"Really?" Keefe asked excitedly as he eyed Addy. A flicker of unease spread through his gaze for a moment, then disappeared. "Well, uncle Keefe will teach you everything there is to being an Empath. Don't worry, your Mom is pretty easy to read." He reassured Addy, tossing a wink in Sophie's vague direction. Sophie watched Addy, who was not even looking at Keefe, playing with her terrifying blueish creature, which looked like something between an octopus and a lizard. Keefe had dramatically 'dubbed the' Captain Cuddles, which Fitz had responded to with a legendary groan.
"I think Addy is officially my favorite." Keefe announced, turning from the child playing with her brother-- and her new stuffed toy.
Fitz didn't look at Keefe as he called a rushed farewell before he darted up the stairs to the Leapmaster. Keefe gave Sophie a look. "You wanna go see glitterbutt and her ..." He hesitated a moment, probably thinking up some insane name for Silveny's babies. "Sure!" She responded quickly, before he could find a nickname worth repeating like 'glitterbutt'.
Sophie was happy to finally be outside in the large alicorn pasture once again, realizing with a pang of guilt how she hadn't visited the alicorn family in quite some time. She called Silveny's name, and almost instantly she the truly beautiful noise of hooves against the ground. She smiled as Silveny skidded to a halt, barely in time to avoid running into Keefe.
KEEFE! SOPHIE! VISIT! FRIEND!
She practically screamed in Sophie's head.
Yes, Friend.
Sophie agreed, patting the majestic alicorn's shimmering nose.
TREAT? VISIT! TREAT?
Silveny asked, sniffing Sophie in search of precious swizzlespice.
No, not this time.
Sophie told her apologetically, taking a step back from Silveny in hopes to spare herself from the loud, high pitched voice of Silveny in her head.
How are you doing?
Sophie asked, giving up on her attempts to quiet the voice in her head as she headed towards the alicorn once more, who was sniffing Keefe now.
Unfortunately, she didn't have time to answer. Silveny whinnied as a figure appeared right next to Sophie, raising a crystal to the light.
"SOPHIE!" Keefe called, as the figure dragged her into the light.
Sophie's reaction was not helpful, bursting into screams. She scrambled to get away from the figure as it ran from her.
Why would he run away? Sophie wondered, assuming it was Gethen. "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO CAPTURED ME, REMEMBER? NOW YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE?" She was tempted to scream as Gethen ran straight for the door in the tiny room she was trapped in, and locked her inside.
Sophie watched in terror as, suddenly, a window appeared revealing seven dark cloaked figures behind the glass. Vespera, Brant, Gethen, Ruy, Lady Gisela, Oralie, and Kenric.