dex returns alone [old version]

Chapter 31: I feel shitty

I feel like puking. I heard everything my friends were saying and I guess that's why I woke up, but if I knew that I was going to feel this bad I would have stayed asleep. I hobble off the bed and resist the urge to try and fry the thing around my neck then realize that I can't even fry it because it took away my abilities. The plus side is that they didn't lock me up in exile, even though I'm with Grady and Edaline wishing I could be anywhere else.

All I can do now is plot, I guess? I need to figure out a way to get out of the restrictor and defeat the Neverseen--and maybe without all the blood and gore that's in all of my favorite books. I grab a journal from my time living in this house and start coming up with ideas. Maybe frying off the restrictor with a medler? Smashing it with a rock and figuring out how to cut the wiring? Ask nicely? Knock Alina out long enough to steal the device, take it off, and put it on her neck?

As for my Neverseen problem. Be diplomatic? Be bloody--which I really don't want to happen--that would take so much planning and I'm really short tempered right now. Stick restrictors on them while they're sleeping? Single them off one by one? I groan and throw the journal to the ground, then succeed to brood over the wasted time. The only good ideas out of either plan would be to knock Alina out with the back of frying myself and being diplomatic with the backup of having to waste so much time planning a war.

I was thinking of a coup maybe. Have the Council step down--like start a fake war with the Neverseen and let them think that they won then assassinate all of them. I pinch the bridge of my nose and walk out of my room at Havenfield and face humanity. I hope I look like a wraith to freak the hell out of Grady and Edaline or anyone else there. Finding the house empty I make myself something--they have legit anything and everything, but they don't have orange juice.

After I found something that tastes like cinnamon toast, I head outside and find Verdi the green dinosaur. We make eye contact and she roars, "Yeah, I missed you too, you big green furball." I sit next to her pen and doze off, thinking of possible outcomes. If I'm lucky I could sneak out tonight and get the job with Alina done by tomorrow and plan the rest with the gang in a few days. They don't fear me at the school for the feared for nothing. I'm one of a kind--wish I had this confidence earlier in life though.

With that I pat Verdi on the head and walk back into the house, trying to avoid Grady and Edaline who are now home. The key word is try because as soon as I got inside they spotted me. Edaline looks at me and rubs her eyes, "But you were sleeping..." I try not to roll my eyes, "Just doing the normal reckless and stupid things that I usually do. Don't mind me," you never have before.

I go back up the stairs and shut the door behind me, getting back to the boring planning. Not even five minutes later there is a banging on the door. My face turns into a frown, "Come in only if it's important. If not, leave." When the door opens I spot my inner circle and give them a smile as I subtly shove the journal under my bed. They don't need to know anything about this yet. I'm going into full Aelin Galathynius mode--secrecty, assassination, and lying. A real smile comes to my face though as the triplets come in after them, "As soon as Edaline called to tell us you were awake we came as soon as possible."

"I can tell," I say sarcastically, they are all in pajamas. "Early night?" I say with a laugh. The smiles and laughs fade. "No. We actually came here to tell you that we have a mission in the Forbidden Cities and this is just a cover up. We are going to retrace our steps and hope to find clues that will lead us to the Neverseen." Good and good, they won't be here when I break into Alina's tower and they'll be getting me info that will help me get closer to providing diplomacy.

"Well good luck then, don't let the Council catch you though. Believe me," I point to the restrictor, "This this is not only ugly, but it itches like hell." I crack a laugh, there's a moment of hesitation, then they laugh with me. Well all but Ruy and Rex--they know me too well then. As the others leave the room they stay in the back and I don't think anyone else thinks it's from suspicion.

"What are you up to, Soph?" I smile and give my most innocent look, "Oh, how do you mean? I have nothing devilish planned, how could I when this cursed thing is giving me a hell of a headache." Ruy sighs as if to say he didn't think I'd relent that easily. "Well, I don't actually care what you're up to as long as you stay safe. I know that thing isn't affecting your head anymore." He hugs me around the waist and kisses my forehead.

I smile and face Rex, "Make sure this idiot doesn't do anything stupid on his mission, okay. This duface is a stupid magnet, so you gotta watch him for me." He nods his cute little head and I smile, he then hugs me, "What about you? Who is going to watch your back?" I don't know how to answer this so I just smile and hug him again. When that's done I shove them out the door.

Rex's words echo in my head for the next hours, who is going to watch your back? I crack open the window and stare out, "Everyone and no one." The wind whips my hair back, "My family and friends, loved ones and foes. Everyone watches your back somehow, it's just about the way you interpret it. I have the moon and the stars and the ghostly presence of those before us. I have myself."

I shut the window and grab my cloak, I slip out the door to the leapmaster. "Councillor Alina's tower!" I whisper. Soon enough I'm outside the tower and picking the front lock, once I'm inside I check for traps and alarms--none. Alina is asleep on her bed, I slip around the house till I find a vase that does my bidding. I want to throw it at her face, but don't. I need to put the smell of the flower it's holding into the sleeping draught so that it seems as if she just got tired and fell into a deep sleep.

As soon as that's ready, I grab the printed white eye and attach it to the cloak so if she wakes up when I shove the cloth into her face she'll see that and not suspect me. When she's out I take the eye off and dispose of it, searching around the office I find nothing. Why isn't it here? I search around one more time and still find nothing, then I think of all those mystery novels I've read. I lift her mats and find a hollow floor board, bingo.

Inside I find all and more. Inside has the controller, papers on the Council's leads about the Neverseen, some files about me, etc. I grab everything in there and shove it in my bag, but as I get up I realize that I'm not the only person in the room. In their hand is the controller, but not the files—must have not seen them. That's a good thing because even though I need the controller I have a plan B, I don't have a plan B for those files.

Soon I know who the person in the room is, Alvar, the only one who could possibly sneak past me. Fitz and Biana were telling me about their traitorous brother. I use a trick Calla taught me and grab the closest thing that would leave a mark on an invisible man. Good thing Alina has a sweet tooth, she has a container of whipped cream on the side. I shoot anything and everything around me and finally I hit him—he drops his vanishing when he notices it.

"If it isn't Sophie Foster." He says with a condescending smile and I roll my eyes, "You're smarter than everyone else—whipped cream? Well I got to go, and I'll be taking this with me. Adios, Miss Foster." He gives a mocking salute and before I can reach him he fades into the light. "Ugh!" I'm pissed. But before I leave her tower I remember plan B, I check everywhere for her melder.

I make everything nice again and leap back home with a home crystal I took. Right now it's about three, so when I get home I have about two hours to take the restriction off or chicken out. Back in my room I stash the papers under the floorboards under my bed with my journals and sit in front of the mirror with the melder. I hold it close, "Don't be a chicken, don't be a chicken."

"What are you doing?" I screech and jump up in the air, dropping the melder with a gasp. "Please tell me you aren't going to do what I think you are?" I stare at the girl in the mirror in shock, "What the actual hell." I pick up the melder and hide it while I search for an off button. All I succeed in doing is finding out her name and the instructions, apparently you can't turn her off. It's a distance thing.

When I step out of range the mirror named Vertina shuts off and I go find another mirror. When I do it's not as big or wide, but it'll do. I turn it on, "Only one way to figure out if this works." I take a deep breath and bring it closer to my restrictor, "Three...two...one."

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