Flashback ( PDFDrive )

Sophie’s face burned. So did her eyes. And she couldn’t decide if the
tangled emotions clawing up her throat were proof that she definitely
wasn’t ready for things with Fitz to be public—or because she still
couldn’t imagine people using the word “perfect” to describe the two
of them together. But she told Keefe, “Thanks.”
He tore his hands through his hair again, looking like he was
changing his mind about his next words several times before he said,
“So . . . you don’t hate me?”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you
—I’m never going to hate you!”
His smile looked tired. “Well. I guess that’s good enough. For now.”
• • •
Mr. Forkle stopped by that evening, and once Grady and Edaline had
gone upstairs—and Sandor had led the other bodyguards outside for
patrols—Sophie decided to tell him everything.
Well, everything except the mushy Fitz stuff, because . . . no.
But she told him about the alliance she’d made with Tarina, even
though she knew he’d probably be upset that she didn’t wait to find
out what he learned through his research. And she told him about
Luzia, because the Black Swan needed to know there’d once been a
troll hive at Everglen. Plus, she wanted someone else to hear what
Luzia had implied about the challenges of working with the empress.
“Do you think I made a mistake agreeing to the alliance?” she
whispered when Mr. Forkle rose from his spot on the couch and paced
to the windows overlooking Havenfield’s pastures.
“I think,” he said slowly, “that you made the best possible decision
under the given circumstances. Which is all any of us would ever ask.”