Untamed - A KOTLC Fan Fiction

 Untamed

Noreh Foster & Grace Smoke

(Discontinued, sorry)

Part One

Keeper of the Lost Cities 

(Book 1)

One

Noreh picked at her gloves—a nervous and bored habit—while her teacher, Mr. Sweeny, went on about his lecture on dinosaurs.  He’d taken their whole class on a field trip to the museum, not realizing that no one cared unless the giant dinosaur sculptures came to life and started eating people.  

“Miss Foster,”  Mr. Sweeny said, grabbing one of Sophie’s headphones.  “Do you think that you are too smart to be listening to my lecture?”  

“No, Mr. Sweeny,”  Sophie mumbled, opening her eyes.  

“How about you give this lecture, if you think you know it.”  

Sophie recited everything about the albertosaurus from glancing at the sign at the beginning—Noreh knew because she’d also glanced at it, and like her sister, had a photographic memory.  

Mr. Sweeny sighed, grumbling something like  “know it all”  as he walked to the next room.  

“Great job, super freak,”  a kid wearing a shirt that said back off, I’m gonna fart!  Sneered as bumped past Sophie and Noreh.  “Maybe they’ll write another article about you.  Child prodigy teaches class about the lame–o–saurs.”  

“Leave her alone,”  Noreh ordered.  

“Why should I?”  

Noreh stretched to her full height, but was still shorter than him.  But she didn’t feel threatened.  She hardly did.  She’d taken taekwondo, gymnastics, and self defense.  She could drop him in an instant.  

“Because you want to,”  she said, her voice changing to a gentler tone.  

He held her gaze before leaving.  Noreh smirked and turned back to Sophie, who gave her a scolding look.  

“You’re not supposed to do that in public!”  She hissed, glancing around at the people.  

“Why not?”  Noreh asked, her voice quiet and soothing.  

“Noreh!  Stop it!  Some’ll find out!”  

“No one will, but fine.  Be stubborn.”  

They both rolled her eyes in unison, and Sophie stared into the distance.  Noreh followed her gaze to a boy around fifteen or sixteen, with dark hair and teal eyes.  He leaned on a dinosaur structure and held the newspaper with Noreh and Sophie’s senior photo.  

They were twins—only twelve—and were a senior in high school.  They guy shrugged off the platform and headed their way.  He walked up to them and asked,  “this is you guys, right?”  

Sophie nodded numbly.  

He squinted at the picture, then at them.  “I didn’t realize you had brown eyes.”  

“Uh, yeah.”  

He squinted at Noreh, and his eyes widened.  “Are your eyes purple?”  

“And if they are?”  Noreh countered, ready to drop him at the first insult.  

He shrugged.  Good.  He was scared.  

Noreh and Sophie might be twins, but they had very different personalities.  Sophie was shyer and followed rules, while Noreh was headstrong and fierce.  Though they were both an equal amount of stubborn.  

“Do you really think that’s what they looked like?  It’s a bit ridiculous, don’t you think?”  The guy asked, pointing to a statue of a dinosaur.  

“Not really,”  Sophie mumbled.  

Noreh rolled her eyes as she pulled the strings on her gray sweatshirt, covering her white hair.  Her sister was getting all tongue tied about the cute boy.  Of course.  Noreh thought boys were frustrating, confusing, and annoying and didn’t care about that stuff. Sophie, on the other hand, was different.  

Noreh zoned them out for a bit before the boy turned to walk away but froze and clutched his head.  Sophie did the same.  Noreh spotted a group of elementary kids running into the museum, talking loudly.  Sophie was hearing all their thoughts.  

Noreh grabbed her sister’s hand, but Sophie didn’t look at her.  Barely acknowledged her.  She was too focused on the boy.  Of course.  But when Noreh glanced at him, his eyes were locked on Sophie.  

“Did you just. . . hear that?”  His voice was hushed.  

Sophie backed away.  

“It’s okay.  I’m here to help.  We’ve been looking for you two for twelve years.”  

“Who’s we?”  Noreh demanded.  

He opened his mouth to answer, but Sophie took off running.  

“What about me?”  Noreh called, jumping out of the way right as the guy tried to grab her arm.  

“Stop playing around, Noreh!”  Sophie called back.  

“‘I’m in danger and you’re lecturing me?”  Noreh asked, catching up.  

“You’re not in danger!  Come back!”  The guy yelled, following.  

The sisters ran across the street, and the sound of screeching tires reminded them they didn’t look both ways.  Noreh looked up to see a car swerving right at them.  The car swerved out of the way just in time, but hit a lamppost, sending it crashing towards them.  

Noreh’s instincts took over, and she shot her hand up, feeling a deep pull in her gut.  Sophie did the same.  The lamppost floated there, being held by an invisible force.  

“Put it down,”  the guy said.  

Sophie screamed and dropped her hand, and Noreh instinctively did the same, but shot a blade of ice at it, causing it to stand in midair attached to ice sickles, as the guy pulled them both to the ground.  

