Shades of Starlight (Hiatus)

Book Two: Chapter Fourteen

 Grady pulled Sophie aside as we followed him down the stairs. Keefe and I-and Stormy, who was on my shoulder-stopped to shamelessly eavesdrop on their conversation.

"You're okay, right? The session-Bronte didn't..." Grady trailed off.

"I'm fine," Sophie promised, a tremble in her voice as she said it. "The elixir fixed everything, and Sandor brought me to Elwin just in case." Grady's hands noticeably curled into fists. I was mad, too. How could a Councillor, of all people, do that to someone? These were our leaders. They were supposed to be better than that.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Grady told his adopted daughter. Sophie stared at the floor. Neither of them seemed to care that Keefe and I were right there and could hear everything they were saying.

"Why is the Council concerned about what happened? Why does it matter if Bronte can inflict on me?" Sophie asked. I winced. I was pretty sure I knew why. It was terrible that Grady had to be the one to explain it to her.

"They're just a little concerned that your mind... isn't as strong as they thought it was," Grady said evasively. Sophie swallowed, hard.

"Why would that affect Silveny?" It didn't make that much sense to me, either, especially since I could also ride Silveny, though, of course, I couldn't communicate with her like Sophie. Grady sighed.

"If Bronte's theory is right, it would affect everything-but he's not right. And that's what you and Cass are going to show them right now." Yes, she definitely would. Probably not me, but Sophie would.

"What's Bronte's theory?" Sophie asked. Yikes. I hoped that Grady wouldn't answer that.

"It's not important." Nice save, Grady. Good parenting.

"It kinda sounds like it is," Keefe chimed in.

"True," I said, grinning at him. Should Sophie know? Maybe. Probably. Grady spun to face us.

"Forgot we were standing here, didn't you?" Keefe smirked. I smiled sheepishly at Grady.

"No, I-what are you doing here, Keefe?"

"Foster invited me." Keefe reached out and brushed Grady's arm to take a reading of his emotions. "Woah, that is some serious tension radiating off of you. Is it that bad?"

"Empaths," Grady grumbled, turning back to face Sophie. "There's very little chance Bronte's right." Very little chance. That was still some chance. Was there... something wrong with Sophie's brain? That's what Mother had been telling me. That's what Bronte had been saying. I hadn't told anyone because I disagreed with the rumor. Mother hadn't made it known to me whether she agreed with it or not.

"I need to know," Sophie whispered. "What is he saying about me? Please, I have to know." When she didn't back down, Grady shook his head.

"Fine, if you really want me to tell you, I will-but I completely disagree with him. Bronte thinks you're... malfunctioning. He thinks the new abilities the Black Swan triggered aren't working right, and that it's affecting your other abilities. Why Fitz can transmit to you now, why you can't block Silveny's transmissions, and why he was able to inflict on you today."

"Because I'm... malfunctioning," Sophie repeated, looking like she wasn't sure if she should be angry, embarrassed, or scared.

"He's wrong, Sophie. Bronte's been wrong about many things, and this is another clear example," Grady told her.

"Of course he's wrong," Keefe agreed. "If anyone's malfunctioning, it's him, I heard him try to laugh one time and he sounded like a freaked-out banshee."