kotlc-deleted-scenes
KOTLC Deleted Scenes
A project by @sophitz to archive all of KOTLC’s edition-exclusive short stories, deleted scenes, and deleted lines that may not be accessible or widely known to fans. Note: I am not Shannon Messenger, but all of these scenes are written by her.
43 posts
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Last Seen Blogs
dyingtolbsdie
this is happening
suplexjones
local ass boy says bi pride
efraworld
Natural selection
everysai
Every Sai
Text
Nightfall Deleted Lines (Raw text, screen-reader friendly)
1. Deleted Tam and Linh line. Quote text:
"Well for the record," Tam said, "there's no way I'm dancing in any costumes at the opening ceremonies.
"Aw, but you'll be an adorable dragon!" Linh assured him as she tousled his bangs.
Tam's scowl turned to a death glare.
2. Quote text:
Marella gasped as Biana grabbed her wrist and the vanishing spread to her as well. "Okay, this is cool and all. But how long do you think it's going to take for the three of us to trip over each other when we're trying to walk like this?"
"With Sophie in the mix, about a minute," Tam said from somewhere in the shadows.
Marella snorted. "He's not wrong."
"I know," Sophie grumbled, once again cursing the Black Swan for forgetting to give her a little coordination when they messed with her genetics.
"Awww, I think our little moonlark is pouting, now," Marella said, patting Sophie on the shoulder. "Need me to call Fitz over here to cheer you up?"
"NO!" Sophie said—too loud and too fast. "Can we focus please? We're trying to figure out how to not die."
"Eh, we're probably going to end up in the Healing Center no matter what," Marella told her. "So I'd rather gossip about boys!"
3. Quote text:
"Does that mean you'd rather be called Amy?" Sophie asked.
Her sister flopped back onto the pillows. "I probably should. But that doesn't feel right either."
"So should I just call you 'hey you,' then? Or maybe"—she pointed to her sister's TARDIS shirt—"You'd prefer a title like The Doctor?"
"Okay, that would be awesome!" Her smile faded. "You guys probably don't have TV here, huh?"
"We don't." Sophie admitted. "But there are lots of other cool things to do! Like..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to think of something a human would be able to do in the Lost Cities. "Well. There are tons of books."
Amy snorted. "You brought me to a secret elf world and you're telling me to spend my time reading."
Sophie sighed. "I know. I sound like Mr. Forkle."
0 notes
Text
Flashback Deleted Lines (Raw text, screen-reader friendly)
Any relevant description provided by Shannon on the quote image will be included before the quote itself.
1. Deleted Keefe Line. Quote text:
Deleted Keefe "But I believe in the all-mighty Fitzphie! Or, I guess I should say I believe in the Mysterious Miss F, and Wonderboy can be her cheerleader or something."
2. Quote text:
"Thanks," Sophie mumbled trying—and failing—to smooth the abundance of ruffles. "I'm never going to stop hating these stupid gowns."
3. Deleted Tam line. Quote text:
Tam rolled his eyes. "That's because your murcat is evil."
4. Deleted Grady line. Quote text:
"Oh good," Grady grumbled, adding something under his breath that started with, "That Boy."
5. Deleted Edaline line. Quote text:
"I'll admit—the mom in me wishes you could rest a little longer before jumping back into the fight. But I do understand why you're eager to dive in. And...I'm really proud of you."
6. Deleted Edaline line. Quote text:
"Well, as long as it also freaks out the Neverseen, I can live with that." Edaline told Sophie.
7. Deleted Elwin line. Quote text:
"Well," Elwin said, brushing his messy brown hair out of his eyes, "on the Sophie scale of injuries, I'd say we're somewhere in the middle."
8. Deleted Elwin line. Quote text:
"You have a pet murcat?" Elwin asked, cracking up when Linh nodded. "Bet that's an adventure."
9. Deleted Elwin line. Quote text:
"If I don't see you heading to the Leapmaster in the next five seconds," Elwin cut in, "I'm dragging you there by your ears."
"Am I the only one who wants to see that?" Ro asked.
"I'll drag you too." Elwin warned.
"Now that I need to see," Ro told him.
10. Deleted Ro line. Quote text:
Ro snorted a laugh. "Elves are such wusses."
11. Deleted Ro line. Quote text:
Ro yawned. "Yeah, I know. You elves are the wonder of the universe. Nothing can stop you—oh except anyone with claws or fangs or battle training or weapons or—"
12. Deleted Ro line. Quote text:
"And how is this little anecdote proving our sweet little Blondie is tough?"Ro asked. "I mean, don't get me wrong—it's an adorable story. It's like Team Foster-Keefe: Where it all Began! But as far as toughness goes...meh."
13. Quote text:
Bo snorted. "Elvin senses are worthless. The only thing worse are goblin senses."
Sandor growled.
Elwin chuckled. "Sounds like everyone's getting along as well as I expected."
"I don't need to make friends in order to fulfill my duties," Bo argued.
"I suppose not." Elwin handed Sophie a vial of medicine. "But it's usually a friend who saves your life when you need it."
Bo flashed a cold smile. "Then I guess it's a good thing I won't need saving."
14. Quote text:
Tiergan smiled. "Well. It sounds like you two are almost ready for the next level of Cognate training.
Keefe groaned. "There's another level?"
"There are many levels. The Cognate Connection is one that can always be built upon." He turned to Fitz and Sophie. "I'll bring the next workbook to you once you've finished your recovery."
"Why can't we start now?" Fitz asked. "We can practice in the Healing Center."
Tiergan shook his head. "The next level of Cognate training is much more intense."
"Ugh. I feel a, Fitzphie nightmare coming on," Keefe grumbled.
15. Quote text:
"That's why she's the moonlark," Flor said quietly, and Sophie spun toward the tiny gnome, wondering when she'd joined them. Flori's gray eyes studied the dagger in Sophie's hand before shifting to Bo when she added, "The moonlark excels at whatever she puts her mind to."
Sophie wasn't sure that this was something she wanted to excel at. But the pain coursing through her arm reminded her why she needed to.
"Don't worry," Flori told her. "You can be gentle and formidable. My aunt always told me that. Then she'd sing a song about roots tearing deeper into the earth, shredding everything in their path in order to keep their tree strong."
16. Quote text:
"Hey! Foster's the toughest person in this room." Keefe argued. "I knew it the moment I met her."
Sophie shook her head. "Uh, when we met, I was about to have a meltdown because I thought I'd just failed alchemy."
"Actually, you were about to have a meltdown because you were afraid to go to the Healing Center and get your burn treated," Keefe corrected.
Elwin whistled. "That was a nasty wound."
"Yep. And Foster barely noticed it. She barely noticed anything—including the guy with the best hair in school! I'll never forget it. I was sitting there, bored out of my mind—as always—and then wham!" His eyes locked with Sophie's. "I'd never had emotions hit me like that before—without contact. Without even seeing you. All I could think was, 'that's new.' And then the mysterious girl everyone had been gossiping about rounded the corner and I knew nothing was ever going to be the same again."
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
Stellarlune Deleted Lines (Raw text, screen-reader friendly)
Any relevant description provided by Shannon on the quote image will be included before the quote itself.
1. Quote text:
"Trees dig their roots deep into the earth, preparing for the wind to try to knock them down." Flori sang the words like they were Iyrics in a song.
"I'm not a tree," Sophie told her. "I have to do more than protect myself."
2. Quote text:
Ro draped her arm around Sophie's shoulders. "Nope, you're not getting rid of me, Blondie. We're in this together!"
3. Quote text:
Lord Cassius's eyes narrowed. "It's strange how quickly life can change, isn't it? One minute, you're a highly respected Emissary. The next..."
"Yeah, we all feel very sorry for you." Ro mimed gagging.
4. Quote text:
Ro smirked. "Only Lord Pretentiouspants would have a private thinking spot."
5. Quote text:
Honestly, Miss Foster, you really should try managing your anxiety, Lord Cassius told her. You endure so much unnecessary stress.
I'II keep that in mind once I don't have people constantly trying to kill me, Sophie snapped.
6. Quote text:
But Sophie wasn't ready to give up on Keefe yet. Even it everyone else was.
7. Quote text:
Either way, Sophie had lots of weird feelings about family. It was so odd feeling like she had too much—and not enough—all at the same time.
8. Quote text:
"Hear that, Sophie?" Stina asked. "You're earning the Neverseen's respect. Doesn't that make you feel super-great about your recent life choices?"
9. Quote text:
"I gotta say—the more I think about it, the more it seems like a super bad idea to mess with people's memories," Ro told her.
"I agree! Sophie said. "And I say that as a Telepath!"
15 notes
·
View notes
Text
Everblaze Deleted Lines (Raw text, screen-reader friendly)
Any relevant description provided by Shannon on the quote image will be included before the quote itself.
1. Deleted Keefe Line. Quote text:
"Now that they're counting me in on this little game of theirs, the rulebook just went out the window—and how awesome is that, by the way? Team Foster-Keefe is officially A Thing!"
2. Deleted Grady Line. Quote text:
Grady laughed. "Vertina has no idea who she's messing with."
3. Quote text:
"Oh, I'm sorry." Kenric said, shaking out the scroll harder and filling the room with more crunching and crackling. "Am I distracting you?"
"You know very well what you're doing," Bronte snapped.
"I do," Kenric agreed. "I'm making notes on everything I see happen today."
Bronte sighed. "There's no need, I'll be giving the Council a full report tonight."
"Oh this isn't for the Council. This is for Grady. I figured he'll want to know exactly how you're treating his daughter." Kenric grinned when Bronte scowled. “There's nothing quite like an angry Mesmer, is there?"
Sophie had never been more tempted to hug him.
4. Quote text:
"Try to imagine yourself somewhere peaceful," Sophie told Bronte. "Like…a babbling brook ."
He snorted. "That is not a peaceful place, Miss Foster.
Sophie sighed. "Fine. Then think of somewhere you like to relax."
