Swan Song

Chapter Thirty Five

"Honestly, I don't know how I feel," Keefe said. He laughed, but his amusement didn't sound genuine. "I'm an Empath and I have no idea how I feel. That's kind of ironic."

"Yeah." Sophie didn't really know what else to say, so, deciding that actions spoke louder than words, gathered enough courage to kiss him. Keefe's eyes widened in surprise, but he smiled.

"Sorry about making you listen to me ramble."

"I'm your girlfriend," Sophie said again. "It's my job to listen whenever you want to talk."

"Okay. So, um, thank you. For listening." Keefe ran his hand through his Hair- at least he wasn't leaving it unstyled again. Oh, that was horrifying. "I should probably go let Lord- I should probably go tell Dad about... yeah. You're sure you're okay from your electrocution?" Sophie nodded. "Okay. Don't die while I'm gone."

"Noted. Hail me if you need anything."

"Okay," Keefe said. He thanked her again before kissing her forehead and leaping away.

"ARE YOU KIDS DONE WITH YOUR ROMANCEY STUFF?" Mr. Forkle called. Sophie's lips twitched up.

"Yeah!" she called back.

Mr. Forkle emerged from Elwin's office. "Okay, so, I also need to talk to you about getting a new bodyguard."

Sophie felt like she had just been sucker punched by Biana, a fate worse than death. "No," she said.

"Sophie, we need to keep you safe-"

"I am not getting a replacement for Sandor!" Sophie yelled, tears rushing to her eyes. "We can't replace Sandor!"

"Sophie, I get that, but please be reasonable about this," Mr. Forkle argued.

"No," she repeated.

Mr. Forkle sighed. "All right, Sophie. If you're going to refuse a bodyguard, then we will need to insist that you stay safe. If you're not at home or at school, you must be with someone else who has a bodyguard- one of your friends. And I know that you definitely like breaking rules, but you cannot break this one."

"Okay," Sophie relented. She could live with those restrictions. She couldn't live with trying to replace Sandor, because nothing could ever do that.

"Okay. Elwin's going to make sure you're okay, and then you can go home."

"Great," Sophie sighed. She really did want to go home and see her parents. Elwin walked over and and did some weird Flasher stuff before declaring her "as fine as she ever is." Sophie took out her home crystal and leapt to Havenfield. Her mom and dad greeted her with tears, hugs, and mallowmelt before having the same argument about bodyguards that she had just had with Mr. Forkle.

It was nice to be with her parents, but the house felt wrong without seeing Sandor stand guard. Without hearing him stomp around and lecture Sophie in his squeaky voice. Nothing felt right now that Sandor, the annoying goblins constant in her life, was de- gone.

Eventually, Sophie decided that even though she had spent nearly a full day unconscious, she was exhausted, both mentally and physically. After eating a final piece of mallowmelt and telling her parents that she loved them, Sophie went to bed.

Despite being tired, Sophie found that she couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the two battles that she had just been through. Over and over again. And she especially kept seeing Sandor crumpled on the ground, and the blood-

Yeah. Sleep wasn't going to happen.

If Sophie wasn't going to sleep, she was at least going to be productive, she decided. She threw off her covers and got a piece of paper and a pencil.

Neverseen Members, she wrote, underlining it as the title.

Fintan: Still a threat.

Gisela: Dead.

Ruy: Powers not working, but still an active member, so threat.

Vespera: Threat.

Gethen: Threat.

Trix: Threat.

Sophie thought about the members that Blur and Axel had mentioned during their interrogation. Other than the Mesmer Gemma, who was arrested, Sophie had no idea if any of them were alive or not, or if they were arrested. She hailed Mr. Forkle- honestly, it wouldn't surprise her if he was up this late as well.

As it turned out, he was, and gave her all of the information she needed- and corrected her on Trix's status: he had been arrested after the battle at Gildingham.

Mesmer (Gemma): Arrested.

Conjurer: Dead

Voiciforater: Dead

Guster #1: Threat

Guster: #2: Arrested.

Beguiler: Arrested.

Charger: Threat.

Fluctuator: Threat.

Vanisher: Dead.

There was also Alvar, but if he wasn't dead yet, he probably would be soon. Definitely not one of the threats. Sophie counted up everyone that she had listed as a threat: Fintan, Ruy, Vespera, Gethen, one of the Gusters, a Charger, and a Fluctuator. Seven. Plus whatever members they had that were of another species or that Blur and Axel didn't know about- but still. Seven wasn't a very big number.

They could do this.

They could survive this.

They could win this.

But can they? Guess you'll have to wait for a lot of incredibly slow updates before you find out!

In honor of Pride month, I am ordering you to go read some Uncanonical Gay Fanfiction (copyright @Audkra17, 2020).

Please comment! --->