Keeper of the Lost Spies

Chapter 3

         After school, Sophie had made sure to grab the invitation and now stood under the Leapmaster squeezing it tightly. All her worries and doubts about the invite came rushing back as she stood there, hesitating to call out the command 'Havenfield.'

         Fitz walked up beside her, Hey Sophie.

         Sophie jumped at Fitz's voice. She still didn't know how he slipped through her blocking so fast. Don't worry about it. His teal eyes gazed into hers, sending warm flutters through her chest. It will be okay. Fitz turned and called out "EVERGLEN!" Then stepped into the light.

         Sophie stared at the spot Fitz had just been standing in, feeling much better. She smiled and commanded, "HAVENFIELD!"

                                                                  ******

         Grady and Edaline weren't in the house when Sophie got home. So, she dropped her homework off in her room and took the invitation with her, to the pastures.

         Grady and a few gnomes were standing in Verdi's enclosure, holding a bucket of large, green, slimy sticks. He was covered in green, neon feathers and T-rex drool.

         "Dad!" Sophie ran over to the edge of the enclosure. Grady whipped his head around and smiled at her.

         "Hey Sophie. Sorry, I can't talk right now we're trying to feed Verdi something new." Grady dodged another huge spitball.

         "It's okay." Sophie looked around. "Where's Mom?"

         Grady nodded his head towards Verdi. Sophie squinted at the neon-green T-rex. Edaline was riding on her back with a lasso in one hand and a fist full of green feathers in the other.

         Sophie sighed and walked back to the house. She really wanted to tell them about the invitation and whether she should accept it or not. But instead she went to her room to start on her homework.

                                                             ******

         Sophie had just finished her Universe homework when someone knocked on her door. "Come in."

         Edaline opened the door and walked over to Sophie. "Grady told me you stopped by Verdi's enclosure." She leaned against Sophie's desk. "Was there something you needed, Sweetheart?"

         "Yes, I got an invitation in my locker today at school." Sophie grabbed the invitation and held it out to her. "It's for the Storm Program."

         Edaline gaped at the piece of paper for what seemed like hours before bursting into a grin. She rapped Sophie in a hug. "I'm so proud of you."

         "Wait. I'm not sure if I will even accept it."

         Edaline let her go and smiled at her. "I don't care whether you accept it or not. I'm just proud of you because you earned it." She told Sophie before wrapping her in another hug.

         After a few minutes Edaline broke away and said, "We have to go tell Grady. He will be ecstatic." Then she held Sophie's hand as they went to tell Grady the news.