UNLOCKED, kotlc

Chapter 22

When Sophie walked inside, she almost felt guilty.

Nightfall was clearly still suffering from aftermath battle damages. The walls were crudely patched together,  courtesy of the hasty Psionipaths.  The mirrors where Biana had chased Vespera into were shattered and shards of glass littered the ground like empty soda cans in a city back alley.  The room smelled faintly of blood, making Sophie feel a thousand times more nauseous. 

Her head spun as she crept slowly into the deserted room.

She felt like she was watching a horror movie in the Forbidden Cities where the character was sneaking into an enemy base and she was waiting for the villain to pop out and scream "Boo!" and then probably make her heart pop out of her chest in the same moment.

Thinking of that, her situation wasn't much different.

"Are you sure that they're here?" Tam whispered through the darkness.

"Positive," Sophie hissed, and made the universal "Shhh!" sign, signaling for them to be quiet.

"I did not expect the Shade to be here," A voice from behind Sophie murmured.  She turned around, scanning her friends faces for signs that they had spoken.  They all looked equally miffed.  Her blood ran cold and her head spun as she faced forward again and took a deep breath.

"Where are you?  Show yourself!"

The voice gave a low snicker, and something to the side of her whooshed past like wind.  She felt her hair bristle as she skidded to a stop and turned in the direction.

"Is the Moonlark scared?" the voice taunted, and something grazed by her cheek, her hair flipping as if someone invisible had touched it.

"Show yourself," she growled.  "I'm not scared of you."

"You don't act as if that is true," the voice continued.  "Why do you hide behind your friends?  It's a liability, friendship and love is.  I have learned that lesson many times."

"Where did you take them?"  Sophie asked, ignoring their insults.

"Oh, the Mesmer?  And the Conjurer? And the lovely little Psionipath? Why they are dead, Sophie,"  the voice said soothingly.

"No!" Sohie screamed, her voice feeling raw.

The voice laughed and Sophie wanted to scream again.  "Never fear, my little Moonlark.  You are much too gullible.  They are not dead... yet.  But they will be.  I understand you know what you have come here for?"

"Give me the Stellarlune!"  Sophie shouted, swatting away her worries.  

"You fight an invisible force," the voice said.  "You say you are powerful.  You say that you can outwit us, and outsmart us, and outfight us.  But when has this ever been true?  For years you have stumbled alone and afraid.  Sophie Foster, who do you trust? Your friends have betrayed you, your human parents forgotten you.  Who is to say that everyone else can not forget you too?"

"Let me take her," Sandor growled from beside Sophie, but Sophie restrained him, motioning for him to let her finish.

"I know what you long for, my dear moonlark.  I know your fears, and your emotions, and every thought that crosses that stubbornly impenetrable mind of yours.  The Black Swan can tweak and train their little Moonlark as much as they want but in the end, what do you stand for?  You are used and forgotten, Sophie.  You have no purpose, no friends, no family.  You are no better than any of us.  You. Are. Nothing."

Sophie wanted to scream and fight back but the truth was, she had the same fears herself.  This person was only speaking the truth.  She knew everything.  

"I'm going to say it one more time," Sophie threatened, but the lingering threat sounded halfhearted.  "Show yourself or I will..."

"You will what?  Call for your friends?  Plead with your family?  Ask for assistance from the people who won't even tell you the simple truth of your existence?  My dear, you could be so much more than this.  Join us and you will have a purpose.  You will have a reason to fight.  Why remain with these traitors?  They do not love you.  Love is a scam, a diversion.  It never prevails.  It just distracts and takes away from your true power.  Come, and I will help you discover your own potential."

"Who even are you?" Sophie asked, trying to steady her voice and stop her legs from wobbling like jelly.  These threats did not sound like the Neverseen- but that was what they were all about.

And they were apparently luring her here so they could retrieve the Stellarlune- but instead they were offering her a job?

Working for evil assassins did not seem like a reliable job on her list of career choices.

"You know who I am, don't you?  You recognize my voice.  You know the way I speak to you.  You remind me of someone, am I not correct?"

Sophie gulped down a wave of terror threatening to crash down into her consciousness.  

A figure slowly fizzled into sight.

"I am the Neverseen's oldest member," the person said.  "I am Mr. Forkle's sister."

July 10, 2020: Rereading this cliche chapter and CRINGING! Sorry!