The Moonlark's Song

Chapter Ten

Sophie and her friends spread out under Calla's Panakes, arguing about how they should open Match scrolls--and in what order. Sophie didn't have a scroll to open, but she was getting increasingly nervous about what her friends' would hold. She couldn't imagine having to deal with one of her own.

"Maybe we should all open them at once?" Marella suggested, twirling a braid around her finger.

"We could do it by age," Dex suggested, darting a quick glance toward where Linh sat leaning on Wylie's shoulder. "Or in the order we registered, maybe?"

"Afraid to go first?" Keefe taunted, and Dex flushed.

"Cut it out, Keefe," Sophie told him. "It does make sense for Wylie to go first, since he's had his list the longest."

"I don't...I mean, I'd rather we all went together, instead of my being singled out," Wylie said. Biana  and Fitz nodded.

"We might as well get it over with," Fitz said, running a hand through his hair. Tam's shadow stretched to meet Sophie's,

Boy am I glad we don't have to worry about this, he told her. Sophie squelched a smile, aware that Biana and Linh were eyeing them.

Right? It's an arranged marriage, and they're happy about it. Tam snorted, and Linh smiled innocently.

At least we don't have to deal with it directly. Imagine if you had been Matchable. Sophie's smile faltered. If she had been Matchable, today might be going a lot differently. Her gaze turned towards Fitz, who was laughing at something Marella whispered in his ear, and she was surprised to realize she didn't mind. Tam stiffened as he followed her gaze.

We're not like that anymore, Sophie transmitted hastily, and Tam almost smiled.

Good to know. Sophie went bright red, and Keefe looked over at them sharply.

"No more secret conversations, you two. Or shall I take a look at both of your emotions? Beyond what I'm already getting from Foster, I mean." Biana snorted.

"I say go for it." Sophie and Tam opened their mouths to argue, but Linh intervened.

"I like the idea of doing them all together," she said. "On the count of the three?" The group more or less nodded. "One...two...three..."

"No way," Dex said, looking at his scroll. "No way."

"I thought Alvar had been removed from the registry?" Marella asked uncertainly.

"I don't know any of these people," Fitz noted. "Oh, wait, I do know, um, two of them. Out of one hundred."

Linh and Wylie were smiling happily, but Biana was glaring at her scroll.

"He should be a way better match for me than this! #27!?"

"Well, you're my #2," Dex told her smugly. "I guess my parents being a bad match doesn't mean as much for me after all."

"But #27? You should be higher on my list."

"At least he's still top tier," Fitz told her. "Mom wasn't on Dad's lists until he got his third list."

"That's because of the age gap," Biana muttered. "But at least it isn't a bad match, I guess."

"Would it change anything if we were?" Dex looked mad for a minute.

"No," Biana said without hesitating. "That tradition is stupid. I mean, I'm my parents' third kid, right? Most of these superstitions are ridiculously archaic." Dex smiled. Fitz turned to Marella.

"You got Alvar?" Marella nodded unhappily.

"He's my #1. You're my #14, though, so that's good?" Fitz nodded.

"I have you, too, at #33. And Stina, at #87. The rest of the names I literally don't recognize at all, but they're probably super-over-prestigious."

"I've never heard of getting siblings on Match lists--hey!" Wylie looked down at Linh. "What was that for?" She shook her head and smiled.

"It's fine," Dex told her, then explained to Wylie: "My mom got two of my dad's brothers on her lists, way back when. I'm assuming you guys got one another as #1's?" Linh nodded. "Figures."

"Jensi and Keefe are on my list, too, and they're both above #50," said Marella. "I think I want to have a traditional winnowing gala before I settle down with anyone." Fitz's smile, which had been there since she'd told him he was on her list, slipped a little.

"I might have one, too," he said, then hesitated. "Do you think Alvar would show up to yours?"

"Fitz Vacker!" Biana chided. "You may not use our sweet friend's winnowing gala as a chance to get revenge on Alvar."

"Well," Keefe noted. "I have not one, but all three of you lovely ladies and a surprising number of our classmates, so I shall have to hold one as well...unless any one of you wants to give up on his guy for Lord Hunkyhair?" Linh shook her head, and after a moment, Biana and Marella did as well. 

"I'm not saying absolutely not," Marella told him. "But I really want a winnowing gala."

"Shame. None of you knows what you're missing." He avoided looking at Sophie.

Sophie knew that she wasn't going to be on any of her friends' match lists, but it was still...weird. And she wasn't used to feeling so left out. 

Tam looked over at her and smiled. "Weird, huh? I always thought I'd register, but I don't think it's the best idea anymore," he said softly, raspily. "Linh seems happy, though."

"She does," Sophie agreed. They watched their friends for another moment, Marella discussing winnowing gala dresses, Dex and Biana beaming at one another, before Tam turned to her again.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Sophie went pink, hoping desperately that everyone else was too enamored in their own 'happily-ever-afters' to notice.

"That would be nice. Just let me grab Sandor, and..."

"No bodyguards, maybe? I promise it's somewhere safe." Sophie's cheeks went from cotton-candy pink to fire-engine red in a matter of seconds. "Trust me."

"Okay. Let's do this." Tam smiled, and turned to the rest of them. "We're just going to go for a quick  walk along the cliffs, if anyone wants to join us?" Please say no, Sophie chanted mentally. Please say no.

"Okay, Sophie, it's just you and me." Tam stood and offered her his hand to pull her up. "Let's go." Sophie did her best to focus on taking his hand, ignoring her burning cheeks, Biana, and Linh, and she and Tam set off towards the cliff edge.

I'll be honest guys: I finally got my hands on Unlocked, and as someone who has *never* shipped Sokeefe, I'm seriously struggling not to after that. I've also been drowning in classwork for a couple months, but I should finish this soon. One-two more chapters to go <3