cascade | kotlc

2. Special Summons from the Council

June woke up in Havenfield.

Fitz was scurrying around the bed, throwing open her closet and scrambling through, searching for clothes. He was dressed in an overly fancy jerkin paired with dress pants and shoes, and June rubbed her eyes, wondering what on earth her boyfriend was doing in her house.

Then everything hit her. Sophie's missing family. Alden had drugged them, and who knows where they are now-

She jumped up, throwing down the covers and looking around in panic.

"Where's my sister?" she hyperventilated, running to Fitz and shaking his shoulders. "Where's Alden, or Keefe, or Sandor or Grizel, or- or Amy?"

"They're in Atlantis," he reassured her, gently picking her up in her arms and placing her back on her bed. "Alden took them. Apparently they're going into hiding in Quinlin's place?" He frowned, scratching his chin. "I don't know, but he told me to reassure you they're safe."

"Okay," she breathed, sinking back into the bed before realizing there was another question she had to ask. "Why exactly were you watching me sleep?"

He flushed a deep shade of scarlet. "I wasn't watching you sleep. There's a really important meeting we had to prepare for. That's why Alden sent us back to Havenfield. Apparently we're supposed to be dressed as formally as possible." He gestured to his outfit, and then to her closet. "I was trying to find something for you."

"What meeting?" She combed through her mind for any conversation regarding meetings. "Where are we going? When? What? How?"

"Dad didn't get into many of the specifics, but he's taking us somewhere. I'm not sure where? Sounds important, though." Clothes rustled as he pulled his head out of her closet, handing her a sparkling white gown that looked longer than her covers. "Here, this should look amazing on you. Probably do some makeup too. Hurry, we don't have much time. Only about half an hour?"
"Half an hour?" she repeated in shock. "You should've woken me up much earlier! How do you want me to prepare in half-" The bed creaked and she jumped out, wrenching her back and cursing in pain as she threw open the bathroom door and faced the mirror, grabbing the comb and trying to calm the mess that was her hair.

After some desperate attempts and humiliating failures she smashed her head against the marble sink, barely feeling her pain. Knocks came from the door.

"Hi," Fitz said after she opened it, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Just saying, it's probably not the best idea to hurt yourself when you're trying to do makeup."

She flushed, flicking strands of hair over her face and groaning when they snapped back again.

"I'm never going to finish in time," she mumbled. "I'm going to have to go to the meeting looking like an ugly idiot, and-"

"Hey." Fitz held up his arms. "First of all, you're the prettiest girl I'll ever know. Seriously." He accompanied her over to the mirror and showed her her reflection. "You look amazing. And second of all, you could let me help."

"What?" She snorted. "You, help with makeup?"
"Yes!" He nodded enthusiastically, dragging her into the makeup chair and examining the bottles on the counter. "Trust me on this. Biana's forced me to do her makeup on her 'bad days' so many times I'm an expert now."

"Ugh." But it was only a halfhearted groan; after all, she did trust Fitz with his judgement. And having him do her makeup for her... that sounded better than she was willing to admit.

"Don't mess up then," she warned him, leaning her head against the cushion and closing her eyes. She heard the sounds of unscrewing bottles, and metal clinked against the marble. Water ran for a little, probably from the sink, and she felt Fitz's fingers caress her hair.