TAKE TWO, kotlc

Chapter 5- Braelynn

"Mom! We're home!" Braelynn stopped and for a moment there was silence. But Biana quickly entered the foyer and kissed Tam on the cheek (Braelynn averted her eyes pointedly) and swept her daughter up into a hug.

"How was your first day at Foxfire?" Biana asked eagerly, carrying her over to the kitchen where Tam was following.

"Great! We had ability detecting and Sir Rosings said that I'm probably a Phaser! We're going to re-detect on Thursday to see if I can officially manifest." She spotted a plate full of ripplefluffs and lit up, snatching one and tossing it into her mouth.

"That's great."

Was it just Braelynn, or did her parents' attitude seem a little... off? Their excitement seemed forced, and they kept giving each other glances that adults always assumed kids couldn't detect.

"What's wrong?" Braelynn asked, glancing from her mom to her dad.

"Nothing," Tam assured her. "Want to hear a story?"

She was pretty sure they were hiding something, but her fathers' stories were the best. "Tell me! Is it about another prank that Uncle Keefe did?"

"Again," Tam promised. "Did you know that when I was trying to ask out your mom, she thought I peed my pants?"

"Did you?" Braelynn asked curiously, glancing at her mom.

"No. That was Keefe, with a water gun. But we got payback because Aunty Sophie gathered us up and we sprayed Keefe back. It was hilarious."

"Tell me another one," Braelynn demanded, unsatisfied with his short story.

"Maybe another time. How about you go to your room and do your homework? Trust me, if there's any reason that Keefe's so... Keefe, to this day, is because he spent most of his time at Foxfire in detention."

Braelynn frowned.

"Okaaaayy..."

She turned the corner to her room and waited until her parents headed off before darting after them, trying to tip toe.

"-and Sophie's worried about her," Biana was saying. They entered their bedroom and Braelynn pressed her ear up against the door.

"Sophie's always been paranoid about Arella and Oralia, they're her joy in life," Tam argued. 

"Well Keefe's worried to," Biana said. 

"He's worried about them too, he just doesn't show it."

"Was that a compliment to him?" Biana asked curiously.

"But you know how excited Braelynn is about starting Foxfire. She even almost manifested on her first day! They can't shut down the school-"

"And they won't," Biana said gently. "I trust my brother to keep it under control. If they find out, it'd be... bad. But hopefully they don't. For now that's all we can hope for."

"I guess."

Braelynn stiffened and her heart quickened pace as she felt footsteps heading towards the door. She rushed to her room, spilled her textbooks across her desk, and dove into a random page just in time for her dad to come into her room and see her studying.

What had they been talking about? She knew Uncle Fitz was an Emissary for the Council- that wasn't any surprise. And of course Aunty Sophie and Uncle Keefe were worried for their kids- all parents were.

But why would they have to shut down Foxfire?

And what was the thing that her parents didn't want her to know?