“I’m a Flasher. I can manipulate light the way I want it—though I’m not as skilled as Orem Vacker. You’ll see his crazy light show on the next total eclipse. It’s one of our biggest celebrations.”
It was strange to think that the elves had their own traditions, but it also made sense. The elves lived in their own world, and she needed to learn more about it—and quick—so she didn’t look like an idiot all the time.
“Whoa, that is some serious damage. It’s not permanent,” he added when she tensed. “And it’s not your fault. Toxic food, toxic water, toxic air. What chance do your poor innocent cells have?”
“You can see my cells?”
“Of course. Did you think I was wearing these glasses because they make me look dashing?”
She smiled. “What do they do?”
“Anything, depending on what color of light I use.”
He snapped again, flashing blue and purple and red orbs of light around her body and squinting through the lenses. Then he took the glasses off, and Sophie was relieved to see he wasn’t as stunningly perfect looking as the other elves she’d met. His eyes were more of a gray than a blue, and his mouth was a little too small for his broad jaw. But when he smiled, his whole face lit up.
“You can sit up now,” he told her, holding a small silver square in front of her eyes when she did. He frowned.
“What? Just tell me. I can take it.”
He laughed. “You’re so dramatic. I was expecting your eye color to be from the toxins. But your eyes are perfect. They’re just . . . brown.”
“They always have been. Even when I was a baby. Do you know why?” The last question came out as a whisper.
“No idea. I’m sure there’s a reason, but I’d have to do some research. It’ll be a great case study for the books once I figure it out.”
“What? No—you can’t!” How was she ever supposed to fit in if they were running case studies on her?
“All right, all right. Relax. I won’t.”
Sophie released the breath she’d been holding. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Elwin laughed. He rifled through the satchel slung across his shoulder and removed tiny vials of colored liquids. “Now, try not to let this worry you, but your body needs a major detox. We’ll start with these.”
Sophie braced for the bitter burn of medicine, but the bottles were filled with sweet syrups, like nectar from unknown fruits. They made her tingly and warm inside.
“Good girl,” Elwin said as he cleared the empty vials away. He placed a large, clear bottle in front of her. “All of us drink one of these every day, but I want you to drink two for a while, to make up for lost time.”
“‘Youth in a Bottle,’” she read from the label. “Like the fountain of youth?”
“I suppose that is where those legends come from,” he agreed. “It has a few enzymes that are essential for our health.”
The water was cold and slightly sweet, and somehow more refreshing than what she’d tasted before. She downed the contents in one gulp and handed the empty bottle back to him. He gave her another, and she drank it just as fast.
“I don’t have a few of the medicines you need, but I’ll give Alden a list. I want you to come see me in a couple weeks for a follow-up.”
Her face twisted into a scowl before she could stop it.
Elwin laughed. “It won’t be so bad—just a quick checkup. I work at Foxfire, so you can stop by anytime.”
Mention of her new school made her tug out a couple of loose eyelashes.
“What are you doing?”
“Sorry. Nervous habit.”
“You tear out your eyelashes?”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“Still.”
“You sound like my mom.” The warmth of the medicines faded as the reality of everything that had happened rushed back. “Well, I thought she was my mom.”
He sat next to her on the cot. “Alden told me about that. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really.” She stared at Ella, hugging her tighter.
He whistled. “You’re a pretty brave kid, you know that?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes you have to be brave.”
“True,” he agreed, laughing.
“What?”
“That just sounds funny coming from someone hugging a stuffed elephant.”
Her cheeks heated up. “I know it’s lame but—”
“I’m teasing. Personally, I can’t sleep without Stinky the Stegosaurus—there’s no shame in that.” He laughed. “Anyway, you should get some sleep. You’ve had a big day. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
“SO, YOU GONNA PUNCH ME?” Fitz asked as he showed her to her room.
“I guess not,” she mumbled, feeling horrified about the big production she’d made. He must think she was the biggest wimp ever.
Fitz grinned. “What’s with the ‘doctor phobia’ thing? You were more afraid of Elwin than you were of jumping into the whirlpool.”
“I guess you’ve never had anyone stick a needle in your arm or strap you to a bunch of machines.”
“You’re right about that.” He shuddered and she felt a little better. And least he understood her fear now. “Why did they do that to you?”
“The shots were because I had an allergic reaction a couple years ago.” She rubbed her arm, remembering the bruise the needles gave her. “The machines were because I hit my head when I was five.”
“How’d you do that?”
“I guess I passed out and cracked my head on the concrete—I don’t remember. All I know is I woke up in the hospital and my parents were freaking out, saying my neighbor had called nine-one-one and that I’d been unconscious for hours.”
“That happened when you were five?”
She nodded.
“Was that before or after your telepathy started?”
“The same time. I started reading minds in the hospital. I always thought something happened to my brain when I fell, but I guess it was my elf genes kicking in.”
He didn’t respond.
“What?”
“It’s just . . . telepathy doesn’t kick in at that age. Something would have to trigger it.”
“Trigger it how?”
