Sentry of the Arcane

Chapter 19: Sophie

Donovan hands the photos he has to Fitz while Audrey gives the other half of the pictures to me. I quickly look at the photos in my arms after setting the newly-obtained folder down onto Fitz's desk. As I'm sifting through the photos, I realize that there are only three photographs. One of a middle-aged man and woman with one's arm draped over the other, another with two kids- one a baby in the arms of a small kid. And the final one has all of them together. My eyes widen when I finally notice the iconic green eyes and chestnut-brown hair. "That means David did change his appearance because he was being pursued," I breathe out, my eyebrows raised to their peak point. "And that Michelle was an unfortunate victim..."

I don't realize that I was spacing out until I see a hand wave slowly in front of my face. My eyes meet the ones of a concerned Fitz before I shake my head, coming back into the real world. Handing the photos to Fitz, I merely whisper, "It was him, Fitz. David changed his appearance."

"So it's as we thought."

"Then Michelle..?"

He only nods, not giving me a verbal response. A moment of silence passes before he adds, "Go to Laurel while I go to Benen. We'll describe how they should color the outline in. They more accurate one to all of our standards will be shown to Mr. Wallace."

I frown at this. "Why him?"

Fitz looks at the photos again. "I can't give you a logical reasoning. Call it a 'gut feeling."

My eyes widen more when I realize that I can't give a reasoning either. Immediately, my mind jumps

to the conclusion of a gut feeling. I then find myself thinking to myself, If only I had a reason to tell you why I believe you...other than because it's you. I then turn around, feeling my cheeks warm slightly.

In the meantime, I see Fitz turning to Benen and Laurel out of the corner of my eye. "Sonia will be directing Laurel while I'll be directing you," Fitz tells Benen. As I walk over to Laurel's side, he adds, "We'll be telling you how to color the outline of David in, since now we know that he changed his appearance. The point of this is to draw out what David most likely looked like before he changed his look. Is that alright?"

Everyone nods, and we begin. I immediately say, "Color his eyes a more vibrant green- close to emerald, but more natural." Laurel grins at how specific I am, and picks up multiple green pencils. After she finishes coloring his eyes, I add in, "Make his skin tanned, but not too tanned. Like a medium-light tan." I smile and add, "Sorry if I'm being too specific."

Laurel returns my smile and says, "That's fine. Don't worry- specification is crucial for art." She then colors the face in, and I smile when she put some pencil marks as the stubble. She then looks at me. "What should the hair and stubble be colored as?"

"Make the hair and stubble a chestnut-brown, like their wedding photo. But add some strands of blond for a more realistic look. I think this kind of helps with mentioning how he changed his hair to a blond."

Laurel nods again, grabbing the mentioned colors. As she colors the hair and stubble in, I straighten up and walk to the folder about Jacob's background. Picking it up, I silently skim through it. My eyes widen when I read that Jacob didn't finish college and doesn't have a degree- but he left college for the army, until he was injured. But he was injured by an unknown cause, and that resulted in the loss of his right arm, I recite mentally. And the general didn't know what caused it. I then place the folder down on Fitz's desk and walk back to Laurel. But the only problem is that the arm injury seemed to be cleanly cut, like it was severed. So what-

I'm then pulled out of my train of thought when I feel someone poking my shoulder. I blink a few times and shake my head, the abrupt halt of thoughts startling me slightly. I then look down to see Laurel holding the finished portrait of what David might've looked like originally. I glance up to meet the eyes of the male Percipient. I look away first and say, "Should we show the others what our portrait looks like?" I then add, "You're such a good artist!"

Laurel smiles as she stands up. "Thanks so much!" She then adds, "You're so sweet, Ms. Sonia. I guess this is why you're with your 'Fitzie'..."

I can feel my cheeks reddening as Laurel holds the piece of canvas up. When I meet the eyes of Fitzie- I mean Fitz, I try and fail to not notice the reddish tint of his blush on his cheeks. At this, we both look away and nod at the Altruistics.

And when they show each other the canvases, my eyes widen considerably and my blush quickly fades away.

The only reason is because they look like they're the same thing. Exactly the same thing.

His expression shocked, Fitz says, "They're... the same..?"

The four of us turn to Donovan as he says, "At least you can just choose either one to show Mr. Wallace."

I nod and say, "Alright. Fitzie-" I catch my mistake and begin to blush. When Fitz begins to flush as well, my blush worsens. "I- I mean Fitz. You can decide which canvas we'll show." I begin blushing again when I meet Fitz's , and quickly divert my gaze towards Laurel. She doesn't say anything, but has a wide grin on her face. And then I begin wishing to not be in this room.

Fitz, still blushing, says, "Um... you two can do rock-paper-scissors for this." Rubbing the back of his neck, he adds, "Good luck..?"

Laurel and Benen shrug at this, an evident smile on their faces. They then yell, "Rock! Paper! Scissors!" At this, I see that Laurel has paper while Benen has scissors. Apparently Benen notices the results before Laurel since he says, "Um, I actually like Laurel's better. I think we should show hers."

At this, Donovan jumps up and exclaims, "Why is that? They're like the same thing!"

Benen, slightly taken aback, replies, "I don't really care. I just like hers more."

Laurel says, "Don't do that, Benen. It won't be fair." When Benen doesn't seem to relent, she sighs. "Are you sure? Don't do this because to feel forced to."

Benen smiles at this. "I would do this either way. Not that I'm feeling like I'm being forced to now!" he adds, holding his hands up in innocence.

Laurel smiles again. "Okay. If you say so."

I smirk and lean towards the female Altruistic. "Didn't I tell you that he loves you earlier?" I ask, failing to lower my smirk. "It's obviously true."

"Yeah, and after you told me that, we saw you and your Fitzie over there in that position," Laurel argues, which makes me blush. She doesn't help matters when she adds, "And nice job, calling him 'Fitzie' like that. Way to be smooth." She winks at me, which makes me roll my eyes. But before I can stop her, she says loudly, "And I think the smart whatchamacallits should show the portraits to Mr. Wallace." When Fitz and I stare at her in shock, she adds, "You know, because you're smart. Duh!"

I raise an eyebrow at her as Fitz gently tucks the canvas under one arm. "Okay..?" I respond uncertainly as I open the door to Fitz's room. Looking at him, I ask, "Do you have your room key?" I ask him as he exits into the hallway.

"I always have it with me. There'd be bad consequences if I didn't."

Nodding in agreement, I then turn back to the other four teenagers in the male Percipient's room. "And what will the four of you do?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at them doubtfully.

Audrey shrugs. "Maybe we'll just come with you..?"

I nod. "That's fine by me." Ignoring the glares Laurel was giving Audrey, I glance at Fitz, who's already heading down the hallway. "The others will be coming with us. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure. As long as no one fights each other." His eyes dart towards the exiting Sovereigns, shaking his head when Donovan raises his hands up as he were innocent.

"I'm not the one who began fighting," Donovan quips, glancing at Audrey. He then pushes Audrey forward to become between her and Benen. At this, it makes me wonder what I'd missed.