“Is there a problem?” she asked him.

“Of course not.” But his voice was as tense as his features. “I just… need time to process.”

“You realize how suspicious you sound, right?” Grizel asked as Lord Cassius reached under his cape, fumbling with his sleeve. “Especially with how pale you’ve gotten?”

“Suspect whatever you want. I’m sure you’re all very used to being wrong about me.” He pulled out a pathfinder and spun the crystal back and forth. “And I need to go.”

“Go where?” Sophie asked.

“It doesn’t concern you.”

“We’ll decide that,” Sandor told him.

But Lord Cassius locked the crystal into place and leaped away without another word.

Fitz glanced at Sophie. “So… that was super weird, right?”

Sophie nodded, wishing she’d thought to shove her way into Lord Cassius’s mind before he’d left. They deserved answers way more than he deserved privacy.

“You don’t think he’d try to protect Lady Gisela, do you?” Fitz asked.

“I was just wondering the same thing,” she admitted. “But… I feel like the only person he cares about is himself.”

“True. Though, what if protecting her also protects some embarrassing secret he doesn’t want anyone to know?” Fitz suggested—which definitely sounded like something Lord Cassius would do.

Sophie sighed. “We need to figure out where he went. I don’t suppose you saw which facet he used on his pathfinder?”

“You can’t really tell by looking at them. It’s about counting the turns of the crystal and feeling the cuts and angles.” Fitz dragged a hand through his hair. “I guess Grizel and I can go wait at the Shores of Solace and confront him as soon as he gets back.”

“That’s assuming he actually goes home. He might not.” She tugged her eyelashes a little harder than she needed to. “Ugh, why does everything have to be so hard? Like… is it really asking so much for people to be honest about what they’re doing? Even if they’re doing something wrong, at least own it, you know?”

“That would definitely make life easier.” Fitz kicked the side of his boot a few times. “Though… that sounds a little funny coming from you, since… you know… you still haven’t said why you’re here right now.”

He had a point.

And Sophie was absolutely not in the mood to get into another huge fight—especially since it had felt like some of the awkwardness between them was finally fading.

But…

Lying did make everything way more complicated.

Plus… how could they ever be friends again if she kept hiding things from him?

“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath. “If you really want to know… Oralie and I unlocked the Forgotten Secret in her cache—and we didn’t really learn much from the memory. But it seemed like the information we need is actually in Kenric’s cache. So I’m trying to get that back.”

“And you think it’s here in Candleshade?” Fitz asked.

“No, I wish.” She fought the urge to tug out another itchy eyelash before she added, “We don’t know where to look. So we thought it might be good to see if any members of the Neverseen have any information that they’d be willing to share.”

She stopped there, clinging to the tiny hope that Fitz might not be able to guess the rest of her plan.

But of course he immediately said, “So… you came here looking for Alvar.”

Sophie forced herself to nod. “Well… mostly I’m looking for anything he might’ve left behind that could tell me where he’s hiding.”

She focused on her feet, bracing for a whole lot of shouting.

But when Fitz finally spoke, his voice was calm and steady—maybe even a little sad as he said, “And you didn’t ask me for help.”

“I—”

“It’s okay,” he interrupted. “I’m not mad. I just… wish I knew why.” He blew out a breath before he added, “Was it because of all the awful stuff I said when you told me you let Alvar go? Or was it because of… the other thing?”

Grizel coughed. “You know, I think it’s high time we do another grounds patrol, don’t you?”

“I do,” Flori agreed.

“I’ll keep watch here,” Sandor told them—then let out a squeaky yelp. “Or… I’ll be right outside the main door.”

Fitz cleared his throat when they were alone. “Goblins aren’t great at being subtle, are they?”

“Definitely not,” Sophie agreed, wondering if her cheeks were as red as the sash on her tunic. “Though… they’re better than ogres.”

“Very true. Ro’s the worst.”

“She can be,” Sophie admitted. “But in her own way, she can be kind of sweet.”

“I guess.” Several painful seconds passed before Fitz added, “You didn’t answer my question.”

Sophie cringed. “Caught that, huh?”

“It’s pretty hard to miss. Just like all of this awkwardness.”

Sophie dared a quick peek at his face and was stunned that he didn’t look angry.

He looked… sad.

Also ridiculously handsome—but that wasn’t something she needed to be thinking about.

That would only bring up the almosts and the what-ifs, and make her start wishing for things that wouldn’t be a good idea.

Fitz took a small step closer. “I really miss you, Sophie. Not just as… whatever. I hate how it feels like we’re not even friends anymore.”

“I know,” she whispered, trying not to wonder if any of that meant he still…

Because it didn’t matter.

She’d been the one to end things.

It had all gotten so complicated—and things were still complicated.

None of that had changed.

But she did need him to know, “I miss you, too.”

That earned her his glorious, movie-worthy smile.

He took another step closer, running a hand that looked a little shaky through his hair before he said, “Do you think we can maybe just… start over? Forget everything else and just try working together again?”

Sophie’s brain was screaming, YES!

But when she actually used her voice, she found herself asking, “Are you going to get mad at me about Alvar again?”

His smile faded, and he turned away, curling and uncurling his hands for several deep breaths.

“Anything with my brother is always going to be hard for me,” he eventually admitted. “But… I’m going to try to keep my anger directed at him, and no one else.”

It wasn’t the most reassuring answer.

But it did feel real—and wasn’t that what they’d been striving for during all of their Cognate training?

Truth.

Trust.

Open communication.

“Okay,” she whispered. “Let’s try it.”

He turned back, flashing another beautiful smile—though it was back to being a bit more reserved.

But that felt real, too.

So did the fact that neither of them reached for the other’s hand.