cascade | kotlc

7. Some Food for Thought

 Sophie flailed and twisted as she tried to grab onto something, but there was nothing, and she heard a deafening RIPPPPP as someone wrapped two arms around her waist and they tumbled across the soft grass. She opened her eyes to find the base tree lying on its trunk, completely ripped out from the ground, half of its roots yanked out of the earth. Chunks of mud littered the ground, and there was a giant crater a few feet in front of her sister, who had her hands raised and eyes closed.

She stared at her in shock. June had just uprooted an entire tree that was at least fifty feet high.

Her hands were bleeding, but she couldn't feel anything as she rushed over to her sister. Fitz was carrying her, limp in his arms.

"My sister just-"

"Your sister just tore a tree out by the roots. Your sister is absolutely insane. But Sophie, what was that?" he demanded. "When did you learn how to blink?"

"I just overshot a lit- blink?"

"Yeah, what was up with that Amazing Flying Foster routine?" Keefe asked. "You just flew over your sister and blinked in and out. You're not also a Guster, are you? Cause seriously -- save some for the rest of us."

Biana came over. "Whose win does that count as? If the base literally gets destroyed-"

"I think it's our win," Fitz said, looking affectionately at June, who was snoring peacefully. "We've removed the base. That should count as our win. By the way, Sophie, you're bleeding. A root sliced your hand when you fell. Thank god June tore that tree out, you would've slammed right into it."

"I know," she said, examining her palm. Thin streams of red dripped down her skin. "I'm fine, really, it's not a big deal. We don't need to call Elwin."

Fitz grinned. "Actually, I was thinking we could just ask my mom. She always keeps some basic first aid in the house to be safe, and all June needs is some good rest. She'll be up and running in an hour, I've seen her do things- slightly more extravagant."

"Oh," she mumbled, feeling her face flame.

Keefe snorted. "Only Foster has a physician on standby."

June was indeed awake by the time the aurenflare was about to start. She had changed into a simple loose white tunic that somehow managed to look absolutely amazing on her though its pure simplicity. That was her sister, always managing miracles.

Biana gave Sophie a red tunic with a white silk sash and tiny white roses embroidered along the V-neck collar. It was too bright and too fancy and too fitted -- but June said it looked perfect on her, and Biana told her to clean up and meet her downstairs.

Her bathroom was like a shrine to all things girl, complete with hair-curling elixirs and rosy-cheek powder. June forced Sophie to aceept a makeover, and she was surprised by how adept her sister was at utilizing makeup. She washed her face and got the mud out of her hair with an elixir, and she worked on Sophie's face for a couple minutes before pulling her hair back with a jeweled barrette. June tossed their dirty tunics into a bag and they headed downstairs.

"Well, if it isn't Sophie Foster."

Sophie backed up to find Alden sitting at his huge black desk in his round office. He motioned for them to come inside.

"I almost didn't recognize you. You look beautiful, but you have foundation and concealer on. I take it Della and Biana and June have been playing dress up?"

June laughed. "I had to." She held out the bag with the muddy tunics and Sophie explained what happened.

Alden's eyes widened. "June, you managed to pull up an entire tree. A fifty-feet tall tree?"