Keeper of the Lost Cities (35 page)

She closed her eyes and shoved the energy into her mental call.
Gildie, come back now!

She scanned the sky. Nothing.

Then a faint glint of gold sparkled through the smoke.

“Gildie!” she screamed, waving her arms. “Gildie, over here.”

The gold flash changed course and disappeared into the smoke and flame. Seconds later the shimmering pterodactyl emerged from the inferno, circled once, and landed at Sophie’s feet.

Screech!

Sophie threw her arms around her. “Ouch, you’re hot!” she yelped, jumping back and thrashing her arms to cool the burn.

Gildie’s coarse fur looked singed on the edges, and her enormous eyes were clouded and watery, but she seemed okay. Her foot still clutched the bottle, which was filled with tiny yellow beads of sparks and capped with a glowing golden seal.

“You did it!” Sophie transmitted images of the treats she would give Gildie as she wrapped the bottle in her cape and tucked it under her arm. Then she pulled out her home crystal—glad she hadn’t given it back to Grady and Edaline—and leaped her and Gildie to safety.

“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?” GRADY
demanded as he paced the living room. Edaline stayed outside, treating Gildie’s scorched fur. She couldn’t bear to look at Sophie’s burns, and Sophie couldn’t blame her after Jolie. She was surprised Grady could stand it.

Alden and Elwin were on their way.

This was the one thing she hadn’t thought through. She knew she would have to confess what she did, but she’d expected to have some time to practice what she would say. Unfortunately, Grady had been in the pasture giving Verdi a bath when they arrived. Gildie screeched before she could even think about hiding.

“Do you have
any
idea how much trouble you’re in?” Grady asked, tearing his hands through his already disheveled hair.

Before she could answer, the front door burst open and Alden and Elwin rushed inside.

“You promised,” Alden said, his voice angrier than she’d ever heard. “Just this morning, you
promised
.”

“I can explain.”

“Oh, you’d better—though I’m not sure it will help at this point.” The anger faded from his voice, leaving it flat and empty. Hopeless. “Bronte’s calling for a tribunal.”

She knew it was coming, but her stomach still contorted in ways that made her very glad she’d skipped breakfast.

Elwin cleared his throat. “Let’s treat those burns, shall we?”

He squatted next to where she sat, flashing blue light around her arms. “These aren’t so bad. I won’t even have to use the yeti pee balm.”

“Yeti pee?” She gagged as she remembered the stinky gold slime he’d spread on the burn from the stellarscope.

“Takes the sting out of the most severe burn. You’re welcome.” He spread thick purple balm on all the places where Gildie’s scalding fur had touched her skin. “Any other burns you need me to treat?”

She shook her head.

He plunked two red medicine bottles and a bottle of Youth in front of her. “Drink up. This’ll fix any damage the smoke did to your lungs.”

She swallowed the sticky-sweet serums as Elwin wiped the balm off her arms, revealing fresh, healthy skin. “Thanks, Elwin.”

He gave her a sad smile. “Yeah, well, I would say stay out of trouble, but I think it might be too late for that.”

Her eyes darted to Alden, and her heart sank when she saw his grim expression.

“That should take care of her, but if you need anything else, you know where to find me.” Elwin gave Sophie a look that seemed to say,
Hang in there
. Then he glittered away.

Sophie stared at her lap, not sure what to say.

“What were you thinking?” Alden demanded.

“You said we needed evidence to make an accusation. So I got us evidence.” She pointed to her balled-up cape. “Take a look. It’s unlike any of the flames I’ve bottled in elementalism.”

It looked like part of him wanted to keep yelling, but he unwrapped the bottle. “Incredible,” he breathed when he saw the tiny beads of yellow flame.

Grady ran his hands through his hair again and turned away.

“When the Council sees that, they’ll have to admit it’s Everblaze,” she said.

“It isn’t that easy, Sophie,” Alden told her.

“Why? Because Fintan’s their friend?”

“No, because
you
broke the law
.”

“People are dying. Losing their homes. My family is camped out in an evacuee center right now afraid for their lives.”

“They’re humans, Sophie. Elves don’t get involved in human affairs.”

She pointed to the bottle. “Obviously, one did. I don’t care that he’s friends with the Councillors. I did the right thing.”

