"What?!?!?!?!" Fitz asked, a huge grin spreading across his face. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. You and Miss Foster seem to have a very special and intimate connection." Mr. Forkle said.
"What's a Cognate?" Sophie asked.
"A Cognate is a Telepath's ultimate backup, who is always loyal to the other, and they stem their power from a deep personal connection. They gain trust by sharing secrets." Granite explained.
Sophie's stomach flip-flopped, and her mouth instantly dried. "You're kidding."
"No, I'm not."
"Sophie, we've shared secrets in Telepathy before. It's not like this is different." Fitz pointed out. "We just need to have no secrets at all." His eyes seemed to be pleading with her.
She blushed and looked away. "There's one thing I can't tell you, Fitz. But I will consent to trying Cognatedom."
Fitz hugged her happily, and Sophie thought her heart would explode from the flutters.
Even Mr. Forkle and Granite looked happy. "You kids should go eat dinner," Mr. Forkle said. "The others will be along soon."
--
Sophie fell asleep, torn between feeling excited to be Fitz's Cognate and terrified to tell him her secret.