Sophie hung out with her daughter and contemplated on the Elf-Human dilemma for another week until she was called over to Aquaglint.
Charlotte decided to tag along on this meeting, saying that she didn't want to be separated from Sophie anymore.
"Hey Linh!" Sophie greeted when she spotted her friend waiting anxiously by the door. Linh's face immediately lit up when she spotted Sophie.
"Everyone else is already inside... I was starting to worry that you wouldn't come."
"Sorry." Sophie said hastily before following Linh inside her house.
Her face turned impassive again and unreadable as she led Sophie into her house.
Her friends all had an unexplainable expression on their faces, and only a few offered Sophie a quick, tiny smile when she waved. Keefe was not amongst them, and he immediately looked away when their eyes met. Could he possibly be regretting what he had done a week ago? She had not met him since, so it was definitely a possibility that he had changed his mind about her — if, of course, he had felt something for her in the first place.
Charlotte, oblivious to anything, giggled when she saw everyone and ran over to Keefe. His eyes softened when he looked at her and placed her easily onto his lap.
"So... what's up?" Sophie said awkwardly, breaking the silence.
"It was confirmed this morning that the humans have breached the protection and have somehow figured out the entrance to our world." Mr. Forkle informed them.
Looking at the unsurprised looks on her friends' faces, Sophie figured out that they already found out about it before she came.
"What do you mean?" Sophie couldn't help but ask. A part of her kept telling her that this was bound to happen, because after all, things had to get worse before it got better. But the other part of her was surprised nonetheless. It wasn't like she had underestimated what humans were capable of, but to think that the elves and humans were literally on the verge of war put her on edge.
"Exactly as it sounds." Veta whispered. "It is only a matter of time before they start bombing us."
"Argh, shtupid humans!" Charlotte yelled, and Keefe chocked back a laugh.
As did everybody else.
"So... what are we gonna do?" Biana asked. "It doesn't seem possible to stop the oncoming war now at this point."
"We do what we always have done." Mr. Forkle said, and although he looked tired, his voice held steady and a look of determination crossed his face. "Face the battle full-on."
Sophie gaped at him. "But we can't harm the humans! They're acting on false information."
"If my sister hadn't..." Veta muttered. She cleared her throat "We've got to battle on, for what else can we do? Let the humans burn us and our city down?"
"Well, no, of course not, but..." Sophie trailed off, at a loss of words. "Can I at least go where they came in? For investigating purposes?"
Mr. Forkle sighed. "I was afraid you would ask that. But it is dangerous, Miss. Foster. The humans, despite the false orders they're acting on, are quite determined. It would take a lot to stop them."
"I never said I want to go to stop them. It's just investigation. What harm can it cause?" Sophie argued as Charlotte slid off from Keefe's lap and walked over to Sophie.
Mr. Forkle sighed. "I'm not sure if you are aware that you often get carried away. I think that perhaps this would be one of those times, so I advise you go with someone, you are actually going."
Sophie was surprised that he was actually letting her go without a fight. She smiled at him before looking around the room, trying to see who would be good company.
"I wanna go!" Charlotte chirped, tugging on Sophie's clothes and looking up at her with pleading eyes.
"Char, I'm not sure if that is a good idea..." Sophie trailed off.
"You never let me go! Please? If you're allowed to go, why aren't I?" Maybe she had a point. But letting Charlotte tag along made her want to cancel the investigation altogether, for who knew what would happen?
"Well, I'd always be happy to go." Fitz informed them.
"Me too!" Biana added.
"Yep." Tam agreed, making Bianca's face fall. So, they hadn't made up yet. Or made out.
"What about me, guys? Why am I always forgotten?" Dex whined.
Keefe remained silent through this all, although if he had voiced out that he wanted to come with her, Sophie would've gladly chosen him.
Sophie must have been staring at him for a while because he looked up and gave her a questioning look. She felt her cheeks flush, and she looked away, but not before she noticed the beginning of a smirk on his lips.
Oh, his lips. How could they look so pink, so deliciously inviting? Why were they—
What in the world had happened to her brain. She shook her head a few times to clear those thoughts, but she was sure her cheeks were now an embarrassing red, maybe even maroon.
"So, um." She cleared her throat. "Um, so."
