Flashback ( PDFDrive )

of our class. And you’re Foster’s Cognate and . . . even without all of that,
you’re still a Vacker. You’re always going to be the golden boy everyone
expects greatness from. And I’ll always be the mess.
You’re not a mess, Sophie promised.
Oh, I am, Foster. The more we do this, the more you’ll see. And that’s
fine. I can’t pretend everything’s normal anymore. Too much has happened.
Then why still hide some of your memories? Fitz asked.
Keefe snorted. Because I’d like to actually keep you guys as friends.
Sophie had no idea what that meant—but it didn’t matter. I’m
always going to be your friend.
So am I, Fitz added.
You sure about that? Keefe asked, making his memories shift again,
this time to a flashback Sophie had already seen several months earlier
—but Fitz hadn’t.
This was the first memory I got back, Keefe explained.
Why is it all crackly and distorted? Fitz asked.
Keefe shrugged. I guess it got a little damaged by the Washer.
He was just a kid in the memory, following his mom’s voice up to
the roof in the middle of the night, where he found her talking to two
figures in hooded black cloaks. Now Sophie knew the figures were
Brant and Alvar, and that they’d been discussing Alvar’s failed efforts
to find where the Black Swan hid Sophie among humans. But in that
moment, the only thing Keefe understood was that his mom implied
that she was going to encourage him to become friends with Fitz so
that he could keep an eye on Fitz’s search for Sophie.
So? Fitz asked. You think that’s the only reason we’re friends?
No—but I’m sure it was a big part of it, Keefe told him.