Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4)(36)

One . . .

Two . . .





FIFTEEN


YOU GUYS OKAY over there?” Keefe asked, right as Fitz transmitted, three. “Foster’s emotions are seriously wigging.”

“Come on, man, we were so close!” Fitz said.

“Close to what?” Keefe and Dex asked at the same time.

“Nothing!” Sophie scooted her beanbag back, needing room to breathe.

“You’re blocking me,” Fitz said, his tone more hurt than accusatory.

“Am I? Sorry . . .” But it felt good to have her thoughts all to herself again.

Had she actually been considering telling Fitz she liked him?

She shuddered just thinking about what would’ve happened.

“Seriously, you okay there, Foster?” Keefe asked.

“You,” Fitz told Keefe, “have the worst timing ever.”

Keefe smirked. “I try.”

Fitz’s eye roll was epic. “Sorry,” he told Sophie. “I’m not mad at you. I just really thought we were making progress.”

She looked away.

She knew she wouldn’t die if Fitz didn’t like her. But it would be crazy humiliating. And how would they ever be Cognates?

But . . . how would they be Cognates if she was hiding secrets from him?

She sighed.

Everything would be so much easier if she could just get over her silly crush. Would it be so bad to just be friends? It wasn’t like she was ready for a boyfriend. She doubted she was even allowed to date, given the whole matchmaking thing. Not to mention all the problems it would cause with Dex—and maybe Biana.

She needed to let it go . . .

And yet, when she stole a glance at Fitz, her stubborn heart still fluttered. Especially when he flashed his movie-star smile.

“Whoa, now there’s a whole lot of staring into each other’s eyes going on,” Keefe said.

“Let them work,” Della told him. “And you should be working too—really working, not flipping pages and complaining. The Black Swan gave you that book for a reason.”

“Right. Because they’re more evil than we think,” Keefe muttered under his breath.

“So . . . ,” Fitz said through the silence that followed.

“Sorry I blocked you,” Sophie mumbled.

“I’m getting used to it. But do I have permission to go back in?”

Keefe snickered. “Smooth, Dude.”

They both ignored him.

Sophie gave Fitz permission, and within seconds she could hear him in her head. At least her subconscious still trusted him, even if her conscious wasn’t quite as brave.

Sorry again, she thought.

It wasn’t all your fault. He glared at Keefe, and Keefe blew them a kiss. He’s lucky I don’t shove that book somewhere he really won’t appreciate it. Especially since I’m guessing you’re not going to tell me whatever it was you were about to say?

Maybe . . . another time, when we don’t have Keefe paying such insanely close attention.

I guess that makes sense. Okay, we should get started on this exercise.

They agreed to take turns, and Fitz went first.

Favorite animal? he asked.

Instantly Sophie pictured her pet imp, Iggy.

Huh, I thought you would’ve said Silveny, Fitz said.

I know, me too.

Leave it to her to pick the stinky imp over the majestic alicorn. Then again, she never thought of Silveny as an “animal.” Plus, Iggy’s breath might be toxic—and his farts could be weaponized—but he needed her as much as she needed him.

Okay, she said. Favorite subject in school?

Telepathy.

Her face flashed through his mind and Sophie had to force herself not to wonder what that meant.

This one’s harder, he said, moving to the next question quickly. Biggest regret?

Sophie assumed it would be the moment she’d chosen to let Brant get away. But her mind filled with her friend Marella’s face instead. Maybe it was because deep down she knew she’d had to let Brant go to save her friends. Or maybe it was because the last time she’d seen Marella, she’d let Marella’s hurtful words get to her, even though she could tell there was something bigger going on. And now she’d run away and might never have a chance to make things right.

Think we’ll ever go back to Foxfire? she asked Fitz.

I have no idea.

She could see how painful the thought was for him. He’d dreamed of being an elite level prodigy all his life, and now he might not even finish Level Five.

Don’t say you’re sorry, he told her. This was my choice—and it was the right one. It’s just hard not to want it all sometimes, you know?

She did.

She checked her list again. What are you most proud of?

Her face popped into his mind again—but this time it was her terrifyingly transparent face from the day he’d rescued her.

Where were we when you found us? she asked, focusing on the strange tree in the background. She vaguely remembered describing it to Fitz in her desperate transmissions. It looked like four trees in one, each quarter representing a different season.

That’s the Four Seasons Tree, a gift the gnomes planted for us in Lumenaria.

As soon as he said the words, the worries she’d been trying to set aside flooded back.