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Grady, Edaline, Dex, and Valerie flashed away, leaving Sophie with Alden. Grady and Edaline dropped Dex off at his house while Valerie was exploring the pastures at Havenfield. She was helping the gnomes feed Verdi. Unfortunately, Verdi never likes her vegetarian diet, so it took a while to feed her.
By the time Grady and Edaline arrived home, Valerie was utterly drained from the day's tumultuous events. She collapsed onto her bed, longing for a moment of peace. But just as she closed her eyes, her Imparter began to ring, shattering the tranquility she had.
"Hello, Valerie," Clara said, as her face appeared on the small screen.
"Hey. How are you?" Valerie asked.
"Good. I heard about what happened today."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, and I think we should talk about it, in person. Are you doing anything?"
"No, I'm free right now."
"Perfect, I will see you at Havenfield."
"Great! See you then." Valerie said, with a small smile.
Soon, Clara arrived at Havenfield and Valerie bid goodbye to Grady and Edaline.
"How was your tribunal?"
"Good. Stressful." Valerie laughed.
"I'm sure it was. Do you have any idea where you heard of the location of Marquiseire."
"No idea, but I wish I knew. It would make things a lot easier."
"Well, how has school been?"
"Good, I have some friends and I like all of my classes."
"That's great to hear! What about living with Grady and Edaline?"
"I really like it. If was a bit weird at first, but I eventually got into a routine."
Clara nodded and smiled, relieved that Val was settling in and finally finding her place among them. It had been a whirlwind of a day, full of unexpected events and tense moments. Valerie couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude now that the entire ordeal over stars was officially over. Clara's imparter stared to ring, "Oh, Valerie, give me one moment."
"Ok, I'll go over by the trees to give you some more privacy."
It took a few minutes for Clara to finish her talk with someone named Blur. Not that she was eavesdropping.
"Hey, Valerie, I have to go."
"Oh, ok. I should probably see if Sophie is back home."
Both of the elves light leaped back to Havenfield where they saw Verdi and Grady in a battle, one Grady was seemingly losing.
"Hey, kid! Sophie and Edaline are inside. I'll join you guys once Verdi eats her food." Grady said, sounding slightly out of breath.
"Ok, I will see you soon." Valerie stated while walking towards the door. "Bye, Clara."
"Bye, Valerie. I hope to see you again soon."
"I do too."
Valerie walked into her house as Clara light leaped away. When she entered Val saw Edaline and greeted her. Edaline looked sad and a little hurt, she decided not to mention it in fear of making her more upset. After, she trudged up to the third floor only to find Sophie looking at a book with a teal cover with a swan on the cover.
Sophie looked up at her and shoved the book into a random bookcase. Valerie chose to not say a word and instead sat down at her desk, opened a text book, and started to study. Finals were coming up after all.
Later that evening, Edaline conjured up the girls two, delicious dinners of "Mashed Carnissa Root" and "Sugarknots" for dessert. While Val ate, Sophie explained what Alden told her and about her memory log, but she left out the part about the picture from her old scrapbook she found.
The next day, Sophie hid the memory log in her satchel at the bottom. None of her friends, except for Val, noticed how stressed she was. They were all used to her difficulties in PE, and during lunch they were distracted by the pressure they were getting to manifest special abilities. It wasn't until telepathy that she wished she'd stayed home claiming sickness.
"Did you sleep at all last night?" Tiergan asked as she slumped into her chair.
"No." There was no point lying. She'd seen her reflection.
"I expected as much." He cleared his throat. "Alden told me what happened yesterday."
She should have guessed that. Which meant he knew about her special assignment. She gripped her satchel, like holding it tighter would protect the many secrets inside.
"Have you started the memory log?" he asked, confirming her fear.
She hesitated for a second before she nodded.
"I assume you don't want to show me."
Silence stretched between them until Tiergan removed a black pathfinder from his pocket. "Transmit to Valerie and tell her to come here, quickly."
So, Sophie transmitted her location and told Val to find them as quickly as possible. When Valerie knocked, Sir Tiergan wasted no time. "Concentrate," he commanded, and a wave of blue light swept them away.
Noise hammered into the girls' brains as the scenery glittered back into substance.
"Remember to shield," Tiergan shouted as Sophie covered her ears, trying to shield out the pain.
Sophie closed her eyes and pushed against the noise with her mind. The chaos quieted and she started breathing again. Valerie was having trouble with all the people so close to her, she could feel all of the stings in their brains, begging to be pulled and manipulated.
Tiergan led them to a bench and Sophie sank down, exhausted. Valerie took a seat next to her and Tiergan sat down beside her. "Welcome to Los Angeles. Actually, I believe they call this place Hollywood."
At this point, Sophie had been away from humans for almost six months—long enough to forget the traffic, pollution, trash, and all of the other issues humans have. "Um, aren't we a little out of place?" She pulled on her cape.
"Here?" Across the street Spider-Man and Wonder Women posed for pictures outside Mann's Chinese Theatre.
"No, I guess not." If anything, they blended right in. "What are we doing here?"
"Breaking the law." He held up the pathfinder, casting thin, blue beams of light on the concrete. "Only blue crystals can leap you to the Forbidden Cities, and only certain members of the nobility are allowed to have them. Mine was issued back when I worked for the Council, and I 'forgot' to give it back when I resigned. So this trip is our little secret, okay?"
