Flashback ( PDFDrive )

“What if we’re wrong?” she asked, trying not to fidget as she stood
in front of Fitz, Keefe, Biana, Dex, Linh, and Marella, who’d all
gathered under Calla’s Panakes tree after she’d hailed them for an
emergency meeting. Wylie and Tam were with Orem and Luzia,
strengthening the illusions at the Prism Peaks. And the adults were
still using Havenfield’s main room for their continued planning.
“What if we’re wrong about what?” Fitz asked.
Sophie took a steadying breath to keep the monster calm. “I mean,
what if Fintan was lying? It’s not like the other stuff he told us was all
that earth-shattering. The festival warning was the only thing
concrete—and what if that was his plan?”
“I thought we already decided we couldn’t ignore the warning, just
in case,” Dex reminded her. “Wasn’t that why we had to listen to
everyone argue all night?”
“Right,” Sophie agreed. “But once we decided to take it seriously,
it’s like we forgot that if Fintan lied about this, it was probably to keep
us distracted so we’d be completely caught off guard by anything else.
So the question is, where else are we vulnerable?”
“Everglen,” Fitz said immediately. “Alvar will still be there. And my
dad sent half the guards to the festival.”
“That still leaves the other half,” Biana reminded him. “And the
gate. And the Warden on his ankle. And the fact that he has no
memories. I think we’re covered.”
Sophie nodded slowly. “You still have guards posted at the override,
right?”
“Yes,” Fitz said, running a hand down his face. “But I don’t like
that Alvar will be alone there without us. Maybe I should stay home
and keep an eye on him.”