ɢʀᴇᴇɴ ᴇʏᴇꜱ

h u m a n

Sophie

The room tilted.

She heard someone saying her name repeatedly, but she didn't--couldn't--respond.

All this time. The last four, almost five years. Sophie had been adjusting to the elvin ways, adjusting to the fact that she was an elf at all.

And just when she'd been getting used to everything...

Sophie wasn't an elf.

That's why no one would tell her anything. Why her adoptive parents had looked at her with furrowed eyebrows and frightened expressions.

Who else knew? Had Grady and Edaline told anyone yet? Had they told Alden or Della?

Sophie's head pounded. This couldn't--this couldn't be happening.

Sophie wasn't an elf.

~~~

Biana

As soon as the words had left Biana's lips, Sophie had frozen.

And she was still unmoving.

"Sophie?" Biana asked, her voice cracking as she shook her unresponsive friend's shoulder. She knew she shouldn't have said anything. Why did she agree to talk?!

"Sophie, please," Biana begged. "You promised me! You have to come back. You can't do this." She hesitated, and then said, "Fitz needs you, Sophie. So does Keefe--especially him. Probably more than anyone."

Out of everything they tried, these words were the ones that brought Sophie back.

Nearly close to tears, Biana grabbed Sophie in a hug. "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN," she yelled almost hysterically. "Sophie, do you know how scared Linh and I were?!"

"We thought we lost you," Linh said in a wavering voice.

"I don't want to go through that again," Biana added in a quiet voice, remembering the time when everyone thought Sophie and Dex had died.

Sophie finally found her voice. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just--I can't--" Her eyes welled up. "My whole life I've been trying to fit in. And just when I'm beginning to, I find out that I'm...that I'm not..."

Linh put an arm around Sophie's shoulders. "It's okay," she reassured her. "I'm pretty sure there's some sort of misunderstanding. I mean, there's literally proof that you're an elf. You have abilities."

"That's true," Biana realized. "You can't be human. Plus, it's just a true fact--you're really pretty, Sophie. And before you interrupt," she added when Sophie opened her mouth to argue, "let me just remind you that you had three boys chasing after you at one point."

Sophie's cheeks turned bright red. "Only one! Well--maybe two--but not three!"

"Mmm, keep tellin' yourself that," Biana said. "But that's besides the point. What I'm saying is, there's no way you're anything but an elf."

"But then why am I unmatchable?!" Sophie exclaimed. She buried her face into her hands and groaned. "This makes no sense."

Biana bit her lip, because unfortunately, she completely agreed with Sophie.

Then Linh suddenly gave a sharp gasp.

"What is it?" Biana asked, slightly alarmed.

"I just thought of something," Linh whispered.

"What is it?" Sophie asked, echoing Biana's question.

Linh swallowed. "I might be wrong," she started, "but...Sophie, you still don't know who your biological parents are, right?"

Sophie nodded, biting her lip.

"Well..." Linh took a breath. "What if you are an elf, but...you're also human?"