SOPHIE POV:

This was it.

The big day.

She peeked in the mirror.

“You look stunning,” Vertina approved. 

Sophie sighed. “More like ridiculous.”

There was no way she wasn’t going to trip down the aisle with all of the fabric spread around her. 

Vertina snorted. 

“Your taste in fashion really is horrible. THIS IS YOUR DAY. It’s okay to be as pretty as you are on the INSIDE on the OUTSIDE.”

Sophie blinked rapidly. Did Vertina just give her a 

compliment?

There was a knock on her door. Biana’s muffled voice rang like a bell.

“May I come in?”

She didn’t wait for an answer. Biana gracefully strolled inside the obnoxiously large bedroom that was Sophie’s. 

She gasped. “SOPHIE. YOU LOOK STUNNING.”

“Not as stunning as YOU,” Sophie mumbled, gazing Biana up and down. All eyes were going to be on her maid of honor.

Biana shook her head. “No, they won’t.” 

Since when had Biana become a telepath?

RING RING RING!

Sophie groaned as Ella fell onto the floor.

A compliment from Vetrina?! She should have known it was a dream!

She sighed again as she prepared for her final day of Foxfire.

KEEFE POV: 

Welp, this was the day. 

Not if I can help it, a small doubt in his mind said. 

Keefe ignored it. He was going to propose to Sophie after her graduation. 

He didn’t care that he had just won back Fitz. He would loose his best friend a thousand times for Sophie. 

Wylie already asked Linh. Dex was asking Biana. He could do this.

He could do this, he repeated to himself for good measure. 

Keefe walked shakily to the leapmaster, wishing Ro were there. 

All of the bodyguards had disconnected from their charges after the Black Swan took down the Neverseen. They still chatted on Imparters, but it wasn’t the same. While Keefe was glad they weren’t in any danger, he missed Ro. 

You’ll invite her to the wedding.

As he stepped into the light, Keefe shook with fear. 

What if Sophie said no?

What if there was no wedding? 

Keefe locked all doubt out of his mind. 

He clutched the ring in his pocket. 

Keefe glittered onto the Foxfire grounds.

SOPHIE POV:

This was a disaster. 

While Sophie had hidden behind Biana for the majority of the dance, the ridiculous ceremony was still a nightmare. Sophie was still sweating from nerves. 

She smoothed out her Lilac gown as she willed her feet to cooperate, searching for her boyfriend in the crowd. 

Keefe looked nervous, too.

But what was he nervous about? 

Sophie didn’t think about anything else as she walked up the steps to the stage, receiving her high-school diploma. 

Her amethyst heels made it hard, but she only stumbled once! 

She didn’t last as long off the stage. 

Sophie sighed as she tripped into Keefe’s arms. 

She really needed help with her footwork.

“Easy there, Foster!” Keefe grinned, but it wasn’t quite the same. 

“Are you OK, Keefe?” she asked, making sure to heap suspicion into her voice. She wanted him to know she knew. 

“Hey, you’re the one falling! Speaking of which, you look kind of pale.” 

Sophie rolled her eyes. Keefe was always paranoid.

Then she gasped as pain shot through her veins. 

 She had taken an elixir that made her eyes twinkle and  hair shiny since she didn’t want to do her hair and makeup before the performance. She should have checked the ingredients.

Livvy had said after she went for her yearly checkup that since she was getting older, her allergy took a couple minutes to kick in. 

The world dimmed. The elixir had Limbium in it.

KEEFE POV:

“Sophie? SOPHIE?!”

Thankfully, all eyes were on Biana's graduation as he cradled Sophie in his arms, putting one hand behind her head.

He had to find Elwin.

Keefe channeled all of his energy to his legs and used his merged ability to command them to go faster.

He was at the healing center in under a minute.

Elwin stared, wide eyed, at the girl in Keefe’s arms. 

“What happened?!” He exclaimed as Bullhorn began to screech his head off. 

“No idea. Hurry.” Keefe was numb as he paced, ignoring his cot.

Sophie was thrashing and throwing up next to him. Hives popped up on her skin.

His eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Limbium.

“LIMBIUM!” Keefe yelled as he yanked the remedy off of Sophie’s neck and forced her jaw open. 

She gagged as he shoved the liquid down her throat. 

Sophie began to calm down. Elwin came running in from the lab, where he was trying to figure out what was wrong.

“Thank goodness for your fast reflexes, Keefe.” Elwin said, looking whiter than a ghost. “She would have…well, let’s just say her Wanderling would have been put to good use.”

