Making the Match

Chapter 8- The Cognate Test

A/N: Super Bowl Sunday! I'm just posting this while watching the game haha. Anyway, here's the chapter!

"Welcome to your doom."

Sophie's eyes widened when she heard the nerve racking voice echoing behind her. But when she whipped around, it was just Magnate Leto.

He laughed. "I'm just kidding. You kids seem so tense, it's hard not to take advantage of it."

Sophie rolled her eyes when a thought struck her. If Magnate Leto was judging the Cognate test, then it would be ten times easier to become Cognates! He was Mr. Forkle.

Fitz must have been thinking the same thing, because his tense shoulders relaxed slightly. "Are you facilitating our test?" he excitedly asked.

Unfortunately, Magnate Leto shook his head. "You have an impartial committee of three to judge your test. I'm just supposed to relay the instructions and make sure you are honest." He turned to the three large chairs studded with crystals at the end of the room. "Councillor Emery, Quinlin Sonden, and Prentice will be deciding whether you two are fit to be Cognates or not."

Sophie resisted pulling out and eyelash, clutching Fitz's hand instead. Magnate Leto's eyes flickered down to their hands and he frowned.

"Are you two going to be okay?" he asked, concerned. "Don't worry. You'll definitely succeed." He didn't seem fazed by Sophie's ring at all, and Sophie couldn't help wondering if Tiergan had told him.

"I sure hope so," she agreed. She turned to Fitz. "You ready?"

He smiled that perfect smile that made her heart flutter every time. "Ready as I'll ever be."

*~*~*~*

It started with a series of questions to see how well they knew each other and trusted each other. To make sure there were no secrets between them. Each question and each word the judges jotted down made Sophie's heart beat faster and faster until she was sure it was going to beat out of her chest.

"Number sixteen," Quinlin called out. Taking a shaky breath, she stared down at the scroll with the questions attached. A slight smile bloomed on her face when she read the question.

16. Name the eye color of your potential Cognate.

Sophie turned to the judges, her head held high. "It's teal."

Prentice nodded, jotting down the notes. Then he turned to Fitz, signaling for him to go.

"Brown with gold flecks," he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. But considering she was the only brown eyes elf, it probably was.

Councillor Emery stood up. "That concludes your familiarity test," he announced. "Sophie, you answered every single question correctly. As did you Fitz."

Sophie grinned as Fitz wrapped an arm around her. "What's the next test?" she asked. She couldn't help adding, "Bring it on."

Prentice laughed. "The next test will be your efficiency and communication test. If you pass this, you will most probably become Cognates."

"The key to being Cognates is communication and collaboration," Quinlin began. "For this exercise, you will need both. Behind you, you is a single pellet of an osmium alloy, the most dense element in the world. Your job is to lift it with telekinesis and place it at my feet. Keep in mind that it weighs over twenty times your weight, so collaboration will be necessary."

Sophie and Fitz whipped around to see a small metal ball, no bigger than her fist. It's silvery surface glistened as a bluish gray in the light and it seemed less than intimidating.