They landed hard, with Sophie on the guy, and Noreh half–on, half–off both of them.  She scrambled up and Sophie followed.  

“He–he saw,”  Sophie sputtered, pointing to the driver, who’s eyes were wider than Noreh thought humanly possible.  

“We need to get out of here,”  the guy said, pulling Sophie to her feet and running.  

Noreh ran but turned left at the last second, heading in a circle to block them off.  So far, they didn’t realize that she wasn’t behind them.  She was a very forgettable person.  She grabbed a pair of dark shaded sunglasses from her pocket and slowly creeped up to where they were running.  They were in a parking lot.  Noreh probably knew which one but was too lazy to actually look around.  

“Get back!”  The guy shouts, pulling Sophie back as he spotted Noreh.  

Her sweatshirt hoodie was still on, and it made her look like a stalker–or a kidnapper.  Though she was a little too short.  

“Oh, calm down Mr. Dramatic,”  she said, throwing back her hoodie and removing the sunglasses so they could identify her.  “It’s just me.”  

Sophie looked back, then at her sister.  “Noreh!”  

“What?  I can’t have a little fun?”  

“Ugh.”  

“Hey, it’s not my fault you two ran off and forgot me.  Also, what’s your name?”  She added, turning to the guy.

“What?  W–were you seriously not listening?”  

Sophie rolled her eyes.  “He’s Fitz.  Sorry, she’s. . . I don’t know.  Complicated.”  

“I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an offense,”  Noreh questioned.  

“Take it as both,”  Sophie told her.  

“Then I am very offended and very delighted.  I think,”  Noreh said, not sure why she was delighted.  

A/N: 

Hey guys!  I know that was a random ending, but this book is going to time skip a lot in the first few parts, mostly this one.  Sorry.  There’s just so many scenes I want to do, and I can actually skip this one.  In my original books I can’t, and it drives me right into writer’s block.  

Bye!!  Hope y’all are enjoying so far!  

Two

“I see Fitz wasn’t kidding about the eyes.  Most unique,”  Alden said, looking at Sophie, then Noreh.  

Noreh pulled her white hair in front of her face, wishing she’d worn another sweatshirt.  Instead, she’d decided to wear a loose black shirt and a plaid over top, along with black ripped jeans and checkered sneakers.  It made her white hair already pale skin look paler.  

Sophie had decided to wear a yellow and brown striped shirt for some reason.  Sophie never wore anything but dull colors.  Noreh had a suspicious feeling it was because of Fitz.  

She kept tuning out of the conversation and watching the small, tree–like creatures pick different vegetables and things.  Something clicked in her mind.  Gnomes.  They were gnomes.  

“Pardon?”  Alden asked.  

She looked to see them all staring at her.  “What?”  

“You said those were gnomes?”  

She hadn’t realized she’d said it out loud.  “Yeah?”  

“Interesting.”  

“So. . . you have gnomes as servants?”  Sophie asked after a while.  

Alden stopped walking and looked her up and down.  “The gnomes choose to live here.”  

Noreh zoned out after that.  As long as elves didn’t mistreat or have anyone or anything as slaves or servants, they’d get along fine.  She subconsciously walked into the blinding castle and made it to a fancy dining room.  There were velvety throne–like chairs at the enormous table.  She slipped into the one next to Sophie and looked at the three councilors.  

Oralie was like a fairy princess, golden blonde ringlets, aquamarine eyes, and a flowy pink dress that matched her heart shaped lips.  Kenric was built like a football soldier–fiery red hair, light skin, and broad shoulders.  

Bronte looked like he was a statue.  Sharp features, slick hair, piercing eyes that added his stern expression and scowl, making him look like an angry grizzly bear or something.  

Sophie gasped.  

“What?”  Bronte demanded.  

“Sorry.  I was surprised by your ears.”  

Bronte looked confused.  “My ears?”  

“I think she meant that they were pointy, right Sophie?”  Alden jumped in.  

Sophie nodded.  

Noreh tuned them out as she ate.  The food tasted like juicy hamburgers and chicken.  Way better than any human hamburger and chicken.  

“Well, do it,”  Bronte said, and Noreh was brought back in an instant.  

Sophie glanced at Fitz.  

“He gave you permission.”  

Sophie took a deep breath and. . . did a staring contest with Bronte.  Noreh continued eating, watching them silently.  

“You think you’re the only one here with common sense, and you’re tired of Kenric and Oralie looking at each other,”  Sophie blurted out.  

Noreh covered her laugh with a cough as Kenric and Oralie struggled to look anywhere but at themselves and Bronte paled.  

“I take it that means she’s right?”  Alden asked, hiding his smile with his hand.  

Bronte nodded.  “But how?  An ancient’s mind is almost impenetrable.”  

“The key word there is almost,”  Alden told him, and Noreh zoned out, not really wanting to hear the long conversation.  

Well, at least she thought it would be long, but then Sophie nudged her about a minute or two later.  

