keep your friends close

(33)

By the end of the day, the Foxfire campus is abuzz with chatter as prodigies swarm the hallways.

"Okay, here's an idea," Dex says as he pushes through the crowd. "Lodestar... has a twin. Each with a different ability."

Sophie snorts. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

They pass by a group of gossiping Level Fives. Out of habit, Sophie ducks her head, but the prodigies barely even glance at her.

For the first time, no one seems to be staring or whispering about Sophie's "new girl" status, which she's thankful for. Now, all anyone wanted to talk about was the chaos at the dance and the freaky pyramid explosion.

She can hardly blame them. It's the first time that Foxfire has been back in session since the Neverseen attack three days ago. The mentors are doing their best to continue with business as usual, but it's hard to ignore the empty framework of the pyramid and the lingering smell of smoke in the campus courtyard.

It's not like Sophie can stop thinking about it, either. The Black Swan held an emergency debriefing the night after the Foxfire dance, and she had told them everything. Theories were tossed around, but no one could reason what exactly was going on with Lodestar—or why the Neverseen targeted Foxfire in the first place.

"Hey, Mr. Forkle is a twin," Dex points out. "It's not unlikely."

"Was," Sophie corrects. "His brother died when Lumenaria was destroyed."

"How do you explain Lodestar having multiple abilities, then?"

"Probably the same reason I have," she responds. They turn down a much less crowded hallway and she lowers her voice. "Genetic manipulation. The Neverseen's version of the Moonlark Project."

Dex frowns thoughtfully. "I wonder if Lodestar goes to Foxfire."

Sophie stops in her tracks. "What makes you say that?"

He raises his hands defensively. "I'm just spitballing here, but... it makes sense, right? Since you were assigned here to protect the Vackers, they might've assigned him here to, uh..." Dex pauses. "To stalk them, or hide balding elixirs in their lunch—"

"Very creative," she says drily, but Dex has a point. Lodestar is definitely around their age, but even thinking about the possibility makes Sophie shiver.

"Speaking of Forkle..." Dex stops in front of a door and grins. "Tell him I said hi."

Sophie grimaces. "Thanks for showing me the way. Wish me luck."

As the beacon of the Silver Tower, Mr. Forkle owns an office in the main Foxfire building to conduct meetings. During her time at Foxfire, she's never been summoned to his office here—usually they would meet at more secure Black Swan bases, so she's not sure what to expect.

The office is surprisingly large, but plainly decorated inside. She finds Mr. Forkle sitting behind a solid oak desk at one end of the room, opposite a velvet sofa.

"Sophie! Have a seat," he says, beckoning her over. She settles on the sofa, and he studies her carefully. "How are you doing?"

"Uh. I'm doing okay," she responds. "All things considered."

"That's good to hear." Mr. Forkle says. "I know these situations with the Neverseen can be frustrating. So—"

"Actually, Dex had a theory," Sophie interrupts. "He thinks Lodestar could be enrolled at Foxfire. It got me thinking... what if we screened every prodigy for similarities to Lodestar?"

Mr. Forkle hums in thought. "Very interesting. It's unlikely, but not impossible. I'll notify the Collective to begin an investigation."

"Great." Being productive makes Sophie feel better already. "Have they recovered anything from the ash samples?" she asks. "Anything the Neverseen would have been after?"

An odd expression appears on his face. "Well... no. The Everblaze burned everything beyond recognition."

"Except?"

"Except nothing, Sophie," he replies. "There was... the Black Swan had some files hidden in the glass pyramid office, years ago. But I assure you, it was nothing important."

She wants to press for more, but decides it's not worth it. "Okay, then what about Everglen, and the Vacker Legacy? Has the Collective looked into Bronte's idea?"

"We have goblins combing the property. Nothing out of the ordinary so far."

"I should take a look, then. I've been meaning to go check on Biana—"

"Sophie, slow down." Mr. Forkle raises his hands placatingly, chuckling softly. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, truly. But I didn't set up this meeting to discuss Black Swan matters."

She pauses. "Oh. Then... what am I doing here?"

He folds his hands on top of the desk. "I'm here not as Mr. Forkle, but as Magnate Leto. We need to talk about... your grades."

Oh. She slumps back against the sofa, dread building in her stomach.

"As you might know, midterms are approaching," Mr. Forkle continues. "I've been in constant communication with your mentors, and as per our agreement with the Council, you've been maintaining acceptable, passing grades."

Sophie perks up.

"Except in Alchemy."

She buries her face in her hands and groans. Even though she's managed to avoid another Cape Incident so far, her relationship with Lady Galvin has not improved since day one. Sophie has rarely made it through an Alchemy session without at least one clumsy mistake. Being part of a secret organization doesn't allow much time for studying on the side, either.

"Unfortunately, if you continue at this rate, you'll likely fail your midterms." Mr. Forkle winces sympathetically. "I'm not asking you to pass with flying colors. You simply need to achieve a passing grade to remain enrolled."

"I'm sorry. I'm trying," she promises. "Alchemy is just new to me, and with everything going on it's hard to—"

"I know you're doing your best," he tells her. "And I understand you have a lot on your plate. Which is why I don't expect you to do this on your own."

When she glances at him questioningly, Mr. Forkle continues, "I've decided to assign you a tutor. I've chosen someone who has taken this class before and passed with exceptional marks. I already notified the prodigy, so all you need to do is reach out and arrange a time to meet."

"Sure," Sophie responds. That doesn't sound too bad. "What's their name?"

"Oh, I had it written down somewhere." Mr. Forkle shuffles through the papers on his desk before finding the right one. "Right here. Your tutor's name is Keefe Sencen."