Reversed

xlvi. forty-six

A beat of silence followed Sophie's statement. Even she held her breath, waiting for someone to deny it. Or confirm it.

But no one did deny it. And that was confirmation enough.

Sophie closed her eyes, giving herself a moment to collapse inside.

Of course there always had to be one more thing.

One more way the Neverseen was pulling her strings in the background.

Mr. Forkle cleared his throat, shattering her stage of self-pity. "While the matter of Miss Foster's memories is apparent, I came here due to more pressing matters. The Council has been informed that Miss Foster is back, and had called a meeting with her and her Team."

"Now?" Keefe asked, voicing Sophie's thoughts.

"Yes, now," Mr. Forkle emphasized.

"So," Sophie drawled, "What exactly is this 'Team' of mine?"

"Team Valiant," Biana said. She pointed to herself, Dex, Stina, and Wylie. "The Council made a team of renowned prodigies who weren't adults yet and promoted them to the status of Regent. We carry out missions for the Councillors and meet with them."

"Yeah, we're essentially like really young Regents," Dex agreed. "We're nobility."

"Okay," Sophie said slowly. "And I'm the leader?"

"Yup," Stina said. "Also, we're besties now." Sophie couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. She hoped she was. She thought she detected a hint of sarcasm in the taller girl's voice.

"And what do I do?" Sophie asked, trying to wrap her head around it all.

"Basically, you order us around and tell us what to do on missions. We give you briefs, and then you report everything back to the Council."

"Oh, we also have code names," Wylie said, exchanging a look with the team, his eyes twinkling.

"Yeah!" Dex jumped in. "And guess what yours is?"

"What?" Sophie asked, rubbing her forehead. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Lady Fos-Boss!" Biana said, clapping her hands together.

Sophie shook her head, sneaking a glance at Keefe to gauge his reaction. But he didn't show one.

"Are you thoroughly updated, Miss Foster?" Mr. Forkle asked. "If you have any more questions, now is the time to ask. I do not advise letting the Council know about all the . . . side effects we still have to work though until we figure them out or until they come up."

Stina whistled. "Whoa. I thought you guys and the Council were finally beginning to get along?"

Mr. Forkle shot her a glance. "We are. We've started to realize that our visions aren't as different as we first though—but that doesn't mean that we both don't have our secrets. I'm sure there are a number of things the Councillors are keeping from us."

Sophie thought hard, combing through all the information she'd just received. While there were still holes, it was enough information to keep the Council from learning about her memories and emotions.

"I think I'm good," she said.

"Okay." Mr. Forkle beckoned the other members of Sophie's team over. "Let's go, shall we?"

Sophie locked hands with everyone, sneaking a glance over at Keefe right before they leaped away. "Later," she said. She didn't hear his response.

"Whoa, where are we?" Sophie blinked.

For a moment, all the shimmering brightness and sparkling buildings was too much for Sophie to look at. It took her eyes a few seconds to adjust—and realize that she was staring at the elves' capitol city of Eternalia.

"Yeah, I thought we were meeting with the Council?" Biana questioned.

Mr. Forkle cleared his throat. Clearly this subject bothered him. "You guys are. You're only allowed into the the Seat of Eminence because you're Regents. No one except the Nobility is allowed in there—and I am no exception."

Dex laughed. "Seems like the Forkster isn't as all-powerful as he seems, huh?"

"The Seat of Eminence?" Sophie asked, feeling dumb.

Biana pointed to a bright, glittery building surrounded by four towers that sat just past the Tribunal Hall.

Mr. Forkle ignored Dex's previous comment, instead turning to Sophie. "Remember, Miss Foster: stay calm. The Council is your ally."

Sophie nodded, echoing that to herself.

It turned out to be useful advice as Sophie let her friends guide her towards the ominous, bright, sparkly building that would lead them to the Council. She wiped her hands over and over again on her red dress.

She didn't focus on the part of herself that shied away from meeting with the very people she hated the most. The face of everything wrong in the Lost Cities.

Because she knew it wasn't entirely true.

The Council was her ally.

Maybe if she repeated it enough in her head she would start to believe it.

Later, Sophie wouldn't be able to recall their decent into the Seat of Eminence. Her mind was spinning way too fast.

When they reached the bottom, Sophie blinked.

Then blinked again.

Then rubbed her eyes.

Had she blacked out?

"Where are we?" She whispered.

Inky, black, all-consuming darkness surrounded them. There was absolutely no light—not even a glimmer.

"Prepare to meet your doom," a low, menacing voice said from right by her shoulder. She jumped.

"Dex?" She whispered. "Is that you?"

"No," the voice said. "It's—" suddenly, soft, coloured lights flared across her vision, haloing each member of the Team in a different coloured light.

Including Dex. Who was right beside her. His halo was green.

She grinning at him. "Caught."

"Whatever, Fos-Boss."

Sophie raised her hand to her eye level, curious to see what colour surrounded her. Red. Huh.

She wondered if she would already know that if she had her stolen memories.

She looked round at the rest of her Team. Stina's halo was baby pink, Biana's was violet, and Wylie's . . .

"Whoa, your halo is changing colours!" Sophie blurted out, watching as the light around Wylie shifted from orange to yellow to red and then to green.

Wylie laughed, raising his hand to his face. "I almost forgot about that. Maybe it's because I'm a Flasher."

Sophie suddenly felt stupid, realizing that she probably would've known that Wylie's halo shifted colours if she had all her memories. She could tell that Wylie was just playing along so she wouldn't feel bad.

She turned away. "So, where to?"

"We wait, I suppose," Stina said. "The Council came to us last time."

"Okay." Sophie blew out a breath, trying to calm her nerves. It was just the Council.

One-hundred and seventy-eight seconds passed before everyone had to shield their eyes from the blinding lights that appeared in front of them.

Sophie looked up as soon as her eyes adjusted.

Before her stood all twelve Councillors, their halos all the same matching white colour.

Her eyes drifted to Emery, the spokesperson for the Council.

"Welcome, Lady Foster," he said.