“Huh?”  

“They’d like a demonstration of your cryokinesis,”  Alden told her.  

“Oh.  Um. . . how?”  

“Turn something to ice,”  Alden suggested, squeezing her shoulder for support.  “Take it easy.”  

“Just a warning, I may or may not be able to unfreeze it.  I haven’t tried unfreezing stuff,”  she said, taking off her glove.  

Anything she touched turned immediately to ice as soon as she touched it, so she had to wear gloves.  She reached for the cup in front of her–barely touching it–and turned it to ice.  

Bronte snorted.  “That’s all?”  

“Well, what do you want?”  Noreh asked.  “You weren’t specific.”  

She could feel Sophie’s hand tighten on hers, begging her not to fight. But seeing Bronte’s shocked expression when she took him down in one move sounded fun.  But if Sophie didn’t want her to, then fine.  She wouldn’t.  

For now.  

“Try shooting ice or create a sculpture!”  

Noreh repressed a sigh and an eye roll as she lifted her hand and had ice scattering, like fragmented pieces stuck in time, unable to move, then shot it at the table, which turned the table, cups, plates, food, and utensils to ice.  But it was tinted black and a unique blue.  

Everyone gasped, though Bronte tried not to.  

“It’s different colors,”  Kenric murmured, watching the colors dance in the ice.  

“Did you know it changed colors?”  Alden asked.  

“Yes.”  

“Do you know why?”  

She nodded.  “It’s the colors of my emotions.”  

Three

“What’s this for?”  Noreh asked, holding the violet dress Alden had given her.  

“You need to wear a dress in Atlantis.”  

“Why?”  

“Because you can’t have human clothes.”  

“Do you have any pants?”  Sophie pleaded.  

“Dresses show status,”  Alden told her.  

“And if we refuse?”  Noreh asked, then glanced at Sophie.  “She’ll actually probably put it on, but not me.  I don’t do dresses.”  

“Well, I’m hoping you won’t refuse,”  Alden said, smiling.  

“UGH!  Fine, but this is a one-time thing.”  

“This is Atlantis?”  Noreh could hear the disappointment in Sophie’s voice.  

“This is the entrance to Atlantis,”  Alden corrected, opening a rock and grabbing a bottle labeled one whirlpool, open with caution!  He uncorked the bottle and tossed it in.  “Lady’s first!”  

“What?!”  Sophie screamed.  

“I’ll go!”  Noreh volunteered.  

She wasn’t looking forward to getting probed, so maybe if she went first, she’d be able to run away. . . 

“Be my guest,”  Alden said, moving so she could jump.  

She glanced back at Sophie before jumping in.  “See you soon!”   

She could hear Sophie’s scream.  

She shot down onto a spongy surface.  Somehow, she wasn’t wet.  She took off running into a street lined with buildings.  She was free!  

“Noreh!”  Alden grabbed her in about ten seconds.  

“Dang it!”  She crossed her arms and huffed.  

“The probing won’t hurt, I promise.”  

Alden held her until Sophie and Fitz came down.  He cautiously let her go, and she bolted.  But this time Fitz caught her in five seconds.  Stupid heels.  

He tied a rope around her waist, which was rude and gave him an unfair advantage.  

“Do you really think this can hold me?”  She asked in the most serious tone she’d used all day.  Probably in all her life.  

“Noreh, it’ll be fine,”  Sophie said.  

“I see it as a challenge.”  

“Noreh. . .”  She warned, but Noreh froze the rope, snapped it, and ran.  Fitz tried to run after her, but she’d frozen his foot to the floor.  

“NOREH!”  All three of them shouted.  

She was free!  She unclipped her hair, feeling it blow as she ran.  This was going to be the best day ever.  She turned right and ran as fast as she could.  She needed to lose them.  She looked behind to see Fitz running after her.  But she wasn’t looking where she was going and ran straight into a guy with blonde hair and ice blue eyes.  

“Aww, Fitzy’s off chasing girls!”  He teased.  

“Ew, no!”  Noreh said, not liking what he was implying.  

Fitz grabbed her arm.  “Okay, you’ve caused enough trouble.  I’m taking you to Quinlin whether you like it or not.”  

“I despise the thought and demand to be let go.”  

“Thought denied.”  

“EXCUSE ME?!”  

“You’ve caused enough drama and attention.”  

She looked at the new guy, who was watching intently.  She yanked her arm, but Fitz had a grip like steel.  Then she smirked.  

“I could scream and get everyone’s attention.  Then you’d have to let me go.”  

The new guy paled a little, his smirk faltering before he fixed it.  Before Noreh could ask him about it, Fitz held her tighter.  

“Don’t even think about it.”  

“Oh, I’m thinking about it.  I’m ten seconds away from screaming.”  

She smirked even more when he shot her a warning look.  She opened her mouth, and he covered it with his hand.  She licked it—something she’d do with Sophie when she was trying to get free whenever Sophie lectured her—and took off running.  