She fully expected Bronte to tell her it was his job as a Councillor to never relax. Instead he said, "Okay I'm picturing a library."
"That's…good," Sophie mumbled, surprised that Bronte's peaceful place actually sounded peaceful. "Now try to relax."
"Done. What now?"
"Uh, you don't sound relaxed." Sophie noted.
"Shocking, given that I'm currently taking Inflicting lessons from an untrained child!"
5. Quote text:
They're not real, Sophie transmitted as Silveny focused on the cloaked figures from her nightmares. Just dreams.
But they both knew it was more than that. And Silveny's mind filled with the same horrifying memories that Sophie was trying to ignore.
Her reaction was very different, though.
BITE? Silveny asked.
I'll never let them get that close to you, Sophie promised.
But Silveny seemed excited about the prospect, flooding Sophie's head with an endless string of BITE! BITE! BITE!
I think I like it better when you're begging for treats, Sophie told her. Or bugging me about seeing Keefe.
Which of course meant she was soon bombarded with a whole lot of BITE! TREATS! KEEFE!
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
Legacy Deleted Lines (Raw text, screen-reader friendly)
Any relevant description provided by Shannon on the quote image will be included before the quote itself.
1. Deleted Dex Line. Quote text:
"Then what's the point of Team Wow-We-Need-A- Much-Cooler-Name?" Dex asked, "if you're just assigning us to do stuff we were going to do anyway?"
2. Quote text:
Sophie had no doubt that Dex would make the triplets bow and call him Lord Dex before the night was over. She was also sure he was going to wake up and find his hair a big white poofball and Rex, Bex, and Lex calling him Lord Tomplehead.
3. Quote text:
You're no good to anyone dead, either," Sophie noted.
"Then it's a good thing I'm not planning on dying," Keefe argued.
"No one plans on dying." Sandor reminded him.
Keefe shrugged and glanced at Ro. "That's what I have her for. You up for it, Princess? Think you can keep me safe??
Ro unsheathed another dagger. "Bring it on."
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Exile Deleted Lines (Raw text, screen-reader friendly)
Any relevant description provided by Shannon on the quote image will be included before the quote itself.
1. An Alden-line about Grady. Quote text:
"I'm guessing this is another of Grady's creative punishments," Alden said behind her. "One time Jolie ditched school to go to Atlantis with her friends and he made her help the gnomes harvest reekweed. She smelled like moldy feet for days. His smile turned bittersweet. "It's good to see him returning to his old self."
2. Sandor & Sophie FTW!!!! Quote text:
"I need you to wait here," Sophie begged, "because you'll wake Grady and Edaline up if you stomp down the stairs with your giant goblin feet."
"I have giant goblin feet?"
"Really? That's a surprise to you?"
Sandor frowned as he examined his toes.
Sophie sighed. "I'm sorry. You have very nice feet. Perfect and gray and why are we talking about this? Will you help me or not?"
3. Quote text:
"Anyone hungry?" Grady asked, striding into the room again, carrying a tray of mallowmelt. "I brought you guys a snack!"
Sophie narrowed her eyes as he set the tray down in a place that forced Keefe to farther away from her. "You never bring up snacks when Dex is here."
"Awww. I think your dad wants to make sure I'll come back." Keefe snatched a piece of mallowmelt and took a bite, spraying crumbs as he added, "Don't worry, Gradyio, I'll be over here a lot."
"You will?" Grady asked.
Keefe nodded, taking another huge bite. "What can I say? Foster needs me."
It was impossible to tell who sighed louder: Sophie or Grady.
4. Quote text:
Sophie tried to redeem herself after the awkward start, but everything she did right only made things worse. Lady Cadence kept shouting random words at her: platypus, stellarscope, chandelier, tribunal, stegosaurus. And with every correct translation, Lady Cadence grew more annoyed, until she sank into the high-backed chair at the front of the round, mostly empty room and buried her face in her hands.
"Do you realize what I've had to give up to be here?" she snapped. "Decades of research—gone. All so I can train a little girl who doesn't even need me."
"I'm sorry." Sophie mumbled, fiddling with her, oversized silver cloak. "I can tell Dame Alina—"
"You think I haven't already tried?" She rubbed her temples. "I've been fighting the decision since it was handed down weeks ago. Sadly Miss Foster, you and I are stuck with each other."
They stared at each other in silence until the chimes rang and Sophie was free. Until next the week, at least. It was going to be a very long year.
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hey everyone, great news! As you may know I run @kotlc-deleted-scenes , an archive of all of KOTLC’s bonus content. I have all the edition-exclusive short stories, the deleted scenes from Keeper Summer 2021, and the deleted lines that have been shared on Shannon’s Instagram sporadically since 2020.
As of today, I have officially finished digitally transcribing all the deleted scenes (in addition to the already-transcribed short stories).
These are useful if you:
use a screen-reader
don’t own the special editions of the books with short stories
need to easily refer to these scenes when making fan content
just want to revisit the bonus content
I am also currently working out the best way to transcribe the deleted lines, as well as the deleted scenes from the Annotated Edition of Keeper 1.
52 notes
·
View notes
Text
Keeper Summer Week #12
Deleted Scene from Flashback
I cut this scene because the Healing Center sequence was such a huge chunk of the book that I needed to limit it to the most essential moments. I had to cut anything where Sophie wasn't learning something significant or making progress on her recovery. And since this was neither of those, it had to go.
—Shannon
“Okay—enough chitchat,” Ro said, marching over to Elwin's office. "I was promised ooze!"
"Yeah, let the Great Fitzphie Ooze Fest begin!" Keefe commanded, pumping his fist.
"It's going to be a few more minutes," Elwin warned them. "I'm still finishing up one of the poultices."
"Is there gross stuff in it?" Ro asked hopefully.
"Some of the worst I've ever seen," Elwin agreed.
Keefe smirked at Fitz and Sophie. "Excellent."
"But hurry it up!" Ro added as she paced around the room.
The third time she passed Sophie's cot, she paused to ask, "Are you aware of your hair situation?"
"Situation?" Sophie repeated.
"Disaster zone' might be more appropriate," Ro warned as she pulled a compact from the back of her breastplate and held the mirror up to show Sophie.
Sophie blinked. "Oh wow."
She wasn't sure how hair could stick out in so many different directions and also be plastered to her head. And the more she tried to pull it into a ponytail, the more it rebelled.
"Okay, now it's getting pathetic," Ro said, smacking Sophie's hand away and taking over. "You can all thank me later."
"Uh, what is happening right now?" Keefe asked.
"I'm helping your girl look less like a newborn yeti." She used her claws like a comb, trailing them gently across Sophie's skull. "Worried I'm going to shred the skin off your scalp?" she asked when Sophie flinched. "I could, you know."
"I'm sure you could," Sophie agreed.
Just like she was sure that Ro could crush her head like a grape. "It's weird, isn't it?" Ro asked, separating Sophie's hair into sections.
"This truce between our species? I mean, if someone had told me last year that I'd get this close to an elf and not want to rip out their throat—especially one of the little brats who attacked our capital city- I'd have broken every bone in their body. But here I am: styling elf-y hair in Sparkle Town. And the weirdest thing is—I don't totally hate it. I mean, I could do without all the glitter—and the perfumy smell. But the drama and obliviousness make it pretty entertaining."
"Obliviousness?" Sophie asked.
"The fact that you need me to spell it out for you kinda proves my point. But don't worry: Someday you'll figure it out—and then things will get very interesting. In the meantime—behold!"
She held up the mirror again, revealing the two messy buns she'd twisted Sophie's hair into—which was a little Princess Leia meets Minnie Mouse, if Sophie was honest.
Ro sighed. "Clearly you need to start seeing yourself the way others do. Check out the staring boys if you don't believe me."
She pointed to Fitz and Keefe, who were indeed staring.
"What?" Sophie asked, heat creeping up her neck.
Fitz blinked. "You look… different in a good way."
"Dude, is that the best you can do?" Keefe asked.
"I don't see you doing any better," Fitz argued.
"Oh, I could. But I'm trying not to make you look bad. And can we be done with the makeovers? I came here for ooze! Come on, Elwin—you're killing me!"
"One more minute," Elwin called back. "Still finishing up the new poultice."
16 notes
·
View notes
Text
Keeper Summer Week #11
Deleted Scene from Nightfall
I removed this scene because it felt like it destroyed the tension/danger that had been building in the story. It also didn't seem believable that Sophie would waste time in that moment, when she needed to get her parents to safety and get them medical attention.
—Shannon
“I need to check something,” Sophie told Fitz, reaching for her temples and closing her eyes.
"Need a boost?" he offered.
"It's probably better to save your energy."
She stretched her consciousness toward the gorgodon, trying to listen—feel—connect. Further and further she reached, until…
There.
There were no sounds. No images. But there was a swirling pool of life, filled with shadows of what used to be. Anger and terror and confusion swirled, but they were smothered by something bigger—deeper—darker than everything else. A constant, pulsing ache that never stopped, never eased, never let go.
"Whatever you're doing," Fitz said, his voice a lifetime away, "it's looking at you. Like, really looking at you."
Sophie opened her eyes.
All she could see was yellow—her world narrowed to the gorgodon's relentless gaze. And as she stared into those slitted pupils, the ache pulsed harder, reaching out like clawed hands as those shad- owed memories curled into shapes—nightmares—
"She saw the other gorgodons get slaughtered," Sophie whispered, feeling tears stream down her cheeks. "And she's been down here ever since, all alone no light, no food, only the command to guard my parents…"
Sophie clutched her chest, the ache too raw for words.
I'm sorry, she transmitted, even though the heartbroken creature wouldn't understand the words.
She shared her own sorrow, her own grief, let the gorgodon feel that hole that still lived deep inside her after so long worrying about her parents—the same people the creature was trying to protect.
The gorgodon landed right in front of her, its eyes never leaving hers, and a different thread of emotion wrapped around her heart.
There was no word for the feeling—no comparison that quite fit it.
But it felt like a truce.
