“I can help,” Dex offered.
“Only if it becomes necessary. I don’t want any of us giving this too much of our energy. It’s an unexpected turn of events—even an intriguing one. But not particularly urgent, either.”
“Are you sure?” Sophie asked. “Now we’re not just fighting the Neverseen and the ogres, we’re fighting Lady Gisela and her mysterious supporters too.”
“We don’t even know that she has supporters,” Mr. Forkle reminded her. “For all we know, she slipped out of that prison by her own accord. And if she is part of some new, rising order, for the moment, they share our enemies.”
“It still feels like this whole mess just got a whole lot more complicated,” Sophie mumbled, sinking into one of the office’s overstuffed armchairs.
Mr. Forkle took the chair across from her. “You may be right, Miss Foster. These challenges have turned out to be far more intricate than anything I’d originally imagined. And I’ll confess that ever since Miss Redek’s request earlier today, I’ve been wondering if I’ve prepared the four of you as fully as I should have.”
“What do you mean?” Sophie asked.
He steepled his fingers and gazed through the wall of windows. Outside, a pair of moonlarks drifted across a small shimmering lake, their long silvery tails rippling the glassy water. “I mean perhaps it’s time to stop holding back. I’ve hinted before that you might have another ability waiting to manifest—”
“I knew it!” Fitz interrupted, sporting a superbly smug grin.
“Is it cool?” Dex asked as Biana said, “Are you going to trigger it?”
“That is a decision I leave up to Miss Foster.”
Sophie gripped the arms of her chair—realizing it was the same chair she’d sat on for so many other huge revelations.
Good news. Bad news. Weird news.
She couldn’t tell which category this would fall into.
“All abilities come with responsibility,” he said quietly. “But some are heavier than others. I told you earlier that your abilities were not all hand selected. Some were a natural result of the various tweaks I made to your genes. And this one gave me a serious amount of pause when I realized it would be part of your makeup—not because there’s anything wrong with the ability. It’s an incredibly valuable asset. But it’s also one that could be taken advantage of.”
He reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a thin package wrapped in velvet. “I’ve been carrying these since the day I triggered your other abilities. I wanted to be ready in case this talent also broke through. But so far, it’s remained dormant—which could mean the talent will never manifest on its own. So keep that in mind when you make this decision. You’re fourteen now, growing increasingly close to the time when the manifesting window closes, so it’s very possible that if we leave you be, you may never face this responsibility. And no one—including myself—will judge you for whatever you choose. It’s entirely your decision.”
He handed the parcel to Sophie, and she unwrapped the soft fabric, revealing two wrist-length black silken gloves.
“Am I supposed to know what these mean?” she asked, glad to see Fitz, Biana, and Dex looking just as confused. “Wait—I’m not going to be like Rogue, right?”
“I’m assuming that’s a human?” Mr. Forkle asked.
“Sort of. She’s a character in these comics my sister loved, where some people have genetic mutations that give them superpowers. Hers makes it so she can’t ever touch anyone without absorbing their power—and if she touches them too long, she’ll kill them.”
“Humans and their wild imaginations,” Mr. Forkle said with a small smile. “No, you’ll be nothing like this Rogue. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Nothing will affect you. But you’ll be able to empower others with the touch of your hands. It’s a rare ability called an Enhancer.”
Dex’s eyes widened. “I’ve heard of that! Won’t it mean that even being around her will make all of us more powerful?”
“To a very small extent, yes,” Mr. Forkle said. “But it’s something most won’t ever notice. The true boost comes from the touch of your fingertips,” he told Sophie. “Your body will store energy there, ready to transfer on contact. Hence the gloves—though they’re not a full solution. More a temporary buffer, to ensure you don’t accidentally enhance someone, and to buy a few precious seconds for you to break away should anyone try to take unwanted advantage. Still, I’m sure you can imagine how Fintan or Brant might abuse this ability should they discover it.”
She definitely could. “And there’s no way to turn it off? Like how I shield my mind from people’s thoughts?”
