As they sat under the Pankakes tree, thinking about what Elysian had said before departing into the mist. Finally, breaking the awkward silence, Dex said, “so just so I’m clear, this…person, Elysian, said, ‘if you wish to see the truth behind me, and what is, was, and will be everyone and thing, meet me where dawn light meets the darkness of midnight’, right?” 

Sophie, chills running up her back at the word, remembering the words exactly as  the eerie, mystical voice of Elysian said them. “Yes, that is right,” she said.

Then, her face paled as she realized…

“What is it?” Marrella said, “And don't deny it, because all of a sudden you turned a whole new level of greenness."

“It's just… I think I know where Elysian meant. On the human maps, it is called the Sahara desert, and it is on what humans call the Terminator, where day and night intersect. It's complicated, but I'm sure that's what they were talking about. Here, it's called…” she choked down what she wasn't sure was a cry, a scream, or pure horror, or all three. “Exile.”

“WHAT!!” Dex, Biana, Fitz, Marrella, Lihn, Tam, Maruca, Wylie, and Keefe yelled in unison. Silveny even transmitted it.

Biana, speaking slowly, as if she said the wrong word and cloaked figures would show up and kidnap all of them. “So… if we do this… and don't act like we don't all know we will…how do we get there? It's not like we all have a magsidian leaping crystal in our pockets, or even possessions of them, and also, can't it be a trap, and second of all, how can we trust Elysian?”

“We can't, but we have to,” Sophie mumbled, hating that after every thing, this person chooses to show up and say ‘hi! Everything you've ever known is not true.’ 

The game was changing, but Sophie, the black swan, the council, and everyone else were falling behind. They needed a plan. A real one.

To Be Continued Next Month!!