"So, I know you're having a moment here, Foster," Keefe said, his hand squeezing her shoulder. "But Dex got the door open, and we've got your parents. We need to go."
The words were so huge and hopeful, they should've knocked Sophie over. But her mind was split—part of her still connected to the creature, lost in those shadowy depths.
If you let us go, we'll come back, she transmitted. We'll take care of you.
She poured out any images she could think of to help explain the words—memories of Silveny and Greyfell, and Verdi, and Iggy, and the hundreds of other creatures in the Havenfield pastures.
And she sent that strange emotion back, the one that felt like a truce.
And the gorgodon sent it back again.
"Okay," Sophie said, struggling to her feet even as she held that yellow-eyed gaze. "We're going now. But we'll be back."
"Uh, we will?" Fitz asked.
Keefe snickered. "Looks like Foster just adopted a new pet."
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
Keeper Summer Week #10
Second Deleted Scene from Lodestar
This scene used to be part of the sequence set at Dex's house, but it felt like it was slowing the story's momentum too much, and nothing all that significant was happening or being revealed. So once again, I had to chop something I liked to keep the pacing tighter.
—Shannon
“Wow, just noticed the sky," Biana whispered as they all stared through the glass dome at the swirling streaks of green and pink.
"Is that the aurora borealis?" Sophie asked. "Or another one of your holograms, Dex?"
"That's the real deal," he said. "I actually tried adding a northern-lights setting to my gadget, but everything looked fake."
"I'm sure it was better than you thought," Biana told him. "Though this really is beautiful. I know it's probably a huge betrayal to the Vacker name to admit this, but I think this is prettier than the Celestial Festival."
Fitz and Biana's very distant relative—Orem Vacker—was a Flasher, and he was famous for creating a light spectacle whenever there was a total eclipse.
"This is calmer," Fitz said. "Plus, it's kinda cool knowing there's no one controlling it. It's just…nature. Feels like a good thing to remember, you know? As powerful as we are, as many crazy things as we can do, there's so much that's way bigger than us."
Biana laughed. "Look who's getting all deep and philosophical while cuddling with his sparkly red dragon."
"Hey, don't knock it till you try it," Fitz told her, hugging Mr. Snuggles tighter. "Besides, I think it's useful to remember that we're not as important as we sometimes think we are. It's…Never mind, I don't know how to explain it."
"I do," Sophie jumped in. "It's good to remember that we're not the epitome of everything, because it puts it all in perspective. Especially with how huge our problems feel sometimes."
"Exactly," Fitz said. "Maybe the whole world isn't resting on our shoulders. Only a part of it is. Sometimes I think we forget that. Like with the alicorns. All that stress and hassle we went through trying to shelter them in the Sanctuary, when the better idea was to let Silveny and Greyfell take care of themselves."
"So ... what? We just let the Neverseen do whatever they want?" Dex asked.
"Of course not," Fitz said. "But sometimes I wonder if the Council's problem is that they keep trying to control everything. Their attention gets so divided that they miss a bunch of huge stuff."
"Like when they focused on finding the Black Swan instead of going after the Neverseen," Sophie suggested.
"Or all the focus on abilities, and forgetting to train us in our skills," Fitz added.
Biana snickered. "Look—now they're basically finishing each other's sentences. They really are Fitzphie, aren't they?" she asked Dex.
"It's Sophitz," Fitz corrected. "And hey, you guys are starting to turn into…Actually, what would we call you? Bianex? Dexiana?"
"How about Vackizznee?" Biana suggested. "Or Dizzker?"
"Dizzker?" Sophie repeated.
"It could work," Biana insisted.
17 notes
·
View notes
Text
Keeper Summer Week #9
First Deleted Scene from Lodestar
I had a really hard time deciding what to have Fitz give Sophie for a midterm present in the opening of Lodestar, and for a while, this scene is what I settled on. But I realized I was missing an opportunity to have the gift be both sweet and useful, so I cut this and went back to brainstorming until I finally came up with the Cognate rings.
—Shannon
“Well, it’s awesome,” Fitz said, popping a bubble filled with a box of Prattles.
The floating treats were a midterms tradition at Foxfire—as were the dorky thinking caps they wore dur- ing the tests, and the presents the other prodigies went around and filled them with. The whole campus had been decorated—more streamers and tinsel than Sophie remembered from the year before, like everyone was trying too hard to pretend things were normal.
"Anyway," Fitz said, taking a step closer, "I wanted to give you this."
He handed Sophie a small silver package, and her hands turned clammy as she peeled back the fragile paper. She found a sleek white box, and inside were two black teardrop-shaped stones dangling from small silver beads.
"Earrings?" she asked.
Fitz nodded. "Biana said the gift I gave you last year was horrible. So she helped me pick out these."
The riddler Fitz had given her had been a disappointment. But…
"I don't have pierced ears," Sophie mumbled. "Couldn't get past the whole needle thing."
"Ugh—humans do that?" Fitz asked, taking the box back from her. "Yeah, no, don't worry. We have a better way."
He removed one of the earrings and brushed Sophie's blond hair behind her ear before he touched the silver bead to her earlobe.
The metal stuck to her skin like it'd been dipped in superglue.
"See?" He twisted it counterclockwise, and the earring popped back off.
Sophie held the stones up to the light, and they twinkled with a million silver flecks.
"Biana tried to talk me into a pair with long teal beads," Fitz admitted. "But these reminded me of you for some reason…”
Their eyes met, and maybe it was how close they were standing—or the fact that Fitz had just given her jewelry. But Sophie was sure her cheeks were as red as Fitz's cape.
15 notes
·
View notes
Text
Keeper Summer Week #8
Fifth Deleted Scene from Neverseen
I love this scene. But I still decided to cut it because the early draft of Neverseen had way too many Calla moments. She's an amazing character, but I was still letting her slow the momentum of the story. So, I found other spots to work in any necessary information provided by this conversation and chopped the rest.
—Shannon
Dawn turned Alluveterre into another world. Everywhere Sophie turned, she found color and life and wonder. The trees bloomed with fresh leaves and ruffled flowers. Shimmering fish with scales as bright as gemstones leaped in and out of the river. Gorgeous birds flitted among the trees or perched among the branches. Her favorites were parrot size, with deep black feathers and vivid yellow feather-Mohawks.
Sophie made eye contact with one, stunned at the bird's long eyelashes. She was even more stunned when it opened its beak and let out an earthshaking ROAR!
Lions would've run in fear from the sound, and Sophie wondered if she'd imagined it. Until the bird batted its eyelashes and ROARed again.
"Boobries," a voice said behind her.
She spun to find Calla standing among the trees. Her dress had been woven from tiny flowers, and she had the same buds twisted into her plaited hair.
"What did you say?" Sophie asked.
Calla pointed to the roaring birds. "Boobries. I'm sure your friend Keefe would have a plethora of jokes to make about their name."
Sophie smiled. "Yes, he would."
Calla held out her arm and made a series of soft clicks. The boobrie that had roared batted its eyelashes again and swooped to land on Calla's wrist. The tiny gnome stroked its long tail feathers, which were the same vibrant yellow as the Mohawk on the boobrie's head. And when the sunlight hit its body, Sophie could see an iridescent tint, like slicked oil.
"How is he doing?" Calla asked, and at first Sophie thought she meant the boobrie.
"Hopefully better today. But we'll see." She bit her lip, afraid to ask her next question. "Have you heard anything from Lur and Mitya?"
"Unfortunately, no. But they warned the Collective that there's been increased ogre activity in the area, and that is slowing their search."
Sophie tried to convince herself that no news was good news, but she honestly wasn't sure what "good news" even was.
Calla flicked her wrist, launching the boobrie back to its branch. "You're up early."
"So are you."
"I'm always up at this time. I take my ten minutes during the warmth of midday."
"Is that really all you sleep?" Sophie felt tired just imagining it.
"Well, it used to be twenty, but I need every minute I can get. Without Sior—and Gora and Yuri—there is a lot to keep up with."
"Do you need any help?" Sophie offered.
"You're very kind, but it's the type of work only a gnome can do. It'd be nice to have some company, though."
Sophie followed Calla as she darted off the path, into the trees. The forest turned wild—an obstacle course of drooping vines and branches and roots that seemed determined to throw off Sophie's balance. Calla wove through effortlessly, not cracking a twig or knocking a single leaf.
"Where are we going?" Sophie asked.
"To pick up where I left off yesterday."
Several minutes later they reached a copse of trees that seemed duller somehow. Fewer leaves on the branches. No flowers. No birds.
Calla pressed her palm against one of the trunks. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, running her hand down the crumbling bark. "I haven't forgotten you."
Sophie realized Calla was talking to the tree.
She whispered promises and apologies before she started to sing. It was a happy song, about the shifting seasons and the tireless sunlight that never strays too far away. Calla's voice felt heavy in Sophie's ears, like it could sink straight into the ground. And maybe it did, because the tree bloomed with new flowers and sprouted new leaves.
"Amazing," Sophie breathed. "Is this why gnomes can grow plants that no one else can?"
"Our songs are part of it, yes. But it is mostly our listening. Plants always tell you what they need. They do not put on brave faces, or make pretenses. That's why this plague has been so baffling. The trees at Wildwood have said nothing, and their silence forced the Colony to flee."
"Are the trees infected too?" Sophie asked.
"Anything that harms us also harms the forest. Listening is how we maintain our health. Nature tells us what we need, and we obey—and give." She pressed her palm against another tree and started singing again, this time a song about gentle rain.
It should've been calming—Sophie even could've sworn she felt the drops on her skin—but she was too distracted by her new worry.
"If the trees in Wildwood are silent, does that mean the plague has no cure?"
“That is what many fear," Calla whispered.
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
Keeper Summer Week #7
Fourth Deleted Scene from Neverseen
I created this sequence because it felt like the Collective should put Sophie and her friends through some sort of test in order for them to swear fealty to the Black Swan. But the scenes really slowed the pacing, so I ended up cutting the whole thing and instead going with a simple oath.
