Chapter 28:

Fitz turned, slowly, from where Elwin held him captive, and concentrated. "Soph?"

"STOP THAT." Her mental scream was wild and painful and loud, causing nearly everyone to wince, and Fitz, who it was directed at, to actually collapse. Silvenly reared back, causing the elves to scatter, but Sophie didn't even flinch.

"Do you... not remember me?" His voice was nearly a whisper, the tone you would use with a frightened animal.

"Remember you? I don't know you!" Her voice was nearly hysterical, and higher pitched than Dex would have thought possible.

"Sophie? Do you remember any of us?" That was Dex, hand in hand with Linh.

"Dex. and... Linh?" And their nods, her eyes shifted from elf to elf. "Tam and Biana. Oralie. Bronte. Alden. Della. Elwin. Edaline. Grady. I know your names. Your faces. But... why do I know you?"

Edaline's face showed her heartbreak. "You don't remember me? I'm your mom."

"No. My mother is Emma Iris Foster. You. Are. Not. My. Mom." The venom in her voice was strong enough to make Edaline cry.

"Do you remember me? At all?"

Somehow, Sophie could hear the heartbreak in the older boy's voice. She shook her head slowly.

Elwin stood up. Inch by inch, he paced forward and knelt by Sophie's side. "Hey there, kiddo."

"Elwin." Her voice was robotic, a reflex. Still, the healer smiled, starting to tear up just a little.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear you say my name, kid."

Sophie just nodded.

"Listen, here's the deal. You were unconscious for a while, and your memories haven't quite caught up yet. Will you drink something for me? It might help." When she nodded again, he handed her a small vial with a yellow-gold liquid. "Drink up, kiddo."

Sophie reached for the vial, and without taking her eyes from Elwin's, she tipped it back, swallowing the mixture. And then, once again, everything went black. But this wasn't a dangerous, cold, deep black. More like a warm and welcoming black, and unconsciousness that nearly felt welcoming. As she slipped away, she could hear worried voices, pitched to each other, not for her but about her, and she knew she should be worried. But she just couldn't make herself care. Something was wrong.