Moonlark's Love

Three

A million possibilities ran through Sophie's mind as to why Bronte wouldn't be there for class, each one worst than the last. Had the Neverseen done something? Had there been more fires or kidnappings? Had someone died?

Luckily, the worst of her thoughts were cut off by Councillor Bronte coming through the door. "Sorry I'm late, I had some business to attend to."

"What business?" Once, Sophie might have had some restraint, but now she felt perfectly comfortable asking a Councillor about what were probably private affairs.

Bronte sighed. "I was at a meeting with the Black Swan. It appears the Neverseen are planning an attack."

"What kind of attack? Where? When?"

"We don't know when or where, although probably soon. I don't know many details. They'll probably tell you more later." There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he mentioned how he would be left out of the loop, but he didn't say any more.

"Anyway, in the time we have left, you should practice controlling your emotions, especially as you will must likely be facing a lot of stress in the coming weeks, and we don't want you to accidentally inflict on someone," Bronte added, raising an eyebrow. There had been a few incidents, many of which unfortunately involved Sandor, where Sophie had let her emotions get the better of her and had inflicted when she hadn't intended to. She smiled sheepishly and focused her attention on the knot of emotions under her chest, tediously drawing her negative emotions out of her mind, imagining them as strings, and wrapping them into the knot.

After Inflicting, Sophie walked back to the main building of Foxfire. As she was walking she was met by two people.

The first was Fitz, who stopped her just as she exited the Silver Tower. "Hey, Sophie."

"Hi, Fitz." She self-consciously swept a strand of hair behind her ear, silently praying she looked presentable.

"So," he said, running his hands through his hair in a manner that almost seemed nervous. "Are you going to the Winter Gala?"

"Oh, I don't know. It doesn't really seem like the sort of thing I'd like."

"Oh." He looked slightly disappointed. "Well, I think you should go."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You could go with me. I'd make sure you had fun." He grinned at her, making her heart flutter.

"Maybe I will," she replied.

Fitz grinned even wider. "Bye, Sophie."

She waved as he walked back to class.

The next person she met was much less pleasant.

"How am I supposed to protect you if you leave the building without telling me?" Sandor cried in an angry squeak.

"Oops."

"I spent an hour thinking you had been kidnapped!" As Sandor continued to rant, Sophie tuned him out, instead pondering something Fitz had said.

You could go with me.

She kept repeating it in her mind, wondering if she had interpreted it correctly. She was probably wrong. She and Fitz were only friends, and there had to be tons of other girls better than her, but...

Had he asked her out?