Dex

"Start from the beginning."  Fitz commanded, his teal eyes focused on Dex.  Dex shrugged, and told FItz how Sophie came into Slurps and Burps, and her suspicious behavior.  Fitz listened attentively, never once looking away.  When Dex got to the part about wandering the aisles, and seeing the glimmer, he stopped.

"Fitz, do vanishers sometimes glimmer?"  He asked, figuring Fitz would know.  He did live with three vanishers, now two, at home.

Fitz was silent as he racked his brain.  Dex was about to continue until Fitz finally spoke.

"Well, I remember once, when Biana was first getting used to her ability, she used to glimmer.  Like she was able to go invisible, but not fully.  Why?"

Dex paused before saying, "Well, when I was looking in the shop, there was this weird glimmer near the counter.  Then, as soon as I got to the counter, Sophie was there.  But I didn't see her before.  It was just like she-"

"Appeared."  Fitz said knowingly.  He got up and started to pace around the room.  Dex pulled the vial out of his pocket and spun it on the table.  How will I give this to Iggy now?  He thought to himself.  

"Yeah, but Sophie's obviously not a vanisher.  And even if she was, she'd tell us.  Probably Biana if she needed help.  So what if... what if... if, your theory's right Fitz?  What if Sophie's not really Sophie?"  The moment Dex said it, it sounded stupid.  Sophie was Sophie.  No way could she not be.

Fitz didn't appear to be listening until he whirled around.  "We can test her somehow!  See if she's really Sophie!"  He exclaimed.  Dex shot up out of his chair, ideas already forming in his head.

"What do you have in mind?"  He asked Fitz.  Fitz shrugged.

"Well, she probably knows Sophie inside-out."  He started, before his imparter beeped.

"I'm kinda in the middle of something, Biana."  Fitz grumbled, as Biana's worried face popped up.  

"Yeah, well,too bad.   Amy wants to see you.  She said that she went to Havenfield to see Sophie, but Sophie was acting really weird.  And her eyes weren't brown."  Biana said, and Dex gasped.  Sophie's eyes weren't brown.  Proof that she wasn't actually Sophie.

"Okay, I'm coming.  And I'm bringing Dex too."  Fitz stated, pulling out his homing crystal.  

"Dex?  You're with Dex?  And he's coming?"  Biana said, and Dex could of sworn he saw her blush.

"Yeah."  Fitz said absent-mindedly.  "Call Keefe and tell him to come over, would you Biana?"  

Biana sighed.  "Fine, but I expect you to explain why everybody's coming over."

"Fine."  Fitz grumbled.  "Hold on."  He instructed Dex as he held his crystal up to the light.  Dex grabbed Fitz's hand, and they arrived at Everglen.

Esmeralda  (Sophie)

Esmeralda watched Amy leave, tears in her eyes.  She had failed.  Fintan would soon know, and she would suffer the consequences.  

She knew Amy would be back soon, and with reinforcements.  Sophie's friends.  The real Sophie.  Not the fake one Esmeralda was pretending to be.

She grabbed her stuff.  Her stuff the Neverseen gave her.  A cloak, imparter, light-leaper, Sophie's assortment of necklaces, and a binder of information about Sophie -  her favorite food, her birthday, the schools she went to in the human world, her family member's information.  A bunch of random information.

Better to tell Fintan myself then have him find out.  She thought.  But just then Edaline came up the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Here's the mallowme- Oh."  She said, seeing Esmeralda's tear-streaked face.

"What happened?  Where's Amy?"  Edaline said, dropping the plate of mallowmelt and rushing to Esmeralda's side.

Esmeralda just sniffled.  What do I say?  She thought.  She hated lying -  especially to Edaline and Grady.  They were so kind and caring.  Like the parents Esmeralda never had.  Her parents both were active members of the Neverseen and usually to busy with their work to care about Esmeralda.  So she was usually by herself.

"She saw me and we had an argument.  I started yelling at her, and she left.  Oh, it's all my fault!"  Esmeralda wailed.  She figured that not telling the whole truth was better than lying.  And she actually was sad.  Just not for that particular reason.

"It's okay, Sophie."  Edaline said soothingly as she rubbed Esmeralda's back.  At the word "Sophie", Esmeralda flinched.  

"Are you hurt?"  Edaline said worriedly, thinking the flinch was from her rubbing.  She stopped, and stepped back a little.

"No, it's okay.  I was just thinking."  Esmeralda said, which again, was kinda the truth.  She was thinking.  But the flinch most certainly was not from the thinking.

"Oh."  Edaline said.  The two were silent for a moment until Esmeralda dried her tears and sat up.

"Thank you, mom."  The word "mom" felt weird off of Esmeralda's tongue.  Something...foreign.

Edaline smiled.  "Your welcome, Sophie."  Edaline left, just as Esmeralda's imparter beeped.

"Oh, uh, hi Fitz."  She said when his face popped up.  "What's up?"

Fitz's eyes became stormy for a moment before he smiled.  

"Oh, I was just wondering if you want to come over for Base-Quest.  Keefe and Dex are here, and we need one more person to balance the teams out."

"Well, su-  Wait.  Is Amy playing?"  Esmeralda asked.  She didn't want to see Amy.  Especially if there were other elves around.  Not after Amy found out her not-so-secret secret.

"Uh, yeah.  Why would she not?"  Fitz replied.  He looked off screen for a moment, as if someone was telling him something.

"Sorry, but I have to go.  See 'ya!"  

"Bye Fitz!  See you at yo-"  But Fitz already hung up.  Esmeralda sighed.  She was going to have to go and face Amy.  And hopefully not her secret.

I'll just have to leave for Fintan tomorrow.  She thought, and grabbed her homing crystal off the shelf.  Esmeralda ran down the stairs to the kitchen, where Edaline was busy making a fresh batch of mallowmelt for the one she had dropped in Sophie's room

"Um, Edaline?  Is it okay if I go to Everglen and play Base-Quest with the Vackers and their friends?"  Esmeralda cringed after saying "their friends" because they were Sophie's friends too.  But it was too late to change what she said.

"Sure!"  Edaline said brightly, not appearing to have noticed.  "Just be careful.  You've had a record for not seeing Elwin!  Two and a half weeks!"

"Yeah.  Not sure how I've done it.  Bye!"  Esmeralda said hurriedly before running out the door.  Outside the house, she held up her crystal and glittered away to the gates of Everglen.

So, how was it?  I feel like this book will probably be less than twenty chapters... Pretty short.

Anyway, thanks for reading!!!  😄😄😄😄

-Pi