Author: Shannon Messenger
Category: Childrens
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“Your choice, Foster,” Keefe told her, and the red streaming from his hand made it pretty clear how much he was willing to sacrifice.
“Twenty seconds,” Lady Gisela warned.
Sophie glanced at Sandor.
The massive goblin sighed. “I think you can guess my opinion on the matter. But you’ll have my protection either way.”
“Ten seconds,” Lady Gisela said.
Sophie closed her eyes, her mind like a pendulum swinging back and forth.
“Deal,” she barely managed to whisper.
“Wise decision,” Lady Gisela told her. “I hope this is proof that you’re realizing I’m not your enemy.”
“I guess we’ll see once you tell me where you’re forcing me to deliver a message.”
Lady Gisela laughed. “I’m not forcing you to do anything. My help simply doesn’t come free—something you should consider the next time the Black Swan expects your assistance. Take it from someone who had to learn the hard way—making sacrifices for an organization won’t earn you their loyalty. Demand it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sophie muttered. “Now tell me where I have to go.”
“What’s the hurry? You won’t have the message until tomorrow—and judging by the green you’re both wearing, I’m guessing you have other plans for today.”
“Don’t,” Keefe warned. “Don’t make jokes about that.”
“So it’s serious, then,” Lady Gisela murmured. “I must say, this conversation has been far more enlightening than I’d imagined. Who could you have lost? Was it—”
“STOP!” Keefe shouted. “Or I swear, I’ll give what I found in Candleshade over to the Neverseen.”
Sophie’s eyebrows shot up.
“Yeah,” Keefe told her. “I did some digging while I was there this morning. And I found my mom’s secret stash. It was pretty obvious, actually, once I really thought about it.”
“Well,” Lady Gisela said, her voice tighter than it had been. “Good to see you finally solved that puzzle—but there’s no need to make threats, Keefe. Be ready bright and early tomorrow—you’ll be heading to Ravagog to deliver my message to King Dimitar.”
Thirteen
YOU WANT US to go to the ogre capital,” Sophie clarified.
“And deliver a message to the guy who sliced you up and left you to die in his prison?” Keefe added.
Lady Gisela’s voice sounded hollow when she said, “King Dimitar’s loyalties have changed since then. He no longer supports the Neverseen.”
“He doesn’t support anybody,” Sophie argued. “I was there at the Peace Summit. He agreed to every concession in the treaty, in exchange for a guarantee that the elves—and other species—would leave his people alone. I’m sure the city gates are locked—and the secret path we snuck through last time will be sealed up, if it wasn’t destroyed in the flood.”
“Well then, it’s a good thing you and your friends have proven to be so resourceful. Because that’s the deal you agreed to. And let’s also not forget that the starstone you need is in King Dimitar’s possession. I had it with me the day I was taken, and the guards stole everything. Even the clothes off my back.”
The shiver in her voice matched Sophie’s shudder.
“Are you sure the ogres wouldn’t have thrown it out?” Keefe asked.
“I suppose I can’t be certain of anything, given the unpredictability of the ogres,” Lady Gisela said quietly. “But I do know Dimitar is fond of his trophies. He has a whole room in his palace where he keeps the treasures he’s taken from those he’s imprisoned or killed. And I was considered a prize, so I suspect mine will be prominently displayed.”
“I don’t understand why you want to reach out to him,” Sophie mumbled. “Unless this is about revenge—”
“It’s not,” Lady Gisela interrupted. “I won’t claim that some part of me hasn’t loved watching Dimitar suffer for his alliance with Fintan. And I doubt I’ll weep whenever his life ends. But for now, we have a common enemy, and that is too powerful of an asset to ignore—something I’m hoping you’ll also see the wisdom of, eventually.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
“Said the girl who already agreed to deliver my message.”
“This is more than a message delivery!” Sandor growled. “You barely made it out of Ravagog once, Sophie—and I won’t be able to accompany you without embroiling my species in treaty violations.”
“I know.” Sophie tried to think of a plan, but everything ended in pain—or prison—or war.