“Get her, Keefe!”  

She slid under Keefe as he swiped an arm to get her.  Though he unfortunately caught up with her in seconds, he didn’t bring her back.  

“This way,”  he said, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.  

He led her behind some buildings, twisting and turning so much that she lost track of where they were and even got a little disoriented.  

“W–where are we?”  

“My favorite store.  Pranks A Lot.  Don’t worry, I haven’t told Fitz about it, so he shouldn’t look here–hopefully.”  

“Good.  Also, is there a store that sells something other than dresses?  Cause I can’t stand this thing any more.”  

He pointed across the street to a blue shimmering store with gibberish on the signs.  “I’ll wait here.  But don’t take forever—I know girls.  Takes you guys forever with your hair and makeup—”  

“Yeah, that’s not me.  I just throw on the first thing I see.  But if that store’s packed with dresses, it might take a while.”  

He laughed.  “Better head to the very back.”  

She crossed the street—careful to look both ways after what had happened with the lamppost—and opened the door.  

Four  

The inside was like a boutique, full of everything a girl would want—except Noreh.  Hair accessories, dresses, makeup, jewelry—you name it.  The walls switched from lavender to siege to baby blue to a light pink.  

“How can I help you?”  A girl asked, her flowy gown turning from lavender to a deep mahogany with each step.  Her strawberry–colored hair was held back in tight braids and a gleaming jeweled hair clip that left it past her shoulders.  She had blunt blue eyes and dark skin.  

“Um, do you have anything that’s not a dress?”  

“Yes.  Follow me.”  

The girl led her to the very back of the store, where the walls turned from sea green to pineapple yellow.  A row of three racks held tunics and boots.  

“These are all we have,”  she said.  “The dressing room is to your left.  My name's Calista if you need anything.”  

She left Noreh to scroll through the clothes, which seemed endless.  She hoped Keefe wouldn’t mind that she was going to take a while.  The racks might be small, but they somehow held a lot.  

She eventually picked out a violet tunic with black leggings and laced black boots.  It was probably one of the least fancy things there.  Plus, the violet brought out the darker tones in her hair–she’d dyed the top and bottom layers purple.  It’d taken two years for her parents to agree.  

She looked at her reflection in the huge, three–walled mirror.  She liked the outfit but didn’t have any money.  

“Ooh, trying to impress a boy?”  Calista teased, putting out more jeweled barrettes.  

“Nah.  I’m not that type.  Just trying to find something,”  Noreh told her, admiring herself one more time before stepping down.  “I don’t have any money, though.”  

“Is it your first time?”  

“Yeah.”  

Calista waved the problem away.  “First purchase is always free–here, take these.”  

She handed Noreh a bag and stuffed it with some more tunics, but mostly just barrettes and jewelry.  

“Uh. . .” 

“My mom will never know.”  

“Why?”  

“Because she always asks me to do inventory.”  

“No, why are you giving me all this?”  

Calista shrugged.  “Normally only stuffy nobles come in here—and before you say it, yes, sure, my family’s in the nobility—BUT that doesn’t mean we always get great customers.  Some people only want to be my friend because we’re higher up—which I don’t think is fair, but there’s nothing I can do to change that, so yeah, anyway, I don’t have any real friends.”  

Noreh perked up–a little.  She wasn’t the mushy type, but she still had to ask “we’re friends?”  

“Well, I mean, do you want to be?”  

“Yeah.  Sounds good.”  

Calista nodded and smiled.  “Okay, then.”  

Noreh opened her mouth to say something, then remembered Keefe.  “Oops.  I left someone waiting outside.”  

Calista squinted out the window.  “Is that Keefe Sencen?”  

“You know him?  I was starting to worry I’d made him up.”  

“Wha–girl!  He’s like the most popular guy at Foxfire!  Practically everyone’s crush!  You know him?”  

“I met him when he saved me from my chase with Fitz.”  

Calista’s eyes widened.  “Fitz Vacker?”  

“I guess?  I don’t know, I just met them.  It’s a long story.”  

“Well, you gotta tell me about them.”  

“I don’t know much—”  

“Not right now!  He’s waiting!  Later.” 

“Um. . . how will I reach you?”  

“Just call me on your imparter.”  

“My what?”  

“You’re imparter.”  

“What’s that?”  

She laughed.  “Like you don’t know what an imparter is.”  

“Wait, Calista–”  

Calista shoved her out the door with the jammed pack bag.  Noreh didn’t know when Calista had given it to her, but now she had it, and was facing a blonde boy with ice blue eyes who had raised eyebrows.  

“It was Calista.”  

“Who?”  

“The girl in there.  She gave me a bunch of free stuff and then shoved me out.  I think I’m imagining things.”  

Keefe laughed.  “Girls.”  

“What?”  

“Nothing.  So, we got to go find some pranks for Foxfire.  I was thinking of starting off with Fitzy.”  

Noreh grinned.  “Yes.”  

