Flashback ( PDFDrive )

“Absolutely not!” Tarina interrupted. “No goblin is allowed to know
anything about our hives.”
“You can trust Grizel.”
“No—you can trust her,” Tarina corrected. “The goblins have
always cooperated peacefully with your people. My people have not
had that luxury. Instead, we’ve endured a long history of attacks. And I
don’t think you realize the larger significance of our hive. Remember:
Our deadliest soldiers are our newborns and Stage Ones. So wiping
them out before they hatch doesn’t just destroy a generation and crush
the lives of the families waiting for them—it decimates our army for
several years to come.”
“But we can’t just ignore this,” Sophie argued. “You’ve never dealt
with the Neverseen before—you don’t know how they work. Things
like this . . . These are the things you look back on and regret.
Someone has to find that hive—or whatever’s left of it—and make sure
there’s nothing there we need to worry about.”
“I can do it,” Fitz offered, rising from where he’d been crouching
among the long grass.
Tarina’s eyes narrowed. “How can you understand us?”
“I can’t,” Fitz admitted, glancing nervously at Sophie. “I swear I
wasn’t planning on sneaking into your mind. I was just trying to stay
close, to make sure nothing weird was happening. But then Tarina
grabbed your wrist, and your voices got louder, and . . . I had to make
sure you were okay—and then I heard Luzia’s name and . . .”
“Elvin mind tricks,” Tarina muttered.
It’s okay, Sophie transmitted to Fitz. I would’ve done the same thing.
Really? he asked, a hint of a smile curling his lips.
It turned into a real grin when Sophie admitted, I’m glad you’re here.