“I hope so. Because there’s no way I can protect you from the Council.”

“I can,” Grady interrupted, a wild look in his eyes.

“Grady—” Alden warned.

“No—it’s not her fault. It’s mine,” Grady shouted. “I mesmerized her into doing it.”

The words rang through the room as everyone stared at him.

“No, you didn’t,” Sophie argued. “I didn’t even see you this morning.”

“You did. You just don’t remember because I told you to forget it.” Desperation filled his tone, begging her not to protest.

“Grady, the consequences of that would be even more severe than what Sophie is facing,” Alden warned.

“It’s the truth. I mesmerized her.”

Edaline gasped from the doorway, and all heads spun to look at her. “What are you doing, Grady?”

Grady looked away. “I’m telling Alden what I did so Sophie won’t have to face a tribunal. I’m the reason Sophie broke the law. I used my ability to make her do it.”

“No, you didn’t!” Sophie screamed, launching to her feet. “Stop trying to cover for me—I don’t need your help.”

“Please let me do this, Sophie. It’s the least I can do, after everything.”

A hint of warmth and love was back in his eyes, but she looked away.

“I—I think you should listen to him, Sophie,” Edaline stammered. Each word seemed to steal her strength as she spoke it. “Grady’s right.”

“No. I’m not going to let you lie to the Council and risk exile because you feel guilty about dumping me.”

“It’s not about guilt,” Grady whispered.

The tenderness in his voice made her throat catch, but she cleared it away. “Oralie will know you’re lying.”

“I can be a very convincing liar.”

“Yeah. I’ve noticed.”

He sank into a chair. “I’m trying to make things right, Sophie.”

“This is not the way, Grady,” Alden interrupted. He stared at the bottle of yellow sparks. “Maybe when they see this, they’ll decide her actions were justified.”

“You know Bronte will never let that happen,” Grady argued.

“We’ll worry about that once we see how the Council reacts to this new evidence. In the meantime, Sophie has been ordered to act as though nothing happened. The official story is that you stayed home sick today and they expect you back at school tomorrow.”

Alden sighed and turned to Sophie. “I’m not sure how the Black Swan convinced you to do this, Sophie, but can you promise me you won’t do
anything
else they ask you to do?”

“I promise.”

“I’m going to try to believe that.”

“I’m really sorry, Alden. I won’t break another promise.”

“I hope not.”

She stared at the floor. “I understand if you want to take back your adoption offer.”

Edaline made a strangled sound.

“Sophie, we’d be honored to have you live with us.” He looked at Grady and Edaline. “Sorry, I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you.”

Grady glanced at Edaline, then at the floor. “No—that’s . . . great. I’m glad to hear it.”

Edaline choked out something unintelligible. It might have been her agreeing, but it was hard to tell. She turned and fled before anyone could ask her.

Alden sighed and held up the bottle. “I should bring this to the Council, get this process going. We’ll worry about adoption concerns if . . .”

He didn’t finish, but Sophie knew what he meant.

If she wasn’t exiled.

A
CTING NORMAL AT SCHOOL THE
next day was easier than Sophie thought it would be. Dex still wasn’t speaking to her, Marella and Jensi were relatively oblivious, and Fitz and Biana already knew. She got a little choked up when Biana hugged her and told her things would be okay—and Keefe made a few jokes about what he kept calling her “mystery illness”—but other than that, it was like any other day.

Until study hall.

Sophie was sitting alone with Biana—ignoring the way Dex kept glaring at her from the next table over—when Stina plunked her beanpole body in one of their empty chairs.

“I never knew you were such a good actress,” she sneered.

Sophie froze. “W-what do you mean?”

“Not you, Foster—you’re not good at anything. I meant Biana. I know your secret.”

Biana glared at her. “Oooh, I’m really scared.”

“You should be.”

Something about Stina’s confidence seemed to get to Biana, because she shifted in her chair and her eyes darted to Sophie.

“She doesn’t know anything. She’s just trying to trick you into admitting something.” Sophie grabbed her things and stood. “Come on. Let’s sit somewhere else.”

