Ethereal

11- A Match

Match, match, match, match, match, WHY AM I FREAKING OUT! Were (Y/N)'s only thoughts as she stared at the words that were still in the air. Her brown orbs shifted to Sophie's and saw that her's, too, said the same thing.

"So this is why Prentice sacrificed everything," Quinlin breathed out, seemingly amazed by what he saw.

Who the HECK is Prentice? Also, will I ever meet someone in this elf world who's named something NORMAL? Like John or something?

"He definitely had his reasons. You'll see when your try the probe." Alden added.

Oh, right. THAT.

Quinlin nodded, before reaching out to touch (Y/N)'s forehead, because she just happened to be closer to him than Sophie was. (Y/N) flinched.

"It's no big deal, (Y/N)." Fitz said, attempting at being reassuring.

It'S nO bIg DeAL (y/N)-

And then, Quinlin pressed his cold, slender fingers to her forehead, shutting her up in an instant.

Seconds. Minutes. Hours.

Okay, maybe not hours, but still, this guys' seriously taking his sweet, sweet time... (Y/N) thought bitterly.

But when Quinlin finally pulled away, his mouth was wide open.

"That's what I thought." Alden murmured. Quinlin quickly went to Sophie, and the same thing happened yet again-he placed two fingers against her forehead, waited for the longest time, and left with nothing.

"You can't hear anything either?" Sophie asked hesitantly.

"What does that mean?" Quinlin murmured to himself quietly.

"It'll mean that Sophie could be the greatest Keepers we've ever known, once she grows older," Alden answered back.

"If she isn't already."

The room went quiet as everyone went pale.

"What's a Keeper?" (Y/N) asked, worried.

Alden hesitated for a bit, before answering. "Some information is too important to record. So we'll share it with a Keeper, a highly trained Telepath, and leave them in charge of protecting the secret."

"Then why would I already be one?"

"Quinlin was joking about that."

Liar, liar, pants on fire...

"Perhaps we should talk upstairs," Alden suggested, sending a small glance at where the receptionist was obviously eavesdropping.

Quinlin nodded, before walking to the farthest point of his office. Licking a silver strip implanted into the wall, a narrow door opened, a twisting staircase hidden behind it.

Up they went, until they reached an oval-like room, completely barren of objects, Scenes of brush fires were projected across the walls.

"Why are you watching the San Diego fires?" Sophie asked warily. After all, she had every right to be.

Sophie had been talking about the fires whenever they texted, saying that they were scorching hot, and smelled like burning sugar, which was weird. In the screen, the same exact white fires that Sophie described were on it, forming a half circle around San Diego.

"You know the area?" Quinlin asked.

"Yeah, I live there."

Cue a Quinlin gasp.

Worry lines etched across Alden's forehead as he stared closer at the projected image. "Why didn't you tell me there were fires?" Alden asked, turning to face Fitz, who shrugged in response.

"I didn't know they were important."

"I didn't ask you to tell me what was important. I asked you to tell me everything." Alden huffed, before turning his attention to Quinlin. "Why were you watching the fires?"

"They're burning white hot-against the wind. Like they were set by someone who knew what they were doing. Plus... doesn't it look like the sign?"

What are they even talking about? Is this some elven code that I don't know about?

"I'm guessing this is how you found the article you sent me," Alden sighed. "I'd wondered why you were looking there. We ruled that area out years ago."

"...Article?" Quinlin asked, confused.

"The one about the child prodigy in San Diego. Led me right to Sophie, who led me to (Y/N)."

Quinlin only stared at Alden with a worried look on his face. "I didn't send you any articles. Did it have a note from me?"

"No. But you were the only one who knew what I was up to."

"Not the only one."

"What's going on?" Sophie questioned, frustrated.

"There's no reason to worry, Sophie."

ThErE's nO ReAsOn tO WoRrY-

Sophie flushed, probably embarrassed from how Alden's tone was so calm. It made her seem like she was overexaggerating.

"Sorry. It's just been a weird day. Between the guy trying to grab me this morning and-"

She was cut off immediately as Quinlin interrupted in shock, probably questioning if the guy in question was an elf.

Alden, once again acted reassuring, linking that the person was just a human because he took off when Sophie's neighbor threatened to call the police.

"But what about the fires? Why are they white?" (Y/N) questioned, trying to be apart of the conversation to avoid falling asleep.

"Probably just a chemical accelerant. Humans do love their chemicals. But, I'll look into it," Alden promised. "I follow suspicious leads all the time, and they never amount to anything. Humans are always doing crazy, dangerous things. If they're not lighting something on fire, they're spilling oil in the oceans or blowing something up."

True, true.

"Every time they do, I investigate to make sure things don't get out of hand-but that doesn't leave this room. The Council's official position is to leave humans to their own devices. That's another reason Quinlin works down here: The Council rarely takes the time to visit and find out what we're up to."

"Bronte has his babysitter sitting outside my office all day, taking notes though," Quinlin grumbled. "He could've at least picked someone who's a decent receptionist."

Alden rolled his eyes, failing at hiding his smile. "At least she's equally bad at spying. You should've seen Bronte's face when he learned about Sophie. I thought steam might come out of his ears."

The two adults were probably going to continue joking around, if Sophie didn't ask another question. "Why didn't the Council know you were looking for me?"

Alden explained that the DNA they'd discovered of Sophie and (Y/N) was believed to be a hoax by Bronte, and that he was being hard on the two of them because he doesn't like being wrong.

"Buuuut, do you promise to keep me and Sophie updated on the fires?" (Y/N) asked.

Alden sighed. "I will, but only if there's something important."

Alden then turned to Quinlin. "Send me everything you have on the fires. I need to get Sophie and (Y/N) home."

A/N: Sorry if this chapter was a bit long and boring, because it was mainly just people exchanging words.