Exile

by Shannon Messenger

  The collective gasps made Sophie smile. If they only knew how stinky and annoying Silveny could be.

  Though she was extremely grateful for the peaceful night of sleep Silveny had given her.

  “The remarkable creature is currently in the process of being rehabilitated, but we are confident she will be moved to the Sanctuary soon,” Councillor Emery continued. “And we will prepare her to bring forth not just a new life for her species, but a new hope for our world. A promise of restoration. A promise of survival.”

  This time the cheering and applause was so loud it hurt Sophie’s ears. Maybe she was imagining it, but the Councillors’ smiles looked relieved as Councillor Emery promised an update soon and welcomed them once again to the Opening Ceremonies. “And now,” he added, stepping back in line with the other Councillors, “let us celebrate our future.”

  The Councillors flashed away amid more applause. Then another chime sounded and the intricate golden doors to the main auditorium slowly parted, bathing the crowd in the yellow glow from inside.

  Dame Alina stepped onto the landing and smiled at the crowd as she smoothed the silky fabric of her elaborate orange cape and gown. She tossed her dark wavy hair and raised her hands to quiet everyone.

  “Lords and Ladies. Sirs and Madams. Parents and prodigies. As Foxfire’s principal it is my great honor to welcome all of you to tonight’s festivities. Let the Foxfire Opening Ceremonies begin!”

  THIRTY-ONE

  A MENTOR AT THE DOOR directed Grady and Edaline to their seats in the stadium and sent Sophie down to the floor level with the other performers. Sandor tried to follow, but the Mentor insisted the rehearsal area was for prodigies and faculty only.

  “I’ll keep an eye on her,” a familiar voice volunteered.

  Sophie grinned as she spun to face a tall Mentor with olive skin and light blond hair. “Sir Tiergan!”

  “Just Tiergan,” he corrected—true to form. “You seem surprised to see me. Have you been hoping they’d find you a Mentor who could actually match your incredible abilities?”

  “Actually, I already have that.”

  “You’re very kind. But we both know I can never match you.”

  Sandor protested as Tiergan led Sophie away, but Tiergan reminded him that only Mentors and prodigies were allowed where Sophie was going, and that he’d be much more useful to her by keeping an eye on the audience, where any real threat would be hiding. Sandor didn’t look happy about it, but he stalked off to catch up with Grady and Edaline.

  “I take it you’ve seen the change with your telepathy session this year,” Tiergan said as he brought Sophie down the stairs to the cold silver room that served as the preparation area. Costumed prodigies shouted over each other and groups of Mentors struggled to line them up by grade level. “I hope you don’t mind having Fitz in there with you.”

  “No, I like Fitz—I mean, I don’t like him—we’re friends, not anything . . . It’s fine,” she finished, feeling her face burn.

  “Well, it wasn’t my first choice,” Tiergan mumbled, fidgeting with the topaz-encrusted F pinning his bright orange cloak. “But if he can get past your blocking, I suppose it’ll be worth investigating. Even if he is a . . .”

  He didn’t finish the sentence, but Sophie had a feeling she knew what he meant. Tiergan might’ve been the only elf—besides Dex—who didn’t admire the Vackers. Especially Alden. Tiergan had been close friends with Prentice and had pleaded for mercy on his friend’s behalf after he’d been arrested. But Alden had gone forward with the Tribunal and the memory break anyway, and Tiergan had never forgiven him.

  It had to be even harder for him now that the Council was working to join forces with the Black Swan. Especially since Tiergan had adopted Prentice’s son and personally lived with the devastation of Alden and the Council’s decision. But now that she thought about it, she couldn’t help wondering what had made him so sure of Prentice’s innocence.

  Did he know something about the Black Swan?

  The question was on the tip of her tongue when Tiergan told her, “I need to take my place for the Ceremonies. Will you be okay if I leave you here?” He pointed to the line of Level Threes.

  “Of course.”

  “See you Tuesday, then.” He’d vanished into the crowd before Sophie realized she’d forgotten to tell him about Silveny’s transmitting. She’d have to wait for their first session.