—Shannon
“Given the events of yesterday, I’m sure none of you are in the mood for a test. Still, we must press forward." Mr. Forkle stood with the rest of the Collective, next to a waterfall spritzing everyone with cold mist. "To do that, the six of you must officially join our order. And these"—he pointed to the flat rocks dotting the pool's surface—"are the first steps."
The stepping-stones disappeared under the rushing falls, and Sophie could see a dark crevice in the wall behind the water.
"You will each be following this path today," Granite told them, "to prove you are ready to handle the responsibilities that swearing fealty will carry."
"It is a simple test," Blur added.
"One we are confident each of you will pass," Squall agreed.
"And we will be waiting on the other side," Wraith finished, "where you will make your oath."
"Any questions?" Mr. Forkle asked.
"Yeah, I've got one!" Keefe stepped forward, holding out his arms. "What is up with these outfits?"
Sophie had been wondering the same thing. She'd thought nothing could be worse than the Muppet-skin pajamas. But the white, feathered capes were ugly and itchy and all they'd been given to wear underneath were swimsuits.
"Aren't we the Black Swan?" Keefe asked. "Or are we having an identity crisis?"
Sophie smiled, relieved to hear him sounding more like his normal self. He definitely looked tired, but when she'd woken up that morning, he'd still been asleep at his window—just like her.
Her neck ached from leaning against the glass, but she'd managed to sleep too—without even needing Silveny.
"The outfit is a metaphor for your transformation," Granite explained. "To mark how we all begin on the side of conventional tradition."
"But we have chosen to set tradition aside," Wraith added, his floating black cloak rippling in the mist. "And now you will do the same."
"Who would like to go first?" Squall asked.
Sophie stepped forward.
"Actually, we'd prefer you go last," Granite told her. "Your friends must prove themselves without your assistance."
"Then I'll go first," Keefe said.
Mr. Forkle nodded. "Shed your cloak and leave it with me. You must press forward with no protection.”
"Whatever, dude." Keefe shrugged off his cape, looking like a surfer in his white swimming trunks.
He nearly lost his balance on the first step—the stones must've been slippery but he crossed the rest without a problem and made it to the waterfall.
"You'll know the test when you see it," Blur told him.
Keefe nodded, squinting at the water for several beats before he called out, "Here goes nothing!" and dived through the streaming water.
"Who's next?" Mr. Forkle asked.
Fitz took off his cape, proving that he had definitely been working out—though Sophie pretended not to notice. And of course his feet didn't slip as he crossed the stepping-stones.
He also didn't hesitate at all before calling out, "See you on the other side!" and jumping through the wall of water.
Biana followed—and she didn't even complain about ruining her hair or makeup, which might've been the biggest sign of dedication any of her friends had shown.
Della handed over her cape and strode to the stones looking like an Olympic diver.
"Ms. Vack—er, Della," Mr. Forkle said, waiting for her to turn to him. "You must allow the water to touch you during this test."
"Not a problem." Della's whole body shimmered, like she'd lowered some invisible barrier. Then she parted the falls with her hands before letting the water crash down around her.
"Your turn, Mr. Dizznee," Granite announced.
Dex nodded. But he didn't step forward.
He seemed to be pulling his cape tighter around himself.
"You have no reason to feel self-conscious," Granite told him. "Another year, and you'll be just as tall as the other boys."
"Great," Dex muttered, his face spaghetti sauce–red.
Sophie looked away to give him his privacy.
"See you soon," he called a few seconds later, followed by a loud splash.
"And now, Miss Foster," Squall called.
"The reason we asked you to wait," Mr. Forkle said, "is because we've decided that you do not have to swear fealty."
"You are our heir," Granite added. "Entrance to the order is your right."
"That's not to imply that you have no choice in the matter," Wraith added quickly. "You can still choose to walk away if you'd like," Blur finished.
Sophie wasn't going anywhere.
But she didn't want special treatment, either.
"If you don't mind," she said, "I'd like to take the test with my friends."
All five members of the Collective nodded, as if those were the words they'd hoped to hear.
Sophie handed over her cloak and crossed to the first stepping-stone—which was even slicker than she'd prepared for, and almost sent her crashing face-first into the water. Somehow she used the momentum to propel her forward instead and toppled through the icy waterfall, letting the water drag her down, down, down.
The cold felt like knives, and the darkness was disorienting—the only guide, a glint of silver light far, far below.
Sophie plunged after it, swimming all the way to the bottom, where she found a moon jar and dug it out of the soft sand. She used the dim glow to search for a clue, but all she could see was an endless wall of rocks.
Her lungs screamed for air, but she had a feeling if she surfaced to take a breath, it would count as a failure.
The Black Swan never went backward.
They also never took the safe path.
If they couldn't find a way around a wall, they…
Inspiration struck.
Sophie hoped she wasn't crazy as she swam straight for the rocks. She closed her eyes and kept one arm over her head, hoping to cushion the blow if she was wrong.
But the rocks were an illusion. After a few seconds the water turned warmer—brighter—and finally there was air.
She gasped for breath and floated along the surface.
"Took you long enough," Keefe told her when she drifted onto a beach with shimmering purple sand.
"Where are we?" Sophie asked, frowning at the jagged mirrors lining the rocky walls of the cavern. More than a dozen Sophies stared back at her, looking very "drowned rat."
Her bathing suit had also turned from white to black.
"Here," Fitz said, handing her a black towel to dry off. "You also earned yourself one of these in your moon jar."
He pointed to the black chain strung around his neck with a monocle decorated with the sign of the swan.
"Think these will help us find the way out of here?" Dex asked, holding up his monocle as he scanned the rocky walls. "I don't see a door. Do you?"
"All I can find are these mirrors." Fitz frowned at his reflection. "Does anyone else think I look weird?"
"Always," Dex mumbled.
Fitz laughed. "Guess I walked right into that. But seriously, look at my reflection."
Everyone gathered around him.
"It's the shadows," Della decided. "See the way they're settling into your features? It's way worse for me, though. I look like I haven't slept in a century."
She pinched her cheeks, and Sophie had to admit, Della's reflection looked rather haggard. "Think that means anything?" Fitz asked.
"Maybe." Della backed away from the mirror and turned to a different one. "Huh, I don't look as bad over here."
"Maybe it's like the Hall of Illumination," Sophie suggested. "And each of the mirrors means something."
The Silver Tower at Foxfire had a room lined with mirrors, and one of the requirements for graduation was to determine the meaning behind each one.
"I think we're supposed to smash them!" Keefe said, raising his fist.
Sophie grabbed his elbow to stop him. "The first test was about pushing through barriers. I doubt they'd test us the same way again."
"So what do you think this one's about?" Fitz asked. "Seeing ourselves clearly?"
"I hope not," Biana mumbled. "I look hideous."
Biana's reflection wasn't flattering. She looked pale and scrawny and frumpy.
And yet, Sophie's reflection in the same mirror didn't look that bad.
"Wait a second," she said, rushing from mirror to mirror. By the fifth try she called everyone over.
She pointed to her shadowed reflection. "I look terrible, don't I?"
"Not possible," Dex told her.
"I dunno," Keefe said. "I mean, we all know I'm a fan of the Foster. But I have to say, this isn't you at your best."
"Right," Sophie said. "Just like Della and Biana looked their worst in those other mirrors. I bet if you look around, you'll each find a mirror that makes you look worse than the others do."
Fitz, Dex, and Keefe wandered until they found their worst mirrors. Fitz looked sallow and sickly, Dex looked scrawny and pale, and Keefe had a whole Joker-from-Batman thing going on.
"Wow," Keefe said, rubbing at the shadows that made his lips extra creepy. "Is it weird that I think I still look awesome?"
"Yes," Sophie told him.
"So now what?" Biana asked.
"I don't know," Sophie admitted. She'd hoped a door would open once they were all in the right place, but clearly they were still missing something.
She tried whispering the Black Swan's code phrases, like "swan song" and "Follow the pretty bird across the sky."
Nothing happened.
"Any ideas?" she asked.
"Let's smash them!" Keefe suggested again.
"Maybe they want us to see ourselves at our worst," Fitz jumped in. "Like facing our fears or something."
"And how does that help us get out of here?" Dex asked. "I'm with Keefe. I say we break them."
"No, I think Fitz is onto something there," Sophie said. "I think this test is about admitting our weaknesses, and rising above them."
"So what do we do, then?" Biana asked.
Sophie traced her fingers over the cool glass.
There had to be something she was missing.
But everything felt smooth and pristine.
"I found it!" Dex shouted. "There's a DNA sensor on the side, super well hidden. I bet we just have to lick it."
"Ugh." No matter how long Sophie stayed in the Lost Cities, she would never stop feeling squidgy about licking random sensors.
Dex didn't share her reservations. He took a quick lick. "Ewwwwww, it tastes like—"
The ground under his feet dropped away, sending him screaming down a narrow tunnel.
"We're going to assume that's supposed to happen, right?" Keefe asked.
Sophie nodded blankly, forcing herself to add, "Let's all go on three."
No one looked excited—but they all licked the sensors at the same time, gagging as five trapdoors opened underneath them.
Sophie's stomach crashed against her throat—but before she could scream, her feet hit some sort of trampoline at the bottom and launched her back up.
She assumed she'd end up back in the mirror cave, but somehow she landed in the clearing with the waterfall.
Her feet planted on the grass in a perfect-ten landing the same second as the rest of her friends.
"Congratulations," Granite said as the rest of the Collective applauded.
Mr. Forkle handed them each a cape, properly black and feathery this time—though it reminded Sophie more of the Neverseen's cloaks than she wanted it to.
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
Keeper Summer Week #6
Third Deleted Scene from Neverseen
I removed this scene—even though I knew all of my shipping-obsessed readers would love it—because it felt like I was having the characters be aware of the flirting/romantic tension in a way that didn't feel natural to their personalities. I realized that just because I was incredibly familiar with all the crushes between them didn't mean that all of the characters were. Some were a bit more oblivious—and others weren't quite ready to act on that knowledge. So I cut this to stay true to where the characters were emotionally at in that moment. (Those with sharp eyes may notice that Fitz's hair stayed green for a bit longer in this draft—and the rules/process of matchmaking was slightly different.)
