Keeper of the Lost Cities

  “But . . . I thought you didn’t like me.”

  “I never said that.”

  “You didn’t have to. It was pretty obvious.”

  “Well, I’m sorry you felt that way. I guess I’m not good at meeting new people.”

  Talk about the understatement of the century. Sophie had half a mind to tell her that she didn’t need her too-little-too-late olive branch. But . . . she was Fitz’s sister. It would be easier if they could get along. “Fine.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure. I guess it’s worth a try.”

  They both stood there, not quite meeting each other’s eyes.

  “So . . . what time should I come over?” Sophie eventually asked.

  “Um, why don’t you go home and change and come over after that? You know how to get there, right?”

  “Yeah. I have been there before.”

  A bit of the old glare flared in Biana’s face, but it was quickly replaced with an uncomfortable smile. “Well, good. I guess I’ll see you then.”

  Sophie watched Biana walk away, replaying the conversation in her mind, trying to make sense of it.

  “Are you going to tell us what that was all about?” Dex asked, already at her side. He and Marella must’ve made a beeline the second Biana’s back was turned.

  “She invited me to come over after school today.”

  “What?” they asked simultaneously.

  “She said she wanted to be friends.”

  “Why?” they both asked.

  Sophie shrugged. “She didn’t say.”

  “Please tell me you told her to go sniff a gulon,” Dex begged.

  Sophie looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

  “Aw, come on!”

  “I didn’t know what else to say.”

  “You could have told her she’s a stuck-up snob and you don’t want to be her friend,” Marella offered.

  “Look, I know you guys aren’t going to like this, but my life would be a lot easier if Biana and I got along. If it doesn’t work out, then I wasted one afternoon of my life. So what?”

  “How do you know this isn’t a trap?” Marella asked. “Invite you over, then humiliate you. You could be walking into an ambush.”

  “That’s not what this is.”

  “What? You think she isn’t capable?” Dex sneered.

  “No, but she would never do it at her house. Not with Fitz there.”

  “Right. I forgot. You and Wonderboy are friends.”

  Sophie blew out a breath. “Aren’t you guys the teeniest bit curious what she’s up to?”

  She had them there.

  “I want details later,” Marella agreed.

  “And you’d better not leave anything out,” Dex added.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  HEY,” BIANA SAID AS SHE OPENED THE gates of Everglen to let Sophie in. “You made it.”

  “Yeah.” Sophie managed a half smile. Despite her earlier enthusiasm, she was having second thoughts.

  The gate clanged closed. Somewhere in the distance a cricket chirped.

  Sophie pulled on the sleeves of her pale yellow tunic, glad Biana was also dressed casual—though Biana’s turquoise tunic had pink beaded flowers embroidered around the edges and a pink satin sash. “So, what are we going to do?”

  Biana stared at the ground as she shrugged.

  Okay. . . .

  “Is your family around?”

  Biana’s eyes narrowed. “I knew you’d ask that.”

  “What?”

  “I know you like my brother.”

  “What?”

  “Please. It’s pretty obvious.”

  “He’s my friend.” Sure, she liked him. But she didn’t like him, like him. “This was a bad idea.”

  Biana grabbed her arm to stop her from walking away. “Wait. I’m sorry. It’s just . . . girls always use me to get to my brother. I guess I sort of expect it.”

  Sophie could imagine how annoying that might get—but still. “That’s not what I’m doing—and you invited me over, remember?”

  “I know.” Biana stared at her hands, wringing her fingers so tight it looked painful. “Can we maybe start over?”

  Sophie bit her lip. “I guess we can try.”

  Biana exhaled, seeming relieved. “Good.” Her eyes lit up. “I know. We can give each other makeovers. I have all the serums to change our hair color, and we can try on some of my mom’s gowns.”

  Wrestling the verminion would’ve sounded more fun, but Sophie couldn’t think of a polite way to say that. Fortunately, she didn’t have to.