Mr. Forkle shook his head. “This ability is more like being a Polyglot. You don’t tell your mind to translate the other languages. It just does. The energy will gather in your fingertips the same way. Covering your hands or avoiding contact are the only ways to prevent it.”
Sophie traced a finger across the silky gloves, trying to imagine wearing them all the time. It made her hands feel hot and itchy and—
“If it helps,” Fitz said, squatting next to her chair, “the gloves won’t feel like what you’re thinking. I wore human gloves once—they were awful. I felt like my hands couldn’t touch or grab anything. Our gloves are like a second skin. Try them on, you’ll see.”
After a slight hesitation, Sophie slipped her fingers into the cool, thin fabric. It seemed to suction against her skin, featherlight and almost undetectable as she flexed her grip a few times.
Fitz reached for her hand, and she still felt the heat of his palm and the smoothness of his skin and the stupid flutter in her heart.
“I’m sure you could wear your Cognate rings on top if you want,” he told her.
“Same goes for your panic switch,” Dex added helpfully.
“Actually, that will make removing the gloves far trickier when she wants to enhance someone,” Mr. Forkle reminded them. “Better to wear as she is, with accessories underneath.”
“And I’ll really have to wear them all the time?” Sophie asked.
“It will depend on the situation,” Mr. Forkle said. “When you’re home, or safe among friends, the gloves will not be necessary. But at school or running errands—or certainly whenever you take any risks—you will want to ensure that you’re protected.”
“And does the ability do anything to benefit me?”
“Yes and no. Your own abilities will remain unaffected. But those around you will become stronger, which is an advantage—especially since you’ve chosen to surround herself with a group of incredibly talented friends. Imagine how much more they could accomplish if you enhanced their power. The downside is, you could do the same for your enemies.”
Sophie rubbed her head, trying to build a mental pros-and- cons list. “What would you do?” she asked Fitz. “If you were the one having to make this choice?”
He brushed his hand through his hair and stared out the window. “Honestly? I don’t know. I’m sure it would take our Cognate powers to a whole other level—but I would never want to put you in more danger just for that.”
“I feel like there has to be a gadget I could make that would give you more control than a pair of gloves,” Dex mumbled. “I wonder what would happen if I made some tweaks to two nexuses—one for each wrist.”
He started mumbling to himself, switching to a techie language no one else understood as Sophie focused on Biana. “What about you?”
“I think . . . if you do it, that means it’s on us to step up,” she said quietly. “We’re the ones who get stronger, so we need to work harder to protect you.”
“And I know I speak for your currently absent bodyguard,” Grizel said, slinking out of the shadows, “when I say that—should you choose to take on this ability—you must make every effort to keep it secret.”
“I agree,” Mr. Forkle said. “But the decision is still yours, Miss Foster. And we will support whatever you decide.”
Sophie stared at her hands, tr
ying to imagine all the crazy ways being an Enhancer would change everything.
Then she thought about Wylie.
And Brielle.
And Kenric.
And Jolie.
And all the nights she’d lost sleep, worrying about her friends and family. All she’d wanted was to keep them safe—and here was a new, important way.
“Trigger the ability,” she whispered. “I can handle it.”
SIXTY-SEVEN
LAST CHANCE TO change your mind,” Mr. Forkle told Sophie as he held his fingers a hairsbreadth from her temples.
She took a deep, calming breath as her friends squeezed her hands.
“Do it.”
The second his fingers pressed down, warmth flooded into Sophie’s head. The sensation felt strange—like sunshine tickling her brain—but also soothingly familiar, taking Sophie back to the other times she’d had her abilities triggered. She’d barely been conscious during those moments, so she’d never experienced the moment when the talent clicked—like someone flipped a switch, sending new currents of energy pulsing from head to toe. Her heart raced just as fast, her breaths shallow and frenetic—until the rush settled into her hands and turned warmer. Threads of heat seemed to weave together under the skin of her fingers, forming a thin layer that felt inherently right. She hadn’t realized how empty her hands had been without it. But now she was exactly as her body meant her to be.
