The flowers changed colors in the shifting sunlight, sometimes pink, sometimes purple, sometimes blue. Their indescribably sweet scent made Sophie’s head feel clearer, her heart lighter. She had no doubt they truly could heal anything.
The Council invited all the gnomes to come to Havenfield to gather the petals. And while there were definitely tears, there was also a bittersweet celebration. Every one of the gnomes knew the sacrifice Calla had made for them and vowed to honor her memory. Grady and Edaline invited them to visit the tree any time they wanted, and the gnomes joined hands and circled Calla’s tree, singing a song of love and gratitude.
With each powerful lyric, Calla’s tree grew taller, and new blossoms sprouted to replace those that had been harvested.
The Council arrived later, quieting the celebration by reminding the gnomes that they now had a choice: They could remain in the Lost Cities, or they could start a new homeland.
“The ogres hold no threat over your species any longer,” Councillor Emery assured them. “So if you’d prefer to establish a world of your own, we’ll do all we can to support you. The Neutral Territories hold many beautiful places, and once we eradicate the plague, you would be welcome to any of them. We’d also provide any help and protection you require.”
Stunned silence followed.
“You don’t have to decide today,” Councillor Emery told them. “We realize this is a rather large decision.”
The gnomes didn’t need the extra time. They all spoke in unison, shouting, “We choose to stay in the Lost Cities. Our lives are here—and they have always been happy. All we ask is that you promise there will be no more secrets.”
“Agreed,” Councillor Emery promised.
“And for the record,” Councillor Terik added, “we’re honored you’ve chosen to stay. Please don’t ever think of yourselves as our guests. The Lost Cities are your home.”
That triggered a huge eruption of cheers, followed by celebratory songs as the gnomes called roots to carry them away to their regular residences. Grady and Edaline tried to convince the Havenfield gnomes they should take time to rest, but the gnomes were itching to get back to work. Within hours, the animals were bathed, the pastures looked pristine, and they’d built a gorgeous fence around Calla’s Panakes tree.
By evening it almost felt like Sophie had never left Havenfield. The Council even gave her a shiny new registry pendant.
But when Edaline offered to clasp it around her neck, Sophie hesitated. The Council had yet to prove they were truly going to work with her. She had one demand—one she knew they would resist. She had to make sure they’d agree to it before she committed to her return.
Grady didn’t ask questions when Sophie asked him to arrange a meeting with the Councillors at the Sanctuary. He did insist that he and Edaline join her, but she’d wanted them there anyway. She also asked Keefe to meet her there, but decided not to bother the Vackers. They were dealing with enough at the moment. And Dex, Tam, and Linh weren’t really involved.
Keefe was the first to arrive outside the humongous snow-covered gates in the shadow of the great mountain. The smile he greeted her with definitely wasn’t convincing. She noticed he wasn’t wearing his registry pendant either.
“So what’s with all the vagueness and mystery?” he asked.
“I’ll explain when everyone gets here.”
Keefe nodded, but his eyes strayed to the sun, like he was checking the time.
“Do you need to be somewhere?” Sophie asked.
“Still worrying about me, I see,” he said. “I guess it’s good to know the Mysterious Miss F. hasn’t gotten sick of me yet.”
“I’ll never get sick of you, Keefe.”
“We’ll see.”
She noticed he hadn’t actually answered her question.
Before she could press him, he reached into his pocket and handed her a small blue-velvet pouch. “By the way, um . . . this is for you.”
Sophie’s cheeks warmed, despite the biting cold. And when she poured the pouch’s contents into her palm, she found a long necklace, each bead painted with a different flower.
“This is the one you made for your mom,” she said, tracing her fingers over the stunning beads. The intricate details he’d given each blossom made them look like photographs.
“Yeah,” he mumbled, fussing with his hair. “I know you already have a ton of necklaces and stuff, but . . . I wanted you to have it.”
“You’re sure you don’t want to keep it?”
