Harry Potter and the Lost Cities

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

"Relax, Sophie. Keefe's fine," Elwin assured her, but his anxious expression still scared her.

"Then why do you look so worried?"

Elwin cracked a soft smile, to her surprise. "Why, indeed? It couldn't be because you just woke up sobbing after being out cold for forty-eight hours."

She closed her eyes. Forty-eight hours. About the best she could hope for if she was being honest. "I'm fine," she promised, willing the words to be true.

"Tell that to Bullhorn," Elwin said.

Her eyes flew open again. "What?"

Elwin nodded gravely. "I swear you have a death wish, Sophie. That's, what, the third time he's laid down next to you? Fourth?" He said it jokingly, but the humor didn't reach his eyes. "So... nightmares again?"

Sophie looked away. "Something like that."

"It's a good thing you're so tough," a new voice said, and Edaline came into Sophie's narrow line of sight, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Hey, Mom," Sophie still only referred to Edaline this way on occasion, but right now, she didn't have the brainpower to determine whether now was an appropriate time. As Grady came up beside Edaline, she added, "Hey, Dad."

They both smiled down at her. "Hey, kiddo, how're you feeling?" Grady asked.

"Fine," she insisted. Like she'd say otherwise.

"What happened, anyway?" Edaline asked, concern etched upon her face.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that question?" Sophie asked. "Keefe. Did the healing work?"

Edaline's face seemed to flash through a million emotions: confusion, fear, anxiety, uncertainty. Then she put on a smile, one Sophie knew was fake. "Maybe we should let Keefe answer that question," Edaline decided.

Was that a no? It seemed like one. "Where is Keefe?" Sophie asked, unsure if she wanted to hear the story of what happened now.

"He finally went home a couple of hours ago," Elwin replied. He rolled his eyes. "Kid refused to leave. Only did when Ro threatened something to do with micro bacteria. I can't remember what this one did; something about making your hair fall out, maybe?"

Sophie had to smile at that.

"That reminds me, though. I need to hail him and tell him you're awake. He'll kill me for not doing it within two seconds of your eyes opening." Elwin rolled his eyes, reaching for his imparter.

"Do you want us to contact anyone else?" Edaline asked. "Dex? Fitz?"

"Sure." Sophie vaguely wondered if Biana would come if Dex and Fitz came. Was her almost dying again enough for Biana to forget about what had happened? Or would it fuel her argument that what they had done was a stupid idea?

Her thoughts were interrupted as Elwin turned back to her. "While we wait, Sophie..." His expression turned back to concern. "What happened? I know you didn't just randomly collapse. What happened?"

Sophie didn't meet his eyes as she said. "I don't know. I..." She sighed, deciding to get the reprimands over with. "There were a few times where I felt a little dizzy from using my Lithokinetic ability. But I didn't think it mattered that much."

She expected exasperation in Elwin's tone as he responded, but instead, it was just fear, sympathy, and fatigue. "Sophie, you need to tell me these things. They won't just fix themselves." He snapped his fingers and a light appeared above her. "How do you feel now? And don't say fine."