Keeper of the Lost Spies

Chapter 12

        When Sophie leaped back home only to be surrounded by her seething friends and family. Before she could apologize Sandor grabbed her arm and pulled her into the living room to shove her down on the sofa. Sandor sat on one side of Sophie, while Tarina sat on the other.

        "Now." Grady said as he seated himself across from Sophie, "You are never going to do that again." Sophie prepared to nod in agreement, but she hesitated. Who's to say Rain won't do that again and if it was official Storm business, she would have to go with her. Grady ignored her lack of acknowledgment and continued, "Tell exactly what happened after That Girl leaped away."

        Sophie sucked in a breath and prepared to launch into what happened when Keefe interrupted her, "Well, it looks like I've been demoted from Grady's least favorite friend of yours." Keefe smirked at Sophie who just rolled her eyes. Grady glared at Keefe, but his smirk didn't waver.

        Sophie decided now was a good time to tell them what happened, before Grady strangled Keefe, "Well, I was leaped to their gate – which is a lot like Everglens – and Rain let me in. Then she took me to their dinning room where I met her family – minis her mother who was busy. Her father's name is River Storm, then her oldest sibling is Tavis, then Winton, Breeza, Rain, Spiro, Aitana and Essibelle – they're twins – and lastly, Evander." Sophie gasped when she finished in one breath.

        "That's a lot of kids." Della remarked.

        Sophie glared, "Don't tell me you've got something against them having a lot of kids."

        "Of course not." Della backtracked as her eyebrows shot up when Sophie glared.

        Sophie relaxed and nodded, "Good. I still don't understand why elves are so prejudice against having a lot of kids. I mean Spiro's eleven and he's already manifested as a Guster."

        "What!" Every elf in the room shouted.

        "And I thought I manifested early." Fitz said.

        "Ahhh," Keefe cooed, "Is someone jealous?"

        Grady ignored Fitz and Keefe, and told Sophie, "You need to take a break from Storm."

        Now it was Sophie's turn to shout, "What!" She tried to stand up, but Sandor grabbed her arm and held her down. With Sophie's Storm training she could take Sandor down in a few moves, but she wouldn't be able to explain that to everyone.

        "Is that really necessary?" Edaline asked Grady.

        Grady sighed, "Only for a few weeks." Grady stood up, "Tomorrow you are going to go to your Storm session and tell That Girl that you are taking a break from Storm."

        Sophie's gaze darted across the faces of her friends looking for support. But none of them would look her in the eye, except Keefe, who's face twisted with sympathy. Her face fell, knowing that her friends thought that Grady was right stung. Sophie pushed back her emotions and shoved them behind the wall around her heart – Keefe's eyebrows shot up after she finished. Then Sophie yanked her arm from Sandor's grip – which made Sandor's eyebrows shoot up – and she didn't glare like she wanted to. Sophie calmly gave Grady her best disappointed look and turned on her heel to head up the stairs. But as she walked past her friends, she looked right through them, as if they weren't worth looking at. No one seemed to be expecting her to do that and just gaped at her as she left. Sophie's calm façade remained intact as she walked up the steps, but inside her heart cracked a little.

        Sophie groaned from the strain of holding back her emotions as she collapsed on her bed. She rubbed her temples and let go of the wall holding back the anger, the hurt, and the sadness that she had pushed back. After her wall came crashing down, she heard a thud behind her. Sophie whipped around to find Keefe curled up in a ball on her floor and moaning. "Keefe." She exclaimed as she dashed over to the shaking boy. "What's wrong?" She asked as her gaze scanned his body looking for outward signs of injuries.