52

My whole body ached. My limbs were as heavy as concrete, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get out of the chair without help. My heart hurt too. My physical and emotional energy was all but gone.

“Well?” Fallon asked impatiently.

I had already decided to tell a half truth. That would be easier to maintain than a full-blown lie. I rested backwards in the chair, using my fingers to rub my temples to relieve my sore head. “My mother, or at least, a part of her, spoke to me in the stone. She was the last guardian. She will act as my guide.”

Thale came to my side, kneeling down on the floor so he could look up into my face. “That must have been hard Sophia. Are you okay?”

I inclined my head, trying to communicate to him with a look that I finally had a plan. He seemed to understand and stood up to address Fallon.

“I think it would be best if Sophia rested before her next session.