“I have no idea. Not many things trigger a special ability—and none of them exist in the Forbidden Cities. My dad will have to look into it.”
She repressed a sigh. Alden had a lot to look into, thanks to her.
Fitz stopped in front of a bedroom fit for a princess—huge canopied bed, crystal chandeliers, and glass walls overlooking the lake. “This is you. If you need anything, my room’s just down the hall.”
Her heart did that weird fluttery thing when their eyes met, and she had to look away to speak clearly. “Thanks for your help today. I don’t think I could’ve gotten through all this without you.”
He cleared his throat. “I don’t deserve your thanks.”
“Why?”
He kicked the ground. “Because—I knew what was going to happen and I didn’t tell you when I made you come with me. I never realized it would be hard for you to move here—not until I found you there on the floor. I feel like I ruined your life.”
“Fitz.” She paused to find the right way to explain the crazy emotions spinning through her. “Today was hard. But you were right about what you said yesterday. This is where I belong.”
Fitz straightened up, like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. “Really?”
“Really. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to be okay.”
She willed the words to be true, chanting them like a mantra as she shut herself in her room and changed into her pajamas.
Still, alone in the dark, with no one to tuck her in and no Marty on her pillow, she couldn’t keep up the brave face any longer. S
he curled into a ball and cried for everything she’d lost. But when she fell asleep, she dreamed of a life filled with friends and fun and finally belonging.
FIFTEEN
SHE’S ALIVE!” FITZ TEASED WHEN SOPHIE wandered into the living room the next day. He sat in an overstuffed armchair reading a book called Twenty-Five Ways to Catch the Wind. “You do realize you slept through breakfast and lunch, right?”
“I did?” Sophie looked around, trying to find a clock, but everything was covered in weird clothes—like a costume shop threw up on the furniture. “Sorry. I guess I was tired.”
“You had a rough day yesterday. Plus, your body needs rest while it detoxes,” Della said, materializing in the center of the room.
Sophie clutched her chest. She couldn’t understand how anyone could get used to the ghostly way Vanishers appeared.
Della frowned as she met Sophie’s eyes. “How are you doing?”
Sophie shrugged. She didn’t know how to answer.
“Well, you look great. Not that you weren’t pretty before, but I think that detox made a difference. You should see how shiny your hair is, and your eyes are so . . . exotic. You’re going to be quite the heartbreaker when you grow up.”
“Who is?” Biana strode into the room in a fitted dress with intricate gold embroidery that shimmered with every step. She looked way more glamorous than any twelve-year-old had the right to look.
“Sophie,” Della said, smiling at Sophie. “Doesn’t she look pretty today?”
There might’ve been things that were less embarrassing than that moment, but Sophie couldn’t think of any. Especially when Biana shrugged, and asked, “Isn’t that the same dress you wore yesterday?”
“All my other clothes were—” she started to explain, but Della held up her hand.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve sent something up for you. I’ve been shopping all morning.” She waved her arms at the explosion of clothes. “Behold. Your new wardrobe.”
“That’s all for me?” Was she going to be wearing five outfits a day?
Della winked “I got you everything you’ll need, plus a few extras. The only thing I didn’t get was a new nexus. I figured you’d want to pick your own. Unless you want to keep Fitz’s old, beat-up one.”
Sophie stared at the cuff on her wrist. “This was yours?” she asked Fitz.
He nodded.
She liked that—more than she wanted to admit. She fingered the sparkly stone, which was exactly the same color as his eyes. “Do you want it back?”
“I don’t need it anymore. It’s yours if you want it.”
She was very aware of everyone watching her, so she tried hard to sound casual as she said, “Might as well keep this one then, so it doesn’t go to waste.”
“If that’s what you want,” Della agreed with a smile. “I should be done packing all of this in a few minutes, and then I’ll get you some lunch.”
“Packing?” Her heart sank as Alden entered the room holding her backpack and Ella. “Are you kicking me out?”
She tried to make it a joke, but a touch of hurt leaked into her words.
Della rushed to take her hands. “Of course not. We thought you’d want to get settled into your new home. If you want to wait a few days, we’ll unpack your stuff right now.”
Sophie swallowed to steady her voice. “No, it’s fine. In fact, I don’t really want lunch. I’m not hungry.” Her stomach was so knotted with nerves there wasn’t room for food.
Della smiled sadly. “You’re going to like Grady and Edaline.”
Her palms dampened at the strange names. “What are they like?”
“They’re great,” Alden promised. “They run an animal preserve at Havenfield, so they always have all kinds of exciting things going on.”
“Do they have any kids?”
Della glanced at Alden.
He looked away. “Grady and Edaline lost their only daughter about fifteen years ago. Her name was Jolie. She was twenty when she died. It was . . . . terrible accident.”
Della covered her mouth with her hand.
Alden shook his head. “I’m not sure if they’ll mention it, so you might want to wait to see if they bring it up. That way you’ll know they’re ready to talk about it. And please don’t let that make you more nervous to meet them. I won’t deny that their loss has affected them, but they’re still two of the most wonderful people I know. You’re going to like them.” He offered her his hand. “Come on. Let’s go meet your new guardians.”
“WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL PRESERVE is this?” Sophie asked as a booming roar shook the ground. Fenced-in pastures spread as far as she could see, filled with creatures that looked like mutant, scrambled versions of animals. Ella—in her bright blue glory—suddenly looked normal.
“Havenfield is one of the rehabilitation centers for our Sanctuary,” Alden explained. “The animals are brought here first for training, before we release them into their protected home—and they’re not easy to catch. We’re still trying to trap Nessie. She’s quite the escape artist.”
“These things live around humans?”
“Where do you think the legends come from? Which is why it’s not safe for them. We’ve even had to collect endangered species—gorillas, lions, mammoths—”
“Mammoths are extinct,” she interrupted.
“Tell that to the thriving herd we have at the Sanctuary.”
“You have a herd of woolly mammoths?” Somehow that was harder to believe than goblins or ogres.
“We have colonies of everything. Mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, dinosaurs.” He laughed when her jaw fell slack. “Every species exists for a reason, and to allow one to die off would rob the planet of the unique beauty and qualities it provides. So we make sure they all continue to thrive. Grady and Edaline train the animals to be vegetarians by feeding them gnomish produce; that way they won’t hunt one another once they’re moved to the Sanctuary.”
Another roar interrupted their conversation. Whatever it was sounded like it wasn’t happy about its new diet plan.
The path they followed split, part of it winding down steep cliffs to a rocky beach lined with dark caves. Still, that path looked much less scary than the wide, flower-lined one they took to meet her new guardians.
The path led to a wide meadow, where gnomes were using thick ropes to lasso what looked like a giant lizard covered in neon green feathers. The beast thrashed in protest.
“Oh, stop being such a drama queen,” a husky male voice commanded from somewhere among the ropes and feathers.
ROAR!
“Okay. Here goes nothing,” he called.
The gnomes tugged on the ropes, pulling the beast’s neck low enough for a blond elf to heave himself up—no easy feat considering the beast was twice the size of an elephant.
SNAARRLL!
“I’m trying to help, you silly girl,” he yelled as the beast bucked and thrashed.
Sophie cringed, hoping she wasn’t about to watch her new guardian become lizard food.
“Need a hand, Grady?” Alden called.
“Nah. Almost got it.” He lunged and grabbed something black tangled in the feathers. It twisted and writhed, but Grady yanked it off, nearly losing his balance in the process. The fluffy lizard stopped struggling as Grady tossed the black thing to one of the gnomes and slid down the beast’s back. “Sorry about that,” he called to Alden, once he was back on the ground.
“No problem, my friend. Verdi giving you trouble again?”
“That’s why she’s our permanent resident.”
“Would you like to meet a tyrannosaurus, Sophie?” Alden offered.
Her eyes stretched wide at the name. So the dinosaurs really weren’t extinct. The idea was so impossibly cool. And they looked nothing like what humans thought. Now she knew what Fitz meant with his smug comments at the
museum.
“Is it safe?” she asked as she followed Alden forward. She wasn’t sure if she was more nervous about the deadly dinosaur or about meeting Grady.
“It is now that he got that jaculus off her neck. It’s a winged serpent that feeds off blood.”
She clung to Ella for support and moved to Alden’s other side, away from the gnome struggling to contain the bloodsucking snake.
“Easy there, Verdi,” Alden said as the giant beast whipped her head toward him and Sophie.
Verdi was more intimidating up close, with huge yellow eyes, sharp claws, and a pointed snout. Sophie tried not to tremble as Verdi bent down in front of her, lowering her giant head to Sophie’s height. Rows of sharp fangs glinted with dinosaur slobber in the sunlight.
“Are you surprised by what dinosaurs really look like?” Alden asked, motioning for her to come closer.
“I wasn’t expecting the neon feathers,” she admitted, her legs refusing to take another step forward.
Grady laughed beside her, and she whipped around to get a better glimpse of her new, dinosaur-riding guardian. With his chiseled features and feather-covered tunic, she couldn’t decide if he reminded her more of James Bond or Robin Hood—which felt wrong. He was so unlike her chubby, balding dad she wasn’t sure how to relate.
His handsome face stretched into a smile. “You must be Sophie.”
She shook the feathery hand he offered and squeezed Ella tighter. He didn’t look scary—but her knees banged together anyway.
“Want to pet Verdi?” Grady asked.
She really didn’t want to get closer to those deadly looking teeth, but she didn’t want Grady to think she was a wimp either. So she took a deep breath and stepped close enough to rub the T. rex’s cheek with a light touch. Verdi stayed docile, watching Sophie with her unblinking yellow eye. Sophie lost herself in the stare.
“She’s still in pain,” she said, not entirely sure how she knew.
“Is she?” Grady separated the feathers on Verdi’s neck. “The wound is pretty deep. Maybe I should treat it.”
Sophie stepped back, and plugged her nose as Grady spread stinky brown slime over the wound. It smelled like death and rot and tuna fish—not a good combination.
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