Flashback ( PDFDrive )

He pointed to their trays, which still had way more vials than
Sophie’s stomach wanted.
“And just to be incredibly clear,” he added, “in case Mr. Sencen
manages to sneak back in later—please don’t attempt to recover his
memories until you speak to Sir Tiergan.”
Didn’t you say you wanted to weigh in too? Sophie transmitted as he
headed for the door.
I do. But my advice is rather brief, since Tiergan will cover all of the
specifics. I simply want to make sure that you realize the dynamic between
you, Mr. Vacker, and Mr. Sencen is . . . complicated.
What does that mean?
That’s up to you to figure out.
“Why did he wink at you before he left?” Fitz asked as soon as
Magnate Leto was gone.
“Because adults are annoying,” Sophie mumbled, focusing on
choking down the rest of her medicine.
Fitz still helped her with the vials, but there was a new kind of
silence between them—not an awkward quiet so much as a heavy
thoughtfulness.
A mental standoff, as they each waited for the other to plunge into
the murky waters of the Fintan conversation.
Fitz dived in first. “So . . . do you really think we should pass on the
meeting?”
“I don’t know. If we agree to it, we’re basically telling him he can
still boss us around. And the thought of listening to another one of his
speeches?” She shoved her empty vials away a little harder than she
needed to, enjoying the satisfying clatter. “Plus, he’s not going to tell
us anything until we agree to do something for him.”