Flashback ( PDFDrive )

The echo was only a tiny part of her worries. And she wished she
had some magic solution.
The best she could come up with was, “I think you, Biana, and your
parents need to sit down and figure out some very specific ground
rules for how this is going to work—and I think today is the day to do
it, before he moves in. You have some time before sunset. You should
go home and lay out everything you can and can’t handle: where you’re
willing to see Alvar and where you’re not, under what conditions, how
often—all that stuff. And for every compromise you make, demand
something in return.”
“Like what?”
Sophie considered that. “What about access to your dad’s office so
you can search it for yourself?”
Fitz leaned back a little. “Huh. That’s actually not a bad idea.”
Sophie smiled. “You don’t need to sound so surprised.”
“I’m not. I’m just thinking.”
She let him mull it all over for several minutes—even though it felt
like an eternity—before she asked, “So . . . does that mean you’ll go
with Biana? Because you probably shouldn’t wait too much longer.
You’ll want to make sure you get this all ironed out before Alvar gets
there.”
Fitz closed his eyes. “I really wish you’d stop being right.”
“I know what you mean,” she said, giving him a few more seconds.
Then she asked, “Should we tell Elwin you’re leaving? I’m sure he’s
going to want to check you one more time before you go.”
She was right again.
Elwin also insisted on sending Fitz with a satchel full of elixirs—
and while he went over all the instructions, Biana gathered up Fitz’s