  She tried to imagine how it would be having her, Fitz, and Tiergan alone in a small, plain telepathy room, working so closely together. Just the thought made her heart feel fluttery. She scanned the crowd to distract herself, shouting for Dex when she finally spotted him among the chaos. He shoved his way toward her, dragging three Level Ones with him. Two boys and a girl, all with wild strawberry blond hair sticking out around their gremlin ears.

  “Hey,” Dex said, tugging on Sophie’s mastodon trunk and making a trumpeting sound. “Been looking everywhere for you.”

  “I know—it’s crazy here. I thought I’d never find you. Are these the triplets?”

  “Yep. Rex, Bex, and Lex. My dad thinks he’s hilarious,” he added when Sophie laughed at the rhyme.

  “Ooh, you’re Sophie?” the girl—who Sophie assumed was Bex—asked. “My brother talks about you all the time.”

  “No I don’t—and get back here, Lex!” Dex grabbed one of the boys by his furry collar and jerked him back to his side.

  “Yes he does,” the other boy—who had to be Rex—corrected, flashing a huge grin with a big black space where one of his front teeth was missing. “He liiiiiiiiiiiiikes you.”

  “I do not!”

  “Yes you do!”

  Sophie stared at her furry feet as all three kids made kissing noises and Dex threatened to destroy everything they owned and dragged them away.

  “Sorry,” he said when he returned, gremlin free. “My parents made me watch them.”

  “I didn’t realize they were going to be Level Ones this year.”

  Dex never talked about his siblings—they were kind of a sore subject. Multiple births were incredibly rare in the elvin world, and quite a few people thought the triplets existed because Dex’s parents had been a bad match.

  “Yeah. I’m not happy about it.” He fidgeted with his left mastodon ear, unraveling a thread at the end. “I’m sorry they said that, by the way.”

  “Huh?”

  “When they said that thing, about me—”

  “It’s fine! They’re just giving you a hard time.”

  Her sister had been a master tormenter when she was growing up—though she actually missed it now, crazy as that sounded.

  “Yeah,” he mumbled, and they both stared at their feet until Marella and Jensi joined them in line. Marella’s “ears” hung crooked on her head—and she’d managed to get her furry bodysuit wrinkled.

  “Where’s Biana?” Jensi asked, scratching at the collar of his costume, which hung loose on his skinny frame.

  Marella snorted. “Ten lusters says she’s hiding in the bathroom, not wanting anyone to see her in her trunk.”

  Sure enough, Biana joined them at the last possible second—though she still looked ten times better than everyone else. She got in line behind Sophie right as the Mentors called for silence. They gave instructions that didn’t make any sense—probably because as a Level Three, Sophie was supposed to know that stuff by now. She was glad she had Dex in front of her and could follow his lead.

  Dame Alina introduced each grade level as they marched into the stadium, and when all six levels were in position, the spotlights focused on the Level Ones. Dame Alina gave a quick speech about the qualities the prodigies would be learning that year, and then the music started—a raspy tune that sounded like it was made of muffled growls—and the Level Ones skulked and somersaulted, moving uncannily like the gremlins Sophie had seen at Havenfield. The audience cheered when they made their final bow, and then it was the Level Twos’ turn. Sophie tried to pay attention as the halcyons flapped and fl
uttered to a melody of high-pitched chirps, but she couldn’t stop thinking, We’re next.

  “Just follow me,” Dex whispered as the halcyons filed away and Dame Alina started her speech about teamwork and cleverness. Then their pounding, trumpeting song started and all Sophie could think was don’t trip don’t trip and why why why do we have to do this? as she filed out to the center of the stage. Blinding spotlights flashed in her eyes and Sophie braced for a migraine. But all she felt was a dull buzzing as Dex squeezed her arm to cue her.

  Maybe Elwin had fixed the problem!

  She couldn’t tell for sure, but her head felt clear as she squinted at Dex to copy his movements. Her feet kept stumbling and her leg muscles burned, but she was surprised to realize she was smiling behind her stupid elephant trunk. She made the final series of twirls, nearly losing her footing but managing to stay upright, then dipped an ungraceful curtsy.

