LOCO , keefe sencen

22 ~ physically and mentally

I WOULDN'T SCREAM IF I WERE YOU," THE FIGURE with the weapon warned us. "I'm not afraid to use a melder, and you will not enjoy it." He pointed the metal gadget at Sophie's forehead. "A few seconds will only stun you. Any more will cause permanent damage. Do you understand?"

"You wouldn't do that with humans around," Sophie said. The bridge wasn't crowded, but there were a few people out for evening strolls. One of them would notice the three figures in black hooded cloaks threatening children and call the police.

All three figures laughed, and the one with the weapon—who appeared to be the leader—moved a step closer. "They have no idea we're here." He pulled a small black orb from his cloak. "This is an Obscurer. It bends light and sound around us like a force field. All anyone can see or hear right now is wind and a slight distortion in the air, like heat waves radiating off the ground."

Sophie reached for my hand. We were on our own, well and Dex.

"I don't know how you escaped," the leader hissed as he handed a coil of silver rope to one of his goons. "But you can rest assured it won't happen again."

I bit my lip so I wouldn't cry out as the goon jerked my hands behind my back and tied them tight. "How did you find us?"

"The Black Swan must've thought we wouldn't check our own pathways. Let that be a lesson to you. Never underestimate your opponent."

"If you're not the Black Swan, who are you?" Sophie demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know," the goon sneered as he tied Sophie's ankles.

Maybe adrenaline enhanced her concentration—or maybe it was wishful thinking—but the message seemed stronger this time, like she could actually feel it swirl inside Fitz's mind as he struggled to ignore it.

I began to use the heat from my forcefield to burn off the rope. Sophie kept stalling. Eventually the rope snapped and disintegrated. I held my hands behind my back pretending they were still tied.

"She was transmitting again," the goon yelled. "Never heard a call that loud either. We should get out of here in case anyone heard her." The so called 'leader' pointed the Melder at Sophie and shot. I cried out and shot forth a forcefield. But this wasn't normal. Instead of a sphere catching the beam, it shot out like, like a... a streak of lightning. It seemed to mix with the blast. We all watched in curiosity. But the all of a sudden, it shot back at me. It tied around my arm. Like hot iron right out of lava. I screamed grabbing my arm, which only made things worse, burning my hands. Tears poured from my eyes as it swirled around my arm, like a viper, but 10x worse. My arm shot up. I couldn't control it. The power zoomed into my hand, making me cry out more as it flew into the air. All I heard was the leader muttering, "that's our little pheonix." And then I was out.

COOL TINGLES ACROSS my arm pulled me back to reality, and I took deep breaths, luxuriating in the rise and fall of my chest. I'd forgotten how wonderful it was to breathe.

"She's alive!," someone whispered. I knew the voice, but my foggy mind couldn't place it.

Something touched my lips and I parted them, gulping the cool liquid that poured into my mouth. I wanted to drink forever, but the liquid stopped. My face twisted in protest.

"I know," the voice said, "but you have to give your stomach a chance to adjust. It's been empty for a long time now."

I wanted to argue, but my stomach cramped as the cold liquid hit it. My body contorted.

"Shhh," he whispered, rubbing balm into my dry lips. "I won't give you any medicine, I promise. Now please, lay still before you wear yourself out."

"Okay." I forced my eyes open, squinting in the light. A round face with dark messy hair hovered over me. The iridescent spectacles gave him away.

"Elwin," I whispered.

Tears pooled in his eyes. "I can't tell you how good it is to hear you say that. Bullhorn's been sleeping next to you for five weeks. We'd lost all hope. But yesterday he moved, and now here you are."

"You up for a few visitors?" Elwin asked.

"Sure," I whispered.

In ran my parents, both in tears. Mum hugged me tight making me groan in pain. My arms felt like mush. "Carful her arms aren't doing to well." Elwin walked over and moved the duvet. I looked down at my arms in horror. I muffled a sob. There running around my arms in swirls was a thin white scar. It ran up into my hand swirling into the middle. I remembered the night with the medler. I managed to move my arms to my head, ignoring the strain. "Wowowowow. Slow down."

"We thought we'd lost you!" Dad said holding back tears. He reached in and gave me a gentle hug. Mum kissed me on the forehead.

"Never, ever scare us like that again." Mum said through tears. I managed a weak smile. I looked back at my arms, it was horrible.

"Love you, can you pull the covers back up." Dad kissed my cheek and pulled them over me wretched arms. After a minute more of talk. My parents left the room. Sophie ran in.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I thought I'd killed you." Sophie said grabbing my hand, I winced. She released some strength which felt great. "Sorry."

"I thought you we all died that night because of me."

"No. No. Definitely not. You saved me!" She hugged me gently and turned to leave.

"We'll talk more at home." She smiled and left.

Next a strawberry blond boy ran in. "Iris." Dex let out a breath as he smiled at me. He sat next to me. "You'd think you wouldn't be as tired after being here for 5 weeks with no wake up call." I smiled weakly. I reached for a hug, grunting slightly. He hugged me back. "I got you this." He handed me a pin saying best cousin ever. I smiled.

"Sorry, I was to busy to get you anything." My laugh turned into a hearty cough.

"Times up, Dex." Elwin smiled.

"Okay, bye."

Next in rushed Keefe. The last person on my mind but somehow the most relieving. As he walked over, I noticed a slight shimmer to his eye. A tear bubbling but not falling. "Just so you know, I'm getting revenge for dying on my twice in just over a month." I managed another smile. He slipped something into my hand. His expression turned cold, "I was given this. When, when... you died." I looked down there lay a crown necklace. A necklace of great value. Not in money, not in a famous manor, but to me, it was like the Crown Jewels I'd Read about. It was them that I realised how scared I was. How horrible the real world was. "Thank you." I said in a dried out voice. Elwin rushed over and slipped some more of the liquid down my throat. I swallowed it like it was chalk. "Times up." Marella slipped in as Keefe left.

"You left me a mess." She squeezed my hand making me wince again.

We talked for a bit more time and then I was told to rest. My eyes shut with ease and I drifted of to a different planet.

THE END!

(AGHHHHHH FINALLY! And yes DONT worry book 2 will be here soon! Should I write it in this book like as another chapter but addressed as book 2 or should I write a new book? I think I might do it in this book but yeah. Book two shall be called Orphic! Thank you so much for this.)