Becoming Magical [2]

C H A P T E R - 4 6

"Why would we be exiled?" Sophie demanded, ignoring the pain as she stood to face the Councillors.

Bronte pointed to Sliveny's prone form. "Look what you've done to the alicorn—do I need to remind you how important she is?"

"The cloaked guys did that—not us!" Keefe shouted.

"Yes, and the only reason they had the chance is because you took the alicorn away from the safety of her pen and the protections we'd put in place, and brought her somewhere incredibly dangerous," Bronte snapped back. "Do you have any idea what chaos it will cause if we have to inform the populace that the rebels struck again, this time injuring the only creature who can reset the timeline?"

"So don't tell them," Keefe suggested, earning himself an icy glare from Bronte.

"And how, Mr. Sencen, are we supposed to hide this news when we've announced that the alicorn will be swooping around the Sanctuary in just over a week? She will clearly not be up for flying. We'll be lucky if she's still alive."

His words felt like knives, and Sophie glanced at Silveny. An ugly red stain had seeped through the bandage on Silveny's broken wing, and Sophie sent a silent plea for the glittering horse to be okay.

"All of them will be fine." Meredith said, breaking way from her glaring match with Kenric who seemed to be turning as red as his hair.

Grady ran a hand through his hair. "If anyone should be held responsible, it's me. I gave Sophie permission to go."

"So I could get fixed! It's not like I did this for fun." Sophie held out her bruised hand. "Does that look like fun?"

"No," Councillor Emery agreed, looking away from the wound. He turned to Silveny's unconscious form. "But you must understand how serious this situation is."

Kenric stepped forward, recovering from the glares that were thrown towards him. "I think perhaps we're focusing on the wrong concern. Sophie, do you still have the compass that led you to the Black Swan?"

Sophie started to nod, but as she reached for the charms she realized the bracelet was missing. She checked her pockets, the ground, anywhere—everywhere. "It's gone."

"Of course it is," Bronte grumbled.

"Did I have it when they brought me back?" she asked Keefe and Meredith, who were checking their pockets too.

"I didn't notice. I was kinda distracted by how pale and unconscious you were."

Edaline covered her mouth and looked away.

Grady cleared his throat. "I'm sure the Black Swan didn't want anyone coming back. And I'd bet anything they've abandoned that location anyway, now that the other group has found it. How did they find you, by the way? Do you think they followed you?"

"On what?" Sophie asked. "We flew."

"And there were other ways you could have gotten there," Bronte interrupted. "Safer ways you could've taken instead of endangering the alicorn and likely crippling it!"

Sophie stared at her feet. If she'd known that, she might have gone a different way. But . . . the Black Swan instructed her to take Silveny. That was their idea—not hers.

Maybe they wanted this to happen, a niggling doubt whispered, but Sophie smothered it. No more doubting the Black Swan. They'd fixed her. They didn't kill Jolie. They'd even come to their aid when the rebels attacked. Despite how confusing many of their methods were, they were the good guys.

Councillor Emery rubbed his temples and Sophie could only imagine the headache of arguments that must be raging in his mind as the other Councillors debated with each other.