  She did it!

  She didn’t do it well. But she made it through a major school event without falling on her face, needing medical attention, or almost burning down the building. And even though she couldn’t see them in the crowd, she knew Grady and Edaline were cheering for her like crazy.

  The rest of the dances passed in a blur, and then Dame Alina stepped up for the closing remarks. Sophie leaned on Dex, not really listening to the speech, but something Dame Alina said caught her attention.

  “Foxfire is about more than just a top-notch education. It’s about helping our youth find their place in this world. Discovering where they belong. And it is our goal that by the time they complete their studies, they’re not only ready to handle whatever life throws at them—but to truly know who they are.”

  Sophie gulped down the words like they were cold water in the scorching desert.

  She had the exact same goal.

  And for the first time in a few weeks, the future was feeling bright.

  THIRTY-TWO

  GET READY,” DEX SAID WHEN Dame Alina thanked the audience.

  A bell chimed as she dipped an exaggerated curtsy, and everyone leaned back and opened their mouths to catch the white confetti that started raining over the auditorium. Sophie copied them, surprised that the confetti felt warm on her tongue and tasted like coconut and strawberries and other sweet fruits she couldn’t name.

  “Grab as much as you can!” Dex shouted, stuffing handfuls of the candy anywhere he could store it. Now Sophie understood why the costumes had so many pockets.

  She filled everything but the pocket with the tracker, and by the time she was done, the confetti shower had stopped and the Mentors were herding the prodigies outside to the lawn with the mascot-shaped bushes. Dex left to round up the triplets, and Sophie wondered how she was ever going to track down Grady and Edaline in the chaos. But then she spotted Sandor’s flat-nosed face towering over the crowd at the far end of the courtyard.

  She tried to make her way through the mass of parents and prodigies, but kept getting bumped and rerouted away. She was about to turn back and try a different path when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

  “So I wagged my tail when I was supposed to flick it—what’s the big deal?”

  Keefe.

  And the voice that responded was a voice Sophie had been hoping to avoid hearing again.

  “The ‘big deal’ is that this was your chance to impress the faculty—and instead you’ve shown them you’re just as ridiculous as ever. When are you going to start taking your education seriously?”

  Lord Cassius—Keefe’s arrogant and overbearing father.

  “Hey, I’m a year ahead—what more do you want from me?” Keefe asked him.

  “I want you to live up to even a fraction of your potential.”

  “No, you want me to be like you.”

  “And what would be wrong with that?”

  Sophie knew she shouldn’t listen, but she’d been curious about the relationship between Keefe and his dad ever since she’d run into them after midterms and seen the way Keefe seemed to wilt in his father’s presence. Not that she could blame him. She’d probably done the same thing the moment she’d looked into Lord Cassius’s far-too-intense eyes.

  “This is why I didn’t want to leave you,” Sandor squeaked, shoving his way to her side. “How can I protect you in all this commotion?”

  Before Sophie could answer she heard someone near her whisper, “That’s the girl who was taken.” Several others mumbled something about “unsafe” and suddenly the crowd around them had scooted away, leaving a wide bubble of space.

  Sophie’s face flamed.

  “You sure know how to clear a path, Foster,” Keefe said behind her, making her cheeks feel even hotter. He smirked when she turned to face him. “Nice trunk.”

  “Nice fangs.” It was hard to recognize him with the hood covering his messy hair and the white fabric pieces dangling on each side of his face.

  “We seem to have a habit of running into each other, don’t we, Miss Foster?” Keefe’s dad asked, forcing her to finally look at him. He smoothed his immaculate blond hair and treated her to one of his tight smiles, which never quite reached his eyes.

  “Only twice now, Lord Cassius.” And she would do everything she could to make sure there wasn’t a third. She hated the way he stared at her. Like any second he expected her to sprout an extra brain and use it to take over the world.

  “How goes your progress with the alicorn?” he asked. “I hear you’ve had some trouble.”