Keefe shuddered, blinking back tears.

Keefe shuddered.

Sophie had almost died.

“Let me check you, Keefe, and then you can go home and rest.” Elwin said, flashing colored orbs around his torso. 

Keefe shook his head so hard his ears almost fell off.

Elwin sighed. “I figured that would be your response. Let me just give you a bottle of Youth.”

“I’m not talking about that. I am going to be here when 

Sophie wakes up.” 

Elwin didn’t look surprised. “Drink the Youth.”

“Do something for Sophie and I will!” Keefe snapped. 

Elwin sighed. “I can’t. She’ll be out for at least sixteen hours. I don’t want to damage her system.”

“You sound like the Forklenator.”

Elwin grimaced. “Drink the Youth.”

Keefe glared at him as he chugged the water and wiped his mouth. 

“I should probably hail Edaline.” Elwin said. 

Keefe nodded, staring at Sophie.

He hoped she would wake up soon.

SOPHIE POV:

The monster was stirring. 

All of Flori’s songs were nothing compared to the beast. 

The pain was gone for now.

But the memories lingered.

Umber cackling.

Gethen clogging her senses with sedatives.

Trix whispering. 

Happiness was gone.

Hope was gone.

Feeling was gone.

All that was left was the dark, numb void of darkness.

KEEFE POV:

Keefe couldn’t look at the horrified faces of the gathering in the healing center.

After cleaning Sophie up, Edaline had decided to break the news fast and clean the next morning.

Now Dex, Fitz, Biana, Tam, Linh, Wylie, Maruca, Marella, and Stina were in the healing center. 

Alden was definitely having reason to worry.

Della was probably there somewhere.

And Sophie’s “mom” was there, too. 

Sophie had confessed to Keefe about the female donor to Project Moonlark.

Keefe hoped Councilor Oralie could sense his disgust.

“IS SHE OKAY?!” 

Stina was the first to say it.

Stina had become Sophie’s third best friend after Dex and Biana, ever since Sophie decided Fitz was too temperamental. 

Unfortunately, that meant cognatedom was over. Some people were more upset about that than others.

But Stina eventually saw the Sophie that everyone else did, and they had been in the clear ever since. 

“Probably not, considering she almost died,” a bland voice responded flatly.

It took Keefe a minute to realize it was him. 

Stina nodded, not making any snappy remarks. 

Sophie stirred. Keefe felt the awareness dawning on her emotions. 

“She’s waking up,” he said, hope beginning to gather in his voice. Then he realized, “it’s probably best if it’s just me and Edaline in here.”

Everyone else nodded. Fitz frowned, but complied. 

Sophie’s eyes opened, and she stared at nothing for a moment. Then her eyes snapped to Keefe. 

“What happened?” She croaked. 

SOPHIE POV:

As Sophie was filled in on more details about her barfing and passing out then she cared to admit, she realized Grady was missing.

“Where’s Grady? Is he okay?” She asked with her throaty voice. 

“He wanted to come, but he had an important mission for the council.” Edaline explained. “Though, if he were here, I think he would be screaming to only worry about yourself.”

Sophie tried to get out of bed, but nausea creeped up on her. Keefe caught her before she crashed down. Red flushed her cheeks. 

“Careful there, Foster,” he whispered, pushing her sweaty hair behind her ear. 

Edaline, very un-subtlety, left, giving Sophie a goofy smile.

Elwin also retreated to his lab.

“I’m so sorry Keefe!” She cried, a tear escaping from 

her eyes. 

“Shh, Foster, nothing to worry about,” he said, a crease forming between his eyebrows. He put her head in his lap, and swept one arm down to gently squeeze her hand.

“I barfed on you!” She protested.

Keefe laughed quietly. “Nope, that was only for Fitz.” He smirked.

Sophie stared into his ice blue eyes and smiled.

She wished the moment would never end.

Sophie had jinxed it. Just then, he settled her back against the pillows. 

“Don’t leave, Keefe!” She begged.

He smirked again. “I need to shower sometime, Foster!” But his smile quickly faded. “Are you going to be okay?” 

“Yes,” she responded, “why not?”

He chuckled. “You did almost die.”

“Well, I didn’t,” she felt the need to point out. 

“Thank goodness for that,” Keefe mumbled, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

He was gone much too soon. 

Elwin brought over some slumberberry tea. 

“I know how you feel about sedatives,” he said, “but I’ll make you a deal. Drink this, and when you’re awake, you can get out of bed.”