—Shannon
They were halfway across the bridge when Fitz shouted, "Wait!"
His green hair made him look like an alien as he ran to catch up with them.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked Sophie, then noticed everyone watching them. "Telepathically?"
What's up? she transmitted as she opened her mind to his thoughts.
I just wanted to say that if you can't sleep tonight—or if you wake up with nightmares or something—call for me. I've heard your transmissions from halfway around the world. I should be able to pick them up from across the river.
But what if I wake you?
Who cares?
"Are you guys done flirting over there?" Keefe shouted. "Is this how it's going to be now that you're Fitzphie?"
"Stop calling us that!" Sophie shouted back.
"That's right," Fitz agreed. "We're Sophitz!"
He grinned at her as her brows shot up. And then…he hugged her.
It wasn't a tight hug or anything. In fact, there was probably enough space to fit another person between them.
But still—FITZ WAS HUGGING HER.
Figured this ought to shut Keefe up, he transmitted, killing the moment.
"Call me if you need me," he said out loud.
Sophie turned and walked away, keeping her eyes on her feet as she crossed the rest of the bridge and ducked inside. Della was kind enough to head straight for her room. Unfortunately, Biana didn't let her off the hook so easy.
"So, what was that about?" she asked.
Sophie went for distraction. "I'm just worried about my family."
"I know," Biana said quietly. "I'm sorry. I hope they're okay."
"Me too."
Sophie was almost to her room when Biana added, "But that's not what I mean, and you know it. Are you and Fitz…?"
Sophie waited.
If Biana wasn't going to say it, she certainly wasn't.
Biana narrowed her eyes. "You're going to make me bring up the hug?"
Sophie cringed.
This was dangerous territory.
Biana had almost not become her friend because she thought Sophie was using her to get to her brother. And Sophie would never do that—but she also wouldn't have minded if Fitz noticed her on his own.
Biana didn't need to know that. Especially since the truth was so much less exciting. "Fitz was just trying to annoy Keefe," Sophie mumbled, attempting not to let her disappointment leak into her voice.
And maybe it worked, because all Biana said was "Hmm."
Then again, when Sophie turned to leave, Biana called after her.
"You know I don't care, right? If you and my brother…I mean, it'd be weird, but…"
"We're friends," Sophie insisted.
"I know. But just in case…”
“Um. Okay."
Sophie wondered if it were possible to have a more awkward conversation. Apparently, it was, because Biana had to go and ask, "What about Dex? And Keefe?"
Now those were dangerous questions. Well, not the Dex part—but Keefe?
“They're also my friends."
Biana arched one brow, clearly not convinced.
"Aren't we all supposed to be waiting to be matched or something?" Sophie asked, trying to steer away from the trickier subjects.
Not that being "matched" was any less weird. It was one of the strangest parts about being an elf. The elves had a complicated matchmaking system, and not following it had huge consequences. They claimed it was to ensure proper genetic diversity in their offspring, but the whole thing felt super unfair, and like a disaster waiting to happen.
"I guess that's true," Biana agreed, looking somewhat mollified. "Can you believe we'll have to register next year? Well, assuming we're not still on the run."
"Next year?" Sophie asked.
"Yeah. We register when we enter Level Four at Foxfire. I mean, we don't get our matches right then or anything. That's not until we finish Level Six. But we register early so the matchmakers have time to prepare our lists."
"That's…really soon."
"I know."
Biana didn't seem nearly as freaked out by this information. She even laughed at Sophie's stunned expression.
"Good night, Sophie."
"Night," Sophie mumbled, stumbling blankly back to her room.
14 notes
·
View notes
Text
Keeper Summer Week #5
Second Deleted Scene from Neverseen
This conversation also used to be part of the scene where Sophie and her friends finally catch up with Mr. Forkle in Italy, but I cut it for the same reasons I cut the previous scene: It was slowing the pacing and not really revealing important information. I love showing how the elvin world's problems are spilling into the human world, but I'd already accomplished that with other things that happened in Florence, so this was redundant and needed to be trimmed.
—Shannon
Don’t worry—we were able to get Gethen to safety," Mr. Forkle assured them. "But our stronghold has been destroyed. As has the human landmark we'd used to disguise it."
"Which landmark?" Sophie asked.
"I believe they call it the Sphinx. I've honestly never understood what humans were thinking with that bizarre thing. But it's gone now. Along with the pyramid we'd used for a decoy."
"That's…I…" All of Sophie's words felt too impossible. "I didn't even know those could burn."
"Sadly, anything can burn with the right kind of fire."
"So it was Brant?" she asked.
"We never saw the arsonist. But the flames were Everblaze. Luckily, we learned from the Council's mistake and keep a supply of frissyn on hand. Still, this cannot keep happening!"
Keefe snorted. "You think? Are you ready to listen to me now?"
"Actually, Mr. Sencen, we are. We've voted to try your plan—with a few key amendments."
Mr. Forkle went over the details, but Sophie could only half listen. She was too busy trying to imagine Egypt without the Sphinx and one of the pyramids. "The humans must be freaking out," she murmured.
“Buildings can be replaced, Miss Foster.”
“History can’t. Those buildings were landmarks.”
"Landmarks we helped them build."
Sophie sighed, remembering a lesson from her elvin history session on how the elves helped humans build the pyramids—back when the Human Assistance Program was still in effect.
"The fact of the matter is, Sophie, we all share this planet," Mr. Forkle reminded her. "And unfortunately, that means that some- times others will suffer for our problems. But we, in turn, suffer for theirs. We've even had to build sanctuaries to protect all of the species that humans are destroying—and find means to clean their pollution out of our water and air."
"I still think you should move your hideouts away from human areas," she mumbled.
"Sadly, that is not an option. Besides, you must remember that these hideouts have existed for decades. The Neverseen are only destroying them now because we have their Telepath. If we learn how they are tracking him, the attacks will stop.”
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
Stellarlune Paperback Edition Marella Short Story
Hello, wonderful Keeper readers! Some of you might already know that I love to sneak a little something extra into the paperback versions of my books whenever I can (since I don't think hardcover readers should get to be the only ones who sometimes find fun bonuses). For those who didn't know that: surprise! ☺
I knew I wanted to include a story from Marella's POV this time. Not only is she on the cover (looking fierce and fabulous!) and a fan-favorite character, but she also had some key scenes in Stellarlune that we only got to "hear" about. The Keeper books are limited to Sophie's POV, so I can only include moments where Sophie is present—and since Sophie didn't go with Marella to her meetings with Fintan, we only learn what Marella tells Sophie later. But what if there was something Marella didn't share?
Over the next few pages, you can watch one of Marella's conversations with Fintan play out in real time and hear all Marella's thoughts and reactions to what's happening. I've called this story "The Trade"—and I've worked in lots of fun little extra details (some of which might even turn out to be important later…*wink*). For those wondering, this story is based on a scene in chapter 31 of Stellarlune—and if you haven't read Stellarlune yet: SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! Reading this first will probably be confusing and will also give away a few tidbits too early. You'll be much happier if you start by reading Stellarlune and then come back here for all the Marella fun once you're done.
Happy reading!
—Shannon Messenger
THE TRADE
Marella
“Ugh, I hate this place,” Marella muttered, shaking the freshly fallen snowflakes out of her gilded blond hair much harder than necessary and yanking her thick velvet cape tighter around her narrow shoulders.
She said the same thing every time she had to trudge through the knee-high snowdrifts and found herself staring at the icicle-crusted entrance to the now familiar cave. Didn't matter how many times she'd gone there—or how important her visits were.
She was never not going to dread making the long, slippery trek down to Fintan's frozen cell. The cave looked like some sort of open-mouthed snow beast Mating to devour everything in its path—which was probably intentional, since the prison was designed to be as miserable as possible.
Especially for someone like her.
The goblin guards even gave her pitying stares as they moved aside to reveal the endless icy path that wound down and down and down a whole lot more to a place where the tiniest glimmer of heat had long since been swallowed up by the suffocating cold.
No amount of clothing could keep Marella warm in the heart of the prison. She'd actually tried wearing so many layers that she'd looked like an overstuffed gulon and she still couldn't stop shivering. And the whole "body temperature regulation" thing wasn't exactly possible when she had to use so much concentration to make sense of Fintan's ranting.
It wasn't fair.
Everyone else got to train their special abilities in fancy rooms at Foxfire, with Mentors who weren't creepy, unstable murderers.
But they weren't Pyrokinetics.
Marella was lucky the Council was letting her use her ability at all.
They could just as easily label her Talentless, kick her out of their snobby academy, and ban her from ever sparking another flame.
Or they could decide she was too dangerous and lock her away.
In fact, Marella wouldn't have been surprised at all if the Council was already building an icy cage just for her—but the thought still made her shiver and she wished she could have manifested as…
Nope.
She stopped herself from finishing that sentence.
If life had taught her anything, it was that there's no point wanting things that were never going to happen.
Instead, she focused on the thin beams of sunlight streaking through a gap in the gloomy gray clouds. The light was far from warm, but if she really concentrated, she could feel a hint of lingering heat tangled among the brightness.
She called the warmth closer and soaked it in—let it pool under her skin, pounding with her pulse, swelling with every heartbeat. Growing hotter and hotter and hotter until…
Snap!
A flick of her fingers sent a small tangle of flames sparking to life above her left palm.
"Feel better?" Linh asked as Marella let out a long, slow sigh.
Marella nodded—though she definitely could've done without the whispers that were now hissing around her head.
The flames had a soft, crackly voice. And they always made the same plea.
Feed me.
Feed me.
Feed me.
Fire craved fuel—constantly wanting more, more, more—and it would've been so easy for Marella to let the fire swell bigger and bigger and bigger.
