ALL IN. sokeefe.

018

Sophie paled, anxiety flashing through her core.

Biana knew.

Which, in a way, was better than having the whole 'your brother deserted us for the Neverseen, fun!' conversation with her friend.

But also so much worse.

Biana knew that Sophie knew—and also knew that Sophie hadn't told her immediately.

To be fair, she had just been abducted by the Neverseen and tortured by Gethen, but she wasn't sure how sympathetic Biana would be to her excuses.

After all, her other brother had defected to the Neverseen, and now Fitz?

She couldn't imagine what Biana could be feeling right now.

"Hey, um," Sophie said uncertainly, grabbing the Imparter. "Can you still come over?"

Biana rolled her eyes, "Obviously. I want to know what happened."

Sophie breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you so much, Biana! I'm really sor—"

The Imparter flashed white and went black.

Sophie slumped against her headboard, rubbing her temples. "She hates me." She whined, eyes squeezed shut.

Keefe scooted closer to her.

"Fos— Sophie, she doesn't hate you," Keefe said patiently.

Sophie's mind was on a completely different topic. Keefe had just called her Sophie. He never did that.

"She's probably just feeling overwhelmed, okay? I mean, she did find out that her perfect brother joined the creepy cloak dudes, so it's understandable!" Keefe said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Sophie leaned into him, burying her face in his neck.

He smelled like...

Like citrus and seawater.

She breathed in his heady scent, head spinning.

She looked up at him, and cupped his cheek, wincing at the bolt of pain that flashed through her arm.

She moved her lips to his, just about to kiss him when a knock on the door sounded.

"Ugh, again?" Sophie muttered, cheeks red.

Keefe smirked against her lips, "Aw, you want to kiss me so bad!"

Biana's voice floated into the room, "Um, guys? Can I come in, or are you making out?"

Sophie's face turned as red as the fire engines she saw as a kid.

"Making out?!" She practically shrieked. "No, no, please come in Biana!"

Biana strode into her room, dramatically flinging her door open.

Sophie's jaw dropped.

Biana's normally well-kept appearance was gone. She was disheveled, dressed in head to toe green, eyes puffy.

"B?" Keefe said worriedly, using an old nickname.

"What happened?" Keefe asked in a near whisper.

Her back straight, Biana flounced over to one of the chairs in Sophie's room. She flopped into the bed and said croakily, "Alvar's gone. They... found his body—" She choked on a sob, and more tears flowed, staining her cheeks.

"My dad, he," Biana hiccuped. "—told me right as I was coming to meet you guys. That's why I was kinda late."

Sophie stood up, rushing toward Biana with a tackle-hug. "I'm so sorry, B!" Biana hugged her back, choking out, "I— need— air to," She wheezed, "breathe."