Dex finds her by the lockers after her last session. "Ready to go?"

"One second." Sophie licks her locker DNA strip and shudders at the taste. "Pickles?"

"Yeah, Elwin has weird taste in things," Dex replies casually. "How were your sessions? Did Lady Galvin give you a hard time?"

The rest of her sessions had gone by uneventfully, and were almost boring. The reminder of her Alchemy session makes Sophie wince. "I feel like I gave her a harder time."

His eyes widen. "Did you—her cape—"

"I did," she admits, and glares as he hunches over in laughter. "Dex! Not funny. It was so embarrassing."

"Sorry, sorry." Dex recollects himself, wiping away a fake tear. "This is the best thing I've heard all day."

"That makes two of you," Sophie mutters under her breath. She gathers up her books and closes her locker. "Where are we going now?"

"Study hall. I'm going to introduce you to your charges." He sends her a pointed glance.

She'd almost forgotten about the Vackers. Sophie had done some brief background research the week before with the help of the Collective. She knew where Biana liked to go shopping in Mysterium, and that Fitz scored top grades in his class every year—plus loads more gossip from Stina, most of which Mr. Forkle deemed unreliable. Sophie knew it was purely for their protection, but it still felt weird snooping into the lives of people who weren't high-level nobility or suspected Neverseen members. Especially when said subjects were around her age.

"Another thing you should know," Dex says. "Fitz and Biana, they're basically royalty around here. People are like, in love with them." He wrinkles his nose. "Especially with Fitz."

Sophie nudges him. "Sounds like someone's jealous," she teases.

Dex turns red. "I'm serious, Soph. It's risky enough that everyone at this school already knows who you are. Getting involved with elves as high-profile as the Vackers..." He shakes his head. "Just don't get too close, okay?"

He was right to be worried. Most of her Black Swan missions operated under a tight layer of secrecy and confidentiality to keep the Moonlark concealed from the general public. Coming to Foxfire was a huge change from the status quo.

"Well... I kinda need to be close to them to fulfill the Council's request," Sophie replies.

He sighs. "You'll see what I mean."

Sophie in fact does not see, and wants to keep pressing him for more—but they suddenly turn through a set of ornate double doors, entering a massive room with a high ceiling bordered by equally high bookshelves. Prodigies are seated along the many rows of long tables, studying quietly or talking in hushed voices.

The hushed voices grow louder as people catch sight of them making their way through the library. Sophie ignores the eyes turned their way and follows Dex to a table where two prodigies are seated, heads bent in quiet conversation.

They break apart from their whispering as Sophie and Dex approach. The girl with soft, chocolatey curls is obviously Biana Vacker, who regards Sophie through narrowed teal eyes. The other girl has long, elegant twists pulled up in a high ponytail.

"Sophie," Dex begins. "This is—"

"I'm perfectly capable of introducing myself to the new kid, Dex," the girl with the ponytail says. She smiles at Sophie. Her eyes are darker in shade, her cheekbones a little more prominent, but she still has the same soft, doe-eyed expression and dimpled cheeks that Wylie does. "I'm Maruca."

"I'm Biana," says Biana. She fixes Sophie with a hard stare that isn't cold, but not quite warm and fuzzy either. "Pleasure."

Sophie smiles back uncertainly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Sophie."

"And I am shocked and disappointed."

Sophie turns around—and comes face to face with none other than Keefe Sencen. Someone managed to wrestle him back into a proper Foxfire uniform, but the sleeves are still rolled up to his elbows.

Dex groans quietly. "Hi, Keefe."

Keefe raises his eyebrows. "Foster, I can't believe you're still letting Dizznee show you around. You couldn't even find the Healing Center earlier."

"You've already met?" Dex and Biana exclaim in unison. They glance at one another in surprise, and Dex turns pink.

"Something like that." Keefe gives Sophie an overexaggerated wink.

Someone standing beside Keefe laughs quietly. "I can't say I'm surprised," he says. "But I am kind of jealous that he got to meet the new Telepath before I did."