But that was the kind of thing that would lead to a lifetime of shivering in an underground ice cube, so she forced her gaze to shift to Linh, who stood in a small, snowless circle surrounded by a halo of hovering snowflakes—-none daring to touch her long silver-tipped hair or shimmery purple cape.
Marella knew how hard Linh had fought to achieve that level of control, and how tentative Linh's hold over her ability still was. But the fact Linh could stand in a sea of frozen water and do nothing except keep the falling snow from settling on her flushed pink cheeks was very…
Annoying.
Then again, everyone annoyed Marella a little.
Her dad used to call her "fiery" long before he realized how accurate that description truly was.
But it wasn't Marella's fault!
People tended to be annoying.
Especially a Hydrokinetic who was currently looking all peaceful and pretty and perfect while making snowflakes flutter and spin in intricate patterns.
That didn't mean Marella wasn't also grateful that Linh was willing to tag along to her Pyrokinetic lessons. it was nice to see a friendly face after hours of Fintan's rambling. Plus, it seemed like a good idea to have someone with water powers around while she practiced setting things on fire.
They were even finding some pretty cool ways to work together. Fire and water might be opposites—but that didn't mean they couldn't be combined. Marella had actually figured out a way to ignite Linh's rain, and she couldn't wait to use that little trick on the Neverseen—assuming those black-cloaked losers ever showed up again.
For a fearsome, unstoppable rebellion, they sure spend a lot of time hiding.
"Are you going to start by asking him about the cache or do the lesson first?" Linh asked, reminding Marella why they were there.
Marella shrugged. "Depends on Fintan's mood."
Sometimes he was already babbling about some fancy new fire trick when she arrived, as if he'd started the lesson without bothering to wait for her. Other times she couldn't get anywhere with him until she'd let him go on and on and on about how foolish the Council was, or how badly he'd been wronged, or how much he missed the feel of a flickering flame—and she didn't necessarily blame him for the last one.
Part of her wanted to hold on to her fireball forever.
Make it her smoky little pet.
Instead, she curled her fingers into a fist and snuffed it out—but she didn't let all the heat dissipate. She called a single tingling glint deeper, letting it sear through her veins and settle into her heart.
She knew it was a risky move, even with all the defenses she wrapped around it. But she couldn't bear the cold emptiness of Fintan's prison without a least a tiny fleck of warmth tucked away.
A secret spark whispering, I'm here. You're not alone.
"Okay," she said, weaving a few strands of her hair together to clam her twitchy fingers. She'd picked up the nervous habit years ago—after her mom's accident—and the tiny braids were kind of her trademark now. "i guess I should stop stalling and head down to deal with Sir Creepysparks, huh?"
Linh smiled. "Probably. Unless you want to rehearse what you're going to say."
"Nah. I'm just going to offer him an ugly flower—that doesn't exactly need a big speech. Oh, but that reminds me…"
She reached into her cape pocket and pulled out the spiky dark blue Noxflare—which looked more like a dying weed than a super-rare flower—and held it up to the guards. "Mr. Forkle already checked this before I brought it here, to make sure it's safe for me to offer to Fintan. but I figured you'd want to check it too."
"We do," they agreed in unison as one of the biggest, deadliest-looking guards took the Noxflare from Marella and brought it over to the other goblins.
A lot of mumbling about potential kindling and fire hazards followed.
Eventually, the guards decided to quick-freeze the Noxflare into a block of ice in case there was any heat stored inside.
"Whoa," Marella said when the scary guard returned with the flower-filled ice cube—which had turned out as big as her head. "How heavy is that thing?"
The guard studied Marella's skinny arms. "I can carry it for you if you'd like."
"That'd probably be smart." Marella was pretty sure she'd drop it, or her fingers would freeze off during the long walk—and using telekinesis would drain her mental energy. "But can you stay out of sight? I was planning to tell Fintan he can only see his weird flower thing if he gives me access to his memories, and that's kinda ruined if there's a giant goblin holding it right next to me.
Not that it made the plan any less pointless.
Fintan was obviously going to turn her down.
He's already made it super clear that the only trade he was interested in was for his freedom—which was never going to happen.
Marella doubted a dying flower frozen in ice was suddenly going to make him be like, You know what? Who needs out of this horrible prison when I can have that!
But she was out of other ideas.
And Sophie wanted her to try the Noxflare thing, so…
Whatever.
Marella didn't care about Sophie's current power trip the way Stina did.
As long as she didn't have to be the one coming up with all the plans—or almost dying all the time—Marella was fine following orders. Especially if she got to say I told you so when they turned out to be a huge waste of time.
"Sure you don't want me to come with you?" Linh asked as Marella pulled thick gloves onto her hands. "Fintan likes me."
Marella wasn't sure if "like" was the right word, since Fintan didn't seem to like anybody. But he'd definitely been impressed with Linh.
He'd demanded to speak with "the Hydrokinetic" after Marella mentioned she practiced her pyrokinesis with Linh, so Marella had convinced the goblin guards to let Linh down into the prison. And when Fintan asked for a demonstration of Linh's ability to ensure she wouldn't "hinder his training," Linh had stirred up all the ice shards on his floor and made them rain around him like he was trapped inside a snow globe—which actually made him applaud.
Apparently, most Hydrokinetics struggled to manipulate water in its solid form, and were limited to liquid water or water vapor.
But not Linh.
Of course.
Marella was pretty sure that Linh was more powerful than any of her other friends.
"Well, if you need me, you know where to find me," Linh said as Marella forced her feet to carry her into the cave. "I'll just be here, making another snow menagerie." She flicked her wrist and wove the hovering snowflakes into a soaring alenon.
"Ugh, at least make some ugly creatures this time," Marella called over her shoulder. "I want to see a row of snow ghouls when I get back here. Or a giant Princess Purryfins!"
Linh gasped. "Princess Purryfins is not ugly! I'm going to tell her you said that!"
Marella laughed. "I'm sure you will."
She would've teased Linh more about her ridiculous obsession with her pet murcat, but the frigid air from the prison hit Marella hard, and she had to lock her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.
At least she didn't have to make the journey by herself this time.
Marella could hear the scary goblin guard keeping pace several steps behind her as her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim blue light cast by a series of glowing spheres dangling from the ceiling. The downward slope grew steeper with each winding curve, and Marella was always tempted to try sliding down the icy floor instead of walking—but she'd probably end up crashing into one of the weird ice thrones outside Fintan's cell. And she knew better than anyone that injuries couldn't always be healed.
Plus, the trudge gave her a chance to add extra defenses to the heat she'd tucked away in her chest.
She often wondered if Fintan had hidden a few sparks of his own when he was arrested. After all, he had to know the Council would put him on ice for the rest of eternity. Wouldn't he try to preserve what little heat he could?
But Marella had stretched out her senses a zillion different ways and never felt the slightest tingle of warmth when she was around him. So either there was nothing to find or Fintan was that good.
She had a horrible feeling it was the latter, and he was waiting for just the right moment to reveal his grand plan—but that wasn't the kind of thing she should be thinking about before having to face him.
Still, she spent the next few turns trying to figure out what she'd do if she were right.
Her feet turned numb while she plotted, and her bones were officially aching by the time the path widened— the only warning that they were getting close to Fintan's cell.
A few curves later, his cage came into view: a stark, icy bubble in the center of a circular cavern.
The round wall was reflective on the inside, so even though Marella could see Fintan pacing along the edge of his frozen barricade, he wouldn't be able to see her until she triggered the sensor by sitting in one of the freezing thrones positioned at the only point Fintan could peer through.
He looked extra tired that day—his sky blue eyes sunken by more shadows than usual, and he kept muttering under his breath about incompetence as he tucked his messy blond hair behind his pointy ears with a bit more force than necessary.
Marella glanced back at the scary guard, making sure he'd ducked into the shadows near the back of the cell before she made her big appearance. Then she took a deep breath and pressed her hand against her heart, reaching for her secret spark of warmth one last time before plopping into the closest ice throne.
"Awwwww, looks like you missed me," she said, tossing back her hair and flashing her brightest smile.
She liked to start her visits by showing Fintan she wasn't afraid of him—even if she totally was.
But Fintan didn't glance her way.
"I'm not in the mood for games," he warned as he continued his slow march around his cell.
"Neither am I" Marella assured him, deciding that was her cue to start with the cache. She sat up taller, trying to look extra confident as she added, "But I do have an awesome trade to offer you!"
Fintan sighed. "If this is about my cache, I already told you what I'm willing to accept. Unless you're here to grant me a day of freedom—"
"I'm definitely not. But! I found something you should like even better." She paused, hoping the extra bit of anticipation would somehow make her offer sound more exciting when she told him. "Noxflares!"
Fintan scrunched his slender nose. "What are Noxflares, and why would I care about them?"
Marella tilted her head, trying to tell if he was faking.
She hadn't expected him to jump around or applaud or anything—but she had expected him to at least know what Noxflares were.
Then again, his mind had been shattered and pieced back together so many times, his memories had to be in shambles—and Ancient minds tended to be a total mess anyway, since they were crammed with thousands of years of information and the past and present blurred together.
"Would it help if I told you I stopped by your old estate on my way here?" she asked, "Your garden could use some gnomish help, by the way. All the plants have turned into a giant dying tangle. But I dug around and managed to find this scraggly vine with dark pointy flowers—and I hear that plant is special to you, so I picked a few and—"
"You picked my Noxflares?" Fintan snapped, rushing to the wall of his cell and pressing his palms against the ice. "You must let me see them!"
Marella's lips curled into a huge smirk. "I thought you didn't know what they were."
Fintan gritted his teeth so hard, it sounded like cracking ice.
"Hey, I'm not saying I won't share. Buuuuuuuuuuut it'll cost you—and I'm pretty sure you can already guess what I want." She paused for another beat before she added, "Just so we're clear: I'll show you one of your Noxflares if you open your cache and show me what's inside."
Fintan's jaw tightened even more and his hands curled into fists.
