Keeper of the Lost Secrets

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: We Learn the Truth: Friendship is Magic!

I waited, leaning against my bedroom doorframe. I nearly slipped off the polished crystal the colour of my eyes. I yawned. It was a few hours too early to be awake, which was a weird thought, considering I'm a morning person, but being up at three in the morning is something else, truly.

My room was a large room. Crystal of teal and blue made up the walls and blocked out the sunshine and moonlight. My bed was a mess of pillows and blankets that somehow still looked good after a night of tossing and turning.

Indeed, Sophie coming over to the Lost Cities threw everyone into a frenzy of panic and disorganisation, including the elven council. I, for one, didn't actually expect us to find Sophie after all those years, but she was here, in the Lost Cities, snarkiness and all.

I didn't know what personality I expected from a human raised elf, but I did not prepare for admirable cattiness and annoyingly persisting stubbornness. She reminded me of Biana in a sense, but I found her to be less infuriating.

I picked up a book from my bookshelf in my room. Generally, I filled it with textbooks from higher levels and scribbled on notebooks, but I did have one hidden away shelf, in the bottom, where no one's eyes trailed, where I stored all the books I brought from the Forbidden Cities.

I held a book I had only finished recently in my hand. It had three people on the cover, two boys and a girl. Magic swirled around them and blurred their image. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the cover read. It must have been a hugely popular book in the Forbidden Cities, since every bookstore carried some edition of it, and around it, were always a load of people swarming around. Having read it, I didn't understand the hype.

Another book I had picked up that I found to be much more interesting was Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It followed a boy's adventures as the son of Poseidon. I liked how unhinged he was, how he judged others. It made for some of the best monologue I have ever read.

"What's that?" Biana asked, tiptoeing in. I glared at her.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have stuff to do?" I huffed, putting back the book between two others.

"I do, but dad wanted me here, so boo hoo," she followed my gaze at my bookshelves. "What are those?"

She pointed down at my human books. Their bright colours stood out from the dull reds and greys of the other books. I quickly stood in front of my collection.

"It's nothing," I said, but she swooped down and picked one up.

"What's Magnus Chase?" She spoke. I blushed.

"Biana, put that down. Now." I stared her down, but she didn't budge. She began flipping through the yellowed pages.

"What? I didn't even know this was a thing! Do we go to Valhalla too? Can I shapeshift?" Biana's eyes scanned the words much faster than I could.

"No!" I grunted. I grabbed the book from her hand. "It's a human book. Humans have fictional books. This is a fantasy book."

"So, it's not real?" she said. I shook my head. "Ugh, leave it to humans."

I put the book back on the shelf and blushed. When I was in the Forbidden Cities, I went to the bookstores a lot. Once, a girl my age offered to buy me a book and some coffee. We hit it off instantly, but I couldn't pursue anything with her. Magnus Chase was the book she bought me. I can't forget her auburn hair and magnetic energy. She always had a smile on her face and infected everyone with it.

"Ah, Fitz, Biana, there you are," my father said. He appeared from a door nearby, and his footsteps were so quiet, I was half convinced he was a vanisher. "We need to talk. Walk with me."

Biana followed with pride in her every step. I tried the same, but I resorted to walking with my hands in my pockets, small steps and my head tilted down. My father might be known for showboating me, but Biana could show herself off anytime.

He led us into his office, which was never not messy. Piles of scrolls and files sat atop his desk, some marked as CONFIDENTIAL, and others wrapped in red. I'd always wanted to snoop in them, but it was nearly impossible to do so. He was always here and even when he was not, he always knew where we were.

It was probably for the best, though. The only secret he let me in on was Sophie, and that had enough of a toll on my system.

"Children," he said, and in that moment, I felt very childish indeed. "With Sophie's arrival, a lot of things have changed. Council is panicking. Grady and Edaline are nervous. Sophie is not holding back on anything she says," I could see distaste flickering in his eyes, but he suppressed it well. "All in all, Sophie will be joining Foxfire soon. She's going to be the only one joining mid-year. As is, she's going to stick out. I need the two of you to befriend her and take her in, make her less noticeable."

I thought this was terrible advice, since Biana and I always were seen at school. Not to brag, but we made up the popular people. In Foxfire, popularity was less in groups and far more individual. People cared about people, not the outlook of a group, which I'd learnt was different in the Forbidden Cities through Mean Girls.

"You're kidding me," Biana muttered. "There's no way I'm going to be friends with her. I'm going to look so stupid."

"Biana," my father scolded. "I will not have you talking that way."

"You can drag Fitz into your schemes but leave me out of them." She folded her arms. A shadow crossed my father's face. He stood up, looming above Biana, who didn't seem so confident anymore. The gnomes in the room scampered away from us, and I could only gulp and stand still.

Fortunately, Biana realised her predicament and muttered. "Fine. I'll be friends with her. I'll need some time to figure out how."

My father sat back down with a pleasant smile. "Great. Fitz? Any issues on your side."

"None whatsoever." I spoke. He grinned and got up.

"You can go now. I've got work to do."