The Mysterious Benedict Society Meets the Mysterious Miss F

Chapter 8

An hour earlier, Constance was walking into the sweetshop and something immediately caught her eyes. After scanning the shop with vast interest and pocketing treats along the way, she quickly looked around for the place responsible for the sweets. Making a beeline for the back door that no doubt led to the kitchen, Constance was very much aware that Kate and Sophie were not following her. They can wait if they must. She knew they wouldn't leave without her.

Constance scurried through the back door and let it slam behind her. No one paid her any attention though; they were busy laughing and chatting and crafting toffees and chocolates. Constance forgot about her sudden height and was inching towards the chocolate, grabbing each unique kind. "Hey!" Constance shouted as someone smacked her hand away.

"These are for the customers!" The person who smacked her hand shouted impatiently, as though she'd come across this problem many times. She wore the same swirled red and white uniform as Sayla, but with a golden badge pinned upon her apron saying Chief Chocolatier.

"Chief Chocolatier," Constance read, mulling it over, "How do I become one of those?"

"Who are you?" Chief Chocolatier barked, batting Constance away once again as she reached for another chocolate. "Do you work here or are you a nosy four year old?"
"A bit of both," said Constance absentmindedly, "But I'm the official taste tester, you know? And I wouldn't consider myself nosy in the slightest bit." She said, glaring at the chocolatier who returned the look with equal annoyance.

"Did Sayla hire you?" Chef Chocolatier huffed as Constance nodded with the given excuse. "I'm going to have to talk to her about who she hires... and taste tester was not a position last I checked. Just 'cause the shop's named after her doesn't mean she can do whatever she likes." Chef Chocolatier grumbled.

"Don't forget you named the business after her!" Another baker called from the counters and murmurs of agreement followed along.

"Don't blame my daughter's cockiness after me! It wasn't me who named it after her!" Chief Chocolatier snapped, "and get back to work! We're busier than ever now that the holiday season is nearing!"

"It's the beginning of November." A teenage boy with brown shaggy hair scoffed as he kneaded dough beneath his palms.

"Oh be quiet Traverse! And you, Gemma, stop staring at Freckles and get that cinnacake in the oven!" A petite girl with curly brown hair blushed and quickly looked away from the boy in front of her. Don't stare, don't stare. Constance grinned as she moved around the kitchen, listening in on their thoughts and stealing baked goods while they were distracted by their curt boss. Why does she keep calling me Freckles?! She knows it's Zack! As she stole a small knot of bread from Zack's tray, he thought Hey!. Constance weaved throughout the people as Gemma bumped into Zack, tripping on an unexpectant foot. Both faces went red and Constance winked at a flustered Zack as she moved her foot aside.

As Constance, her hands and pockets stuffed with delicious snacks, reached the end of the room, she felt someone clutch her arm. Expecting Sayla's mother, she said, "I touched them, they're mine," and showcased her point by licking the chocolate in her free hand.

"Oh, I don't care about that." The voice whispered, staring at Constance through a blurry, changing face. She couldn't focus on his face, eyes, or nose no matter how hard she squinted. Constance, who hadn't been following the telepathy rules anyway, plunged into his mind and shuddered as she was met with a cold, blank wall of ice. Trying to charge her way through with force, Constance felt her head banging against a wall, not sure if it was physical or mental. But as stars filled the ice wall and darkness overwhelmed her, Constance knew her consciousness was on the brink.

...

"She made it too easy." A voice said gleefully, "Tried to get inside my head in mere seconds. Passed out a few seconds after."

"That's most peculiar, Ruy. She's surely attending Foxfire now and would've had training in telepathy. Unless she's from Exilium... or somewhere else." A different voice commented. Constance felt she was back to her normal height and when she just barely opened her eyes, she saw wispy blond hair in her face. I'm myself again, She thought with little panic and somewhat annoyance. She had liked being taller than Kate, if only for a small amount of time.

"She's awake. Who's Kate? Where are you from?" The second voice barked, hoisting Constance up.

"Who the heck are you?" Constance said, eyeing their black dull capes in interest. Could use a bit more color there... it would blend in more with the crowd, she thought, thinking back to the sea of blue, green, and purple capes in Atlantis.

"Gethen, what is she thinking?" Ruy asked urgently. "We've got to get out of here soon." He added, glancing left and right uneasily.

"Just create one of your fancy protection shields." Gethen dismissed, setting his gaze back to Constance. Constance felt his presence in her mind, searching for information on her friends, new and old. But being somewhat trained by Mr. Benedict, Constance filled her head with random facts and oddities. Get your mind out my head, before I turn you into bread! Images of overcooked, burned dough combined with Gethen in Constance's mind and she could feel the glare the cloaked figure was giving her.

"I can't do it here, Gethen. Pedestrians will see, it's too bright! Have you learned anything important yet? Stop ignoring me!" Ruy whispered-shouted.

"They were both in the sweetshop. The Moonlark and her friend. They're meeting in the middle of the city, near a statue." Gethen turned to her, "What's your name?"
"Sayla Chief." But Constance Contraire was already plucked from her mind by the skilled telepath.

"We'll look at the Foxfire files late- Hey! Stop!" Gethen yelled, but it was too late. Constance had already reached out to Reynie, picturing the alley they were hidden in, directly behind the sweetshop and had sent a message. Hurry up, I need help. Got in trouble, behind Sayla's.