“King Dimitar isn’t exactly a big fan of me or my friends,” she reminded Lady Gisela. “He’s not going to read anything I bring him.”
“Won’t he?” she asked. “Dimitar may despise you and everything you represent. But he knows the weight of your role in our world, and that ignoring you could lead to consequences for his people. He’ll open the scroll and memorize every word, if only to make sure he’s informed and prepared.”
“I’m not going to pretend the message is from me,” Sophie warned.
“I didn’t ask you to. You could tell him a sasquatch wrote it for all I care.”
There was a joke there—but Sophie didn’t make it.
Shockingly, neither did Keefe.
“Well,” Lady Gisela said, sounding far too pleased with herself, “I’ll leave you to figure out how you’re going to make this happen. If it helps at all, I wouldn’t make a demand I considered impossible. Stop panicking and think. And keep an eye out for the message tomorrow. Once it’s delivered and you have the starstone, hail me again and I’ll give you the last piece you need. Oh, and Keefe?”
She seemed to wait for him to look at the Imparter.
“Your father was wrong about you,” she said quietly. “You’re not a disappointment. Yet.”
The Imparter went dark without so much as a goodbye.
“Same old Mom,” Keefe muttered, squeezing the gadget so hard, Sophie wondered if it would crack.
She hooked her arm through his and dragged him toward her bathroom. “Come on. We need to treat your wound.”
The gash in his finger was still bleeding, dripping spots of red on his brown boots as she led him over to the sink.
“Ugh, you didn’t need to cut this deep,” she grumbled when the gentle stream of water separated the skin.
“Guess that’s what I get for rushing.”
“Yeah, we’re going to talk about that in a minute. First let’s see if we can stop the bleeding.”
She took several deep breaths, trying not to think about all the red as she fished through the drawers of colorful vials—Edaline kept a plentiful supply of medicine around, thanks to Sophie’s accident-prone tendencies. “I think this is the right one.”
She could always hail Elwin if she was wrong—the friendly physician was kind enough to make house calls. But then they’d have to explain what happened, and she had enough challenging conversations ahead.
Grady and Edaline were not going to be pleased with this new bargain. Neither would the Black Swan. And she was sure Sandor wasn’t done with his lectures.
“Does it sting?” she asked Keefe as she slathered on a cold turquoise balm.
“Nope. But I sure wish it smelled better.”
So did Sophie—especially since some elvin remedies had lovely ingredients like yeti pee.
But Keefe’s wound was clotting, so she let the treatment settle for a few more seconds, then wiped his hand clean with a damp towel and dotted the wound with a silver paste.
“Thanks,” Keefe mumbled as she wrapped his finger in gauze.
“Need an elixir for the pain? I’m sure we have some.”
He grabbed her hand to stop her fussing. “I’m all good now, Foster. Unless you want to try kissing it to make it better.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled away.
“So . . . ,” he said as she put the supplies carefully back into the drawer. “On a scale of one to ten zillion, how angry are you?”
Sophie was still deciding.
“It’s okay,” Keefe told her. “Unleash the lecture! Here, I’ll even start it for you.” His voice shifted up to an uncanny impersonation of hers. “How dare you ambush me, Keefe? I don’t care if you’re the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen—WAY better looking than other guys with their dimples or weirdly teal eyes. You had no right to show up and surprise me like that!”
Sophie pinched the bridge of her nose. “This isn’t a joke.”
“Aw, come on. Don’t I at least get points for not hailing her by myself, making the deal alone, and running off to Ravagog without you?”
“No,” Sandor growled from the doorway.
“He gets some,” Sophie corrected. “This is an improvement. But you still can’t spring something on me like that. That’s not how teamwork goes.”
“I know.” Keefe fussed with his new bandage. “If it hadn’t involved my mom, I never would’ve done it. I just . . . I know you get protective of me sometimes—especially when it has anything to do with my oh-so-awesome family. And I appreciate it. But I care way more about helping your family. I didn’t want you hesitating because of me, so I thought I’d make the hard decision for you—but everything after that was up to you.”