He shook his head.
He still wasn’t looking at her, so she leaned closer and whispered, “She’s not gone yet, Keefe.”
“I know. But either way, it’s yours now. I even made you a new bead.”
He showed her one in the bottom center, slightly larger than the others, and decorated with . . .
“Is this a Panakes blossom?” she asked, squinting at the lacy pink, purple, and blue flower he’d painted. He’d set a tiny crystal on the largest petal, like a sparkle of dew. “How did you know what they looked like?”
“I stopped by around sunrise to see Calla.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t want to interrupt your Ella cuddle time.”
“So . . . you just sat outside by yourself? For how long?”
“Not that long. It wasn’t a big deal. I was heading home from a thing and decided to check on Calla on a whim.”
“A thing . . .” she said slowly, waiting for Keefe to elaborate. When he didn’t, she told him, “If you hate being at Candleshade, Keefe, you don’t have to stay there.”
“I know. I probably won’t. Aren’t you going to put that on?” he asked, changing the subject.
The beads felt cool on her skin as she slipped the necklace over her head. “How does it look?”
Keefe’s smile looked more sad than happy. She wanted to ask if he was okay, but she could see Edaline giving her one of those isn’t that the CUTEST? smiles straight out of every teenager’s nightmares.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, tucking her hair behind her ears. “It’s really beautiful.”
Keefe shrugged. “It’s nice to see someone finally wearing it.”
“Well, you’ll be seeing a lot of it. I’m going to wear it every day.” She hoped that would earn her a smile, but Keefe’s eyes returned to his feet. He seemed almost . . . nervous. His palms even looked a little sweaty.
The Council arrived then, ending the uncomfortable moment—though they brought their own tension to the mountain.
“Just because you’ve been pardoned, Miss Foster, doesn’t mean you get to demand our attention,” Councillor Alina snapped.
“Tell us, Miss Foster,” Bronte said. “Why have you called us here?”
Sophie reached for Keefe’s hand, needing his support as she stared into the faces of the twelve Councillors and said, “I want you to set Silveny and Greyfell free.”
SEVENTY-SIX
AT FIRST THE Councillors laughed, assuming Sophie was joking. But when the punch line never came, they switched to shouting and arguing.
Sophie stood in silence, waiting for one of them to get to the right question. Oralie was the one to finally ask it.
“Why?”
“We had to tell King Dimitar that Silveny’s pregnant,” Sophie said, causing a whole lot more yelling and arguing. “It was the only way to sell the lie we used to distract him. So he knows. And I’m sure he’s going to go after the alicorns even harder, now that he doesn’t have the drakostomes. It’s only a matter of time before he finds a way to break into the Sanctuary. They’re getting closer each time.”
“So we move the alicorns,” Councillor Terik suggested.
“To where?” Sophie asked. “Some tiny underground cavern where Silveny and Greyfell will be miserable? How will that be good for the baby?”
“We also don’t know if the Neverseen have any other spies helping them,” Grady added. “They’ve been pretty good at hiding right under
our noses.”
“And how is it safer to release the alicorns and leave them completely unprotected?” Councillor Emery asked.
“Because they can teleport,” Sophie reminded the Council. “Why do you think it took you so long to find Silveny? The only reason she let me catch her was because she chose to come to me—and it took tons of convincing to prove to her I was safe. I’m sure she’ll be even more careful now that she has a family to protect. And the ogres can’t steal her if they don’t know where she is.”
“Her reasoning does have its merits,” Councillor Clarette said quietly.
“How?” Councillor Alina demanded. “This world is too dangerous.”
“The alicorns survived for thousands of years on their own,” Bronte argued.
“Yes, and Greyfell very nearly didn’t,” Councillor Emery reminded him. “We’ve all seen his scars—and those happened decades ago, before humans built their weapons of mass destruction.”
“They’ll also have ogres hunting them this time,” Councillor Alina added. “And the Neverseen.”
