Forgotten Remains

Sophie's POV

*Before Fitz transmitted to Sophie*

Sophie opened her eyes. Her head felt foggy. Dex. She thought. I need to get to Dex. But that wouldn't be possible from here. She was in one of the cloaked people's hideouts. She needed to figure out their name, if they had one. Sophie didn't want to keep referring to them as "the cloaked people" which is what they were but they needed a new name. But that was the least of her worries.

What should I do? Sophie thought. Do I think of a way out? Do I sit here till the come find me? Do I transmit for help again? She looked at her hands and wrists, Sophie slightly gasped. She'd forgotten she'd started fading, if Sophie hadn't known any better, she'd have guessed she was a spirit. She looked slightly better but not much. Sophie began to see a bit of color coming back, given that it was red from where she'd been burned. Better than being dead I guess.

She slowly sat up in her cot, the blood rushing to her head. She felt weak. Her stomach growled. She hasn't eaten or drunk anything besides sedatives and elixirs in the past, what was it, three days? Sophie felt herself gag, she felt like she was about to barf up stomach acid if she didn't eat or get something in her stomach soon.

She attempted to stand but failed, falling back to her cot, Sophie was so weak. She withheld a whimper of pain. She instead scooted to the cot's end to get closer to the door. Perhaps she could escape if nobody was outside.

Sophie slid off of the cot and crouched on the floor by the door, placing her hands against the wall to hold her steady while pressing her ear close to the thin crack to listen.

She heard soft voices. There went her escape plans. Not that they were any good, she could hardly focus with the intense pounding and dizzy feel of her head. Sophie heard the familiar voice of a man and a woman outside. The people that took her from the tree.

"You already failed at wiping her mind once, I'll probably have him burn her again or something to knock her out. If this attempt doesn't work, we'll try once more. But after that, make with the poison." The woman said in a hushed tone, Sophie shivered. She was glad Dex wasn't here, she couldn't have lived with herself if he'd died.

"You try getting into her mind. It's like a metal wall, even with her guard down it's still like a concrete barricade." The man complained. He must be the telepath, Gethen.

There must've been some sort of tussle, fabric moved around a lot and the voices sounded much closer together. Gethen gasped slightly. "Then take. It. Down. Don't make me tell you again." The woman walked away while Gethen caught his breath. Did she grab the collar of his cape?

Sophie moved back to her cot. Feeling like she was starving at this point. All she wanted to do was sleep, the tugging pull of her consciousness still very strong, but something in her convinced her to stay awake. Sophie was tempted to ignore it. She'd sleep once she got out of here. Where that was, she was unsure and honestly, she was okay with both outcomes. Sure she preferred the one where she went back to Dex, but she'd be safer in the other.

While sitting in the dark room staring at the blank, slate gray wall in front of her, Sophie began to think of all the reasons she'd gone into that cave in the first place. It all seemed so stupid now. Sure Grady and Edaline didn't want to adopt her, but now that she thought about it, she understood their hesitation. They'd lost the only daughter they'd ever had, it must've been terribly stressful starting again with a new daughter that was basically the opposite of normal by elven standards.

She had never been upset with Keefe, he was one of her closest friends now that she thought of it. His smile and bright blue eyes always lit up her day, even if she never wanted to acknowledge it. He was funny, and sweet, and made her heart pound. Though, she wasn't sure why.