“Feels like it already worked,” Mr. Forkle said as he backed away, sinking into the chair and rubbing his sweaty temples. “But perhaps we should test it to be sure?”
Sophie offered Fitz a hand. “Care to try it out, Captain Cognate?”
Fitz beamed his movie-worthy smile. “I’d be honored—though I’m not sold on that nickname.”
He reached for her hand, his touch as warm and gentle as ever. Their fingers twined together and . . .
“Whoa. It’s like . . . having all the fog shoved out of my mind—which is extra weird because I never thought my concentration was cloudy.” He let go of Sophie’s hand and creases settled across his brow. “Ugh. And now it’s all fuzzy again.” He took her hand and his face relaxed. “Wow, this is going to make me want to hold your hand all the time.”
Biana rolled her eyes. “Easy now, big brother. Let go of my friend or I will drop you like we’re playing bramble.”
Fitz blushed and did as Biana ordered.
Sophie was sure her cheeks couldn’t get any redder as Biana grabbed her hand and instantly turned invisible.
“This is so crazy,” Biana’s disembodied voice whispered. “I don’t even have to try to keep the light away. It just glides through me like I’m made of glass.”
“My turn!” Dex said, rushing closer as Biana reappeared.
“Perhaps we shouldn’t treat Miss Foster like she’s our shiny new toy,” Mr. Forkle warned.
“Right,” Dex mumbled. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Sophie said. “I’m curious too. And who knows, maybe you’ll suddenly know how to build one of those Lodestar symbol gadgets. Or those special nexuses to replace the gloves like you’d been talking about.”
“Oh, that’s true!” Dex’s palm felt a little sweaty as he wrapped his fingers around hers and closed his eyes. “Wow, my brain feels like it’s working on a hundred things at once. It’s . . . I can’t keep up with it all—owww.”
“Are you okay?” Sophie asked as he stumbled back, rubbing his head.
“Yeah, just info overload. I bet it would’ve been different if I’d been holding whatever gadget I wanted to work on, since my ability always focuses on something specific. Instead I got this random mix of, like, memories and blueprints and . . . I don’t even know. So many good ideas—I’m afraid I’m going to forget them all.”
“Here,” Biana said, handing him a notebook and pen from one of Alden’s desk drawers. “Maybe make some notes?”
“Good idea!” Dex dropped into a chair and scribbled furiously.
“It doesn’t hurt when you’re passing the power to us, right?” Fitz asked Sophie.
“No. All I get is a tingle in my fingers. And it doesn’t feel like it drains me either—but that might change if you hold on for a long time.”
“Your body will give you cues to let you know if you’re pushing yourself too hard,” Mr. Forkle assured her. “Though I do think you should try to rest now. Triggering an ability is an exhausting process—and you’ve had a very long, very challenging day.”
Sophie wanted to protest, but as soon as she stood, her head felt twirly. And by the time she’d made it back to the guest room, she barely managed to change into her pajamas and grab Ella before she collapsed into the giant bed.
It was a dreamless, dead-to-the-world kind of sleep, and she might’ve kept it up forever if someone hadn’t shaken her awake.
When she opened her eyes, she was staring into the face of a stuffed sparkly red dragon.
“Mr. Snuggles is always the best thing to see when you first wake up,” Fitz told her—and Sophie almost blurted that his glittering teal eyes were even better, but managed to spare herself the humiliation.
Biana laughed from the doorway. “You two are ridiculous—has anyone told you that? Now get dressed.” She tossed a very long, very fitted, very red tunic onto Sophie’s bed.
“Don’t scowl at me like that—its camouflage,” Biana told her. “The fancier your clothes are, the more people won’t wonder about your new gloves. And you look awesome in red. All you need is a white blouse and some black leggings—you have those, right? Oh—and a killer pair of boots. In fact, I have the perfect ones!”
Sophie sighed as Biana raced off. “She’s going to turn me into her little doll.”