“Not if we make them think the alicorns are still in the Sanctuary,” Edaline suggested. “They’d never expect us to set them free. So let them keep their focus on the wrong place.”
“And Sophie can transmit to Silveny and check to make sure she’s okay,” Oralie added.
“Silveny can also transmit to me if she needs anything,” Sophie agreed.
Councillor Emery frowned at the other Councillors. “It appears we have much to discuss.”
“We can’t wait too long,” Sophie told them. “King Dimitar might already be planning something. We have to let them go before it’s too late. There’s no way to completely guarantee the alicorns’ safety. Just like we couldn’t truly protect the gnomes. So maybe we have to trust that other creatures can take care of themselves. Calla was the one who saved her people, wasn’t she? Not us.”
She could see several Councillors nodding. But not enough, so she added one more thing. “Believe me, I don’t want to let Silveny go—or Greyfell, or the coming baby. I just lost Calla. I can’t lose them.” Her voice cut out and she cleared her throat. “But I want them safe more than I want them close. I want to know they can run away if they need to, not be trapped under a mountain like sitting ducks.”
Councillor Emery sighed. “Give us a moment.”
He closed his eyes to moderate the telepathic debate.
Minutes ticked by and Sophie tugged on her eyelashes. After all she’d been through, she deserved a nervous habit.
“I can’t believe we’re going to do this,” Emery eventually announced. “And we do so only if you agree to our conditions.”
“You must check on Silveny daily,” Bronte jumped in, “and give us a report so we know what’s happening. And if any of us see any signs that this new arrangement is too dangerous, you must do everything in your power to help us bring the alicorns back to the Sanctuary.”
Sophie glanced at Keefe, glad to see him nodding. Grady and Edaline seemed to approve of the plan as well.
“Deal,” she told the Council.
She tried to celebrate the victory—cling to it as proof that she and the Councillors could work together. But a wave of sadness tried to drown her when Councillor Emery hailed Jurek and told him to bring the alicorns.
All too soon the massive gates swung open, and the blast of bright sunlight made Sophie’s eyes burn. Or maybe that was her tears when she spotted the two glittery winged horses galloping toward her.
Her head filled with an endless stream of SOPHIE! SOPHIE! SOPHIE! KEEFE! KEEFE! KEEFE! VISIT! VISIT! VISIT!
Yes—I’m here! she transmitted as a familiar tall figure with long dreadlocked hair approached.
Jurek held the alicorns with thick golden ropes tied loosely around their necks. He didn’t smile as he bowed to the Council. “I’m hoping I misunderstood your instructions.”
“So am I,” Councillor Emery said.
Silveny trotted closer, nuzzling Sophie’s shoulder. The female alicorn had always been stunningly beautiful, between her gleaming silver wings, wavy silver mane, and the swirled silver-and-white horn in the center of her forehead. But she seemed to be benefitting from that famous “pregnant glow.” Her fur looked almost opalescent, and her brown eyes shined.
Greyfell looked far less excited. Sophie could see the tension twitching in every muscle of his body. And his blue-tipped wings kept flapping nervously.
It’s okay, Sophie transmitted. Trust. Friend.
Greyfell whinnied, but he kept right on twitching. Silveny, meanwhile, had switched to nuzzling Keefe, and had finally coaxed a real smile out of him.
“Hey there, Glitterbutt,” he said. “Glad to know you missed me.”
KEEFE! KEEFE! KEEFE!
Sophie choked back a sob as she realized this could be the last time she ever saw Silveny. The alicorn could ignore her transmission, or fly so far away she couldn’t reach her, or . . . worse things she was trying very hard not to think about.
SAD? Silveny asked.
Yeah, Sophie admitted. But it’s going to be okay.
She willed the words to be true as she did her best to explain to Silveny and Greyfell what was about to happen. They didn’t seem to understand, until she told Jurek to untie the golden ropes, leaving the alicorns able to fly away if they wanted.