Sophie let out a slow breath.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised. “How about I let you demand a special favor? I won’t even put a time limit on it and steal it back later like some greedy people. And anything’s game! You want me to sing, I’ll belt it out like a siren. You want me to dance, I’ll treat you to my most epic shimmy. Here, I’ll give you a free taste.”
He wiggled his hips around the bathroom, and Sophie felt her traitorous lips smile.
“Or maybe you’d rather I put my incredible Empath talents to work and help you solve the complicated square you’re always telling yourself is a triangle?”
She shook her head, refusing to admit she knew what he meant. “I already know what I want.”
One of Keefe’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that so?”
“Yep. Give me the Imparter.”
Keefe’s smile faded. But he obediently handed it over—only to have it snatched by Sandor.
“That doesn’t count as your favor,” Sandor informed them. “I was going to confiscate this anyway—and don’t you dare go easy on him with what you demand, Sophie. I’m sure Grizel can help you come up with some humiliating ideas, if you need inspiration. And I expect you,” he told Keefe, “to hand over whatever you found at Candleshade.”
Keefe’s lips quirked up again. “Funny story? I only said I found something to see how my mom would react—and she fell for it! So now we know there is something worth looking for. Come on, Foster, admit it—that was pretty clever.”
“It was,” Sophie reluctantly agreed. “But do you really think we’re going to be able to find it? There must be a million different places she could’ve stashed it in that giant tower.”
“Yeah, I’ll have to see if I can trick a clue out of her after we deliver her message.”
Sophie sighed. “I love how you make it sound like we just have to knock on the gates of Ravagog and King Dimitar will invite us in for a party.”
“A parade in our honor seems more likely,” Keefe teased.
Sophie wandered back to her room and stared at the bookshelf, as if the answer were sitting there waiting for her. “What do you think her message is going to say?”
“Probably some desperate plea for an alliance,” Keefe said as he came to stand beside her. “But don’t look so freaked out. No way is King Dimitar going to trust my mom again. You saw those cuts he made to her face. And didn’t he call the Neverseen ‘lunatics’ in his speeches at the Peace Summit?”
“But your mom’s not with them anymore. And we both know she’s a master of manipulating people.”
“Maybe, but . . . if King Dimitar is stupid enough to trust my mom, he’s going to do that whether we’re the one delivering the letter or not. That’s the part you have to remember—if she wasn’t using us, she’d find another way. She’s annoyingly resourceful like that.”
“She really is.” She squared her shoulders and turned to face him. “So, the big question is—assuming we find a way to get into Ravagog—how on earth are we going to get the hairpin from Dimitar?”
“Maybe he’ll give it to us,” Keefe suggested.
It was hard to tell who scoffed louder—Sophie or Sandor.
“No, really. I’m serious!” Keefe insisted. “I’m not saying he’s going to be our new BFF. But didn’t he turn down the Neverseen’s latest offer after he talked to Lady Cadence? So maybe we should ask her for some pointers on how to get through to him. In fact, she might be our ticket into Ravagog. Didn’t the treaty say she’d be granted access whenever she wants?”
“She probably is our best chance,” Sophie admitted. Lady Cadence had lived with the ogres for years and was one of their most supportive allies.
“What was that?” Keefe asked. “Did the Mysterious Miss F. just agree that I’m a genius? Because that’s what I heard! And it’s filled my heart with all the warmest, softest fuzzies.”
Sophie shook her head. “You really are the most ridiculous person I’ve ever met.”
“And that’s why you adore me. That, and my awesome hair.” His smile faded. “All kidding aside, though? We’re getting that starstone tomorrow—and then my mom’s telling us about what happened to Wylie’s mom, before we head to Nightfall and get your parents back. And I know you’re going to tell me it won’t be that simple—and it probably won’t be. But whatever it takes, it’s going to happen. Do you know why?”
When she didn’t answer, he took both of her hands, and she couldn’t ignore the rush of warmth that tingled through her when she met his eyes.
