Nightfall (KotLC)

Chapter 2

I have a couple chapters written in advance because I'm really motivated and have a ton of ideas for this story (also because I'm bored), so I'll be updating every day for this week (if I remember). :) I really like writing (and this story especially) so I'm planning on updating pretty frequently.

Also my phone keeps autocorrecting names and stuff so sorry if anything is spelled wrong. I try to proofread.

Sophie spun around to see Juline standing in the doorway. "Hi Sophie, hi Alden," Juline said. "I've heard what happened with your human family. I'm here on behalf of the Black Swan to help you."

Sophie nodded. "You should talk to Amy when she's ready. She heard a lot of what they were saying."

Juline frowned.

"What?"

"Sophie, why don't you go get Amy now, if she's up to it," Alden said. Apparently both adults were realizing something Sophie wasn't.

Sophie went downstairs, finding Fitz, Amy and Dex in the living room with Keefe. She assumed Biana was somewhere as well. "Amy, are you ready to talk?" Sophie asked.

"Whoa, Foster, why are you so nervous?" Keefe asked.

"Everything's fine, Keefe," Sophie responded as Amy thought, "He calls her Foster?" She saw Fitz's eyes widen as some realization dawned on him, but she led Amy away from the group and back to Alden's office.

When they two girls returned to the room, Juline was already sitting down. "Hello, you must be Amy. I'm Juline." She smiled and held out her hand. Amy cautiously shook it. "Hello."

Suddenly Sophie figured out what all the others had found so strange. Her head spun as she thought of the implications.

Just now, Juline had been speaking the Enlightened Language. And the kidnappers must have been too. Why would they speak English? And why had Amy been able to make her mind go silent? Most elves couldn't do that, let alone humans. But her eyes were green...

Sophie looked at her sister, realizing her eyes looked almost blue in this light.

Are you okay? Keefe says he can feel you worrying from here.

I'm fine, just... there's a lot going on with Amy right now.

Yeah, I thought Keefe was speaking the Enlightened Language earlier, too. Sorry, he transmitted. But Sophie didn't care that Fitz was reading her mind. She was too busy thinking about how Amy might be an elf.

Juline cleared her throat. "Sophie, I think we should talk. Mr. Forkle said you might figure it out."

Did that mean she was right?

The two women stepped into the hallway.

"Sophie, Amy isn't an elf. However, she is not exactly what you'd call the average human. Mr. Forkle trained her mind as well as yours. She understands the Enlightened Language, and is able to silence her thoughts. He figured that living so closely to you would require... precautions. He also trained your parents' minds, but he figured Amy would need extra protection."

"Why?"

"He could tell she was an extraordinary girl," Juline said after a pause.

They stood in silence for a few moments as Sophie processed this new information. Eventually, she said, "Okay," and followed Juline back to Alden's office.

Amy was sitting across from Alden. She looked back at Sophie and Juline as they entered the room. Alden had started asking her questions.

"You heard them say 'Take them to Nightfall?'"

"Yes," Amy confirmed.

"Do you know what that means?"

"No," she admitted.

"And you heard them say they were searching for thoughts?"

"Yeah, so I made my mind go silent," she agreed.

"Interesting," Alden murmured.

"If they were searching for thoughts, then Gethen was there. He's their only Telepath," Juline put in. Alden nodded.

"I'm sure Fintan was there too," he agreed. "Probably Alvar as well." He said the name of his son with almost no compassion.

Sophie told him about the new member she had seen at the Peace Summit. "I don't know who it is, but they were probably there too. Ruy also probably."

Amy looked lost at the mention of all the unfamiliar names, but she couldn't ask because Della appeared in the doorway. "Tiergan's at the door."