UNLOCKED, kotlc

Chapter 31

"I told you to get out of my head!"  Sophie wasn't sure if she said it out loud or in her head.  Fury bubbled in her stomach, and Adela's calm, soothing voice definitely did not help her anger.

"My moonlark, don't fear.  The shadowflux had the intended affect- now we can talk together!  Every. Single. Night.  Fun, right?"  Adela's voice cooed through her voice, and Sophie wanted so badly to agree and start chatting away about deserts and elvin fads like a middle schooler back in the Forbidden Cities.  But she was stronger than that- she hoped.

"What do you want from me?  Yay.  You injected shadowflux into me!  You set Glimmer up!  And then you made it so that even she couldn't get the shadowflux out of me."

"That's not what stellarlune does," Adela said.  "It does not take away something, it counters it.  Does sun overcome the clouds by taking them away?  No.  It overpowers it."

Obviously, elves did not know science.  Sophie ignored her analogy, surging forward with the discussion.

"You mean it did work then?"  Sophie asked, longing for good news.  She had know idea why she hadn't kicked Adela out of her head by then- although she doubted she'd have the strength or the skill to do it.

"It helped," Adela admitted, sounded genuinely sorry.  "But it didn't work.  Not completely anyways.  You know by now that we are both part of Project Moonlark.  Has fate decided to bring two and two together?"

"Elves never talk about fate," Sophie realized... which was odd.

"I do," Adela said, her voice remaining level.  She sounded incapable of emotion, but not in the hollow, empty way.  How did her voice manage to remain so soothing?  "I don't believe in one person that controls all.  I just think there's a reason for everything to happen."

Here they were:  A murderer and a genetically altered girl having a perfectly normal shadowflux-controled Telepathic conversation about fate. Yipee.

"I don't think there's a reason why we should've met," Sophie spat.  "All you do is make my life harder, and harder.  You do realize that we never solve our problems, right?  All we do is make bigger problems that are worse than the ones before."

Adela gave a small laugh that sounded like wind chimes tinkling.  "That is true, my dear.  We are rather good at that.  I remember-" Her eyes faded to blue as a memory flashed by.  Sophie glimpsed at it- was that.... her and the Forkle brother's as kids?  The memory shifted to her lying sedated as they tweaked her DNA and her eyes snapped back to brown.

"What was that?"  Sophie inquired.

"Hmm?"  Adela acted as if nothing had happened.  "My warning has been given.  You do realize how much I am helping you despite the fact that I'm on the other side?"

"Everything you do has a reason," Sophie said, thinking of all the times they had thought they'd won and ended up playing right into the Neverseen's hands.

"See?"  Adela's sounded smug.  "Even you believe in fate."

The words pulsed in the air for a moment, and then Adela's voice disappeared.

__________

Despite her fun little chat with Adela, she woke up feeling better than the night before.

Edaline and Grady were already up, sitting at the table and munching on warm, freshly baked Ripplepuffs.  Sophie changed into her blissfully boring clothes and headed downstairs.

"Hi kiddo,"  Grady greeted her, scooting aside as Edaline conjured up a chair and Sophie plopped down, allowing him to rumple her hair playfully.

She plucked the delicious elvin dessert from the bowl, and popped one in her mouth.  "Wow.  You outdid yourself."  She grabbed for a handful and stuffed it in her mouth.

Edaline laughed her tinkly giggle and gave Sophie a kiss on the cheek.  She looked down at Sophie's outfit and made a face.

"You certainly can't be wearing that."

Sophie stared at her.  Her mom usually didn't make comments about her boring clothes.  "What for?  It's just a normal day."  She snatched another Ripplepuff and ate it eagerly.

"He didn't hail her then?" Edaline asked, sounding worried.

"I'm sure it's alright.  We have time," Grady promised.

Sophie looked at the two of them, trying to figure out what they were talking about.  "Who told you about what?"

"Emery has ordered a Team Valiant meeting," Edaline piped up.  Her mouth curled into a little smile.  "But not just you five.  The Council ordered the rest of your friends to be there too."