"So?" Keefe repeated, one of his eyebrows raised teasingly. He had probably figured out what was going inside her brain due to her emotions. Empaths...
"In my humble opinion, if Charlotte wishes to join, Keefe or Tam should accompany her. She seems the most relaxed when she's around them." Veta said.
"What about me?" Fitz pouted. "We're Cogna—"
"I really really wanna come! Please, mommy?" Charlotte interrupted.
"Fine." Sophie sighed, knowing that there was no point in arguing with this stubborn little girl. Charlotte looked elated.
"Oh, erm." Tam said after Linh elbowed him and shot him a pointed look. "I-I forgot that I have to- to water Linh's new fish that day."
"And I have to go kill ghosts." Biana muttered. Tam frowned.
"Well, then, that would mean Sophie would have to go with Keefe!" Linh said, not quite being able to hide her smile.
"Meet me at 4:00 am at my house." Sophie said to Keefe, but then glanced at Charlotte. "Or maybe later... Charlotte needs her sleep..."
"No, I don't! Come over to our house at 3:00! I'm gonna sleep right now." And sure enough, Charlotte was asleep in no time.
Fitz looked infuriated. "But what about me? I would be a way better accompanist!"
Veta frowned. "I'm afraid this case is settled, Mr. Vacker. Good luck next time."
..................................................................................
"Mommy, I think thash good." Charlotte mumbled, rubbing her eyes as Sophie emerged from the closet for the hundredth time.
She had trouble falling asleep, so she had settled for choosing the clothes she would be wearing to the investigation. Because she had to go to the Forbidden Cities, she was trying to find good camouflage— in other words, humans clothes.
Charlotte looked adorable in a red T-shirt with Micky mouse on it and leggings. So why couldn't she look good?
And yet, she couldn't find any that seemed good enough. She didn't know why, but she was rather determined to look good— something she didn't really care about usually. Perhaps this was the effect of a certain elf she would be meeting soon.
Sophie stared at herself in the mirror, her heart falling once again as she started to lose hope. Keefe was probably used to beautiful women, and she was quite the opposite.
Charlotte frowned. "I can choose for you?"
Sophie sighed and nodded. "Okay."
Charlotte you emerged carrying a leather jacket, ripped black jeans, a white shirt, and a pair of combat boots. Sophie sighed, having tried a combination like that already, but put them on anyways. Whatever. Keefe deserved someone better than her anyway.
A knock in the door informed that Keefe had arrived, and Charlotte strutted towards it, looking excited. Sophie quickly tied her hair into a high ponytail, and followed her.
"Hey, Foster." Keefe said from the doorway. "Twinsies day, I take it?"
Sophie looked at him and saw that he, too, had worn a leather jacket, black jeans, and a white shirt. And boy did he look good, way better than she could ever be. She gaped at him.
"Don't look so horrified! Look, we're just that alike." Keefe said. "C'mon, Lady Foss-Boss, lead us to the humans!"
Charlotte giggled, looking up at Keefe pleadingly and he picked her up with ease.
Sophie followed them out the door. "So, the plan was that we go to the Forbidden Cities and blend in with the humans and go over to where they found the entrance to our world. And try not to get hurt along the way."
Keefe shrugged. "That's lame, I was expecting more drama and ka-pows! But it's fine. I'm all for it."
What had happened to the quiet Keefe of yesterday? Why was he suddenly so talkative? Well, it wasn't like she was complaining. She preferred he be like this rather than be all mysterious.
"Me too!" Charlotte exclaimed, bouncing up and down in Keefe's arms.
Sophie took out a nexus from her bag and put it on her daughter's arm. Although Charlotte stared at it with a look of distaste, she didn't complain. Maybe this was because she had figured out that elves her age all had to wear one.
"Here goes nothing." Sophie mumbled, putting the crystal to the light, taking Keefe's hand, and walking into the Forbidden Cities.
..................................................................................
Everyone, quite literally, were talking non-stop about Elves in the Forbidden Cities.
"Hey, I can actually undershtand what they're saying!" Charlotte beamed. "Doesh thish mean that I'm a Polyglot, like you, mommy?"
Keefe and Sophie exchanged glances before trying to think of what to say.