Stina slammed her bony arm across Biana’s books. “Oh, but I do know something. See, since you’ve been ignoring Maruca lately, she and I have become quite close—and she’s had some great stories to tell. This morning she told me the most interesting thing about the reason you and Sophie became friends.”

All the color drained from Biana’s face.

“What is she talking about?” Sophie asked quietly.

Stina flashed a wicked smile at Biana. “Should I tell her, or do you want to do it?”

“Tell me what?”

Biana sat pale and lifeless, like a statue.

Stina giggled. “It’s really quite funny. She was
forced
to be friends with you. Her dad wanted to keep a closer watch on the freaky human girl who practically killed his son in a splotching match, so he ordered Biana to be your friend so you’d come around their house.”

Sophie saw the panic in Biana’s eyes and felt a little sick. “Is that true?”

“Of course it’s true,” Stina interrupted. “She hated you before that, remember? Did you really think she suddenly wanted to be best friends for no reason?” She studied Sophie closely. “Hmm. I guess you did. You’re even dumber than I thought.”

Biana sprang to life and reached for Sophie’s arm.

Sophie jerked away. “Don’t!”

Her mind was spinning, making connections she should have made a long time ago. She’d wondered if someone put Biana up to it. She’d just never considered it might be Alden.

“Sophie,” Biana pleaded.

Sophie shook her head as traitorous tears pricked her eyes. The last thing she saw was the look of
I told you so
on Dex’s face as she turned and fled.

She raced around a corner and plowed straight into someone.

“Sophie? Are you okay?” Fitz asked.

Of course she would run into
him
. And he was with Keefe—perfect. “I’m fine,” she muttered, resisting his help as she struggled to regain her balance.

“Hey.” He grabbed her arms. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

She shrugged out of his grasp and tried to push by, but he blocked her path. “Let me go.”

“Tell me what’s going on first.”

“Uh, Fitz.” Keefe tapped him on the shoulder. “I’m feeling some pretty serious rage right now. It’s probably not a good idea to annoy her.”

She glared at Keefe and he took a step away from her, holding out his hands in peace.

“Tell me what happened,” Fitz pleaded.

The concern in his voice pushed her over the edge. “Ugh,” she screamed, shoving away from him. “Just stop already.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop pretending like you care. I know your dad put you up to it, okay?”

“That’s crazy.” Keefe looked at Fitz to back him up.

Fitz looked away, his whole body rigid. “What did Biana tell you?”

“Nothing,” she hissed. “Neither of you had the decency to be honest with me. I had to hear about it from Stina.”

Fitz muttered something under his breath. “Sophie, it’s—”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Her voice cracked.

“Better leave her alone,” Keefe said, pulling Fitz away. He glanced over his shoulder as he dragged Fitz down the hall—his eyes asking if she would be okay.

She shook her head, pulled out her home crystal, and leaped back to Havenfield.

“WHAT HAPPENED?” GRADY CALLED WHEN
he spotted her, but she didn’t acknowledge him. She threw her satchel on the ground and ran straight for the caves.

“Sophie, wait!” Edaline called.

Sophie kept going, but Edaline was faster than she looked, and in a minute she’d caught up with her. She offered a small furball. “In case you need a friend.”

Iggy fluttered to her shoulder and Sophie wiped away a tear. “Thanks.”

Edaline nodded. “Be careful down there. Looks like a storm’s coming.”

Sophie hadn’t noticed the gray sky, but it seemed appropriate given her mood. She climbed down the cliff and wandered deep into the cave, reveling in the thick, gloomy darkness. She noticed a shard of rock on the ground and hurtled it at the wall. The clatter as it shattered into smaller bits was oddly soothing.

She threw another stone, and another, relishing the clang of each as they were pulverized to smithereens. When there were no rocks left, she kicked the edge of the nearest boulder until her foot throbbed. Dirty, panting, and in more than a little pain, she collapsed to the ground, feeling the tears she’d been holding back bubble over. She buried her face in her hands and gave into them, letting the violent sobs shake her body. She felt Iggy trembling next to her, frightened by her irrational behavior, but she didn’t care.

Her life had officially fallen apart.

She had no friends. No family. Facing exile and expulsion.

She was totally and completely alone.

It was at that moment—when she thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse—that they did.