They entered Pranks A Lot.  The shelves were jam packed with bottles filled with strange elixirs and serums, most of which Noreh couldn’t read.  They were all gibberish.  Keefe had to translate what they said, giving her curious glances whenever she said she couldn’t read them.  

They bought a bunch of serums.  It took them so long; it was almost sunset by the time they left.  Keefe looked at the sky, sighing.  

“I only have my home crystal with me.”  

“Okay. . .”  

His sigh sounded more like a groan.  “Follow me.”  

They leaped outside a very tall, gray building.  “Is this. . . ?”  

“Yep.  This is Candle Shade.  My home.”  The words sounded bitter, and she looked to find him glaring at the tower.  “Come on.  The leap master's on the tenth floor.  If we’re fast enough, we can miss my dad.”  

He dragged her inside and went on something like an elevator except it brought you to the floor you wanted in like five seconds.  She had to lean on him for support, and he laughed.  

“I meant to grab the rail,”  she promised.  

“Uh–huh.  Sure.”  

When they arrived, she collapsed to the floor for some unknown reason.  He helped her up, laughing, and walked to a room with a crystal thing hanging from the ceiling.  He grabbed her hand to keep her from leaving as he yelled  “Everglen!”  

“Wha–”  Before she could finish the words, a crystal came down, and Keefe dragged her into the light.  

Five  

They leaped outside the blinding gates of Everglen, and Keefe knocked on the door.  He laughed as Noreh tried to escape.  

“The Vacker’s aren’t that bad.  You’ll be fine.” 

Alden answered the door before she could reply.  “Noreh!”  

She forced back a sigh and grinned innocently.  “Hi, Alden.”  

“You’ve worried us so much,”  he told her.  

“Sorry.”  

He smiled.  “Thank you, Keefe, for bringing her back.”  

“Eh, don’t mention it.  We got lots of supplies for pranking.”  

“I’m sure you did.  Come along, Noreh.  I need to have a nice long talk with you, and you need to see Elwin.”  

“Who’s Elwin?”  She asked once he closed the door.  

“He’s a physician.”  

She stopped dead in her tracks, refusing to go any further.  Maybe Keefe was still there.  Maybe he’d take her back.  She was normally fearless, but doctors. . . no way.  She wasn’t crazy enough to take on doctors.  

“What’s wrong?”  Alden asked.  

“Do you think I could, uh, skip Elwin?”  

“He needs to do a quick check up on you.  It won’t hurt, I promise.  There’s no reason to worry.”  

She glanced at her surroundings.  Maybe if she started running. . . Alden must’ve guessed what she’d been thinking, though.  He was already one step ahead of her.  

“No more running, Noreh.  You’re safe.  The checkup will be painless, I promise.”  

He didn’t know that running was how she coped with things.  What helped her through the toughest days when she had to hide her abilities.  She’d never understand it, just that it felt like she was leaving everything wrong behind and running to something great.  

“No needles.”  

“Humans use needles?”  

She nodded.  

“Elves don’t use needles, Noreh.  I promise, there’s no reason to worry.”  

She hesitantly started walking again as he tugged her forward.  They came to a room with a closed door—though all the doors were closed—and Alden let go of her hand.  

“I’ll wait out here.  It’ll be quick and painless, I promise.”  

She took a deep breath and opened the door.  A man with messy brown hair and spectacles looked up.  He smiled, slowly easing her nerves.  She gave a small smile back and took the seat he gestured to.  

“You’re. . . Noreh?”  He asked, adjusting her pillow.  

She nodded.  

“It’s nice to meet you.  I’m Elwin.”  

“Here’s your room.”  

Noreh looked at the room in awe.  Her huge, canopy bed had a lavender veil–like curtain and a string of lights.  The bed itself was huge—way bigger than any bed Noreh had ever seen.  

“It’s. . . wow.”  She was, for about the first time in her life, at loss for words.  

Alden smiled.  “Sophie’s room is right next to yours.  My room is a bit further away, but Fitz’s is just across the hall if you need anything.  We still need to have that talk, though,”  he reminded her, his smile fading.  

“Oh.”  

She slowly sank onto the edge of the bed.  Alden sat next to her, opening his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.  

“I’m not related to my parents, and I can’t live with them anymore.”  She held her breath, waiting for him to deny it.  

He didn’t.  

A sob slipped before she could stop it, and rebellious tears streamed down her cheeks.  Alden wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned into him, for once glad that he was there.  

“I’m guessing I can’t see them?”  

“No, I’m sorry.  Sophie decided to go with erasing their memories instead of faking your death.  She said you’d probably want that too.”  

She nodded, not trusting her voice.  Breathing was impossible.  “I’ll never be able to see them again.”  She didn’t mean it as a question, but Alden answered anyway. 

 “Yes.”  

She sat there, crying for what had to be hours before drying her tears.  She needed to leave the past behind.  She needed to run.  But not now.  They’d probably be watching her after the accident in Atlantis.  

