Because There Is a Future

Chapter Ten

Aquaglint was marvelous. 

Breathtaking.

Wonderous. 

Delightful. 

Lively. 

If there were a million good adjectives in the world, it would all be used to describe this... estate. 

No, bigger than an estate. 

Grander than a castle. 

Sophie was paralyzed by the beauty. She knew Elves were rich and lived in grand homes, but this was something new. 

Or maybe it the years spent living in the Lost Cities had affected the way she saw things. Everyone else looked mildly impressed, but not as overwhelmed as Sophie was.

There was a magnificent, glittering waterfall in the backyard (this was where Sophie, Fitz, and Biana had leaped to), and lights were illuminating it. 

This must be Linh and Wylie's work, combined. Sophie thought. Huh, I never knew a Hydrokinetic and Flasher would work well together... Well, never mind, of course Lylie would be awesome in any way. 

The house had dark oak tree colors here and there, and black/metallic feel in the others. Light shot out from unknown places, and crystals decorated the outside. The stairs were made of gleaming black marble. The light and darkness contrast fit well together. Whoever built their house, they were now Sophie's future architect buddy. 

"Nice house." Fitz commented when Wylie emerged from the crowd. He grinned. 

"Linh's choice." He spoke. "Pretty cool though, huh?"

"Wow." Sophie breathed.

"The darker colors were mostly Tam's idea." Linh chirped, and Wylie wrapped an arm around her. Sophie mentally gushed at their cuteness. "Said he needed to feel like home, too, because apparently he was going to be half-living here too. You know, since Wylie and I are leaving him alone at Tiergan's place."

"I wish he wouldn't," Wylie grumbled, "because he is an adult. But when I pointed that out to him, he said he would be like our supervisor. But seriously, we're a married couple! We can do whatever we want."

"Saying bad things about me, Endal?" Tam sneered, coming out from the shadows with a baleful glare. "Yes? Well shut your mouth, I'm only doing this for my sister."

Linh rolled her eyes. "Anyone want to switch brothers?"

"I do." Biana said. "Fitz is a whining baby lately. But hopefully that'll change now."

Sophie caught the hopeful look she shot her way. Whatever Biana was thinking, it couldn't be anything good. 

"I am not a whining baby!" Fitz whined. "That's Keefe!"

"Uh, I can't believe I'm defending him, but no." Tam shot back. "He barely speaks a word! And you call that whining? Wow, you must be even more stupid than I thought."

Fitz glared at Tam. Tam smirked at Fitz. 

"L-O-L!" Dex said. "Oh and by the way, do you know what that means? In the human world, it apparently means 'laughing out loud." Cool, huh?"

He smiled triumphantly. Marella rolled her big eyes. "He won't stop saying it."

"Dex, it's something you only use over text." Sophie sighed. 

"Text?" Dex looked confused. "What's that?"

"It's, er, nonverbal communication." She mentally smacked herself. "No! No, I meant it is an abbreviation, so you don't actually say it out loud."

"Okay." Dex said, shrugging. 

"Whatever." Marella grumbled. 

"Aah, it's just like the old times, isn't it?" Fitz smiled. "Sophie's here, everyone's here, I'm here... Now I can rest in peace forever."

"-Minus Keefe." Biana said. "And farewell, brother dear. I hope you'll do well in your afterlife."

"Where even is Keefe?" Linh asked, looking around. "He's sort of changed..."

"Yeah, maybe he finally understands that he has no spot here anymore." Fitz snorted. "Good for him, if that's it."

Biana glared at him, and surprisingly, so did Tam. "He'll have a spot here more than you ever will." He snapped. 

When Sophie asked Biana what had happened between the two best friends, she said, "Oh, it's nothing you should worry about. They got in a little argument, and... well, they have been giving each other the cold-shoulder since."

"What did they argue about?" Sophie asked. 

"Nothing - er, the weather." She added hastily under Sophie's glare. "Now, come on, let's go eat again!"

 

Alden strikes again... (you'll see why soon enough.)

Sorry for the short chapter and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 200 READS!!! YOU GUYS MEAN THE WORLD TO ME!!!

I have the best readers. Seriously. 

Ily all, 

SilverFox out :))