  The way he emphasized the last word made her wonder if he’d heard about their suspicious intruder. But she wasn’t supposed to talk about that, so she just shrugged and said, “Silveny’s really stubborn, which makes things a little harder.”

  “Well, that I can definitely understand.” He glared at his son.

  Sophie waited for Keefe to snap back with a joke, but he just stared at his feet like he hadn’t heard.

  She kind of hoped he hadn’t.

  “Well, I should get back to Grady and Edaline,” she said, slipping away before Lord Cassius could stop her. “I’ll see you on Monday, Keefe.”

  “Let the Foster Adventures begin,” Keefe called after her.

  Sophie could hear them return to arguing as Sandor led her to where Grady and Edaline were. But she stopped paying attention when she spotted Alden and Della.

  Alden laughed as Sophie ran to his side and strangled him with a hug. “It’s good to see you, too, Sophie.”

  She dried her tears on his orange cape. It felt so good to hear him sound like Alden again. She knew Elwin and Fitz had promised her that Alden was fine, but she still pulled back from the hug to examine him herself. He looked much better, but there was a line on his forehead where the gash had been.

  Alden touched the scar. “It’ll be gone in a couple of days. Some wounds need a little more time. But there’s no reason to worry. How about you? You look a little different since the last time I saw you.”

  He tugged on her floppy ears.

  Sophie smiled. “Can I take this stupid thing off yet?”

  “I wish,” Biana grumbled as she and Fitz—who somehow managed to look good as a saber-toothed tiger—joined them. “We still have to do the elite dedication.”

  “That’s my favorite part,” Della said, reaching for Alden’s hand.

  Sophie followed their gaze to the two twisted towers that stood on their own in the distance, one made of pure silver, the other of gold.

  “I still can’t believe you have a session in the Silver Tower,” Biana said as the spotlights around the towers dimmed.

  “Seriously?” Fitz asked. His eyes widened when Sophie nodded. “Well . . . wow. That’s crazy.”

  He smiled as he said it, but Sophie could hear a hint of envy in his voice. If he only knew how much she was dreading it. Now that she’d seen Prentice, it would be even harder to face Wylie if she ran into him.

  “How many prodigies live in the towers?” she asked, hoping it was a lot.

  A loud chime drowned out Fitz’s
answer and the crowd fell silent as the arched doors on each building parted. Two streams of prodigies in silver and gold cloaks filed out and lined up around their towers, facing the crowd. Sophie tried to guess which one could be Wylie, but it was hard to tell in the dim light. Before she could spot him, they turned away and raised their hands toward the stars.

  A flash of purple gleamed from the roofs, bathing everything in an unearthly glow.

  “The splendors just bloomed,” Fitz explained as everyone applauded. “They’re a rare plant that only flowers once a year, and every elite prodigy has to cultivate one to have it bloom at the Opening Ceremonies. It’s their gift for future generations.”

  “Why does it smell like feet?” she asked, gagging.

  Biana plugged her nose. “It is pretty gross. But it draws the flickerwings.”

  She pointed to the sky, where thousands of twinkling sparks were sweeping in from every direction. At first Sophie thought they were fireflies, but when they got closer she realized they were some sort of glowing moth or butterfly. They landed on the towers, coating the gleaming buildings in iridescent flecks as a slow, lilting melody began to play, and the elite prodigies started to dip and twirl and spin.

  The dance was supposed to be calm and peaceful, but Sophie felt the opposite when she spotted a dark-skinned elf who looked uncannily like his father.

  “That’s Wylie, isn’t it?” Sophie whispered to Alden.

  Alden tensed at the name, and his voice cracked as he looked where she’d pointed and said, “Yes, I believe it is.”

  She watched Wylie leap and sway to the music and wondered if he was wishing the same thing she was.

  That his dad could be there to see him.

  “Do you think he blames me for what happened to his father?” Sophie asked, barely able to find her voice.

  Several seconds passed and she wondered if Alden had heard her. But then he murmured, “No, Sophie. He blames me.”