But he didn't say no.
He didn't say anything—which was definitely new.
Marella had already offered him a long list of trade suggestions that she, Linh, Maruca, and Stina had all come up with—some really cool ones! And Fintan had shot each one down before she could even finish the offer.
She couldn't believe he looked so tempted by an ugly flower.
but as the silence dragged on, Marella started to wonder if she'd misread the situation.
maybe she'd pushed him too hard—taunted him too much—and now Fintan was letting her sit there in the cold, knowing the icy throne was turning her butt and legs numb.
She was trying to decide if she could make standing up look like a power move when Fintan told her, "Fine. You have a deal—but since you're only offering one Noxflare, I'll only show you one memory."
Marella barely stopped herself from blurting out, SERIOUSLY?
"Orrrrrrrrrrrrrr," she said instead, wanting to kick herself for not bringing more Noxflares with her. The whole thing had just seemed so silly—and the first few she'd picked had crumbled to dust. But the vine had lots more flowers, so she could fix the mistake super easily. "How about I go back, grab eight more Noxflares, and then you show me all nine memories?"
Fintan grinned. "Tempting. But one Noxflare is really all I need."
Need?
Marella wasn't a fan of that wording.
But before she could ask him what he needed it for, he added, "My offer expires in ten seconds," and started counting down.
By "six" she decided that one memory was better than nothing.
"Fine," she said, pulling the cache from her pocket and holding the marble-size orb up to the light. "But you go first. How do I open this thing?"
No way was she going to risk letting him back out—especially since he probably wasn't going to be happy when he saw his precious flower was stuck in the middle of a giant ice cube.
Fintan held out his hand. "Give me the cache, and I'll open it."
Marella laughed. "Hard pass."
"Ah, but you don't have a choice. I'm the only one who can access the memories. And I need to make physical contact with the cache in order to do so."
Marella squinted at the tiny gadget.
She didn't know much about caches—aside from the fact that only Councillors used them and that each colorful inner crystal held a single Forgotten Secret. But she did know that Dex had already tried everything he could think of to open the cache and failed—and he was one of the best Technopaths ever.
"Do I need to start counting down again?" Fintan asked. "I believe we'd gotten to five…"
Marella chewed her lip. "Uh, how do I know you're not going to destroy the cache or try to hold it for ransom or something?"
Fintan's smile was colder than his cell. "You'll just have to trust me."
"Yeah, I don't see that happening."
Fintan shrugged. "Then our deal is off."
Marella rolled her eyes. "Come on. Even if I wanted to, it's not like I can open your cell door and hand the cache to you."
She wasn't even sure if his cell had a door. The wall looked like one big solid piece of ice.
"You've proven to be very resourceful during our lessons," Fintan reminded her.
"Yeah, but—"
"It's your call," he interrupted. "If you want a memory, you'll have to trust me."
She snort-laughed—but before she could get another word out, he repeated, "You'll just have to trust me." And she could tell that was the only response he was going to give.
She turned to the scary guard, who had started pacing in the shadows. "Is there a way to pass Fintan a small item?"
"Ah, you have a hidden goblin escort—I knew you were resourceful!" Fintan clapped his hands. "And yes, there is a way to pass me my cache, otherwise I wouldn't have suggested it. Any guard can open the disgraceful tube they pass my horrid, frozen bits of food through. The cache should fit nicely."
The guard gripped his sword. "I cannot allow any unauthorized item to enter his cell."
Fintan clicked his tongue. "Clearly you're not considering the fact that I've already had plenty of chances to make this trade—and turned them all down. Do you think I would do that if the cache was even remotely useful to me?"
The goblin couldn't argue with that logic.
Neither could Marella.
And when Fintan went back to counting down, she told the guard, "The Black Swan knows I've been trying to make this trade—and they're working with the Council now. No one would let me do this if they thought the cache was dangerous."
Then again, they'd never discussed the possibility of handing the cache over to Fintan—but surely someone must've considered that during all their endless talking and obsessive overplanning…right?
Besides, if anything went wrong, she could always remind them that this was Sophie's idea.
"I don't like this," the scary guard growled. But Marella gave him her I-totally-know-what-I'm-doing glare until he set the frozen Noxflare down with a particularly dramatic thud, snatched the cache, and spent an eternity squinting at the tiny crystal, spinning it all different ways. "If anything happens, my priority will be subduing the prisoner—not protecting you. Are you certain you want to take that risk?"
Marella absolutely wasn't.
But…this might be their only shot at seeing one of Fintan's Forgotten Secrets.
Plus, she had her tiny little spark buddy she could call on if she needed. Surely she could use that to…
To what?
Take down a superpowerful, much more experienced Pyrokinetic with a history of murdering poeple?
But…did she really want to wimp out?
Sophie wouldn't.
And yeah, Sophie had, like, a permanent bed in the Healing Center. But Marella was pretty sure their whole group would vote "DO IT!"
There were also a dozen other armed goblins who would rush down as backup.
And Linh could attack Fintan with her cutesy snow animals.
It'd almost be worth it to watch Fintan get swallowed up by an ice wave shaped like Princess Purryfins.
"I can handle myself," she decided, using a tone that hopefully sounded intimidating.
Fintan's gleeful laughter echoed off the ice.
The scary guard muttered something about the arrogance of elves as he reached toward the top of Fintan's frozen cell and felt around for a specific spot. A faint clicking sound followed, and a tiny round door slid open—far out of Fintan's reach.
"I can neutralize you within seconds," the guard reminded him as he held the cache up to the opening. "By numerous means. Some far more painful than others."
"Yes, I'm well aware of the absurd lengths the Council has taken to keep me contained," Fintan assured him. "But I don't plan on giving you a reason to use any of them. Not today, at least."
The guard bared his supersharp pointy teeth, and Marella wanted to shout NEVER MIND, JUST KIDDING! But she let the guard shove the cache through the tiny opening—and then it was too late to change her mind.
All she could do was watch the glass orb make its slow descent, rolling around and around and around—down some sort of invisible path etched into the wall of the cell.
Her stomach backflipped with each rotation, and she felt more than a little vomit-y when the cache dropped low enough for Fintan to catch it. But he simply held it up and studied it.
Then he coughed on it.
And sneezed on it.
"Ewwwwwww," Marella groaned when he followed that up by drooling on it. "You know, there are better ways to give it your DNA."
"Yes, I'm aware." Fintan cleared his throat and launched a slimy blob of spit at the cache. "I also know your little Technopath friend is going to ask you how I accessed the memories, so feel free to give him a detailed list." He wiped the cache dry with his fingers and then ran it through his greasy hair before sneezing and coughing on it again. "Some of these methods are vital. Some are distractions. None can be re-created without me—but it'll be fun if he tries, don't you think?"
He laughed so hard, it brought tears to his eyes, and he smeared them across the cache before sneezing and spitting on it again—making Marella very glad she had gloves to keep her hands clean once he returned the cache.
Assuming she actually got it back…
She tried to make out what he was saying when he started mumbling a bunch of stuff into the crystal, but the words were all mushed together. He also tapped the cache in so many different places that she doubted even Sophie and Keefe with their fancy photographic memories would be able to re-create the patterns. And he looked so smug as he did it all that Marella decided to look as bored as possible—which was why she was barely paying attention when the cache flared to life, projecting a small hologram of Fintan standing alone in a wide, empty field.
"Huh," Marella mumbled. "Gotta admit, I was expecting something a little more exciting than a tiny glowing Fintan in the middle of nowhere doing…nothing."
"Then you should learn to be more observant." Fintan pointed to the swaying grass around the hologram's feet, and after a few seconds, Marella realized there was a vine of blooming Noxflares. "I figured I'd show you what Noxflares can do, since you're so generously bringing one back into my life."
Marella squinted at the tiny flowers, waiting for something to happen.
And waiting.
And waiting.
"So…they…blow in the wind?" she asked.
Fintan sighed. "No, they do this."
The hologram of Fintan waved his arms, and all the Noxflares erupted with searing white flames.
"Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah, still not seeing why this needed to be a super-hush-hush Forgotten Secret," Marella grumbled as the Fintan hologram flicked his wrist and added purple fire to the white.
Sure, the flames were pretty—but all flames were beautiful.
"Try thinking like a Pyrokinetic!" Fintan snapped. "Tell me, are there any other flowers that could remain intact under such an inferno?"
Marella couldn't think of any.
And the Noxflares still didn't burn when the Fintan hologram added yellow flames to the fiery mix.
but other than clearly being fire-resistant, Marella didn't see the Noxflares actually doing anything—and the hologram of Fintan must've been equally unimpressed.
He frowned at the flaming petals and dragged a hand down his face, mumbling "something's missing."
"Still not seeing the point of this," Marella noted. "I mean…"
Her voice trailed off as the tiny Fintan waved his arms again and blasted the Noxflares with pink flames—which made the flowers spray sparks in every direction.
The effect was breathtaking.
Kind of like the sky during the Celestial Festival.
But that still didn't necessarily scream, THIS MEMORY IS IMPORTANT.
"How come the grass isn't catching fire?" she asked, grasping for anything that might be significant. "Do the Noxflares protect it or something?"
"No, I was protecting it. A pyrokinetic should always be in control of their flames."
He sounded so smug Marella was tempted to remind him that he let five Pyrokinetics die when he tried to teach them how to call down Everblaze and they all lost control—but that would probably make him throw one of his tantrums and send her away.
She needed the cache back first—and to hopefully find something useful in this boring memory. But sadly, all Fintan's hologram did was stare blankly at the stars and mumble "something's missing" again before the image flashed away.
"That's it?" the scary guard demanded, beating Marella to the complaint.
"Yeah, so…you put on a little fire show all by yourself with some spark-shooting flowers," she added, trying to sum up what she'd seen. "You were clearly disappointed by that little show. And then you must've remembered you needed to…"
She waved her hands, cuing Fintan to fill in the blank with whatever was "missing."