  “Makeovers?” Keefe scoffed behind them. “You girls sure know how to have fun. Maybe you can braid each other’s hair and giggle about boys while you’re at it.”

  Sophie spun around to face him, and she felt her heart flutter when she noticed Fitz standing next to him.

  Keefe grinned. “Actually, maybe that last part is a good idea. You could get the dirt on Foster, find out which guys make her heart go pitter-patter.”

  “Um, that would be none,” Sophie insisted, hoping her face wasn’t as red as it felt.

  “Eh, that’s what they all say. But deep down girls always have one guy they can’t take their eyes off—isn’t that right, Fitz?”

  “Why are we talking about this?” Fitz complained.

  Keefe shrugged. “Just sayin’.”

  “What are you guys doing here?” Biana asked, shooting Fitz a pointed look.

  “We came to see if you guys want to play base quest,” Keefe answered for him.

  “What’s base quest?” Sophie asked, grateful for the subject change.

  “Only the most awesome game ever. I call Foster for my team,” Keefe announced.

  Jealousy flared in Biana’s eyes as Keefe wrapped an arm around Sophie’s shoulders. Sophie shrugged away from him. “How about we play boys against girls?”

  Fitz explained the rules. One team guarded its base while the other team launched a raid. If the questers made it to the base without getting tagged, they won.

  “Light leaping isn’t allowed, but special abilities can be used,” Fitz added, looking right at Sophie, like he was saying it for her benefit.

  “That’s not fair. Sophie and I don’t have . . .” Biana’s voice trailed off when Fitz shot her a warning look. “Fine. But you guys have to quest first.”

  Sophie chose to be sentry at the vivid red tree they’d picked as their base. She didn’t like being the last defense—especially considering how fast Fitz and Keefe could run—but she didn’t know the grounds, so it made more sense to let Biana try to hunt them down. Plus, if abilities were allowed, she knew how to keep tabs on the boys.

  Tiergan had taught her how to track where thoughts came from. Most Telepaths could only isolate a general area, but Sophie could nail down the exact spot. She’d never tried it on moving targets, but it was worth a shot. So as soon as Biana ran off, she opened her mind and listened.

  Fitz’s thoughts were softer than ever—he must be trying to block her—but Keefe’s were loud and clear. He was thinking about the lake, so she listened in that direction and instantly felt their presence. She couldn’t think of a better way to explain it—even Tiergan didn’t understand. Her mind somehow touched them through the air, telling her exactly where they were.

  She needed a tremendous amount of concentration to stay connected as they snuck through the meadow, but she didn’t lose them, even when they dashed into the forest to slip by Biana. Her head ached, but she held on, following them through the trees. When their thoughts focused on the base, her heart thundered. They were closing in.

  She took off, not sure if she was seeing with her eyes or theirs as she plowed through the trees. She didn’t know where she was, or how long she ran, or if she felt anything—until her hands connect
ed with skin and her vision cleared.

  Fitz and Keefe stared at her with wide eyes. She gripped their arms.

  “How did you do that?” Keefe demanded. “You ran straight to us, like you knew where we were.”

  “I”—she racked her brain for a credible excuse—“heard you.”

  “Heard us how?” Keefe cocked his head, glancing at her hand on his arm, then back at her. “Hiding something, Foster?”

  “She probably heard you crashing through the bushes like a sasquatch,” Fitz said, coming to her rescue. “I think the whole world did.”

  “No, I don’t think that’s what it is.”

  “You’re just mad because you lost,” Biana teased, catching up with them. “I can’t believe Sophie tagged you both on her own—she can be my base quest partner anytime.” She grinned, and Sophie couldn’t help smiling back.

  She was actually having fun—with Biana, of all people. Who would’ve guessed?

  “Do my eyes deceive me, or is that Sophie Foster?” Alden asked behind them.

  “We’ve missed you around here,” Della added, rushing over and wrapping Sophie up in her arms.