Six  

Noreh woke up in a cold sweat.  Her dream had been full of smoke and fire, and too much and too little time.  She’d decided sleep was both overrated and confusing as she put on black leggings and a black tank, sweeping her hair into a loose ponytail with a plain clip.  

She didn’t really know if they’d let her run a lap on the property after what happened yesterday.  She’d probably get in trouble if she left and didn’t leave a note—but she didn’t have any paper, and her nerves itched for her to run.  Thankfully, a soft knock interrupted her train of thought.  Maybe she’d be able to go for a run peacefully.  

“Come in!”  

The door opened, and Fitz walked in.  “I was just seeing if you were up.  There’s breakfast downstairs.”  

“Can I take a quick run before?  I normally run in the morning.”  

She could see the suspicion and doubt on his face.  After some hesitation, he opened his mouth to say something, then changed it to “sure.  I normally do the same thing.”  

“Okay.”  

She could actually see that he was in clothes for exercising—a blue jersey and pants.  Noreh jumped off the bed and followed him downstairs, where Della and Alden were waiting.  

“Me and Noreh are going for a run,”  he told them.  

“Okay.  Don’t be long, breakfast will get cold,”  Della said.  

Fitz led Noreh to Everglen’s backyard, and they ran in the woods, passing the huge, shimmering lake, and more trees than she could count.  Fitz eventually gave up after an hour, but Noreh was still full of energy.  

He left her, and she ran for about two more hours before going back to the house.  She’d definitely missed breakfast, but when she entered the gleaming castle–house, she found a girl with chocolate brown hair and the same teal eyes as Fitz and Alden.  

“Who are you?”  She asked defensively.  

“Who are you?”  Noreh panted.  

“Noreh, this is my daughter, Biana,”  Alden said, entering from his office.  He looked her up and down, probably noticing how sweaty she was.  

She looked like she’d just gotten out of a pool.  

“Are you alright?”  He asked, frowning.  

“Yeah, I just, uh, need to take a shower,”  she panted.  “I’m gonna go, uh, do that.”  

She walked past them and up the stairs.  When she reached her room she peeled off her soaked clothes, putting them in an airtight bag inside the bag Calista had given her.  She started the shower, about to get in, but her vision blurred and she had to lean against the wall for a few moments before get her bearings.  

Noreh shook her head and stepped into the steaming shower, letting the water wash away all her sweat and grime.  

Alden knocked on the door of a tall tower that was supposed to be a house.  He’d explained that she would be staying with a family called the Sencens.  The father and son were both Empaths and could help me with my abilities.  

The door opened and a man with slick blonde hair and ice blue eyes stood in the doorway.  “Mr. Vacker, a pleasure.  Ah, you must be Noreh Foster.”  He looked at Nored like she was a fascinating object he was waiting to unveil.  

“Yep,”  she said awkwardly, staring at the ground.  

A woman with blonde hair that was twisted into a tight bun and piercing blue eyes that stared at her walked up.  “Dear, don’t keep them outside.  Bring them in.  Excuse my husband’s manners.”  

“Nothing to worry about,”  Alden said, smiling.  

He and Noreh walked into the house.  She tensed at how polished and professional it was.  The floors and walls were so clean they shined, and you could see your reflection if you looked hard enough.  

“Keefe!  We have guests!”  The woman yelled.  

Noreh stared at the ground uncomfortably while Alden talked to the man—who she learned names were Lord Cassius, and his wife was Lady Gisela—while the woman stared at her with curiosity.  

Keefe eventually came down the stairs, his blonde hair taking his trademarked, carefully disheveled style.  His body was more tense around his parents and the rebellion in his eyes dulled a little as his mother brushed an invisible speck of his jerkin.  

“I believe you two have met,”  Lady Gisela said.  

Noreh gave Keefe a quick smile before looking back at the ground.  She didn’t like how his parents looked at her and felt awkward in the tall, polished tower.  

“Here, I’ll show you your room,”  Keefe offered, grabbing her arm and leading her to something that was a mix of a spiral staircase and an elevator.  

She clung to the rail as it shot them up in a blur.  He laughed and helped her up.  He led her into a large room with a canopy bed and a huge, grand dresser.  There was a white bookcase filled with so many books Noreh didn’t think she’d read any of.  

The colors were all white and gray—and of course polished.  

“It’s. . . nice,”  she said, shocked.  

“Your room takes up three floors—”  Keefe explained.  

“Three floors?  Who needs three floors?”  She burst out.  

He shrugged.  “How big was your old room?”  

“Like, a tenth of this room,”  she answered.  

“Huh.  Well, if you need anything, I’m the three floors below you.  My parents are the six above.  Everything else is Daddy Dearest’s stuff.”  He rolled his eyes.  

“Thanks, Keefe,”  she whispered.  

He gave her a crooked smile.  “Just don’t listen to anything my folks say, and you’ll be good.”  

