The floor near Sophie's room creaked slightly and she shut her laptop, abandoning the blank page yet again. Dex had adjusted an old one that Sophie found in the Forbidden Cities, and now it worked better than anything she'd ever used.
She shoved the computer further onto her desk, and rested her arms on the glass surface.
Mrs. Amy slipped into the room after knocking. "Miss Foster? Someone wants to see you. He's waiting on the ground floor." Sophie sighed, and shoved her face into her arms.
"What's his name?"
"Right." She paused. "Fitz Vacker," the secretary said. "He seems like a nice young man." Sophie lifted her head, a grin forming on her lips as she spun around to face Mrs. Amy, who was noticeably flushed pink.
"Tell him I'll be down in a minute," she said, unable to stop her smile. Mrs. Amy nodded briefly and pulled the door shut with a click. Quickly, Sophie pulled on a knee length red tunic that flared out at the hips and a pair of low black heels. She didn't bother with her gloves, which blocked her Enhancing ability.
She made her way down the sweeping gold stairs, smiling at the other elves. When she reached the bottom of the spiral, Fitz's crisp accent floated through the shiny granite hallways. She smiled to herself, missing his voice. But once she got close enough, she could hear the shaky tone in his words, and the grin faded from her face.
"I have to show her something. Are you sure she's coming?" His voice was rushed, and sounded worried. Shock trickled into Sophie's brain. Fitz didn't normally sound like that.
Mrs. Amy responded with only, "She said she would try to be down soon." Sophie cringed, walking a little faster through the echo-ey halls.
As soon as she turned the corner, she took in his grown figure. He was so much taller, since the last time she saw him. He was wearing a pine green cape and a navy blue jerkin with a white undershirt and black pants. Sophie noted how regal he looked, wondering if it was for an occasion. He was studying the paintings of Grady, Edaline, and Sophie on the wall, along with the one of all of her friends standing in front of Calla's Panakes tree. The ones that Keefe painted for her as a gift for Midterms.
"Hey," Sophie said. Fitz turned and the worry on his face fell away with one of his famous smiles that would put any movie star to shame.
"We were so young then," he pointed out.
"Yeah," Sophie agreed, smiling. That was a couple years before the Elite Levels, which changed everything. "How are you? How's everything been?" He raised his head from the picture, and walked towards Sophie. He was now significantly taller than her, compared to the few inches he had on her during Foxfire. She looked up into his teal eyes, ignoring the sudden heat on her cheeks.
"Fine," he said. His eyes glinted with a shy fear, despite his smile. Sophie thought about searching his mind, but he would never forgive her for something like that.
"The truth?" Sophie asked. His smile fell, and the worried tone came back.
"Not great. Keefe's gone missing again. And I can't keep Biana away from Tam," he admitted. Sophie frowned, too devastated to catch his joke, and a sinking feeling settled in her stomach. Keefe was missing again?
"Do you wanna head upstairs?" She asked quietly, noticing Mrs. Amy trying to listen and look inconspicuous from the front desk.
Any other day, Sophie would've kicked herself for feeling butterflies in her stomach at the thought of being alone in her room with Fitz, but the solemn mood of today had her feeling like all of them had died.
"I think that's a really good idea. We haven't talked about Keefe in a while," he stated. Sophie glared down at her feet, wishing that it wasn't true.
Fitz lowered his voice to a whisper and added, "He'll be okay, Sophie." Wanting with every ounce of her body for that to be true, she forced a weak smile and looked back into Fitz's eyes.
"Okay," she said, trying to believe it. She stood there for a moment longer before motioning to Fitz to follow her back down the hall. They climbed the first three stories in silence, before reaching a platform called the Lift. It was a like an elven elevator, but instead of solid walls, elves could walk right through them and stand on it while it lifted you up to the desired floor. Sophie pressed a black button with 27 written on it in gold; the last floor.
The ride was practically silent, other than Fitz leaning over to Sophie around the 18th floor and whispering, "So about that favor."
Her cheeks flamed with warmth and she pulled her hair around her face. She kept her head straight forward, but she could see Fitz grinning at her out of the corner of her eye.
The Lift announced their arrival on the 26th floor with a small chime, and a couple got on the Lift, one blinking in and out of sight, and joined Sophie and Fitz. They looked at each other before launching into hushed whispers.
Sophie was able to catch snippets of their conversation. Words like 'experiment' and 'the Vacker boy' and 'special abilities' gave Sophie goosebumps along her arms. They wore high-necked capes with hoods, and one of them was facing away from Fitz and Sophie. The woman's hair was visible, but nothing else. It fell in dark waves off her shoulders and around her ribs. But when the chimes rang again, Fitz looped his arm through hers and they walked off the Lift together. It reminded Sophie of walking through Foxfire on their last day. But that memory was slowly crushed when she looked over her shoulder and found that the couple had followed them. All of a sudden, Sophie was doing everything in her power to release the knot of emotions under her ribs. She settled for walking a bit faster.
"Wait!" the woman cried. Fitz looked at Sophie and they slowed a little, but didn't stop.
"We just want to talk," the man said. Sophie recognized the voice, but not enough to place it.
I think we should stop. As she transmitted to Fitz, he jumped, not expecting her thoughts. I recognize the man's voice, but I can't place it.
We don't have to, he transmitted back. Sophie shook her head. She stopped and turned to face the couple.
Putting on a sweet smile, she nudged Fitz in the ribs, who was still facing the other way. "About what?"
"We recognize you," the woman said gently. Fitz turned around with a genuine grin, amused.
What are you doing? He turned his grin on her.
Surprise! When she turned back to the couple, they had their hoods down, and the pieces snapped together. Their voices, and the woman's shiny brown hair. Biana and Dex stood a few feet away, smiling at her.