Grey - A Kotlc Story

How the Heck Did She Find Out?!

"HOW could you know everything?!" Fitz cried, looking straight at Asia. "We didn't even tell you everything!" Asia's confidence derailed to frustration. She looked directly at her mother, and let her thoughts go free.

"Yeah, what was that all about? WHY–more like–HOW did you not tell us that there's a secret, formerly rebellious, organization running out of OUR BASEMENT! Heck, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE HAD A BASEMENT!" Asia bit her lip. Her voice had gotten louder than she'd wanted it to be. Both Sophie and Keefe had developed an intense interest in their shoes as Asia spoke. When no one said anything after a few seconds, Asia urged, "Uh... Is anyone going to say anything?!" Sophie lifted her chin and met Asia's eyes.

"What exactly do you know?" she asked, her brown eyes staring. Asia sighed like "here we go" and repeated all that Indri had told her. She talked about Fitz finding Sophie, about Sophie's seemingly interminable battle with the Neverseen, about the final stand down and about all the sacrifices that they had made along the way. She continued, saying that she knew that there was a girl in the Forbidden cities that had the same story as her mother. When she finished, the group's jaws hung slack, their sense of bewilderment very noticeable.

Regaining her composure, Biana asked, "And, how do you know this? Only members of the Black Swan know all the details, and there is no way that you could have talked to one of those at school!" She squinted her eyes, assessing her own words. Looking pointedly at Linh, she said, "Or could she have?"

Linh shook her head rapidly, her sapphire teardrop earrings jingling. "I didn't talk to her once! My classroom is in the Level Five tower!" Both she and Biana shared a look and turned to look at Asia.

Clearing her throat, Asia clarified for them, "I have a... friend. Her mom works for the Panakes Paper and her mom's girlfriend is in the Black Swan. She's the only reason that I know anything." All of them were silent for a minute, thinking who was the member of the Black Swan that had given up this information. After a while, Dex spoke up.

"STINA!" he called out suddenly, breaking the silence. Seeing the shock on everybody's faces and realizing the volume of his voice, he laughed sheepishly. "I... um... I mean, it's Stina! She's the only member of the Black Swan that knows the details and is dating a woman from the Panakes Paper!" The nodded, slowly at first and then more eagerly, putting together the pieces in their own heads.

Sophie furrowed her eyebrows. "Before we keep talking, I just want to know, do Nathan or Royce know any of this? Are they upstairs?" Asia shook her head.

"Royce took Nathan to Cerulea. They aren't here." Sophie sighed. If the boys were at Fitz and Linh's house, they wouldn't be back for a while.

"Good. We don't need either of them finding out about this. You definitely weren't supposed to but, I'm not going to let the washers wash your mind. So, I think you can help us." Sophie continued. "You're going to go and get the girl."