He left her alone to settle in.  She explored the floors.  The second was her bathroom.  The bathtub was as large as an extravagant swimming pool and even had a hot tub with refreshing salts.  The sink and floors were polished marble.  

She had the largest walk–in closet anyone could ever have.  It was mostly full of dresses but had a few tunics and leggings.  That was okay, though.  The stuff Calista had given her in Atlantis would be able to make up for the dresses.  

The third floor was a study room.  There was a couch, bean bag chairs, a desk, and more bookshelves.  The floor had a soft black rug that stretched across most of the floor, but the exposing floor was more polished marble, along with the walls.  

“This is going to take some getting used to,”  she sighed.  “Hopefully Sophie’s doing better.”  

Seven

The next day Noreh and Keefe were tasked with going to Slurps and Burps to get some medicine Elwin had prescribed for Noreh.  They took a few detours along the way, making it late afternoon when they finally arrived.  

The door of the brightly colored shop burped as they entered, and purple and blue smoke wafted from the front of the shop.  Noreh gave Keefe a surprised look and walked through the smoke, coughing and sputtering.  

“Be with you in a minute!”  A voice called.  “Dex!  What happened?”  

“I don’t know!”  A second voice said from somewhere in the smoke.  “I looked away for a second and it blew up!”  

Noreh could barely see as she waded through the smoke, so she wasn’t very surprised when she bumped into someone.  At first she thought it was Keefe, but the boy had strawberry blonde hair and periwinkle eyes.  He looked surprised to see her, but quickly got up and offered his hand.  

She grabbed it and he helped her up.  “Is it, um, always like this?”  She asked.  

He shrugged, keeping his expression neutral.  “It depends on who’s asking.”  

“Um. . . Noreh?”  

“Uh, Noreh?”  Keefe called.  “Where’d ya go?”  

“Uh. . .”  She looked at the new boy.  “Hi?”  

He cocked his head.  “Hi?”  

“Dex!”  The first voice yelled.  

The boy jumped, remembering the smoke.  “Gotta go.  Coming, dad!”  

Noreh watched him run away for three seconds before the smoke made him disappear.  Then she started searching for Keefe.  He was a lot further away than she thought, but soon she ran into him and made both of them fall on the ground harder than her and Dex had.  

“You have a hard head,”  Keefe commented.  

“Right back at you,”  Noreh said, rubbing her temples.  

She stood up and tried looking around.  She couldn’t see Keefe, but when she reached out a hand, she hit his chest.  She decided to mess around and pretend she wasn’t sure who he was and smacked his face a couple of times.  His payback was not fun.  

A few banging sounds later and the smoke started to get drawn into an invisible vacuum that nearly sucked Noreh up, too, but thankfully Keefe was there to catch her.  About a minute later all the smoke was gone, and Noreh spotted a counter with two identical elves behind it, arguing with each other.  

“Um, hello?”  Noreh asked, stepping forward.  

The older man straightened.  “Sorry for the smoke.  My name is Kesler—ah, Keefe, nice to see you again.  I assume you’re here to pick up more pranks?”  

Keefe smirked.  “I wish.  We came to get Noreh some stuff Elwin prescribed for her.”  He handed the list to Kesler.  

Kesler read the list and glanced up.  “This is exactly like. . . just a curious thought, but do you know Sophie Foster?  She’s new—”  

“Sophie’s my sister,”  Noreh told him. 

“I see,”  Kesler murmured, looking her up and down.  “I’ll go gather the stuff you need.  Dex, keep them company.  And don’t let that smoke up again.”  

Dex grinned at Noreh.  “Sophie’s your sister?  Cool.  Did you grow up with humans, too?  That had to be really cool.”  

Noreh felt the two boy’s eyes on her.  Keefe didn’t hear about the whole growing up with human backstory, but apparently Dex had.  “Uh, yeah.”  

Dex was practically beaming.  “Cool.  What level are you in?  Level one or level three?”  

“Um, I think level two,”  she told him.  

“Same!  So, are you and Sophie twins?”  

“Yeah. . . why?”  

“Oh, nothing.  Usually that kind of thing is frowned upon, but it’s cool.  My siblings are triplets.  What classes do you have?”  

“I don’t know.  I haven’t looked yet,”  she said, twirling a piece of white hair around her finger.  

“Well, as long as you don’t get Lady Galvin for Alchemy, you’ll be fine,”  Dex assured her.  

Keefe snorted.  “Lady Galvin tried to fail me so hard, but I was too good.”  

“I’m pretty sure every teacher fears you,”  Dex told him.  

Keefe smirked.  “Nah, they just know I’m so amazing I can’t fail.”  

Kesler came back with his hands full of elixirs and vials, organizing them and putting them in a bag.  He handed the bag to Noreh and frowned at a vial on the table before looking at Dex accusingly.  Smoke started pouring out.  

“I told you to keep an eye on it!”  Kesler said, scrambling to get the invisible vacuum.  

Dex went to help him.  “It’s not my fault!”  

