Funerals were becoming something of a normal around the town of Britshire. Just as you thought that you were done with dressing in black and listening to speeches and standing out in the cold watching someone bury their loved one forever. Another one came up. First, it was Maruca, then it was Stina, then Valin and Marella, then Keefe. And now, Sophie.

Wylie barely paid attention during Sophie's funeral. He knew that he should, it was one of his best friends funerals. He barely paid attention when her coffin was carried out and into the chapel, by Grady, Fitz, Dex, and Verdi. In hindsight, it was a pretty extra funeral, but hey, Sophie was a pretty extra person. Wylie was knocked out of his thought when Fitz cleared his throat.

"Hello, my name is Fitz Vacker. Sophie and I were, well, the closest thing I can think of to describe us is soulmates. She was my other half and really, she still is. A part of me died when she did and it will probably never be filled till I die. When I looking for things to say for this I found a poem that describes our relationship well.

"You never said I'm leaving

You never said goodbye

You were gone before we knew it

And only God knows why

A million times I needed you

A million times I cried

If love alone could save you

You never would have died

In life I loved you dearly

In death I love you still

On my heart, I hold a place

That only you can fill.

I love you, Sophie, I'll see you again someday." Fitz's voice held strong throughout his speech. He never cried, his voice never cracked. He supposed that was what happens when your other half, your "soulmate" as Fitz had put it died. His thoughts shifted to Linh. What would he do if she died? It was a sure possibility now, there had been two murders in their group and nobody knew when this thing was going to stop.

Sophie's gravestone was simple, but elegant all the same. It's inscription read.

Here lies Sophie Elizabeth Foster

Daughter, Friend.

Dex reached into his pocket and retrieved a sticky note.

"It's what she would have wanted," he said then stuck it up next to the other descriptions. Mother of Billy Vacker, the fish RIFP. Wylie let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, she would have wanted that to be on there." There was a moment of silence. "So I was thinking that we should go back to the candy store and look around some more. All the town is going to be at the wake so it should be empty."

"Wylie, I think that we should take a break from this whole mystery solving thing, look at what it has cost us." Dex nodded in agreement. "I'm not blaming you or anything, but I don't want to risk losing anybody else." Linh looked like she was going to agree with Fitz.

"I think that we should take some time off and come at this again another time, Sophie and Keefe just died. I think we should have some time to mourn and think about if we should do this."

They all started walking to Havenfield, where the wake was being held. Tam grabbed his arm and whispered in his ear.

"Hey, I think that we should go to the candy store, we can do it, just the two of us. It'll be more conspicuous that way."

"Okay," he whispered back, then raised his voice so that the rest of them could hear him. "Hey guys, I just remembered that I left my….my…. Lucky chalice back at the house. Tam? Do you want to go and get it with me?"

"Sure, I think I left mine back at the house to," he replied. A lot more obvious than was necessary.

They were about a block away from the candy store when they heard some voices. Tam pushed Wylie against the wall beside him. He peered over the corner to look at the guys.

"It looks like they're going into the candy store. I don't know who they are, but you might." Wylie looked around the corner to see the guys. They were huddled around the entrance to the shop. Wylie did recognize the men. Or two men one woman. Emery, the local radio anchor, Quinlin he was a lawyer in the court and Cadence, Wylie's French tutor.

"Do you think that they're in the Periculos," asked Tam.

"Why else would they be gathered around the entrance to the candy store that we know is one of the hideouts for the Periculos." Tam looked like he was going to make a sassy comeback but he was interrupted when Emery, Cadence, and Quinlin disappeared into the store.

"I think that we should head back to the wake," said Wylie. "They will start to wonder where we are."

When they got back to the wake, it was in full swing. Or as lively as a party celebrating the short life of a teenage girl could be. People were dancing the ballroom, yeah there was a ballroom. Others had decided to stand and chat with their friends. Fitz, Linh, and Dex were with the latter. Their expressions were somber, with a tinge of worry clouding their blue eyes. When they spotted Wylie and Tam, they perked up and started to make their way over towards them.

"Hey where have you been?" asked Linh. "You missed Juline's announcement."

"What did she say?" asked Tam.

"You know, the usual. How sorry she was that another teenager was laid to rest because of the Periculos. But then she dropped the bombshell that it was worth considering resigning if the murders would stop."

"Can she do that?" asked Wylie. "Doesn't she need like a majority vote from the council.

"Unanimous, but yes. Technically, if she could convince the council that resigning her position and their's too mind you, was worth not doing this every weekend." Dex gestured to the wake. "If and that's a big if she can convince them, then Prentice could have the town in his hands."

"What happens if he gets the town?"

"Then Tam, we're all majorly screwed."

(A:/N) Allison: So that was a chapter. Just some clarifiers. RIFP stands for Rest in Fish Peace. Carin and I were on the phone when I was writing that scene and she kept bugging me to put the fish from the last chapter in.

Carin: Fishes *waves with both hands* **otherwise considered jazz hands**

Bye, Allison