There was no teasing glint to be found. Just pure determination when he told her, “Because Team Foster-Keefe is going to win.”
Fourteen
SOMEONE CLEARED THEIR throat, and Sophie dropped Keefe’s hands and jumped back, expecting to find Grady scowling at them. He’d been ramping up the protective-dad vibe for a while—especially when it came to Keefe. Half the time he wouldn’t even call Keefe by his name. He was simply “That Boy.”
But when she glanced at her doorway, she found the rest of her friends, all dressed in solemn shades of green, along with Grizel—and Biana’s and Dex’s bodyguards, Lovise and Woltzer.
It was impossible to tell from her friends’ expressions which one of them had done the throat clearing. Fitz’s jaw looked clenched, Tam was glaring through his silver-tipped bangs, Dex’s periwinkle eyes were narrowed and his dimples were nowhere to be seen, and Biana had popped one hand on her hip to match her raised eyebrows. The only one Sophie could rule out was Linh, who always had an aura of sweetness around her pink-cheeked face—even when she was unleashing tidal waves to wash away half of an ogre city.
“Are we interrupting something?” Fitz asked.
“Just the usual,” Keefe told him. “Foster’s going on and on and on about how she can’t live without me. It’s really quite exhausting.”
“Actually, we’re trying to come up with a plan,” Sophie corrected, before relating the details of their conversation with Lady Gisela, as well as outlining the deal they’d made.
Grizel whistled, sauntering over to Sandor with a grace that matched her lithe frame. Her black bodysuit shimmered like snakeskin, and Sophie didn’t miss the way Sandor’s eyes tracked Grizel’s every movement.
“These kinds of problems never happen on my watch,” Grizel told him, her husky voice lilting with the tease.
“That’s because you’re stuck trailing the Wonderboy,” Keefe jumped in. “His idea of excitement is when he changes the way he parts his hair.”
“Excuse me, I’ve almost died just as many times as you have,” Fitz reminded him. “Maybe more.”
“So have I,” Dex jumped in.
“We all have,” Biana corrected.
Tam e
lbowed Linh. “You sure you don’t want to get some less dangerous friends?”
“Uh, are you forgetting that I’m the Girl of Many Floods?” Linh reminded him.
“Exactly,” Tam said, flicking his bangs out of his silver-toned eyes. “I have enough problems already.”
Linh responded by gathering the moisture in the air into a golf ball–size sphere and splashing her brother in the face—receiving “Wows” from Fitz and Dex for her efforts.
Sophie would never cease to be amazed at how the twins could resemble each other so closely and still have completely opposite temperaments. Even if he wasn’t a Shade, Sophie suspected Tam would be just as surly. Meanwhile Linh managed to be serene and feisty with each of her pink-lipped smiles.
“So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Dex asked, patting the sides of his strawberry blond hair, which—Sophie noticed—he’d styled the way Biana had shown him during her makeover.
“We’re still working on it,” Sophie admitted. “I’m hoping Lady Cadence will agree to help. And, um . . . don’t freak out, but I think only Keefe and I should go.”
Naturally, there was a whole lot of freaking out.
“I’m not saying that because I’m trying to protect you,” she told them when the shouting had quieted. “I’m saying it because we can’t focus on only one thing.”
She rehashed her theory about her family’s abduction being a distraction from bigger, more important schemes, like the fires and Wylie’s abduction.
“So if all of us go to Ravagog to get the starstone, we’re doing exactly what the Neverseen want. We need to divide and conquer.” She turned to Dex. “Have you made any progress on hacking into the caches?”
“Not as much as I’d like,” he admitted. “The good news is, the cache that belonged to Fintan feels weaker than Kenric’s—and that’s the one that’ll probably tell us who they broke out of the dungeon.”
“Then I think you should make that your focus,” Sophie told him. “We need to learn as much as we can about the prisoner from Lumenaria. Keefe’s mom called her Fintan’s ‘advisor.’ If you work on the cache nonstop, how long do you think it’ll take you to crack it?”