UNLOCKED, kotlc

Chapter 48

"Why are you guys here?" Sophie demanded, her face flushed as she pushed Luna off her lap and stood up to face her friends.

Biana pointed accusingly to Keefe.  "He was the one sneaking up on you!  Tam and I were about to go visit Linh- or more, Tam was going to and then I asked to go along- and then Keefe said you were talking to yourself or the alicorns so I vanished all of us and- I think I speak for all of us when I say that COUCILLOR ORALIE IS YOUR BIOLOGICAL MOM?!"

Sophie rolled her eyes. There was no point denying it- Keefe could just catch her in the lie anyways. So she just nodded very quietly and became suddenly focused on scraping all the fallen panakes blossoms into one neat little circular pile.

The group fell silent and for a moment Sophie thought that maybe it wasn't the worst thing in the world that they knew. Until Biana asked, "Can I tell Fitz?"

"No!" Sophie said- and then felt a little guilty about how fast Biana recoiled.  "I mean.. no.  Sorry. It's just.. I can't tell anyone. Not the matchmakers. Not anyone- you guys weren't even supposed to know. If I tell anyone, it's going to be chaos because Oralie will have to resign from the Council and there'll be questions and a re-election and-"

"But if he knows why you couldn't tell him... maybe you guys could..." Biana didn't finish the thought, but Sophie knew what she was thinking.

If Fitz knew, they'd be back together. But....

"That doesn't solve the fact that I'm unmatchable- and will be. Even if I did tell the matchmakers about Oralie, I still don't know who my Dad is, and I'm not keen to be finding out."  Sophie scattered the blossoms that she'd collected into a triangle shape as she repeated what she'd told Fitz in the Healing Center.

"I'm just... there's too much going on. I'm not ready for a boyfriend."

Biana looked a little embarrassed and didn't press. Keefe just looked at her with an expression that could only be described as "delighted glee" and Tam was smirking at Keefe's cheerful mood.

"How did you find out?" Tam decided to ask.

"When I learned to control my enhancing, I guess the topic was just brought up. And when I asked about it,  I could tell that Oralie was lying.  And then she admitted it."

It wasn't the whole story- but it was enough. She wasn't going to reveal how furious she'd been with her mom after every lie she'd told Sophie.

"How did you know she was lying?" Biana asked.  Sophie really hoped that wouldn't come up.

"Let me guess: My dad?" Keefe said, sounding less than thrilled.

"Yeah- Empaths are lying when they have three skipped heartbeats," Sophie reluctantly explained.

"Do you like Sophie?" Tam asked Keefe, groping for his wrist as Keefe shouted "No!"

Sophie rolled her eyes as she turned to Biana, ignoring the obnoxious squealing sounds behind her.  "Please- promise you won't tell anyone about it? Especially not Fitz... I'll tell him in my own time."

Sophie saw the conflict in Biana's eyes but she finally said quietly, "Okay."

And then they were gone.

_____________

Glimmer stopped by Havenfield later that night- or was it Ayla? Sophie had no idea- in all the craziness, she'd kinda forgot what the mysterious Flasher had wanted them to call her.

"What are you doing here?" Sophie asked, trying to sound friendly and keep the accusation out of her voice.  Glimmer shrugged as she sank down on Sophie's bed.

"I don't know.  Just wanted some company."

"Where are you staying?"  Sophie asked her.  

"Near where Wylie is, but..." Glimmer pulled a strand of dark hair behind her ear and shrugged again.  "LInh's always over to visit him and it's not like she's totally eager to see me all the time, so...?"

Sophie nodded.  Linh had been beyond suspicious of Glimmer when she'd first defected form the Neverseen- and it kind of looked like her grudge hadn't gone away.  

"Give her time," Sophie agreed.  "She'll lose it eventually. She's just... jealous I guess."

"Of what?" Glimmer demanded.  "She's this beautiful, powerful Hydrokinetic and I'm just a lame Flasher who can barely show her face without having people want to throw mallowmelt at it."

"You're beautiful- and powerful.  Remember? You're the only Flasher who can control the Stellarlune.  Besides- she's a Song. She has terrible parents- meanwhile you're a Vacker."

"Exactly," Glimmer grumbled.  She thanked Sophie for the conversation and promptly left the room, leaving Sophie to wonder what depths the spiteful Flasher would sink to to drag Linh down with her.

  Comment who you ship Tam with: Biana or Glimmer??? (I'm Tiana BTW)