Project Starfae

~ Chapter 11 ~

Third Person, Following Elora

"This isn't nearly as exciting as I thought it would be," Keefe complained as Sophie finished explaining her theory about removing Alden's guilt and how she was trying to track down her own journal. "When do we get to, like, fly into the line of fire or sneak away to the Forbidden Cities?"

"Hopefully we won't have to do any of that." Sophie replied as she scanned the notes she had written while she had talked to them.

"Ugh, this is so boooooooooooooring," Keefe whined as he got up to wander. He'd circled Sophie's room several times before he said, "You know, you have way less girlie stuff than other girls. Actually, you just have less stuff. I see maybe ten things in this whole room that say 'Sophie lives here.' What's up with that?"

"I don't know," Sophie replied, surprised to realise he was right. "I guess I haven't bought that much since I moved here. I've been a little busy with school and friends and—"

"Almost dying three times? Or is it four? I can't keep count anymore."

"Yeah. And that."

"But still, I was expecting all kinds of cool human stuff."

"I didn't take much when I left."

"You really didn't," Shaylie agreed, speaking up for the first time in a while "I noticed only a half empty backpack when I came over to Everglen on your first night in the lost cities."

A small frown appeared on Sophie's face, clearly lost in her own thoughts.

"Do you ever think about them?" Keefe asked quietly.

"Who?"

"Your old family. It's gotta be kinda weird knowing they're still out there. . . ."

"It is," she admitted. "But it's better this way."

"Of course it is. You belong with us. And you got some pretty cool guardians to live with. Be glad the Council didn't stick you with my family—I'm sure my dad would've volunteered. He finds you 'fascinating.' "

Shaylie watched painfully as Sophie tried not to cringe as she replied, "Your dad seems . . . intense."

"That's putting it mildly. Do you know we have an entire room at our house dedicated to the Wonder That Is Him? He's covered the walls in portraits and awards and has a life-size statue of himself in the centre—carved out of Lumenite, so it glows. I used to have nightmares about it coming to life and trying to eat me. And when I started Foxfire he cleared out the room next to it, saying we'd fill it with all my honours. So far, all it has is a pile of detention slips."

Shaylie snorted, "I've seen that room dedicated to his dad, I still get headaches from seeing that statue. It had the brightest teeth I'd ever seen, literally."

"What about your mom?" Sophie asked, a small swing of curiosity smashing into Shaylie's own head.

"She's a perfect match for my dad."

Shaylie winced as Sophie's disappointment and Keefe's annoyance swung into her simultaneously. She was a bit more tired these days from helping Sophie try and rehabilitate Silveny, leaving it harder for her to keep her grip on her abilities and slipping up occasionally. Both blondes had questioned her when they had first noticed her grimaces and stumbles earlier in the afternoon, but now they just shot her occasional apologetic looks.

"I'm sorry."

"Eh, it's fine. Disappointing them is actually pretty fun. And they gave me my stunning good looks, so that makes up for it." He ran his hands through his hair, disheveling it even more.