But he just stood there, staring at the cache with the same glazed look he always got whenever he started rambling about the beauty of fire—and Marella wished Linh had come with her after all.
Linh could pelt him with snowballs or something to snap him out of it.
But then she realized…
"You never figured out what was missing—did you?"
Fintan blinked and met her gaze. "Noxflares are full of possibility. But they need to burn."
"That doesn't answer my question," Marella noted.
Fintan shrugged. "Context was not part of our bargain."
"yeah, because I figured when I saw the memory, it would be obvious why it's this big Forgotten Secret. How does you setting some flowers on fire and then realizing you did it wrong matter to anyone?"
"I did nothing wrong," Fintan assured her, with a particularly haughty smile—but Marella wasn't buying it.
There was a tightness around his eyes that was way too familiar.
Her dad had that same tightness every time her mom was having one of her "bad days," and she knew exactly what it meant.
Disappointment.
Frustration.
A hint of helplessness.
So she marched over to the guard and grabbed the frozen Noxflare from the floor—too irritated to even notice how heavy the ice must've been as she hauled it back.
She plopped it in front of Fintan's cell. "Ta-da! One ugly flower, as promised—and I'm sure you're not surprised that I had to freeze it before I brought it down here."
"I'm not." Fintan dropped to his knees and gazed at the Noxflare like he was seeing a long-lost friend.
He pressed his hand against his cell, trying to get as close as he could. "Such power. Such…promise."
"Uh-huh," Marella agreed, letting his stare and stare, hoping it would help him let his guard down.
When his eyes turned a little teary, she went in for the kill.
"But there is something still missing, isn't there? That's why you saved this memory—to remind yourself to keep looking."
A whole lot of painful silence passed before Fintan slowly nodded.
Marella wanted to feel triumphant.
But all she'd done was prove the entire trade had been pointless.
There was no game-changing clue.
No dirty little secret about the past.
Certainly nothing to help them stop their enemies.
And she had a pretty strong hunch the other eight memories in the cache would be just as ridiculous.
"The answer is out there," Fintan murmured. "I can feel it. I just can't grasp it. Perhaps…"
"Perhaps?" Marella prompted when his eyes locked with hers.
Fintan stepped closer to the ice, keeping his voice low, like he didn't want the guard to hear him. "Perhaps a different Pyrokinetic is meant to find the truth. One who's already convinced the Council to trust her."
Marella laughed. "The Council doesn't trust me."
"The fact that you're here for a pyrokinesis lesson says otherwise—particularly since the lesson is with me." He started circling his cell again, mumbling under his breath and nodding. The only words Marella caught were "possible," "improvising," and "best option."
After three more times around the cell, he stopped in front of Marella again, leaning even closer to the icy wall as he whispered, "I believe it's time for me to offer a trade of my own."
"A trade," Marella repeated, not missing the way the scary guard gripped his sword.
Fintan glared at him. "This conversation is between me and my prodigy. She stands here of her own free will, shielded by who knows how many different kinds of protections—and she can leave anytime she pleases. Your presence is no longer needed."
"You still have her gadget," the guard argued.
"I suppose I do. but that can be easily remedied." Fintan set the cache on whatever invisible ledge it had slid down in the first place and gave it a good shove, sending it spinning up the path toward the top of the cell.
The guard had to scramble to catch it when it launched out of the ice bubble.
"See?" Fintan said, shifting his gaze back to Marella. "I can be trusted."
"Pretty sure the only thing I can trust is that you'll do what's best for you," Marella countered.
"As long as you get what you want, why would you care? After all, no matter what, I'm still stuck in here, aren't I?" He waved his arms around his little ice bubble, which suddenly looked way less secure than it had during her other visits. "Oh, relax—all I'm asking for is a little information."
Marella crossed her arms. "Right—and information has never gotten anyone hurt or killed."
"It's not that kind of secret. It's…" He frowned. "Honestly, I don't know what it is—and for someone my age, with my connections, that says something, doesn't it? I doubt any of the Vackers even know the full truth."
"Then how am I supposed to find it?" Marella demanded.
"As I said, you've proven to be quite resourceful. Particularly when you team up with your little friends." He scowled at the guard again before motioning her to step closer—until her ear was practically pressed up against the ice.
A voice in the back of her head kept screaming, WHY ARE YOU LISTENING TO HIM?
But…she was curious.
And there was nothing wrong with hearing his offer, was there?
Fintan's breath fogged the ice, obscuring his face as he whispered, "All I ask is that if you ever find out what's missing from the Noxflares, you share it with me."
"Why?" Marella glanced at the frozen flower, wishing she could see something more than just ugly shriveled petals.
"Because I want to know," Fintan said simply. "And because I can give you what you want in return."
"The rest of the memories in your cache," Marella clarified.
Fintan nodded. Then his lips curled into a smile. "And one other—something you've long wondered about, even though you probably don't admit it to yourself."
Marella raised one eyebrow, refusing to show any more interest than that.
Fintan cupped his hands around his mouth and pressed them to the ice before he whispered, "I know what happened to your mother."
Marella sucked in a breath.
"Yes," Fintan added. "I'm talking about her 'accident'—if we can really call it that. I know why she fell. And why her injuries were so incurable."
Marella stumbled back, collapsing into the nearest throne and hugging herself to stop her body from shaking with tremors that had nothing to do with the cold.
A tiny, terrified part of her had always thought the story she'd been told about her mom's fall hadn't totally made sense.
But everyone—everyone—was convinced it had been an accident.
Even her father.
And if it wasn't…
She leaned toward Fintan. "I don't need your games."
"Oh, this definitely isn't a game. But it's the only way you'll ever know the truth, and before you start overthinking everything, consider this: You have all the power here. Make the trade, don't make the trade—it's totally your call. You also don't have to make a decision right away. I'm trapped in this prison. I'll never find the answer on my own—and I'll never know if you find the answer unless you decide to tell me. So there's zero pressure. No one even knows we've had this conversation—and don't worry about the guard. See how frustrated he looks? That's because I made sure he only heard what I wanted him to hear. The rest is our little secret."
Our little secret.
Fintan was probably the last person she should have a secret with.
And yet…he had a point.
No one knew he'd made her this offer—and it wasn't like she'd come to any decision.
She didn't even have the information Fintan wanted anyway!
And with the way their investigations always seemed to go, she'd probably only find a whole lot more questions.
So there was really no point in telling anyone about this.
She could tell them whens he needed to.
If she needed to.
That wouldn't be wrong…would it?
It didn't feel wrong—or it wouldn't have if Fintan's smile wasn't so creepy.
"I'm not agreeing to anything," she said, wanting to make that very clear.
"You're not," Fintan assured her. "So how about we put this out of our minds and get started with our lesson? I'm sure your Hydrokinetic friend is wondering why you haven't come up to practice yet."
Linh was probably starting to worry.
She'd probably also built enough snow animals to make a frozen Sanctuary.
"Fine," Marella said, standing up and dusting ice off her cape. "What do you want me to work on today?"
"How about I teach you how to make those colored flames you saw in the memory," Fintan suggested. "You know, in case that ever comes in handy."
He winked, and the guard groaned and held out the cache to Marella. "Sounds like I'm no longer needed."
"You aren't," Fintan agreed.
The guard growled—looking scarier than ever—and turned to march away. But he spun back after a few steps. "He's right that I don't know what he offered you. But I can tell you're tempted. And I hope you're smart enough to reject it. Never make a deal with someone who has nothing to lose."
"I'm not," Marella promised.
And she wasn't.
She hadn't made any decisions—except to keep this to herself. But that didn't mean anything.
She was just trying to avoid a ton of drama and arguing and having people give her advice she didn't need.
Plus, everyone has secrets.
Shoot—the great Sophie Foster had more secrets than anyone.
So it was fine.
Everything was fine.
Nothing had changed.
Time to focus on controlling her fire.
And yet, for the rest of the lesson, the tiny spark in her heart burned hotter and hotter and hotter. Whispering a new plea.
Trust me.
Trust me.
Trust me.
Note: Thank you to @bookwyrminspiration for doing the bulk of this transcription!
34 notes
·
View notes
Text
Keeper Summer Week #4
First Deleted Scene from Neverseen
I removed this scene from the sequence where Sophie and her friends make their way through Florence to meet up with the Black Swan because the first draft felt like it took me forever to get the group to Alluveterre. Sweet as this moment is, none of the information revealed is vital info, so it made the book stronger to cut it out and tighten the pacing.
—Shannon
Sophie sighed. She knew Mr. Forkle was right, but that didn’t change her frustration. “I just…I need something. One piece of truth among all the lies.”
Mr. Forkle glanced at the eckodons circling in the river, looking very conspicuous and sea-monster-y and sure-to-be-spotted- by-someone-if-they-didn't-hurry, before he heaved a sigh of his own and pointed to her purple backpack. "Is Ella in there?"
Sophie nodded.
She peeled back the slimy membrane and unzipped the bag, showing him the bright blue, Hawaiian shirt-wearing elephant.
Mr. Forkle reached for Ella almost tenderly. "Her head had more stuffing when I bought her."
He smiled when Sophie sucked in a breath.
"Looks like your mother held true to her promise. That's one of the reasons I chose your parents. They were good, loyal people. 'The best humans I'd met, in fact but I digress. I bought Ella at the hospital gift store after I'd triggered your telepathy. I knew it was far too early for you to carry such responsibility, so I wanted you to have something to bring back the security I'd taken away. But I thought you would respond better if the gift came from your family. So I gave it to your mother and made her promise to claim it as her own."
He sounded so sincere it took Sophie a second to remember there was a darker side to his little anecdote. "Why did you trigger my telepathy when I was five?"
"That is a story for another time. For the moment"—he held out Ella—"this is who I am. The person who bought you your favorite blue elephant, because he wanted to make sure you'd be able to sleep."
Sophie watched Ella dangle from his grip—her past and her future caught in a single moment.
She couldn't walk away from either.
"Let's go," she said, taking Ella back.
6 notes
·
View notes