LINH'S POV
I hear a rattling at my window. I squint and see... what is that? A photo? Grunting, I pull myself up from the bed and head to the window sill. The window is slightly open, and on the edge sits two slips of paper.
One is a photo of me and a boy who looks like me. Same hair, same eyes.
Another is a slip of paper that has the message on it.
Tam is out there and he loves you. - Sophie Foster
Every single atom in my brain wants to tell me; Tam isn't real.
But what is this photo?
A bowl of glittering, bubbling, silver liquid. Someone holding my hand, giving it a tight squeeze as I dip my hair into the melted registry pendant. A boy that looks similar to me does the same. I smile at him. He smiles at me, and I clearly see his face.
There he is. Tam.
It's a memory. I got a memory back.
"Tam," I whisper out loud, and I'm surprised how natural that feels on my tongue. "Tam," I say louder to myself.
I see a flash of long, blonde, hair, and a necklace appears at the sill. It's the one that I wore at Exillium, only it's not. Because mine is on my wrist, looped around twice to make it fit like a bracelet.
And the memories come flooding back. I choke back a sob.
"Sophie, where is Tam?"
My friend emerges. And smiles. I return it.
BIANA'S POV
Sophie has been missing.
The council told everyone that she was in the Forbidden Cities, visiting Amy. But I know that's a lie. Because I saw the rainbow sign on the council towers. Because I recognize my best friend's handwriting.
But I don't tell them that I know that they are lying. So only one question remains.
"Where are you, Sophie?" I say as I stare into the photo of us.
Right here, Biana. I hear her voice in my head, and I yelp in surprise. Sophie and Linh is at the window, levitating.
"Sophie!" I open the window for them to come in. As soon as they set their feet, I tackle her into a bear hug. She laughs, and only then do I realize how much I missed her. I hug Linh as well.
"Where were you?" I demand, now slightly angry. Couldn't she have hailed me with her imparter? But to my surprise, she shakes her head.
"That doesn't matter,"
"What do you mean that doesn't matter? My best friend has been missing for two weeks, and it doesn't matter?!" I yell angrily, and she immediately puts her hand on my mouth to make me quiet.
"It doesn't matter right now," Linh quietly says and Sophie's drops her hand. "Is Della or Alden or Fitz here?"
I shake my head. "No. Why?"
"Because I need you to remember," Sophie looks at me with a steely glint in her eyes.
I sigh. "Sophie, if it's about that ridiculous story of our 'friends' Tam and Keefe, I told the council so they can fix you,"
"Biana, they were going to erase my memories,"
"No, they were going to get rid of your illusions,"
Linh holds up a photo. It's... a picture of her and...
"Tam," I whisper, horrified. Then I shake my head. "No. There is no way that they exist," I laugh hollowly.
Sophei holds up another photo. Of her, me, Fitz, and... no.
"Look, I don't know what sick lie you guys are believing in-"
Sophie puts her thumb and middle finger around my temples. Immediately I feel dizzy. "Wake up, Biana," She whispers.
This is Sophie's memory. I'm sure of it because I can see myself, but I don't see Sophie. We were invading Exile. I see every single one of the councilors, and I also see the arthropleura. I hear my shrill scream, and there he is. Keefe pulls me behind him, guarding me. My heart leaps to my throat, not Sophie's heart, because I see him, and I remember the fear, and I remember the gratitude, and the urge to kiss him, to tackle him to the ground.
This is my memory. We were playing truth-or-dare. He kissed me on the cheek. Caught a corner of my lips. I feel his nervous breath against my skin, my heartbeat thundering in my ears, and his scent of spice and rain.
"Did you wake up?" I'm back in the present, Linh and Sophie staring at me, hope gleaming in their eyes.
"Yes," I nod. "Yes," I break into a smile and pull them a hug. "Yes," I feel their smiles on my cheeks.
"Now let's go wake up everyone else," Sophie smirks.