Sophie stared at a blank wall, a notepad in her lap. It had two things on it, reading,

Tam is a Neverseen spy

AND

Umber

Both seemed unlikely. Why Fitz? Who would have something against him?

She heard a knock on the door. "It's me," Fitz's voice said. "May I come in?"

"Yes," she said. He appeared at the doorway, looking good, considering that he had just almost drowned. He came over and sat next to her.

"Everything okay?"

"I'm just... worried. For you. Fitz, I..." She struggled to find the right words. "We just got together. And now, you're in danger. Who's to say the shadows won't be back?"

"Don't worry, Soph. Please, don't worry."

"But I should. I need to protect you! But... but that's not possible. Even with Grizel, there's nothing that we can do about it."

"Hey." He took her hand, which was bare, so their cognate rings snapped together- just another reminder that they may soon be pulled apart. "I think we're just looking at this wrong. Turn on the creative thinking in there." He tapped her head.

"I have absolutely no idea!" she yelled. And suddenly she was crying, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. "I- I don't want to lose you," she sobbed, closing her eyes.

She felt Fitz's strong arms wrapped around her and his voice in her ear. "You won't, Soph. Not when you figure this out- and I know you will."

"I'm nowhere right now, and I have nothing!"

"That's not true. You have two ideas." He pointed to the notepad. "You're a smart girl, Soph."

Suddenly, a lost memory burned into her head, shrouded in shadow.

She was sitting on her bed, watching Fitz through the window. He held up his home crystal and glittered away after waving to her. She smiled. A minute later, Edaline came in.

"You have a visitor," she said.

"Is Fitz back already?" she asked.

"No, it's Tam. Shall I send him up?

She was a little surprised. He usually never came to anything unless his sister made him. "Is Linh here?"

"No, just Tam. Why?"

"Nothing. He can come up." She heard footsteps, and then Tam entered her room, looking more moody than usual. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Not really."

"Why? Can I help?"

He sat down next to her and touched her hand gently, which really surprised her, because Tam never did anything gently and avoided physical contact all all costs. "Actually, you're the only person who can help."

"What do you need? Why are you more moody than usual?"

"Fitz."

"Not Keefe?"

"Keefe is the least annoying now."

"So... why is Fitz bothering you? What did my boyfriend do?" she said. "I swear, if he hurt you..."

"I- Sophie, I'm jealous."

"Why? Because you're the only one not in a relationship?"

"Because it's him and not me. Do you get where I'm heading?"

"Not really..."

"Sophie, how can you be so oblivious to the fact that I obviously like you?"

She was stunned into silence. "You never really make your feelings clear..."

"Yeah, well, I am now."

"I'm sorry, Tam," she said regretfully. "I was prepared to help, but not like this. You've always been just a friend to me."

"Well, I see how it is." He stood up. "But be warned: I'll make sure your Wonderboy suffers for this. I'm sorry, Sophie. We could've been great together. You're a smart girl. I had hoped you would make the right choice." 

He headed for the door and she lunged for him, but he shot out his hand and her mind was cloaked with shadow, darkness pushing the memory down, down, down."

"Soph? Soph!" a voice screamed, and suddenly she was yanked to the present.

"It's Tam," she said, gasping for breath. "Tam is coming for you."

A/n: Pleaaaase don't hate me! I swear, I have nothing against Tam, it's just for the plotline! *gives gifts of bribery to readers to keep them from abandoning the story*