Secrets (a MPHFPC Fanfic)

Escape: Euphora

There were bangs and shouting. The wights that were guarding me rushed off. I was left tied in my cell. But I wouldn't just stay there.

Using the projection skill I discovered I had, I blew up my bonds using my energy. Then I did the same thing with the door. I looked out and saw the wights trying to blast through a door. In all the noise and dust, they hadn't noticed me blowing up my own door.

The wights stopped setting of their bombs for a minute, murmering among themselves. I was about to set off down the hallway, but then I heard new voices coming from inside the room they were trying to get into. People were in there. I rubbed my eyes and ducked back into my cell, thinking. Where was my mother? And then it hit me. She must be in there.

How could I help? Then an idea came to me.

I walked out and gestured to the wights, imagining multiple large hands ripping out of the ground and grabbing them. The wights froze, then started struggling against an unseen force. I blew open the door, hoping no one had been near it. I was about to walk in when a voice came over the PA system. It was my uncle.

"Send the boy out alone and no one gets hurt."

The loud voice startled me and my energy failed for a second, not much, but just enough for a few wights to tackle me. They wrestled me to the ground and restrained me. I had been drained far more than I had thought, just keeping the wights in captivity for those few seconds and blasting open my door.

"They have control of the hollows! Fall back, men! Defensive positions!" Caul's voice sounded over the speakers. The wights pulled me along with them. The ones holding me took me to another room, but they had underestimated me. I broke out and returned to the room, but everyone had gone. I heard shouts and bangs in the other hallway and I rushed toward it, my only care was my mother. There was a big boom and I heard the screech of a peregrine falcon. That was my mother. She was definitely there. I rounded the corner just in time to see the last of a crowd disappearing out the gate. I followed as quickly as I could and saw so many peculiars, I couldn't count them.

I searched the crowd for my mother. I found her on the outskirts of the mass. I rushed up to her and she looked at me, smiling and looking very much relieved.

"Oh, thank the birds!" She said, hugging me tightly. "I looked in your cell but the door was blown off and I thought something terrible might have happened."

She stood next to a boy with a ghastly wound who was seemingly floating next to her, looking at us confusedly.

"Oh, forgive me," My mother said to him. "This is my daughter, Euphora. Euphora, this is Jacob Portman. He's riding a hollow right now, but he has complete control over it." Jacob's eyes widened.

"You have a daughter?" He looked shocked.

"Yes," she said back to him. Jacob looked as though he might faint. "Don't be too shocked, Mr. Portman."

Bentham walked over.

"Hello, Alma! Fantastic to see you!" My mother's face was sour, unwelcoming. I could only guess that mine was an exact copy. Bentham cleared his throat awkwardly. "Why, I'm the reason you're not still in that prison cell! Go on, children, tell them!"

Jacob looked hesitant. "Mr. Bentham helped us a lot." Wait- was my other uncle one of the good guys? Had he really just played double agent? What about all the times he had threatened us?

"In that case, all due thanks," My mother replied coldly. "I'll ensure the Council of the Ymbrynes is made aware of the role you played here. Perhaps they'll see fit to lighten your sentence."

"Sentence?" another girl who had been standing nearby said. "What sentence?"

My uncle's lip twisted. "Banishment. You don't think I'd live in this pit if I was welcome anywhere else, do you? I was framed, unjustly accused of--"

"Collusion," My mother interrupted. "Collaboration with the enemy. Betrayal after betrayal." Mother had tried to put up a calm front, but she was clearly angry.

Bentham started whining. "I was working as a double agent, Alma, mining our brother for information. I explained this to you! You know I have every reason to hate Jack!" Mother held up a hand to stop his spluttering. Yeah, she knows. I thought. But that doesn't mean you're telling the truth. I considered saying something, but this was between my mother and my uncle, as much as I'd like to spit in his face.

Mother turned toward Jacob. "When he betrayed your grandfather, that was the last straw."

Bentham recoiled. "That was an accident!"

My mother frowned, not believing him. "Then what became of the suul you drew from him?"

"It was injected into the test subjects!"

Mother shook her head firmly. "We reverse-engineered your experiment. They were given suul from barnyard animals, which can only mean you kept Abe's for yourself." I had no idea what they were talking about, but it did sound like Bentham to keep an extremely powerful soul at his disposal.

"What an absurd alligation!" He cried at his sister. I couldn't tell if he was acting or if he was genuinely surprised. "Is that what you told the council? That's why I'm still rotting here, isn't it? I knew you felt threatened by my intellect and superior leadership capabilities. But that you'd stoop to such lies to keep me out of your way..." I felt defensive as I watched my mother, her eyes flash with anger. "Do you know how many years I've spent fighting to eradicate the scourge of ambrosia use? Why on Earth would I want that poor man's suul?"

"The same thing our brother wants with young Mr. Portman."

"I won't even honor that accusation with denial. I only wish this haze of bias would clear so you could see the truth. I'm on your side, Alma, and I've always been."

"You're on whatever side fits your interest at the moment." My mother spat. And I must admit, I agreed with her. Only days ago did Bentham threaten to end one of our lives to save him from Caul.

Bentham sighed and looked at Jacob and the girl. "Goodbye, children. It's been a distinct pleasure knowing you. I'll go back home now; saving your lives has taken quite a toll on this old man's body. But I hope one day, when your headmistress comes to her senses, we'll meet again."

Then he turned to me. "I'm truly sorry for all I've put you through. One day, when your mother realizes who I really am, perhaps we can get to know each other better. Until then." Then he tipped his hat and he was scooped up by a bear I assumed was under his control and they made their way out.

I heard Jacob mutter, "What a drama queen." I was having similar thoughts. "Indeed," I replied.

"Ymbrynes, watch him!" my mother yelled through the crowd. I noticed she was shaking. But before I could do anything, the other girl asked a question.

"Did he really steal Abe's soul?"

My mother's eyes left her brother and snapped back to us. "Without proof we can't be certain. But the rest of his crimes taken together would earn him more than a lifetime's banishment." Then she returned to watching him and her hard expression seemed to melt into something sad. "My brothers have taught me a hard lesson. No one can hurt you as badly as the people you love."

That's when I took action, hugging her tightly. She hugged me back, and for a while, we just stood in the embrace, like we were the only thing each of us had left.