But they didn't have to, because a crowd of humans rammed into them. Charlotte got lost in the crowd, screaming, and Sophie chased after her with Keefe on her heels.
"Charlotte!" Sophie screamed in English as another surge of people swallowed Keefe whole. "Dammit!"
"Mommy!" The voice of Charlotte came distinctly, and Sophie rushed over to where she heard the voice.
"...Force Field has been breached..."
"...We are finally attacking..."
"...The Elves don't stand a chance with us..."
"...The army has already gotten in..."
Sophie froze as her ears let in the conversation around her. So the entrance to the Lost Cities have been breached, and it was only a matter of time before her world collapsed. She had been too late, hasn't she?
Charlotte was laying, shaking, on the sidewalk, looking at the tiny cut on her leg.
"Aw, sweetie," Sophie cooed, crouching down and picking Charlotte up, "where does it hurt?"
Charlotte sniffled. "Everywhere. Where's daddy?"
"Right here." Keefe replied, emerging right next to them, but his face was unreadable. "Did you hear that?" He whispered to Sophie.
She nodded. "Well, let's just follow them to the force field and we'll go from there."
They jogged past the crowd for what seemed like ages -- Keefe having to take Charlotte from Sophie when she slowed down -- before they found the sizzling force field -- or what remained of it.
A huge, gaping hole was open in the middle, and the humans were stampeding inside. Without a word, a silent agreement was made between Sophie and Keefe -- get inside. Squeezing past a couple of people, they barely managed to get inside. The scene around them changed immediately (the humans were trying to get a video of it while some fainted in surprise) to the entrance of Atlantis. It was only a matter of time before the humans found a way to activate the whirlwind and find a way to get into the beautiful city underneath. However, they all seemed preoccupied with the fact that they got in, and started posting their new discovery on Snapchat and Instagram and whatever they used these days.
Sophie had been too late. She hadn't been able to stop it. She quickly turned to Keefe, who was staring at the hole with a look similar to hers. "Aquaglint. Now."
Taking Charlotte and Keefe's hand, she brought her crystal up to the light and leaped away, hoping that no one would notice. They probably didn't -- they all seemed pretty determined to take selfies.
Linh opened the door, looking confused. "Are you guys okay?" She asked.
"Thehumansfoundawaytobreachtheforcefieldandnowthey'reattheentrancetoAtlantisweneedtogonowandstopitalthoughthereisn'tanystoppinganymorebutaaaaargh!" Sophie explained.
"Excuse me, what?" Linh asked. She smiled. "You sound like Jensi."
"Call the rest of us over." Keefe said. "Can you do Tam, Biana, and Fitz? We'll do the rest."
"On it." Linh pulled out her imparter and immediately hailed Biana.
"Show me Dex." Sophie said, while Keefe did the same for Marella.
"Hey Soph! What's up? How did the investigation go?" Dex grinned.
"Come over to Aquaglint, the humans are attacking." Sophie said. The smile immediately vanished from Dex's face.
"I'll be there in five." He mumbled.
Sure enough, everyone of her friends had gathered in the beautiful house's living room in less than ten minutes. Well, there were the Collective and Councilors too. They all had matching solemn looks on their faces.
"Is that true? That the humans have come in?" Biana asked. Sophie could only nod.
"What would you do, Miss. Foster?" One of the Councilors asked.
Why was he asking her? "Well... I say we face the battle full-on. We can't stop it anymore, and if we ignored them, they'd eventually find a way to come into Atlantis and the elves will definitely be outnumbered. Remember, we're not warriors. Meanwhile, they have guns and weapons we don't have. So the only way we can get out of this is if we manage to..." change their mind, Sophie's thoughts finished the sentence, but this was impossible.
...Or was it?
Sophie turned to Veta.
"Is it possible to make them forget about, even while they're looking at us?"
Hi! OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY I HAVEN'T POSTED IN A WHILE...
Well, these are no excuses, but let me tell you guys what happened over the last couple of days... weeks... maybe even months...
First, summer! Raise your hand if you guys had a nice summer!!
Second, school! School. Yay.
Thirdly, I've been trying new things lately... and it's no excuse, but I couldn't work on this story that much.
But on a brighter note, this chapter is a bit longer than the rest!
Enjoy!!
SilverFox Out