A Rift in Time

8. Revelations and Antidotes

---Fit's POV---

Fitz caught Evelyn just in time. As Sophie stood there gaping, Elwin frowned and flashed different coloured orbs of light around her. Alvar moved towards the back of the group, pleased with himself, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Maybe we should take her inside? We can continue this argument later." Fitz suggested. Everyone nodded wearily and Fitz picked her up bridal style. He noticed Alvar hanging around the back of the group, and purposefully walking slowly. Sophie opened the door for Fitz, and he placed Evelyn on her bed. She didn't look uncomfortable or troubled, just peaceful.

"What now?" He asked, looking around. Alvar cleared his throat, and the group looked towards him quizzically.

"Now, we wait." He said. Fitz looked at him, confused. Sophie gasped.

"What's that?" She said, pointing at Evelyn's forehead. Just below her hairline, there was a dark bruise, and thin black lines were extending from it, making their way slowly across her forehead.

"Or it could be quicker than expected." Alvar reasoned with himself. Fitz looked at him.

"What do you mean?" He growled.

"You're the telepath. You tell me." He answered simply. Fitz looked at Sophie nervously, then placed his fingers of Evelyn's temples and entered her mind.

At first, he just saw darkness. Once he made his way past her defences, he found himself falling down a large, vast, shaft.

Hello? Evelyn?

A scene swayed into focus. It was Evelyn, in Alvar's study. She was just wondering around when she noticed a small rack of potions and decided to approach them. Fitz recognised her outfit, it was the day her and Sophie had gone over to Everglen. She had just left to go to the bathroom. By the looks of it, she'd just stumbled upon a room she'd never been in before, and decided to investigate. She plucked one of the vials off of the rack and pulled the cork out. Instantly a horrible smell began wafting off of it, and she fumbled the put the cork back in.

"Well well well, little Evelyn Ruewen. Didn't your sister ever tell you not to go where you're not wanted? Oh wait, she was dead before your tenth birthday." Alvar hissed from behind her. Evelyn spun round, her eyes widening. Alvar vanished. She was about to run out of the room when strong arms wrapped themselves around her from behind. A rough hand covered her mouth before she could scream and Alvar reappeared, wrestling with her. He looked around desperately: he must have realised she was stronger than she looked. In a last-ditch attempt, he grabbed an empty glass bottle and wacked her on the head with it, smashing the glass over her and knocking her out. The scene faded.

Fitz remembered the smashing sound from that day.

It reformed still in Avar's study, but this time, there was someone else there with them. The figure was in a dark hood, and a logo was stitched onto the side of it. It was a white eye. Creepy.

"Did you bring it?" Alvar asked. The figure nodded and produced a small vial filled with a black, shimmery substance, handing it to Alvar. He took it then showed the figure the work on his desk.

"I've been working on a formular to trigger it with a word." Alvar explained.

"What word did you choose?"

"Evelyn. And it has to be said by me."

"Seems good enough. Alright then, are you sure she's the right person?"

"Yes. She's in the centre of everything. The moonlark's sister. In touch with Brant, so he can report on her. Bad association with fire. Condition to blame the misbehaviour on. Perfect position."

The figure nodded at Alvar's reasoning.

"Do it, then." Alvar pulled on some gloves, then took some on his finger and smeared it on Evelyn's forehead. He stripped off the gloves. Then he grabbed a potion and poured it down her throat. She stirred and opened her eyes.

"What the heck? What's going on? Alvar? Who are you?" The figure smiled darkly and pressed his fingers to her temples. She went still. He removed them, panting slightly. Evelyn walked out of the room, emotionless.

Fitz drew his mind back, gasping.

"You!" He hissed at Alvar.

"Me." Alvar smiled.

"How do we reverse it?" Fitz asked.

"You can't. Unless..."

"Unless what?!"

"Unless you have the antidote." Alvar held up a shimmery bottle and waved it around in the air. Fitz dived at him, but Alvar dodged and vanished into thin air. This continued for a while until Fitz yelped and shouted:

"Harrah!" And held up the bottle. He quickly poured it into Evelyn's mouth, and she shifted her head, stirring.

"What's going on?" She asked, confused.

They took some time to explain everything to her, where she told them it wasn't Sophie's idea, and apologised. But then they realised.

Alvar was gone.

Eeee I've been working on this for a little while because I couldn't decide how evil I wanted Alvar to be and whether I wanted him to be able to have a redemption arc or not lol

Love you guys byee