Keeper of the Lost Cities: Rebuild [COMPLETED]

Chapter Thirteen - SOPHIE

Oralie had once told Sophie that objects held more memories than the mind. Five years after her death, the words still haunted Sophie's thoughts. They gripped her heart and refused to let go.

As a Telepath, she hadn't fully understood her mother's proverb—after all, the mind was where every possibility lay, ripe for the plucking.

But Sophie sort of understood as she stood beneath the branches of the Panakes, the soft petals falling around her like a magical rain. Closing her eyes, she felt an ache, raw and primal and—So. Very. Painful.

It was bravery, a friend sacrificing their life.

It was newness, an almost-kiss and warm tears.

It was laughter, an elf-shaped cookie and crooked smiles.

More than that, it was a feeling, one that did not lead to a picture or a thought, but a memory of an object rather than the mind.

Yes, she understood, though it passed swiftly, without a goodbye. A different pain took its place, one born from experience, from voices and signs and white cloaks.

It was fear—fear Sophie had felt before, but never as intensely.

It was the fear of a choice, the fear of making a choice, the fear of responsibility and leadership and all the things she was supposed to be but didn't want to be.

In her friends' faces during the march, Sophie had seen absolute disgust.

But she hadn't been disgusted. She'd been terrified.

Years of rebellion and unrest had caused irreparable damage. The best they could do—the Council and Black Swan, together—was bandage the wounds and tell everyone to move on.

Sure, there were some things they could fix. They could bring the humans back. They could allow more freedom. But there were some things that could not be forgotten. It was all they could do to step forward. To not give up.

And then the Purities had arisen.

The Purities, who fought for a world before the Neverseen—their version of peace. Instead, they only caused more fear and more chaos.

What was Sophie supposed to do? How was she supposed to protect the humans and keep the elves happy?

She couldn't help but wonder if she was doing the right thing. That was what they were supposed to be—the good guys. But what was right anymore—absolve the humans of all their crimes or turn them away?

The worst part was that the humans were still guilty. They still killed, they still overpopulated, they still polluted.

But.

That wasn't everyone's fault, and how could she punish a whole species for the mistakes of only a few?

Except it's not just "a few," she reminded herself. More than enough humans do all those things that someone could justify banning them from the Lost Cities.

"They could," she whispered, breeze blowing her hair back, "but can I?"

"Can you what?"

Sophie jumped, spinning around to find Keefe—garishly red cape gone, thank goodness—standing just out of reach of the branches, as if the ground beneath the Panakes was sacred.

Or maybe he didn't want to feel peaceful right now.

Hey—Sophie got that.

She stepped away from the tree to kiss him. It was nothing special, only a small kiss in greeting, but she found herself wanting more.