Becoming Magical [2]

C H A P T E R - 4 8

The minutes after Alden opened his eyes were such an overwhelming flurry of laughter and tears that all Sophie could do was hold on and soak it up as everyone cheered and sobbed and crushed them both with hugs and kisses.

Then Elwin stepped in, made sure Sophie was okay, and herded everyone except family out so he could check Alden over.

As soon as they were downstairs, the Councillors started an intense debate over what to do now, and soon Grady, Edaline, and Tiergan had all joined in. But Sophie couldn't think coherently enough to participate. She was too stuck on the fact that Alden was back.

He'd looked at her and smiled as she left the room.

A real smile. An Alden smile.

"We did it," Keefe said, wrapping an arm around her and Meredith and fist pumping the air. "Team Foster-Keefe-Mer triumphed! Clearly this is proof that we should work together more often. I'm sure Glitter Butt would agree." His smile faded. "How's she doing, by the way?"

"Her bones haven't responded to any of our healing elixirs. We'll have to wait for her to heal on her own. And she can't move her wing right now because of the splint, so we won't be able to tell if she can fly until it's removed. But she was able to walk, eat, and drink this morning—and she's still transmitting like crazy."

"Wow, really? I figured that would've stopped."

"Yeah, me too."

She tried to keep her emotions even so he wouldn't guess that she had anything to hide, but she could still feel him staring at her as she reached up to tug out an itchy eyelash.

Fortunately, Elwin came to the rescue.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said as everyone fell silent. "Alden would like to have a word with Sophie."

-------------------------------------------------

"It's strange how much has changed in two weeks," Alden whispered, after he'd asked her a billion questions about what had gone on while he was out of commission. "I feel like I've missed everything."

"Don't worry. With the way things go around here, I'm sure there's plenty more excitement to come."

"I'm afraid you might be right."

So was she—though after facing all of this, she felt like she could handle anything.

"I'm just glad it worked," she said quietly. "I wasn't sure if it would, since you hadn't been trained to retreat to the nook or save any part of yourself. How did you know?"

"I don't think I did." Alden stared out the window. "I'd been fighting the break day by day. Minute by minute. The only thing that kept me going was my family. I knew it would destroy them if I shattered, and I tried to hold on for them. But when I saw Prentice in Exile, I thought I was done. I felt the cracks form, felt myself fall through, and I thought, I've failed."

"That was a break?"

Alden nodded. "I didn't tell anyone because I came back, and I thought that meant I'd fought to stay with my family. That I was strong enough to keep fighting. That I was safe. But then I saw Wylie and I thought about him growing up without a family—because of me, and—"

His voice broke and he wiped away a tear. "I think you must've pulled me back that first time in Exile—maybe my mind was so newly cracked that your ability could still work, I don't know. But it had nothing to do with me. I was weak. And the second time, the cracks were too big, too deep. I sank into them and everything collapsed."

"You must've held on somehow. Otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"Maybe. I do remember thinking about my family as I shattered, so it's possible some small part of me held on. But if it hadn't been for you . . ." He took her hand, staring at the star-shaped bruise. "I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me, Sophie—and for my family."