A Circuit of Time: Book Two of Spark (A MPHFPC Fanfiction)

Chapter One

The war had burnt out the last bit of childishness in her.

"The Council of Peculiars is waiting for you." Olive Abroholos Elephanta said.

Two soldiers in plain uniforms rushed into the room and cuffed Emma. A hood was pulled over her head.

Still in shock of what she just saw, this time Emma didn't resist.

*

The hood was tore off.

Emma found herself cuffed to a long desk in the center of a large meeting room. Around her, sitting in a semicircle, was the councilors.

Francesca, the ymbryne-in-training Emma remembered from the time they spent searching for prophecies and hidden loops back in Devil's Acre, sat at the far end of the room. She's the head, Emma thought. Sharon, the then-manager of the now destroyed Panloopticon, sat beside the ymbryne, his face still hidden under the shadow of a black hood. The rest of the council Emma couldn't recognize.

"Hullo?" Emma said. "Sharon? Francesca? Don't you remember me?"

"Quiet!" a man in black suit demanded.

Then the door opened, and Emma turned to find two guards dragging John and Blanche into the room. The guards locked their handcuffs to the desk at either sides of Emma.

"Emma? What's going on?" John mouthed.

"Do as they say." Emma mouthed back.

Finally, the door opened again and Olive entered the room. The two guards saluted her and left. Olive started towards the only empty seat at the edge of the semicircle and sat down.

"What were you three doing in that old ruin of a hospital?" Francesca broke the silence.

"We were looking for you." Emma answered.

"Why is that?" A man questioned.

"Because we want to fight the wights!" John said.

"That's too convenient!" another councilor said. "You went through all the trouble to found us just to fight the wights?".

"We have been oppressed by them as much as you do." Blanche said.

"Look who this is, the daughter of our traitor." Someone exclaimed mockingly.

"Take that back!" John said angrily.

"I would like to see how Miss Wilson can take back what her father did."

"Enough, Mr. Albiar!" Sharon said, his voice echoed in the room. "We are not here to discuss whose father betrayed us ten years ago. These people came here for a reason. I want to hear what they have to say."

"How do our ymbryne think?" the man who accused Blanche—Mr. Albiar—turned to Francesca.

"let them talk." Francesca said. "John, you first. Tell us why you come here and what you want from us."

"I came here first because my doll, Pensevus, told me to." He said. If any council members recognized this name, they didn't show it. "But as I traveled from England to America, I have seen people give up their lives just because they saw Penny and think he's up to something that will bring an end to wight's rule. I won't even be here if not for their sacrifice, that's why I want to fight. I want to honor those people who helped me."

"Where is Pensevus now?" Mr. Albiar asked.

"A P.S.B. agent took it." Blanche said.

"Nonsense! That bloody doll haven't been seen for ages," someone said, "There's no way the Peculiar Security Bureau would bother going after it."