Wow! I wrote this chapter really fast. Here's a little Keefe romance for all of you who like that. It's always hard to make him romantic, cause I feel like instead of being sweet he should make a joke. But I did it, it's small. Anyways hope you like it!

Chapter 8

Sophie's eyes popped open. Her hands were trembling. Great this has to be like the fiftieth time I've fainted in the last few days. She looked around. She was at the Healing Center. Keefe had jumped up and was walking towards her. Sophie ducked under her blanket. He came up to her anyway. "Sophie, why are you so afraid of me now?" Keefe choked out his voice filled with emotion. Sophie looked over her blanket. "I'm sorry, I suspected- I mean I just didn't know if I could face you after I-" Sophie didn't finish her sentence. Something clicked into place. Keefe's dad would never be the "new evil". He just wasn't that kind of guy. No matter what, deep down somewhere in his heart, he did care for his son.

"Keefe, oh I really am so sorry. I don't know if I want to tell you. It was just a misunderstanding. I was so desperate to find the "new evil", I didn't even think about it. Please forgive me." "Whoah, wait. What's this about a "new evil"?" Sophie flinched. Now she would have to tell him. Unless she came up with a lie… No better to be honest. "Okay, so the black swan sent me this note that said a new evil is arising, and I thought it might be your dad. Sorry, I hope this doesn't hurt your feelings. I know now that no one in your family would be evil. Keefe I really am sorry." She a single tear roll down her cheek.

Keefe reached up and wiped her tear away. Sophie felt her cheeks flame. "Sophie I don't know what half of that was about. You can explain later, I'm sure. I just want you to know, I could never be mad at you." Sophie literally felt like her cheeks were on fire. She had felt Keefe's emotions and he had probably felt hers. Great. Oh well, maybe this was a good thing. Or maybe it wasn't. She didn't know. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fitz look over at them. She hadn't noticed him before. Did he hear their conversation? Was that jealousy on his face? So many questions. She hadn't even figured out why she had fainted. Or whatever she had done.

She looked up at Keefe sweetly. "Could you tell me what happened?" Keefe looked down. "Um, no. That would be a question for Fitz. Want me to get him?" Sophie blushed even deeper. How red could her cheeks go? No she did not want Fitz to come over to her. She might have fainted, but she still remembered him pulling her close. She remembered that sudden light-headed giddy feeling, how she felt so happy and free and then she was- "Sophie? Can you hear me?" Keefe was waving his hand in front of her face. "Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. No, I'm okay. He doesn't need to come over here. Just tell him I'm fine and that there's nothing to worry about." "Okay, but I'm pretty sure he'll want to come over. He's been really concerned. Felt like it was his fault…"

His voice trailed off as Elwin entered the room. "Good, you're up. Keefe how come you didn't come and get me? Nevermind. Scoot over I need to do a check up." Keefe got up and walked away. Sophie sighed. "Elwin I'm fine. It was nothing." Elwin's expression grew grim. "It wasn't nothing Sophie. Two powers kicked in at the same time. You are now a guster and a vanisher. I guess it was an overload for your brain or something. I don't want to worry you, but you really need to get this thing under control. Today it was fainting, tomorrow it might not be." Sophie gaped. She had never heard Elwin so serious, and tense. It scared her. He left without a word. Was he mad at her?

Fitz was coming over. Sophie hurriedly got up, and was just intending to walk past him and wave, but apparently he had other ideas. He grabbed her hand as she walked by. Sophie flinched as his feelings coursed through her like little needles. He seemed to notice, and let go. His cheeks reddened. "I just wanted to know… ummm… how much do you remember of your-your accident?" He looked extremely uncomfortable. Sophie wondered if she should tell him she did remember his romantic gesture. "I-well it's kind of a haze really. I do remember somethings, like-ya know. I mean who cares really." Sophie said and laughed nervously. Fitz laughed a nervous laugh too. "You're right. Well I gotta go. Bye. See ya later."

He waved awkwardly then left critizing himself for even bringing up the subject. He had a pretty good idea she remembered. Sophie walked away too criticizing herself for being so awkward. Who was she being all nervous and fluttery around boys? She would replay the conversation in her head later, trying to sort out what it meant. She said goodbye to Elwin, who flashed some lights around her head and then cleared her to go. She didn't fail to notice that her trip to the Healing Center had not been dramatic at all. It just seemed normal for her to faint now. She really needed to figure out who this new evil was. Sophie also knew she needed to talk to the Black Swan, but they were so secretive it was hard to really communicate.

She didn't think Dex had any more ideas, so maybe it was time to consult someone else. Or maybe not. She didn't know. Was she supposed to do this on her own? She light leaped home. Grady and Edaline were waiting nervously by the door. They insisted Sophie lie down and get some rest, but Sophie convinced them she was fine. She was ready for the day to be over though. The evening passed quickly and before she knew it she was getting ready for school again. Sophie carefully checked all her shoes just in case of another letter. There was nothing.

Sophie walked to her locker to get her notebook. Dex came up to her. "Hey, I heard about your accident yesterday," he said. "Yeah, I'm a guster and a vanisher now. It's great to be me." She sighed. "Aww, Sophie. Don't beat yourself up about it. You''ll figure out something I'm sure-" he stopped as he noticed something in Sophie's locker. "Hey, what's that?" It was a bottle of a purple liquid, with a note attached. Sophie reached in and grabbed it. On the outside of the bottle read "Moon Juice. New!" Sophie read the note. "I picked this up for you yesterday cause I thought you could use some cheering up. It's supposed to be really good. –Fitz" Dex scowled and Sophie blushed. She would drink it later. Dex and her walked to class.

Sophie could hardly think at all during her lesson. Her mind kept wandering to the Black Swan. Finally it was over. She saw Fitz in the hallway and figured she should thank him for the juice. She waved. "Hey, I just wanted to thank you for the juice. That was really sweet. You didn't have to that." "What are you talking about? I didn't give you any juice," Fitz looked bewildered. "Oh, no," Sophie's eyes widened, "I thought it was weird how it was in my locker. But it had a note, and it said it was from you." "We need to get it to my dad right away. Where is it? Did you drink it?" "Uhh, no, I almost did though. It's still in my locker." Fitz ran to her locker, clearly more concerned and worried about it than Sophie was. She didn't see any need to panic. She hadn't drank it. Sophie opened up her locker for him. Sure enough, the bottle was still in there. Fitz read the note and frowned.

"I definitely didn't write this. The question is who did write it and why?" "Fitz, really I think someone must have just been playing a joke on me. It's fine." "No, it's not. This could be poison." Sophie laughed weakly. "You've got to be kidding me." On the inside though she knew Fitz was probably right. Was this the doing of the new evil? Fitz held the bottle out like it was a bomb ready to explode. "I'm taking this to Elwin. You need to come with me." "Why? I have a class in like 5 minutes." "Sophie, I don't mean to alarm you but if this is poison, someone is out to get you. You need to be protected."

His words rang in her head over and over again. Someone is out to get you. She nodded nervously and followed him to the Healing Center. There, Elwin took the bottle and told them to wait while he tested it. Sophie tugged out an eyelash while waiting for him to finish. She was hoping that it was just regular moon juice or whatever it was. If it was poison, she would never be able to go any where on her own. Sophie's head snapped up as she heard Elwin's footsteps approaching. His face solemn and pale he said the words she had been dreading, "It's poison. Once sip and Sophie might've well died."