Free, Sophie told them. Fly free.
Silveny glanced back at the Sanctuary. STAY?
Sophie shook her head. You guys will be safer on your own.
STAY, Silveny repeated. SOPHIE. FRIEND.
Safe is more important, Sophie promised. You need to protect your baby.
The final word ended Silveny’s resistance.
Greyfell stretched his wings and stared at the grayish blue sky. It wasn’t as beautiful as the rainbow sky inside the Sanctuary, but it was the first real sky Greyfell had seen in decades. Sophie watched his brown eyes glint and knew she was making the right choice. The alicorns deserved to be free. They could take care of themselves.
She brushed her fingers down Silveny’s nose and patted Greyfell’s side. Better get going before the Council changes their minds.
Silveny nuzzled her again, releasing a whinny that broke Sophie’s heart. Then she flapped her wings and launched into the sky.
Greyfell followed immediately, and they circled above, climbing higher and higher with each rotation.
“Let’s hope this isn’t a mistake,” Councillor Terik murmured.
Sophie was making the same wish.
Keefe’s hand reached for hers, and together they watched the alicorns dive, racing toward the ground so fast they split the sky.
Right before they disappeared, Silveny transmitted, SOPHIE. FRIEND. ALWAYS.
But the best words were her last two: VISIT. SOON.
SEVENTY-SEVEN
SO WHAT NOW?” Keefe asked after the Councillors had leaped away and Jurek had closed the Sanctuary’s gates. “You off to Everglen to check on the Fitzter?”
“I thought I’d give them a little space.” She’d probably hail him later to make sure he was okay. But she knew they’d need some time. “This is a family thing, y’know?”
“I guess.” Keefe kicked a pile of snow, sending it scattering. “So you’re going back to Havenfield, then?”
“Yeah. Why, what are you up to?”
“Nothing,” he said—a little too quickly.
“So . . . do you want to come over, then?” she asked, fidgeting with the necklace he’d given her. “I thought I might try to make starkflower stew to give to Calla’s tree—and I know that sounds super exciting, but . . . you could make fun of me. And then you could stay for dinner, and—”
“Foster, you don’t have to take care of me.”
“Maybe I just like you,” she said—then realized how that sounded. “I’m just . . . worried about you.”
Keefe stepped closer. “I know. It’s one of the things I like about you.”
Her stomach filled
with fluttering things, which flitted around even more when she noticed how close they were now standing. The toes of their boots were almost touching, and his breath felt warm on her cheeks.
Someone cleared their throat, reminding them they weren’t alone. When Sophie turned, she found Grady glaring and Edaline smiling that goofy smile again. She couldn’t decide which was worse.
“We’re heading home—” Grady started.
“But you don’t have to leave with us,” Edaline finished. “Just make sure you let us know where you are if you decide to go somewhere.”
Grady started to say something else, but Edaline created a path of light and whisked him away.
“That was weird,” Sophie mumbled, sure her face was bright red.
“Yeah,” Keefe said, his cheeks flushed too—but that was probably from the freezing wind.
“So you really don’t want to come over?” she asked. “Even for a little while?”
“I . . . can’t. But you should go to Dex’s. Or go hang with my buddy Bangs Boy.”
“Still refusing to call him Tam, huh?”
“Some things should never change.”
“What about you?” Sophie pressed, wondering why it seemed like he was trying to get rid of her. “Where are you going?”
“What makes you think I’m going anywhere?”
“I don’t know. You’re acting really weird. You keep avoiding the question—don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
“I’m fine,” he promised.
“That’s still not a real answer.”
He reached up and mussed his hair. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, I swear. I meant . . . I’m dealing with something right now.”
“You’re really worrying me now, Keefe. What is it?”
Keefe looked away. “I’m just going to see someone. It’s not a big deal.”
“Can I go with you?”
He shook his head. “Please forget it, okay?”
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