Duluth / A Keeper of the Lost Cities Fanfiction

Duluth / 15

Sophie let the words sink in for the moment, telling herself she was waiting for Fitz's reaction. Really she was just scared of how he'd react. Everything he had told her was true and Sophie hated thinking about it. She hadn't let herself think about Edaline and Grady and their pain at losing another daughter. She hadn't let herself think about their friends, or how much they missed her. Sophie knew they would, even if a small part of her would always tell her she was worthless and not worthy of her friends. 

Of course Fitz would be angry: he had every right to be. But he wouldn't understand why she left. No one would. Sophie had always been dangerous, with her stronger-than-normal telepathic and inflictor abilities, not to mention she was created in a lab and was a personified punch against nature. But with the ability to set fires and kill people, just as Brant had killed Jolie... just as Fintan had killed Kenric. She was firm in her belief that what she did was right. 

But she knew Fitz wouldn't see it that way, and he might never see it that way. 

When Fitz kept staring at her with those empty and confused eyes, Sophie repeated, "I manifested as a pyrokinetic." Damn, if only she was an empath and could know what Fitz was feeling. Fitz's eyes lowered to the ground slowly as he processed the information. Sophie thought about taking a step forward, maybe holding his hand, but that would have made the conversation harder. 

Sophie wiped her clammy hands on her dress and tried to build on her explanation, "I don't know how I did it Fitz, I wasn't in any situation that could have explained how or why I manifested. I just did." 

Fitz spoke again, not meeting Sophie's eyes and keeping his head down, "But... Mr. Forkle told you that the Black Swan didn't make it possible for you to manifest as a... Sophie, it isn't possible!" He raised his head again, finally looking straight into Sophie's eyes. She couldn't stand it, the teal color that had made butterflies erupt in her stomach in the past just made her stomach clench now. She swallowed twice, trying to keep the fruit punch from the dance down. 

"Again, I don't know how or why it happened. It just did." Sophie turned away from Fitz, unable to look at him anymore. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, as if she was trying to hold herself together. "But I took care of it." 

Sophie clenched her eyes shut as another wave of pain hit her head, as if speaking about her ability made it want to burst from her head. 

"What do you mean, 'you took care of it?'" Fitz asked her. If he had noticed Sophie's wince from her headache, he said nothing. 

"Livvy's the one who helped me and-" 

"Livvy helped you?" Fitz interrupted her, pure wrath evident in his voice. "She's been helping us search! She's comforted your parents! She's the one who helped Keefe when he-" 

"What happened to Keefe?" Sophie said sharply, turned around and dropping her hands. If Keefe did one more reckless action, it was on Sophie. And god knows Sophie wasn't worth it. 

Fitz shook his head, though his jaw clenched. "The point is she could have said something, said anything! Instead she... what did she do?" 

"She borrowed books from Quinlin's office on mental suppression." 

"Mental suppression!?" Fitz yelled this so loud that he winced and looked behind him to make sure no one heard him.  "Sophie, that's awful. You know what Tiergan said about using those methods!" 

Sophie didn't even know what to say to that. Yes, she had listened to Tiergan's lecture on mental suppression and even had written an essay showing she understood the concept. It was dangerous and unhealthy, and her paper had reflected those same themes. But there wasn't any other way for Sophie to keep the humans around her safe.