Trust Me - a Sophitz story

Part 13

Okay, so I updated in the wrong order because I'm stupid. If you read part 14 before this, please read this and then go re-read that. Thanks a ton!

Chapter 13:

Twenty minutes later, Sophie felt (mildly) better, Fitz was confidant in his ability to probe a sleeping human mind, Dex's hair had green sparkles, and Biana was barely containing her inner fangirl. When Sophie asked her why she looked so happy, Biana muttered something about, 'doesn't appreciate' and 'the feels', before walking away distracted. Mildly unnerved, Sophie returned to pacing the room, transmitting advice to Fitz and ignore the still slightly irritated Dex.

As Sophie passed the door for the 49th time, (Dex was counting) Terigan walked in, as Terigan not Granite, with Physic, who was still wearing her green and gold mask. "Are you two ready?"

"Hang on," interrupted Biana. "Two?"

"We can't risk a large group, just in case Amy wakes up."

"Fine," Biana pouted, "but I expect a full report, from both of you." When Sophie and Fitz nodded gravely, she seemed satisfied, and retreated to Dex's side.

"Excellent. Ready?" Physic asked.

"One second," Sophie shouted, as she ran back inside Biana's room, grabbing her gloves from the table. "I'm ready."

"Ready as we'll ever be," her Cognate replied.

"Good," Terigan added. "Then let's go," He reached into the special pocket in his cape, and pulled out a thin, pale blue crystal. It wasn't the usual vibrant cobalt of a crystal that left to the Forbidden cities, and it had an odd opalescence that Sophie had never seen before. When Terigan caught Sophie's glance at the crystal he explained, "It'll still leap to the Forbidden cities. It's just an added security measure, the field of light is weaker. Can you wrap a bit of your concentration around the rest of us? Otherwise, I'm putting a nexus on Fitz."

Laughing slightly at Fitz's look of alarm, she said, "I can cover him."

"Good. Let's go," said Physic, snatching the crystal from Terigan, and holding it up to the light, creating a wide path. And slowly, bravely, Sophie took Fitz's hand and led him into the light, followed closely by Terigan and Physic.

They appeared on a wide, windswept plain, with grey grass and grey sky. Sophie shivered at the harsh wind, and Terigan sorted over the sound of grass and wind, "This way!"

He turned to his left, reached into the grass, and pulled up on something hidden in the soil. As he pulled up whatever it was, he reached forwards and disappeared.

"What just happened?" Sophie shouted, her voice slightly shrill.

"Grab my hand and follow me!" Physic shouted back, holding out her hand to Sophie, before bending down in the same spot asa Terigan and repeating his steps. Then, as she stepped forwards, she pulled Sophie with her, and since Sophie had not yet let go of Fitz's hand, he was pulled along as well. Physic led the way, disappearing fully with Sophie's hand, and Sophie and Fitz were pulled along as well, stumbling into a bright, comfortable looking room with whitewashed stone walls and a worn down floor of wooden planks.

The ceiling was made of exposed beams, and there was a half loft, with a bass wheeled ladder leading up to it. The room was circular and inviting, its bookshelves and a small stove along the walls, shelves of various medicines and vials, and a spiral staircase on the far edge. Sophie turned back to see a wide, round wooden door, with a brass door knob in the middle, like a door out of a J.R.R. Tolkien Hobbit hole.

"Where are we?" Sophie muttered, enjoying the warmth of the room, unlike the child plain outside.

"A very, very, old hideout. This was Prentice's safe house when he was still a Keeper for us. We hadn't used in in nearly 15 years, so we figured it was safe from the Neverseen. We added security measures, of course, after Keefe's betrayal," Terigan informed her, then added, "Your sister is downstairs, Sophie. Fitz, if you'll follow me. Sophie, stay up here. I'm sure Physic has something for you to do."