  Sophie sank into the hug, swallowing the emotions rising in her chest. She hadn’t seen Alden or Della since she moved to Havenfield, and she hadn’t realized how much she missed them. She took a deep breath to clear her head and her nose tingled. “Whoa, you smell like smoke. Is there a fire?”

  Della glanced at Alden as she pulled out of the hug, backing a few steps away.

  Alden cleared his throat. “Just something we’re looking into. No reason to worry.”

  Sophie repressed a sigh. “No reason to worry” seemed to be Alden’s favorite words.

  Then again, he’d never found anything suspicious about the San Diego fires—or if he had, it hadn’t been important enough to hit the gossip circles. Sophie was sure Marella would’ve heard otherwise.

  “So, what are you guys up to?” Della asked.

  “Getting stomped in base quest,” Keefe grumbled. “You should’ve seen it—Sophie tagged us out like she knew where we were.”

  Alden glanced at Fitz—who gave the slightest nod—before he grinned at Keefe. “Sounds like someone’s not happy about losing.”

  “I’d just like to know how she did it, but she insists on being all mysterious.” Keefe narrowed his eyes at Sophie. “She still hasn’t explained how she slammed Fitz into the wall yesterday.”

  Sophie flushed, and when she met Alden’s eyes she could see clear concern. “Fitz said he was going to talk to you about that,” she said quietly. “Any theories?”

  “None that makes any sense,” Alden admitted.

  A second of silence passed. Then Della came to the rescue. “Besides, we girls never reveal our secrets. How else can we keep you boys on your toes? So, who’s staying for dinner?” She glanced at Sophie.

  “Sorry. I told Edaline I’d be home. Maybe next time.” She flushed when she realized she’d invited herself over.

  But Biana smiled. “Sounds good.”

  “Do you need to use the Leapmaster?” Alden asked.

  “No, Grady and Edaline gave me a home crystal.” She held up a long silver chain that hung to her waist. The crystal pendant only had a single facet, the path to Havenfield. They’d given it to her that morning, apologizing for not giving her one sooner.

  She really felt like family.

  “Don’t stay away too long this time,” Alden told her. “We’ve missed you around here.”

  “I’ve missed you guys too. I’ll see you soon.”

  ON MONDAY BIANA, KEEFE, AND Fitz sat with Sophie at lunch.

  Jensi and Marella kept giggling and staring at their visitors—Marella especially. Dex spent the entire lunch sulking at his tray.

  “Hey, Dex,” Sophie said, trying to draw him out of his funk. “Can you come over after school today?”

  He glared at Fitz before his eyes met hers. “You don’t have other plans?”

  She ignored his snipe. “I was hoping you’d tutor me in alchemy. I’m going to need help before midterms, and you’re the best alchemist I know.”

  Dex straightened up at the compliment. “Sure, if you really need me.”

  Keefe wagged a finger at her. “Aw, don’t go getting good at alchemy, Foster. Who else can we count on to destroy Lady Galvin’s capes?”

  “Don’t worry, I don’t think Sophie can ever get good at alchemy,” Marella told him. “Do you have any idea how many things she’s exploded?”

  “There’ve been other explosions?” He flashed Sophie a wicked grin. “This I have to hear.”

  Sophie sighed as Marella filled everyone in on her almost weekly explosions. Now she had a reason besides Bronte to get better at alchemy. If sitting with Keefe was going to be a regular thing, she would never hear the end of the jokes.

  Keefe got detention a week later, so she was off the hook for the teasing. But it was a lucky break, because even with Dex’s expert instructions, she couldn’t get the hang of alchemy. She almost caught her room on fire twice before Dex moved their practice experiments to the caves that lined the beach at the base of Havenfield’s cliffs. Rock couldn’t burn and the ocean was nearby if they needed it. And they needed it. A lot. She even caught Dex’s tunic on fire.

  Maybe it was because the rules of alchemy defied every rule of chemistry she’d ever learned, or maybe it was because the ingredients were so foreign, but two weeks away from exams she was panicking. Her only chance of passing would be if she knew what would be on the test so she could practice until she got it right. Too bad Lady Galvin refused to give a study guide. Sophie was fairly certain she was hoping she’d fail so she’d be rid of her.

