The Truth

Jolie

Sophie stood up. Even though all she wanted right now was to go get Fitz, she knew that she had to tell Biana and Keefe. She wiped her eyes, and shakily walked down to where she had seen them last.

"Keefe? Biana?" Her voice wobbled. She didn't want to have to tell them this.

Biana and Keefe ran out of the bushes, smiling and laughing. They both paused in shock upon seeing Sophie's tear-streaked face.

Biana rushed over to her. "Sophie? What happened?" she asked softly.

Sophie buried her face in Biana's tunic. "Fitz has been taken by the Neverseen."

Her voice cracked, and she felt a tear tracing its way down her cheek. Biana gasped, and she started crying too. Keefe stood on the sidelines, head bowed. He was crying too, but doing it silently. Eventually, Sophie couldn't stand not doing anything anymore.

"We have to go to Alluveterre and tell the Black Swan," she said hoarsely.

Biana nodded and stood up silently. Keefe just stood there. Sophie touched his shoulder gently, and he flinched and looked up into her eyes. He looked so sad, so broken, that Sophie flung her arms around him and hugged him. She wanted her hug to hold him together, so that all of his sadness and guilt wouldn't break him.

Keefe was tense and rigid at first, but then he wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug. She felt his tears leak onto her shirt.

"Hey," she said, pulling away. "We'll find him. I promise."

Keefe nodded, and Sophie held her home crystal to the light, leaping away to Havenfield.

They arrived in the pastures, and walked into the house. But before they got anywhere near to Sophie's room, Sandor jumped out of a doorframe and stopped them.

"Sophie!" he said in his high, squeaky voice. "Where do you think you're going?"

Sophie choked back another sob. "Alluveterre," she said. "Fitz...has been taken."

Sandor's flat grey face turned greyer.

"I'm coming with you," he said firmly. Sophie nodded. There were times when she appreciated having a large grey shadow, and this was one of them. They continued up the stairs to Sophie's room, where she grabbed her imparter from off her desk.

"Show me Mr. Forkle," she whispered urgently. The five seconds it took for him to answer felt like ages. Sophie explained with as little detail as possible that Fitz had been kidnapped by the Neverseen. She didn't want to think about it any more then she had to.

"I'll be right over," he told her, and moments later she saw him shimmer into view from the window. They all went down to the living room to greet him.

"We have to rescue Fitz." Sophie said as soon as Mr. Forkle sat down. He nodded.

"I agree, even though you have no plan and no location to storm." He said.

"And as well as being your very close friend, Fitz knows some very valuable information. We can't let the Neverseen have him much longer."

Just then, Edaline practically ran in from outside, waving scrolls that were patterned with intricate designs of hearts.

"Sophie!" She shouted. "Your Matchmaking scrolls came!" She was rushing over to hand it to her when she noticed Sophie's tear-lined face and Mr.Forkle sitting on the sofa. She leaned back.

"Oh, no." she whispered. "What happened?"

"Fitz has been kidnapped by the Neverseen." Sophie said in a choked whisper.