Sophie tears her gaze away from Keefe's smirk, surprised she hadn't noticed the other boy—and her heart skips a beat. Elves were beautiful, sure, but she isn't certain she's ever seen one as breathtaking as the boy in front of her right now. His teal eyes glitter like sunlight through seaglass, and the gold of his Level Seven cape against his dark hair make him look like a prince. Sophie finally understands what Dex meant.

"I'm Fitz Vacker," he says with a warm smile, and Sophie feels like melting. "Welcome to Foxfire."

At that moment a mentor sweeps by and quietly scolds them for standing around and talking. Sophie welcomes the interruption, thankful that she doesn't stumble over her words trying to reply to Fitz. The prodigies scramble to seat themselves at the table and pull out their books—everyone except Keefe, who props his shoes up and starts fiddling with his Imparter.

"It's so neat to have another Telepath around," Fitz whispers to her. "Do you have Tiergan as your ability mentor?"

"Yeah, I do," she replies. "He's great." She doesn't mention that Tiergan has been mentoring her for almost ten years.

"Isn't he?" Fitz says warmly. "He taught me everything I know. Don't tell my dad," he adds jokingly.

Of course—the esteemed Alden Vacker. Sophie smiles back. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Can you guys be a little more quiet?" Maruca murmurs. "Some of us are actually trying to study."

"Yes, please," Biana mutters.

Fitz rolls his eyes at his sister. "Sorry. We're just talking." He turns back to Sophie, then frowns. "That's weird."

Her heart jumps. "What is?" Was there something on her face? Did she say something wrong?

He tilts his head. "I can't get through your blocking. Not even to transmit."

Sophie almost sighs. The defensive techniques in her mind that she's built up over time were too good sometimes—just her luck that her ability gets in the way of a cute boy wanting to talk to her.

She opens her thoughts to Fitz. Sorry about that.

Whoa, he says. You have to show me how you got your blocking to be so good. When did you manifest?

It's a little jarring to hear his deep voice echoing in her mind. Sophie purses her lips. I was five years old.

Fitz's eyes widen. No way. And I thought I manifested young.

I guess I'm just special, she says half-jokingly.

His eyes sparkle back at her. No kidding.

The fluttery feeling returns. Sophie keeps talking to distract herself. If you want, I could show you some pointers, she tells him. I can't guarantee I'm a good teacher, but I'll try.

Fitz smiles. I'd like that.

"Are you guys done making moony eyes at each other?" Dex says.

Sophie blinks, and suddenly she's sitting in the Foxfire library again. She looks across the table to find Dex and Biana with disapproving stares. Maruca still has her nose buried in a book. Keefe is nowhere to be seen; Sophie can only assume that he ditched again.

Her face burns. "We were just... talking," she explains, glancing back at Fitz.

"Sorry," Dex says, and he looks like he meant it. "But we have to leave. Like, now."

"Is everything okay?" Fitz asks.

"Yeah. Peachy," Dex answers, but the tight expression on his face says otherwise. "Just some last minute registration business that we forgot to take care of. For Sophie."

Fitz rests a hand on her arm. "It was really nice to meet you," he tells her. "I'll see you around, I guess?"

Sohpie's heart pounds. She manages to reply with a "Yeah, you too," before Dex whisks her out of the library.

"What was that all about?" she asks as she follows him down the twisting hallways.

"Haven't you checked your Imparter?" Dex splutters.

"No, I was talking to Fitz—"

"Oh, how could I forget—here, just—" Dex shoves his Imparter into her hand. Sophie struggles to keep up with him as she squints to read the stream of messages on the device.

"Wylie called?" she exclaims. "Why?"

Dex sighs. "That's what we're about to find out."

Sophie looks up and realizes they're outside, at the back entrance of Foxfire. Standing in front of them is Wylie, dressed in one of the Black Swan's dark hooded cloaks for missions.

"Finally!" he sighs in relief. "Sorry to cut your first day short, kiddo, but we have a problem to deal with. Put these on." He shoves a pair of hooded cloaks at them.

"What's going on?" Sophie asks as she and Dex rush to sling the cloaks over their uniforms.

Before they can say anything else, Wylie hands them each a leaping crystal. Both are a deep cobalt blue.

"Get ready for a field trip." Wylie pulls the hood of Sophie's cloak over her head and smiles grimly. "There's a fire in the Forbidden Cities."