  Of course, Sophie could always read her mind.

  The thought was so terrible she was ashamed for even thinking it.

  But . . .

  No one would ever know.

  And she’d still have to complete the assignment for the test without any help. Narrowing down what to study wasn’t so wrong, was it? Plus, if she didn’t pass, Bronte would have what he needed to get her expelled, maybe even shipped off to—

  She refused to finish the terrifying thought. The fear made up her mind.

  At her next alchemy session she dropped her books. She kept her back to Lady Galvin as she bent to retrieve them, and—before she could wimp out—she closed her eyes and concentrated on her thoughts.

  It was easier than she had planned. Lady Galvin had the exam on her mind, so Sophie didn’t have to probe deeper into her memories. She was deciding between making Sophie turn a rose to iron or making her turn brass to copper—the hardest basic transmutations. Sophie tucked both ideas away, then closed her mind and picked up her books like nothing had happened.

  She’d expected to feel triumphant. Now she had a fighting chance. Plus, she was right. Lady Galvin was giving her the hardest challenges to try to fail her, and she’d thwarted her plan. So why did she feel like she’d eaten a huge bowl of slime?

  Distracted and uncomfortable, she spilled the gashrooms and made the whole room reek of rotten fungus.

  Study hall was worse. Everyone pored over their notes while Sophie sat frozen, afraid to open her books. By the time she got home she was on the verge of tears. She couldn’t touch her dinner, couldn’t bear the concerned looks on Grady’s and Edaline’s faces. She didn’t deserve sympathy. She didn’t deserve anything. She hid in her room the rest of the night.

  Sleep was a lost cause.

  Alone in the darkness, with a snoring imp shattering the silence, and Ella in her arms, she forced herself to admit the truth.

  She’d broken the rules for Telepaths.

  Even worse: She’d cheated.

  Just thinking the word made her skin crawl. From now on, anything she accomplished at Foxfire would be because she cheated on her alchemy exa
m. Could she really live with that?

  No.

  But what could she do?

  How could she study without focusing on those things? And, if she didn’t study them, she’d be sure to fail. It wasn’t like she could tell Lady Galvin what happened. She wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about her telepathy. She had to cheat now—no way around it.

  Unless . . .

  Her heart sank as another option occurred to her. It was far from ideal, but it was her only way out—and better than living with guilt for the rest of her life.

  Fear weighed her down as she crept out of bed and dug out the Imparter Alden had given her. But she had to do this now, before she changed her mind.

  She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and forced her lips to say three words she was dreading. “Show me Alden.”

  TWENTY-SIX

  DAME ALINA’S OFFICE WAS A tri-angular room with glass walls and a high, pointed ceiling at the apex of the pyramid at Foxfire. Morning sunlight streamed through the clear windows, but every other pane was a mirror, tilted at just the right angle to show Dame Alina’s reflection as she sat behind her mirrored desk, examining her hair from all sides.

  Sophie kept her eyes on her hands as she confessed her crime. She didn’t want to see the disappointment on Alden’s or Tiergan’s face, or Dame Alina’s reflections glaring at her from every direction. This was so much harder than telling Grady and Edaline before she left for school. They’d just nodded, forgave her, and hoped she didn’t get in too much trouble.

  “What do you think, Dame Alina?” Alden asked when Sophie finished. His voice was neutral. Not angry, but not gentle either.

  Dame Alina pursed her lips. “She violated the ethical regulations of telepathy.”

  “She did indeed,” Tiergan murmured. “And I’m sure some here feel she should be exiled for that.” He glared at Alden.

  Sophie froze. Would the Council exile her? And here she’d thought all she was facing was expulsion.

  Alden sighed. “No one is suggesting anything of the sort.”

  Sophie released the breath she’d been holding.

  “Right,” Tiergan grumbled, “because it would be absurd to exile an innocent girl. But a man with a family to care for—”