TAKE TWO, kotlc

Chapter 15- Arella

"I told you!" Oralia hissed into her sisters' ear as the family leaped home. "I told you we shouldn't sneak off and you didn't listen! You still did it, and look what happened now!"

Arella didn't say anything. She just kept her head tilted downwards, hoping that she could find a way to blend into the floor.

And she even let her twin do the explaining, despite all of her nasty side comments and annoying commentary that made her parents send her glares that she didn't allow herself to see.

"Are we in trouble?" she whispered.

"I..." Keefe hesitated, and Arella wanted to tell him that he didn't need to put it nicely. ".... Yes. You snuck off to the Forbidden Cities without the Council's permission, and that technically is a violation of the elvin law-"

"Don't forget our punishment too!" Sophie cut in. "You guys scared me so badly, I swear. I'll probably just make you guys help in the Sanctuary until Foxfire is out-"

"Until Foxfire is out?!" Oralia demanded, shooting Arella a dirty look. "This was all her fault! I told her not to go, I told her to give you guys the note, I even caught her trying to sneak off! The only reason I went along was so that she didn't get herself into trouble-"

"But she did," Keefe interrupted gently. "So you're both guilty."

"I'm not-" Oralia sank down at her mothers' hard glare and Arella couldn't resist flashing her trademark smirk.

But it faded just as fast as she remembered...

"What about Braelynn?"

She could see her sister biting back a snarky remark as her parents both hesitated.

"Elwin said she'd be okay," Sophie said, sounding careful. "And we trust Elwin. Right?"

"There's something you aren't telling me," Arella said instantly- wait. How did she know that?

There was... a smell. No. Not a smell- more like a feeling? It felt... scared. Nervous even. No.. that wasn't right- it was anxious. But substances couldn't feel scared, could they?

She snatched her mother's wrist and instantly, emotions flooded through her mind, every single one flooding into her brain, crashing through every other thought- except one.

She could... feel her emotions.

And with that thought, a whole different level of clarity fell on the world. There was emotions- so many emotions -wafting towards her like gusts of wind. Some were faint, and some were so strong it nearly knocked her backwards.

She was an Empath- and she didn't know if that was good or bad.

"How do you know that?" Keefe and Sophie asked at the same time.

"I... think I just manifested?" she tilted her head to the side as another wave of emotions almost overwhelmed her. "Yeah. Mom's emotions are so strong right now. There's... fear. And a lot of anger. And... worry?"

"I always did say your emotions were strong, Foster," Keefe said, nudging his wife with a tired smile. "It looks like Arella takes after the Sencens."

His face fell a little at the sound of his surname, but he tried to hide it.

"That... I..." Sophie shook her head. "I'm happy for you, Arella. And I'll contact the Council about scheduling a mentor for you."

"You're hiding something again. Is it about Braelynn?"

"Yes and no," Keefe admitted. "You three might just be expelled from Foxfire."