After Lodestar

Another "Incident"

(A/N) Well, to be honest, I felt equal parts nervous and excited about publishing my first chapter. But now it's done and I'm feeling pretty awesome! :) Anyhow, I have absolutely No clue what this chapter is going to be about, but I'm thinking of having Alden and the Washers do their thing and erase Amy's memories...?

SOPHIE P.O.V

"...and then we flew across the ocean on Silveny to get my abilities fixed-"

I suddenly brake off of my retelling of Keefe and my trip to the Blackswan's hideout because a strikingly tall elf bursts into the room. Alden. I expect him to be disappointed with my failure to stay unseen, however, he wears a sympathetic expression on his perfect features. "I suppose this means that you were unable to stay unseen," he stated with a smile. I only respond with a curt nod, not trusting my voice. I take a glance at Amy, who is sitting across from me and again try to hide the smile that is rebelliously creeping across my face. Her expression is a mixture between awe and disbelief. I suppose I can't blame her, as she hasn't exactly experienced what I have. And for that, I am endlessly grateful.

"Amy, this is Alden. He was the elf who sent Fitz to find me." And also the elf who has hopefully come to help me out of this, uh, interesting situation... I transmit to him, hoping he'll get the message and just get her memory wipe over with as soon as possible. "Hello, Amy. It is a pleasure to finally meet you and believe me, there is no reason to worry. We will bring you to safety and decide how to go from there," he tells her gently. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at Alden's all-too-famous words. But then I silently scold myself, knowing that he's just trying to help relieve the fear that seems to hang like a veil over the entire room.

I want to punch something, I want to let go of the wave of pain, fear, anger and hate and let it crash down upon everyone who has ever harmed my family. Everyone who is working with the Neverseen, everyone who thinks they have the right to ruin people's lives. I hate them, I think to myself, repeating the chant in my head like saying it over and over again will bring back my family, like it will make everything go back to normal. But it won't. And by the looks of how things are going right now, they never will. My life will just keep introducing problem after problem for me to 'magically' solve, exactly what the Council and the Black Swan want me to do. A weapon, you're a weapon. These words, no matter how much I try holding it back, send the tidal wave of emotion over the edge. My vision turns red and I am just able to transmit a frantic message to Fitz before losing all power to do anything else but be consumed by my own emotions. Get out. I hold the wave as long as I can, with the sound of my thumping heart in my ears. Finally, I just can't hold it back any longer.

The wave bursts from my gut like a serpent lunging viciously for its pray. I feel myself grow weightless for a few seconds before my back connects with a hard surface that sends spikes of pain through my whole body. I am able to hold on to my consciousness just long enough to see what used to be the other side of the room. The wall looks as if it crumbled on the spot and the room is buried in an ocean of debris.

Then, all I know is the darkness that engulfs me.

Muffled voices swim through my mind. "The shock of everything that has happened simply overwhelmed her. It is insane that any fourteen year-old should bear the burden she's been carrying." The voice sounds choked and sad. But the way it slices through the air with its crisp accent seems familiar..."Will she be alright?" Another voice that resembles the previous one asks. I don't know what happened and I don't know why I can't seem to pull myself out of unconsciousness, but I definitely know that voice. Fitz.

I try transmitting, but am barely strong enough to think. So instead of wasting my energy, I settle on listening to their conversation. "She will wake up, Fitz, but it is not for me to decide whether she will be truly alright. We have yet to reach an agreement with the council about her sister and are no closer to finding Nightfall than the Black Swan is." By now, I have figured out that this voice belongs to Alden. But what is he talking about? I don't have a sister, do I?

Then it clicks. Amy...Of course!

My parents have been taken, just like I was two years ago. I have to save them. I have to wake up! I try transmitting to Fitz again, but to no avail. Think, I tell myself. And then I have the craziest idea yet. I'm going to try and inflict on myself.

I'm going to try and make myself feel powerful, which is, again, by far the craziest thing I've ever tried to do. I try remembering a moment where I have felt powerful, and watch it in my mind like a giant movie screen.

I am running through the long museum halls, trying desperately to find a way out. I can still hear the boy's footsteps behind me, resounding off the walls with piercing clarity and getting terrifyingly closer. Finally, I burst through the door that leads to the outdoor gardens and sprint between the rows of sculpted bushes. Eventually, I reach the street and immediately lock eyes with the driver coming at break-neck speed towards me. In the last possible moment, the boy throws himself protectively on top of me as the truck veers to the side and hits a pole that comes crashing down towards us. But what happens next is the reason I choose this memory. My hand stretches out on instinct and a pull in my gut sends a strong force through my arm that grips onto the falling object. We should be dead, I realize, but the pole is floating harmlessly above our heads. And I am the one who saved us.

It works. I feel a tingling power surge through my veins as it fills me up with adrenaline. Next thing I know, I'm shooting upwards through the murky darkness and opening my eyes to a blurry scene. "Aaarrgghh!" I hear someone yell in surprise. The figure seems to jump three feet in the air from where he was sitting on the edge of my bed. But soon after I find myself tackled by a pair of strong arms. "Sophie, don't you ever scare me like that again." The person's voice is muffled because his face is buried in my shoulder, but by the shock of dark wavy hair and his crisp accent, I know that it's Fitz.

"What happened?" I ask him. He leans back to respond, but doesn't let go of me. My heart flutters stupidly as I look into his mesmerizing teal eyes, so I avert my gaze to his nose. "You were knocked out pretty badly and we couldn't...wake you up." His voice cracks when he says the last part and I can't help but wonder how long I was out. Apparently, I say it out loud because he says, "It's only been a couple of hours, but we were starting to worry that it was going to be a lot longer. Like I said, we couldn't wake you up." "That makes sense, because I felt like I was trapped in my own head. The only reason I was able to get out was because I inflicted on myself, which I didn't even think was possible-" "but you somehow always manage to do the impossible," he finishes for me, smiling as he says it. I smile in return, but it fades when I ask the question that's been on my mind since I woke up. "Did everyone make it out in time? Is anyone hurt?" "No, your warning gave us enough time to get out." I release the breath I didn't even know I was holding and risk a shaky laugh, beyond relieved to know I was able to hold the wave back long enough.

"Come on," he tells me, "let's go show the others you're awake." True to his word, he grabs onto my hand and pulls me out the door of the room and towards Everglen's pristine kitchen.