Both girls nodded.
"I come here sometimes. I'm not supposed to, but it helps to see them in real life." He gestured towards the humans bustling along the streets, unaware of the elves blending in among them. "We've cut ourselves off—vanished into the light. Makes it easy to forget how similar we are. Or could be—if they weren't so stubborn." He paused, as if expecting her to respond. However, she found herself at a loss for words.
"Do you ever wonder why you were hidden among humans?" Tiergan inquired.
"To be honest, I've thought about it briefly. I just can't fathom why anyone would do such a thing," Valerie replied.
Sophie's mind flashed to Prentice. "My real parents must've wanted to get rid of me," she whispered.
Tiergan closed his eyes, pain etching lines into his features. "Trust me, Sophie—no one 'got rid of' you. Don't you know how special you are? How unique you both are?"
"Yeah, special enough to have secret information stored in my brain without my permission," she mumbled. Perhaps that's why Prentice abandoned her. Who would want a daughter like her?
"That's not the only reason you're special, believe me," Tiergan reassured, his voice strained. "Have you remembered anything else since the tribunal?"
She watched an ant crawl across the dirty pavement.
"I understand if you aren't ready to talk about it. But don't be afraid to explore your memories. They might be the only way to understand who you really are."
"What if I'm someone bad?" Sophie whispered, voicing the fear that had consumed her since yesterday.
"I can assure you you're not," he promised.
She shook her head, refusing to believe him. "What do you know about Prentice?"
Tiergan shifted uncomfortably. Valerie looked between the two. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"I know that's classified information, but I think I deserve to know who he was," she persisted. "He was my father, wasn't he?"
Tiergan sucked in a breath. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"
"He was a Keeper, and he was exiled because of me. It's not hard to put the pieces together."
"Sophie, look at me," Tiergan urged, waiting until she did. "Prentice was exiled because he was hiding your existence—not because he was responsible for it."
"What do you mean?"
He hesitated, his internal conflict evident. Valerie stared at him, wondering if this could relate to her own unknown past.
"Please," she whispered. "No one will tell me anything about my past."
He sighed and looked away, his words rushed. "Prentice was a Keeper for a group called the Black Swan, and the information he was hiding was you. Where to find you. I'd warned Prentice there would be consequences for assisting the Black Swan, but he didn't listen. And when he was captured, he sacrificed his sanity to keep you hidden. Now he lives in exile, his mind shattered, useless."
"Do you know anything about me? What happened in my past?" Valerie asked.
"That's a story for another time."
Valerie was silent after that. He clearly knows something, he is just not telling her.
"Is that why you're so upset with Alden?" Sophie inquired, her voice trembling slightly.
Tiergan nodded gravely. "Alden was the one who found him. I pleaded for mercy on Prentice's behalf, but the Council demanded to know what Prentice hid in his mind, so Alden oversaw something called a memory break. It's a type of probe that shatters someone's sanity in order to access their hidden memories."
Sophie shivered at the thought. She couldn't imagine Alden carrying out such an order—unless he believed he was justified. But why wouldn't Prentice just reveal where she was hidden? "What exactly is the Black Swan?"
"It's something our society struggles to understand," Tiergan explained, his fingers twisting the edge of his cape. "The name itself is symbolic. For centuries, humans believed that black swans didn't exist. So when one was discovered, it became a symbol of something that defied expectations. A small group within our society adopted the name, representing a brewing rebellion—a 'black swan'—in a society where rebellion is not supposed to exist."
"How do you know so much about them?" Sophie couldn't help but ask.
"You're not the only one with secrets you'd rather not share," Tiergan replied cryptically.
Sophie swallowed hard, realizing how little she truly knew about her beloved Mentor. He couldn't be involved in anything... sinister, could he? No, Tiergan was one of the most kind individuals she knew. He could never be aligned with anything bad.
"So, the Black Swan are the villians, right?" Sophie whispered, her gaze fixed on her trembling hands. "And if they have something to do with me..." She couldn't bring herself to complete the thought.
Tiergan gently clasped her hands, waiting for her to meet his gaze. "Whatever the Black Swan represents, it doesn't define who you are. When I look at you, I see only goodness. You demonstrated integrity when you confessed to cheating, and you accepted your detention. Whatever information is hidden in your mind, and whatever secrets your past holds, they don't change the person you are today. I have complete confidence that you will always make the right choices when the time comes."
His words felt like a soothing balm, easing the turmoil in her mind. Her voice was thick with emotion as she responded, "Thank you, Tiergan. I'll try to remember that."
As she processed his words, she realized that the fragments of information he shared were like pieces of a puzzle she wasn't sure she wanted to solve. For now, she tucked them away, holding onto the belief that Tiergan was right—that she was inherently good. With that assurance, she felt capable of facing whatever challenges lay ahead.
Valerie remained seated, her mind consumed by thoughts of what Tiergan knew that she didn't. Perhaps he chose not to disclose certain information because it was unpleasant, and he wanted to spare her from the anxiety and saddening truth. The uncertainty gnawed at her, leaving her feeling unsettled. She wondered if there were dark truths lurking in her past that she was better off not knowing. Yet, the nagging curiosity persisted, urging her to seek answers despite the potential consequences.
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