KOTLC Characters Read The Books!

Chapter 12

Me: This chapter is really short, why don't we call Grady and Edaline back for it?

Sophie: I don't know... I have a bad feeling this chapter is on what happened with Alden...

Fitz: Well, they are your parents, and I'm sure they'd like to know. Besides, they can read this chapter and then go, right?

Fitz: *whispers* please Tam and Keefe might just kill each other without adult supervision.

Tam and Keefe: *having an intense staring competition*

Tam: *blinks*

Keefe: HAH I WIN

Tam: Oh you little-

Sophie: Alright, alright, they're coming back! Marella, will you grab them for me?

Marella: Sure thing, I'll be right back.

ONE WALL IN ALDEN'S OFFICE WAS a large, curved window overlooking a silvery lake. A floor-to-ceiling aquarium wrapped the rest of the room. Sophie waited in an enormous wingback chair facing Alden, who sat behind a black desk piled with books and scrolls. Anxiety tightened her chest as the walls of water seemed to close in.

Linh: Alden in his emo arc?!

Sophie: *slowly becoming more and more exasperated* Where did you learn that-

Linh: I found a human word dictionary on your ipad thing! City Dictionary? Urbs Dictionary? Oh, oh, I think it was Orban's Dictionary! They sound like a pretty smart guy, don't they?

Sophie: Oh god

Sophie sucked in a breath to remind herself she wasn't drowning, and pointed to the stacks of human newspapers piled next to her chair. Articles were circled in red and then crossed out. "Keeping up with the news?"

"Looking for you." He removed another newspaper from a drawer and handed her the article with her picture circled.

Ro: It feels like I'm watching a crime documentary

Sophie: We have those in the elven realms?!

Ro: I'm not elven, I wouldn't know.

"You don't know who sent this to you?" she asked.

"I have a few theories. No reason to worry."

"You keep saying that." A hint of irritation crept into her tone.

Fitz: Dad and his "there's no reason to worry"

Biana: It's really his favorite line, isn't it?

"Because it's true."

She sighed. "Well, if you figure it out, maybe you can find out how the reporter knew about me. My parents were super upset about it."

Her heart stuttered as Alden's face fell.

"I think I know what you're going to say," she said as he opened his mouth to speak. She needed to say it first. That would be the only way to survive it. "You're going to tell me I'm not related to my family." She felt a pull in her chest as the words floated away, like they were taking part of her with them.

Edaline: Oh dear, that must have been a shocker. I'm so sorry, Sophie-

Sophie: It's alright, I guess. It wasn't the worst part.

"Yes, I was planning to discuss that." A shadow passed over his features. "But what we really need to talk about is why you can't live with them anymore."