My mother and father stood outside of Everglen, leaning on each other, much like Sophie and I were. They were a shadow in front of Everglen's glowing gates.
As soon as we fizzled into existence, my mother crushed Sophie in a hug. Sophie slunk in her embrace, her confident facade fading with the light.
"How are you feeling?" my mother stroked Sophie's back. Sophie conjured a gentle smile, but her bloodshot eyes weren't fooling anyone.
"Not good," she wiped tears with her sleeve.
"No one saw us." I promised, turning to my father. He nodded.
"Good." He looked at my mother. "My dear, you might want to let her breathe."
My mother let go of Sophie. She deflated in an instant, her shoulders falling to a slump and every other part of her losing her liveliness.
"It gets easier from here," my mother whispered the promise.
"I hope so," Sophie clutched the elephant. Who was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, a weird fashion choice, but humans are also weird. "What happens now?"
"Me and Della will oversee our relocation. You'll settle here very well, I should think." Alden said, not really paying much attention.
"Here?" Sophie said, with a flicker of hope.
"Oh, Sophie, we would love to, really," my mother her hands, the jewellery flashing in Sophie's eyes. "But you've been placed with other guardians."
"Oh," the word was so small, but with it, left Sophie's only joy.
"They're wonderful, Sophie. We specifically selected them to make sure they're perfect." My father assured her.
"Okay," Sophie said, no enthusiasm. She seemed more robot than human.
"We'll talk more tomorrow, okay?" My father said to her. "For now, we better get you all settled. Fitz, take Sophie to see Elwin."
I nodded and took Sophie's hand. I tugged it gently, but her feet stayed planted on the ground. She made no effort to move.
"Where are you moving my family to?" Sophie whispered.
"I'm afraid that's classified." Alden wrung his hands and refused to make eye contact with Sophie.
"You think I might see them," Sophie's voice wasn't as sad as it was frustrated.
"Temptations are hard to resist." Alden threw his hands up. "Especially love."
She shook at the sentiment. I moved closer, to catch her, but she didn't fall. She stood up but looked down, a gentle a nod the only discernible sign she was alive.
"Fitz, take Sophie to see Elwin?" He repeated the order. Sophie stood still and faced my father.
"My family always wanted a house with a big backyard, for a dog," her voice wobbled. I put an arm around her shoulder. She didn't shake it away.
"That can be arranged," Alden mused.
"They'll have everything they could want," my mother promised. "Money, food, security, except, well . . ."
My mother pinked and didn't finish her sentence.
"Me." Sophie said. "It's nice to know that they wanted me."
This time, I was able to drag her inside. The glittering hallways couldn't have brought Sophie from the depths she'd sunk to. She trudged along, and I babbled stories about nonsense to keep her feeling like a person – feeling like anything.
"Whose Elwin?" she said suddenly, snapping her neck up to look at me.
"Our physician," I said. Finally, some response. "He'll do a quick check up."
Sophie stopped. I suppressed a sigh. I was not about to do that whole song and dance again.
"I hate doctors," she muttered. "Like, really hate them."
"Where were you?" Biana emerged from nowhere. "I asked dad, but he wouldn't tell me."
"That's because it's none of your business." I spoke.
"Will you tell me later?"
"Drop it, I'm busy."
"I can see that," Biana sent a pointed glare at Sophie, and Sophie sent one right back. She tried to pull away, and whether it was from her fear of doctors, or Biana's words, I wasn't sure.
"Oh, don't even think about it," I huffed, gripping Sophie. "I'm going to take you to see Elwin."
Sophie's untensed and let me drag her. Biana turned and walked the other way. The sunlight poured in onto Sophie's skin, illuminating it. It looked like she was glowing, the way, everything else was a shadow.
We arrived at a golden door at the end of the hall when we halted. I spoke. "I'm going to take your stuff, you just stay here and hang onto Ella, okay?"
Sophie nodded, squeezing Ella to the point I was sure her plastic eyes were going to pop out. Even with her Hawaiian dressed elephant, I could tell she was reluctant. I leaned toward her.
"Tell you what, if anything bad happens in there, I swear, you can punch me in my stomach once. Deal?"
"As hard as I can?" Sophie stared at me.
"As hard as you can," I echoed.
"Deal."
I pushed Sophie inside, gently, before shutting the door. I caught Biana's nosy stare and gave her one right back. She scoffed and walked away.
I navigated my way through the halls until I reached Sophie's room and dumped her things there. The room was pristine, and the size of most rooms in the house: big.
Sophie wandered into the room after fifteen minutes. She looked more alive now, like someone lit a match in her soul.
"And was that so bad?" I began the conversation with a teasing smile. Sophie's cheeks flared red.
"Maybe not so much." She huffed.
I grinned. "What's with the doctor phobia? You were more terrified of Elwin than you were of the whirlpool."
She snorted. "You don't know fear till you've been jabbed and stabbed with needles."
I shuddered. "I'm glad it isn't like that."
"Me too."
If Sophie noticed the mansion of the room in front of her, she didn't say so. Instead, she collapsed on the bed and remained there till the next noon.
CITEȘTI
Keeper of the Lost Secrets
Fanfiction𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. Fitz Vacker spent his early years looking for her, away from his home in the Lost Cities, to a wider, more daunting world - his only motivation being fake smiles and his father's determination. But his life changes the moment he...
