Moonlark Turned Evil

34: Sunset

"Stop," Sophie ordered, her voice cutting through the room.

Everyone froze.

"That's enough," she said. "This conversation shouldn't be about who is going. That comes later. The question we should be asking is are we going to fight at all?"

Alden gave her a startled look, as if he hadn't even thought the Black Swan wouldn't side with the Council—and it wasn't his fault, really. He'd grown up in a world where everyone wanted the Council's protection, and had even become an emissary for them.

Mr. Forkle exchanged glances with the rest of the Collective, no doubt communicating Telepathically with them.

Sophie leaned against the wall, observing the room. Grady and Edaline were standing behind her—the parents had arrived a few minutes ago, after Forkle had hailed them—and Sandor, her overprotective and adorable bodyguard, was standing on her other side.

Keefe and his bodyguard, Ro, were at the far end of the room. His parents were no where to be seen, and he didn't seem all that surprised about it—which made Sophie's heart ache for some reason she didn't fully understand.

Fitz, Biana, Della, and Alden—who'd managed to find a break in his busy schedule just to come here—were beside Keefe. Grizel and Woltzer were standing guard behind the siblings.

Fayn was behind Dex. Kesler was on Dex's Imparter, because he was on triplet watching duty and running the store in Mysterium, and couldn't come to the discussion in person.

(Yes—that Fayn. Sophie had made sure all the bodyguards were members of Phoenix, and didn't have any ties with the Black Swan. Y'know, just in case something happened where her creators abandoned her or betrayed her . . . again.)

Finally, Tam, Linh, an ogre called Bo, and Glimmer were beside Sandor. Apparently Bo was trying to avoid Keefe—mostly because the Empath had a habit of singing 'The Ballad of Bo and Ro' every time he saw one of the two ogre bodyguards.

It was driving them crazy, and everyone except them found it hilarious.

Tam and Linh's parents—Quan and Mai Song—hadn't come. In fact, Tam had actually asked Forkle not to call them.

Sophie didn't know the story behind the whole 'banished from the Lost Cities' thing the two of them went through—neither of them talked about it—but she was guessing it had nothing to do with having amazing parents.

Forkle rubbed his temples. "We will be fighting," he announced. "And we will be aiding the Council." He caught her gaze. Met Fayn's. Moved onto Glimmer. "This decision is not up for negotiation."

She had a long list of reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea to team up with the Council, but she held her tongue as the arguments broke out again.

Grady and Edaline didn't say anything, as they'd already agreed to let Sophie go. Sandor wasn't happy about it—but she was technically his commanding officer.

(Technically because the goblins had been sent to aid Phoenix on their queen's orders. They could withdraw their support any time the queen wished.)

Tam and Linh didn't say anything either—it appeared they'd reached an agreement with their bodyguards as well.

Sophie caught Forkle's gaze again. Stretching out a probe, she slipped past the barriers of his mind.

I would say a group of thirty, she transmitted. Hydrokinetics, Psionipaths, Cryokinetics, and Gusters.

For maneuverability? he questioned.

You already know the answer to that, she told him coldly. No need to play dumb.