Sophie gasped. She had completely forgotten about the monthly checkup with Silveny along with the Councillors.

Her voice dripping with malice, Councillor Alina glared at them all as she repeated, "WHERE IS THE ALICORN?!"

Sophie had a hard time believing that she was a Beguiler, an elf with the ability to manipulate people with their voice. 

As if on cue, Keefe leaned over, "Can you believe that she even has a nice voice? I'm picking up some serious negative vibes." 

He shivered. 

Sophie shuddered too, Alina could be pretty scary when she wanted to be.

The room was silent, everyone but the Councillors were staring at Alina, shocked that the Councillors were there. 

Alden spoke up, "Alina, Silveny was captured by the Neverseen."

He let the sentence echo throughout the room. 

The Councillors blinked. 

Then, as if the words had just registered, they started shouting.

Except for Oralie. 

And Bronte. 

Also Councillor Terik.  

Emery raised his hands. With his sweeping black hair and dark, sapphire-colored eyes, his commanding presence quickly silenced the room. 

"Tell us more information," he said quietly, voice full of disappointment and defeat with a hint of anger. 

Alden stood, his teal eyes glittering. He looked so much like Alvar that Sophie's mind flashed to a couple of weeks ago.

"Alvar?" he repeated, every line on his face twisting with confusion. 

His eyes darted between them, studying their expressions. Then to his bonds. Then back to Sophie.

He huffed out a shaky breath. "Who's Alvar?" 

Sophie blinked as Fitz yelled at a quivering Alvar. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'WHO'S ALVAR?!" 

"Yeah," Keefe exclaimed. "Is this some kind of sick joke?" 

But Sophie knew Alvar wasn't joking. His face was terrified, every feature frozen in terror and confusion. He didn't know who he was, or where he came from. His face looked genuine, his questions honest. 

But what Sophie was most confused about was that if his mind was washed, then knowing his name should trigger his memories. 

If it didn't, then his memories were wiped- completely. 

But... why?

Why would the Neverseen do that? 

Sophie pressed her fingers to her forehead, trying to shove all of the new revelations to the back of her brain. "Keefe, can you figure out Alvar's emotions? I want to know if he's telling the truth." 

"Sure thing Foster." 

Keefe moved to Alvar's side and grabbed his hand. His face blanched for a second, but he quickly covered it up. "Huh. Weird. His emotions are genuine, and he is clearly confused on who he is." 

He looked at Sophie, and she could tell he was holding something back.

She knew him too well. 

Keefe sighed as Sophie rose one eyebrow, asking for more details. "But I've never felt emotions like his before. It's like he completely forgot everything, including how to feel certain emotions- the exact emotions he should have felt even when his memories were washed. These emotions that are missing belong to the memories that were wiped." 

He stopped, shaking his head as if to clear it of the new information before continuing. "Remember when the Councillors said that even when the memories are wiped, the emotions are still felt. But his emotions and memories are gone." 

Keefe shook his head again. "I've never felt anything like it." 

Sophie exhaled. "But how could that be possible?" 

Alvar had clearly shown emotion, especially when they said his name. He was clearly feeling some emotion, so confusion and terror were emotions that Alvar could feel. 

But what were the emotions that Alvar couldn't feel?

Fitz shook, his whole body trembling so much that both Keefe and Sophie had to help him stay upright. 

His voice trembled as he spoke, "Do you remember anything? Anything about what you've done? Anything about what you have done to our  family?" 

Alvar looked at Fitz's hate-filled expression and shivered. "We're family?"

Fitz roared in frustration, tearing his hands through his dark hair. 

"Fitz, calm down," Alden choked. He was clearly struggling as much as Fitz, but in a different sort of way. His face was ashy grey, his eyes had lost their sheen, and he was trembling like a leaf in the wind. 

At the sound of his father's frail voice, Fitz roared even harder, yelling, shouting, and saying a lot of choice words that would give him a month in detention.

Keefe blinked. "Wow, I didn't know that Wonderboy could say words like that." 

Sophie sighed. Fitz's anger was like a sleeping tiger, pouncing up when it had a chance and never backing down until it went to sleep again- or until someone helped him calm down. 

"This is highly unusual." Sophie jumped. She had completely forgotten that Mr. Forkle was there the entire time; he had been so quiet that it seemed like he was blending into the shadows. 

Mr. Forkle's face had an unpleasant sheen. He mopped his brow as he exclaimed, "Nothing like this has ever even happened in the history of  the elves. No one has been able to successfully remove both the emotions and the the memories simultaneously from the mind." 

"I have to talk to the Collective about this new development." Mr. Forkle produced a tiny round bottle from his pockets. 

The icy beam wasn't hard to recognize. 

The light from Lucillant. 

Mr. Forkle smiled. "Ah. I see you recognize Lucillant."  

"With just the right amount of concentration, the light from Lucillant can also let you leap out from underground." Then his grin subsided. "I'll take Alvar so we can run a few tests on him, including his vitals. I'll let you know when we discover something important."  

With that, Mr. Forkle grabbed Alvar, held up the bottle of light from an unmapped star, created a light path before Alvar could escape, and was whisked away. 

The last thing they heard was Alvar's desperate screams. 

Keefe turned to Sophie. "So where does that leave us?" 

--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--

"Foster?" 

That had been weeks ago, and Mr. Forkle had never mentioned anything about Alvar since. 

"Foster!" 

Keefe snapped his fingers in front of her face. 

Sophie jolted back to the present. 

"What's going on?" she asked. 

"Alden just finished giving the Councillors details about what happened to Silveny and Fintan, and Alina asked you if you knew anything else." 

Sophie looked at Councillor Alina. 

Alina glowered at her. "Well?" she prompted. 

Sophie stood. "There is nothing more to say." 

She transmitted to everyone in the room besides the Councillors. There is actually more to it than this, but I will tell you the details later. 

Fitz crisp, accented voice filled her head. Is it about the Fintan-Lady Gisela alliance? 

Yeah, I told you, but I haven't told anyone else. 

Fitz smiled sadly. They'll be in for quite the surprise.

Grimly nodding, Sophie transmitted, They sure will. 

She turned back to look at the Councillors. They looked suspicious. 

Emery stepped forward. "Miss Foster, are you sure that is all of the information that you have acquired? If it is not, we will find out." 

Sophie swallowed. "Yes it is."

She hated to lie, but she had to before her and her friends, along with the Black Swan, could figure this whole thing out.

Emery sighed, running a hand down his handsome face. "Very well then Miss Foster. As much as it pains me to say this, since you didn't keep your word about the alicorn's safety, your punishment may very well lead to your family and you being exiled."