Match-A Sophie and Fitz Story

Chapter Five

Biana looked at Fitz with loathing in her eyes. He'd asked her the same question before, when she was teasing him about liking Sophie, but she had blown him off. Now she had to answer, or submit to the wrath of her older brother. She was a few seconds away from vanishing and running out of the room when Sophie transmitted to her.

Hey. If you just tell me, I can tell Fitz and you won't have to do a dare or let the whole group know.

Biana looked at her. That's not what the rules say.

You never explicitly said we had to tell the entire circle.

....okay.

So you will?

Yeah, I'll tell you.

Tam bumped Biana. "Hello? Are you going to answer or should we come up with a dare?"

I like...Keefe.

Biana looked at Sophie, embarrassed. Sophie wasn't. Biana wasn't exactly good at hiding her feelings, so the answer was about what she expected. Sophie transmitted Keefe's name to Fitz, who stifled a snicker. "Actually, Tam, Biana already answered the question."

"That doesn't make any sense. She can't shadow-whisper, and she's not a telepath."

"Maybe not, but Sophie and I are. Sophie got her answer and sent it to me."

Keefe was outraged. "That's cheating! We're supposed to tell everyone. Now I want to know!" He turned to Biana, who was still sitting next to him. "Whisper it in my ear."

Biana blushed and looked around nervously. "Um...."

"Aw, come on. I won't spill!"

Tam perked up from the other half of the circle. "It's the name of the game, idiot."

"Shut up, Tam. Pleeeease, Biana? I won't say a word."

Biana kept on blushing. "Nope."

Keefe turned back around. "No one ever tells me secrets," he grumbled.

                                  • • • • • •

That night, Sophie stayed at Everglen. She slept in the guest bedroom, which was situated exactly between Biana's room and Fitz's room. She had been thinking about the crush cuffs Fitz gave her that afternoon and the horrible trip to the Matchmaker's office that morning. She fidgeted with her cuffs and cognate rings, worrying about Fitz. She didn't want him to give up everything he and his family had worked for, just to be with her. Sure, it was flattering and it made her heart flutter knowing he cared so much, but the guilt would surely break her.

Early in the morning, Sophie heard a knock on her door. She walked across the massive guest bedroom to open it, and was surprised to see Dex there. He hadn't been sleeping over. What was he doing here? He began to whisper frantically about things Sophie didn't want to think about. "They're outside my house. You have to help me. You have to help my family!"

Sophie faltered. "Who?"

"Gethen. Alvar. Ruy."

Sophie felt bile rise in her throat and her hands began to shake. "No. No no no. No no no no no no." She collected herself temporarily. "Dex, leap to Havenfield. Hidden in my purple backpack is a stack of goblin throwing stars. Bring them to Rimeshire. I'll be there by the time you arrive. It's going to be okay." But it wasn't. She could feel a hint of the old monster whisper in the back of her head. She wiped the tears that had pooled in her eyes and she prepared herself to wake Alden. But Dex hadn't been listening. He was still...listing names.

"Fintan. Trix. Gisela."

"Um...Dex? Can you hear me?" She shook him by the shoulders, but he kept going. And the next name scared her most of all, because it was...impossible.

"Umber."

"Dex!" She shouted. Umber was dead, no question. "Dex, please answer me!" When she realized she had no time to waste, Sophie ran past Dex and out into the hall. She was sobbing at this point, so consumed by fear. She flew down the stairs to wake Alden for his pathfinder. She was too shaky to teleport, and she knew it.

Sophie banged on Alden and Della's door, which of course was locked. Oh please oh please oh please, she thought. Please wake up, Alden. Sophie began to yell desperately through the door. She shook the handle and kept knocking, kept screaming through her tears. She needed a pathfinder, now. She remembered Alden's office, and turned on her heels to sprint there. But instead of the gleaming marble floors of Everglen, Sophie was met with a pit of slithering, hissing snakes. She hadn't seen a snake since she moved to the Lost Cities, and now remembered how deathly afraid of them she was. There was no way she had the concentration to levitate over the hole in the floor in her state of panic, and Sophie began to shake with her sobs. She sank slowly to the small space of floor outside Alden and Della's room, covering her face with her hands. Where was everyone? Where was Sandor? Where was anyone? In that moment, Sophie felt more alone than she ever had before.

"Sophie? Sophie, are you okay?" She jerked her head up to see Fitz. Sophie gave him a devastated hug and cried out the situation.

"The Neverseen are at Dex's house. He came to my room and told me so. We need to go to Rimeshire. There are snakes in the floor and we need to go. Now!" She tugged him towards the door to leave Everglen, but stopped suddenly. She looked around frantically, suddenly confused. She was still in the guest bedroom. Sandor was standing beside Fitz.

"Sophie, are you okay?"

Now she wasn't sure. "Um...I was just outside Alden's bedroom."

Fitz gave her a worried look. "No, you weren't. Hey." She kept looking around and sniffling. He tilted her head up to face him. "Hey, look at me. You were probably asleep. See? Dex isn't here. Sandor is right over there with us. It's all okay." He pulled her into another embrace, and she hugged him back. "You're alright, Sophie."

She hugged him for what felt like forever.