Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities #8) - Shannon Messenger Page 0,37

without me.’ ”

He smirked. “Yeah, that argument’s going to work about as well for you as it did for me. And come on, Foster, do you really think you’re up for spending hours brainstorming bio-mommy-and-daddy names? You almost passed out after two minutes—and I’d probably do the same thing. This is rough stuff. And you’re already beat. So let me help. All I’m doing is making lists.”

Her stubborn side wanted to keep arguing, but annoyingly he was right. “Fine. But you better not show those lists to anybody, or talk to anyone on them without me.”

“Don’t worry, Blondie. I won’t let him screw this up,” Ro promised.

“Does that mean we’re leaving?” Sandor asked, holding out his hand.

Sophie stood and fished out her home crystal. “Yeah, I guess it does.”

But when she looked over at Keefe and thought about the roller coaster of complicated conversations they’d just been through, she couldn’t leave quite yet. Not without doing one more thing.

And she didn’t care if it was awkward. Or what anyone might think.

She leaned over, pulling Keefe into the tightest hug possible, and whispered, “Thank you.”

It took him a second to hug her back, and his arms felt a little stiff. But his breath was warm in her ear as he told her, “Anytime, Foster. I’m always here.”

* * *

“Everything okay?” Edaline asked, running over to where Sophie and Sandor had arrived in the Havenfield pastures, and Sophie briefly wondered why her mom was covered in verminion fur—but forgot about it when Edaline added, “Flori told me what’s going on—or everything she knew, anyway.”

“I’ll tell you the rest,” Sandor said, steering Sophie toward the front door.

Sophie locked her knees. “No, you won’t!”

“You and I both know you don’t have the energy to go through the whole conversation again,” Sandor argued. And when Sophie still didn’t relent, he leaned down and whispered, “Don’t fight me on this, and I’ll keep your matchmaking secrets—though you’re going to need to fill her in soon, now that you’ve involved Keefe and the princess.”

“I know,” she whispered back, needing a quick eyelash tug to settle her nerves. “And fine. But I have one question first—then I’ll go to bed.”

Sandor’s sigh-growl made her ears ring.

But he let her turn back to Edaline and ask, “Is Grady still with the Council?”

Edaline nodded. “But only because he went back to warn them after I shared what Flori told me about Gethen probing Tam’s memories. And she was able to get ahold of the Black Swan as well, in case you’re wondering. Mr. Forkle said he’ll let you know how they’re going to manage the situation once he’s gotten a few things in motion. I’m sure the Council will have lots of questions about what Tam knows when you meet with them tomorrow too.”

Sophie’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m meeting with the Council tomorrow?”

“You are. They’ve asked you to come to Eternalia at midday.”

Sophie waited for her to add more, but Edaline had busied herself with brushing the shaggy purple fur off the front of her tunic in slow, methodical strokes. “Is everything okay?”

“Of course! I just feel like I should wait for Grady to be home before I say anything else.” She stole a quick glance at Sophie. “But you’re not going to let it go now that I’ve said something, are you?”

“You know me well,” Sophie agreed.

“Fine,” Edaline decided. “But I’ll only tell you after you’ve showered, gotten into bed, and let me bring you something to eat—and I’ve had a chance to get some updates from Sandor. That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”

It was Sophie’s turn to sigh-growl.

But she knew a losing battle when she saw one. So she hurried inside and took what might’ve been the fastest shower she’d ever taken in her entire life. Her pajamas were bunched all weird as she stumbled into bed, because she’d tugged them on over her still-damp skin, and her hair was probably sticking out in a hundred directions. But she didn’t care, because meeting with the Council was rarely a good thing.

And meeting with them in Eternalia had her brain screaming, DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!

“So what does the Council want?” she asked as Edaline snapped her fingers, making a tray appear in her lap filled with colorful, mushy foods that would taste way better than they looked.

“Take a few bites first,” Edaline told her, which wasn’t technically part of their deal. But it was easier to snarf down a few spoonfuls of pinkish-greenish goo than to argue—and bonus, it tasted