together, Fitz having to let Biana style his hair, Keefe having to sing a nursery rhyme—which everyone seemed very confused by but Noreh found hilarious—that she roughly taught him in two minutes, and so on.

It ended when Biana dared Keefe to kiss her on the cheek. He did it, but Biana turned her head at the last second and Keefe caught a bit of her lip before he realized what was happening. That was when Fitz decided they should go to bed.

Noreh got the room she slept in the first night she was there, and Keefe had the one next to hers. Fitz and Biana's were down the hall. Noreh closed the door to her room, stumbling against the door as her vision blurred again and she felt lightheaded.

She blinked it away and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep in seconds.