“Probably,” Fitz agreed. “But at least she’s right.” Sophie figured he was referring to Biana’s camouflage-the-gloves strategy—which was pretty brilliant, despite how annoying Sophie was sure it was going to be.
But Fitz gave her his most charming smile and added, “Red is definitely your color.”
If she were a cartoon character, Sophie’s eyes would’ve turned into little hearts.
“Hurry up and get dressed,” Biana shouted from down the hall, saving Sophie from having to come up with a coherent response.
“Why, are we going somewhere?” Sophie called after her.
“Yep.” Biana rushed back into the room, proudly holding up a pair of boots with alarmingly tall wedge heels. “While someone was getting their beauty sleep, I went to the Silver Tower with Tam to see if having a Vanisher with him made a difference. And we finally figured out how the Neverseen got in!”
SIXTY-EIGHT
I THOUGHT WE’D ruled out the Lodestar mirror,” Sophie said as she stood in the center of the Hall of Illumination, surrounded by a circle of twenty mirrors reflecting their group from every angle.
Dex, Fitz, Linh, Alden, Della, Mr. Forkle, and Sandor, Grizel, Lovise, and Woltzer had all come with them to see what Biana and Tam had discovered.
“We have ruled it out,” Tam told Sophie. “Believe me, I’ve stared at that thing so long, I’ve gone cross-eyed. All it does is reflect pure light and make me tear up from the glare.”
“Then, um . . . why are we here?” Dex asked.
“Because I’m a genius,” Biana informed him. “I knew the Neverseen wouldn’t be obvious enough to have the actual mirror be the answer. But I kept thinking the name couldn’t totally be a coincidence. So I spent way too long staring at my reflection.” She ignored Fitz when he coughed, “What else is new?” and several in their group laughed. “And that’s when I thought to ask: What do lodestars do?”
“Guide people?” Sophie guessed.
Biana nodded. “They show you the way. So what do you see when you look in the mirror—besides your really bright reflection?”
Mr. Forkle sucked in a breath. “You see the mirror directly across from it!”
Everyone rushed to the other mirror, stepping on toes and knocking elbows as they crushed closer.
“It’s the Cimmerian,” Alden said, tracing a hand down the smooth glass. “One of the hardest mirrors to understand the meaning of.”
“It really is,” Mr. Forkle said, “I’ve always suspected it’s because many are too distracted by the disruption to their appearance.”
“Can’t say I blame them,” Della mumbled, glaring at the heavy shadows in her reflection. “This mirror is the only thing that ever makes me feel haggard.”
“But I still don’t understand,” Grizel said. “How does it give the Neverseen access to the tower?”
“Because they brought a Shade,” Biana said, nudging Tam forward. “Go on. Show them how cool you are.”
Tam flushed, squaring his shoulders as he approached the glass. “This is hard to explain. But the mirror multiplies shadows, so I decided to see what’d happen if I messed with them.”
He stretched his hand toward the glass and pulled his fingers into a fist, dragging every shadow from their reflections into the center of the mirror like a big black hole.
“And don’t ask me why,” Tam said, “but my instincts told me to do this.”
He spun his wrist in a tight circle, and the shadows followed—curling into a spiral that seemed to sink in on itself as the pattern spun round and round and round.
“What exactly are we looking at?” Mr. Forkle asked.
“I’m not totally sure,” Tam admitted. “At first I thought it was just an optical illusion. But then I did this”—he shoved his hand through the center of the spiral, making his arm disappear up to the elbow and earning a chorus of gasps—“and I realized it’s a gateway. Something about the shadowvapor moving through the glass changes its density.”
He pulled his arm back and wiggled his perfectly healthy, normal fingers.
“Just don’t ask me to explain the crazy science behind it, okay?” Tam said, “But this is how the Neverseen got into the tower. Maybe they levitated once they were inside so they wouldn’t leave a scent trail. But they came from here.”
He pushed his whole body through the mirror, disappearing into the glass. Everyone yelped when he peeked his head back from the other side—and all four goblins drew their swords.
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