Status Updates From Exile (Keeper of the Lost C...

A tiny part of her wondered if Fitz would chime in, but he stayed silent, standing just out of reach. So she was completely surprised when he said, “You can’t hear me anymore, can you?”
Sophie turned to face him, staring at his chin instead of his eyes. “Were you trying to transmit?”
He nodded

He handed her the vial when she was settled.
“I’ll do everything I can to guide you through this. But you’re going to have to fight hard.”
“I always do.”

“I love that neither of us thought to bring a light, either.”
“You don’t need one,” a gravelly voice said from the shadows, making both Keefe and Sophie scream.
“Dude—that was not cool,” Keefe said as a hairy brown dwarf skulked out into the moonlight.

He was quiet for a few seconds, and Sophie thought he was going to ignore her. But then he leaned closer—close enough that she could feel his breath on her cheek as he said, “I know I crack a lot of jokes, Sophie, but . . . that’s just because it’s easier, you know? It’s how I deal. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care. I do. A lot.”

“You know I’ll have to go alone? Silveny won’t let anyone else come.”
“Actually, that’s where you’re wrong,” Grady said. “There is one other person Silveny trusts, and even though he’s not my first choice as an escort for you, he’s better than no one.”
Sophie couldn’t quite hide her groan. “You realize you’re putting my life in the hands of Keefe Sencen, right?”

KEEFE FUCKING SENCEN

Grady strangled her with a hug. “I would give almost anything to have him back,” he whispered. “But I won’t give up you.”

A small sob slipped through her lips as she read the four words that changed everything.
We can fix you.

Sophie bit her lip. “It’s nothing. I guess I just didn’t realize you didn’t have a Sencen crest pin.”
“Uh, you’ve met my father—you’ve seen what he’s like. He’s always told me I have to earn my place in the family. And I guess now I have.”

“So, Foster, what time am I coming over—and I’m hoping it’ll be after you shower.”
She fanned his stink away. “Uh, I hope you’re planning on showering too.”
“He’s coming over again?” Dex whined, turning several heads.

Grady rubbed his temples. “So . . . Keefe Sencen?”
“What about him?”
“What about Dex?”
“What about Dex?”

“It’s a date, Foster!” Keefe shouted, turning every head in the corridor and making her grit her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. “Looking forward to it.”
That made one of them.

“I was going to ask you the same question. I know you too well, Foster—you obviously know something about Alden that you’re not telling me, something that’s helping you stay so calm about this.”
“I’m not—”
“I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about. But whatever you’re planning, I want in.”

“I knew you weren’t as strong as everyone thought!”
She gritted her teeth. She wasn’t going to let him win.

a 13 year old btw

“I told him I didn’t want to do it but he said it had to be me!”
“Yeah, well, maybe he wouldn’t have said that if he’d known you were damaged!”
The word felt like a slap in the face.
Damaged.

“I need to talk to Biana.”
Sophie stepped forward. “I can talk to—”
“You’ve done enough!” Fitz yelled.

“I think it means Alden’s mind is broken.”

“I know you want to help—but Sophie’s mind is stronger than yours.”
Fitz shoved him away. “Please, she’s just a kid.”

“I . . . I don’t know.” She tried not to cry as she explained, but a few tears still leaked down her cheeks.
“Hey—it’s okay,” Keefe said, raising his arms like he might hug her and then dropping them back to his sides.