Noreh and Keefe slowly backed up, afraid of the smoke.  “Uh, see you at Foxfire?”  

Dex held a thumbs up that quickly disappeared in the smoke. 

Eight

Noreh’s experience at Foxfire was interesting.  

She and Keefe leaped there early that morning so that he could rig Fitz’s locker to shoot green goo at him when it opened and say you've been pranked by the Keefester!  Noreh decided to silently prank Keefe’s locker as well so that when it opened a glitter bomb went off—a gift from Calista.  

Hopefully Keefe didn’t notice until it was too late.  Then he showed her to some of her classes while pranking random lockers on the way.  But there were too many halls for Noreh to remember where to go.  

Then they headed to the Orientation.  Keefe found Fitz and Biana like he had a tracker on them.  Honestly, Noreh wouldn’t be surprised if he did.  He was full of surprises.  Biana didn’t seem all that happy by her presence, but Dame Alina started speaking before they could start talking.  

Noreh scanned the crowd for Sophie during the speech, but had no luck.  She did, however, see Calista, who was busy trying to dodge a group of talkative girls.  She was clearly annoyed and upset by their presence, but they either didn’t seem to notice or didn’t care.  

“And lastly, where are they. . .”  Dame Alina said, searching the crowd of prodigies.  “Ah, there they are!  Please welcome Sophie and Noreh Foster!”  

Bright lights shone in Noreh’s face and she pushed Keefe in front of her.  He laughed as she tried to hide.  Another spotlight shone all the way across the room where Sophie was trying to hide behind Dex.  

“Sssssophie,”  the crowd murmured.  “Nooooreh.”  

“Is that a proper welcome?”  Dame Alina asked, her voice full of authority.  

Slowly the room started to clap.  Noreh glared at the floor until they were dismissed and allowed to leave to attend classes.  Fitz wished her good luck and Keefe offered for her to skip with him, but she denied.  She at least wanted to see what her classes were first before she started skipping.  

Her first class was Elven History, which wasn’t the worst, since it kind of felt like Lady Astra was talking about a fairytale—a very in-depth fairytale.  It still wasn’t the best, though.  She was pretty sure at one point she fell asleep, because one minute Lady Astra was talking about treaties, the next she was talking about some elf named Fintan and pyrokinesis.  

By the time lunch came, Noreh was so confused by so much logical stuff that elves had somehow cheated the system with, she was beginning to wonder if she might be in a coma and her brain was giving her some really weird dreams.  

She grabbed a tray and got in line for food, but it was all colorful soups and vegetables she hadn’t seen before.  She decided to go with some things that looked like celery, hoping it didn’t taste like celery, and some blue and orange soup-thing.  

Out of the corner of her eye, Noreh spotted Dex heading in the direction Keefe had just disappeared to—detention.  She was about to go talk to Sophie when an energetic boy with messy brown hair and freckles walked up to her.  Sophie nodded, looked around, and followed him.  

So much for sitting with her, Noreh thought.  

She couldn’t just walk up and join them, could she?  No.  That would be weird.  She saw Fitz at table with Biana, but her expression was pretty clear she didn’t want Noreh to sit with them.  Noreh thought about doing it just to annoy her, but she spotted Calista sitting at a corner table by herself and decided to try her.  

“Hey,”  she said, setting her tray down.  “Can I sit with you?”  

Calista’s gloom turned into pure happiness.  “Yes!”  A few people glanced at them.  Calista lowered her voice.  “Sorry.  Sure.”  

Noreh smiled and took a bite of her celery stick, which tasted like a piece of juicy steak.  The orange soup tasted like the chicken noodle soup her mom would make whenever she was sick, and the blue one tasted like buttered noodles.  There were no words to describe how the butter blasts were.  

“So,”  Calista said, taking a bite of what looked like a carrot.  “How was your first day?”  

Noreh shrugged.  “It was okay.  None of this stuff makes sense, though.  Like bottling lightning and stuff.”  

“Cool, right?”  Calista said.  “Do you want to come over to my house after?  I don’t have to work at the store today.”  

“I’ll have to check with the Sencens—”  

“You’re living with the Sencens?!”  Calista’s voice went from normal to squeaky high-pitched in half a second.  “As in Keefe Sencen?”  

Noreh sighed and hit her head against the table when a bunch of heads turned their way.  

“Sorry,”  Calista whispered, her voice back to normal but filled with giddiness.  “But Keefe Sencen?  Seriously, girl!  What lottery did you win?”  

Noreh rolled her eyes.  “It’s not a big deal.  I mean, he’s fun to hang out with—”  

Calista choked on her juice.  “Not a big deal?!  Of course it is!  He’s Keefe Sencen!”  

Noreh wondered what Keefe had done to become so popular.  Calista was talking like he was some kind of prince.  She started staring off in the direction of detention, her gaze dreamy and distant.  

The bell rang and Noreh got up from the table, nudging Calista, who was still in her trance.  They headed to their classes, Noreh having all her energy drained and Calista more hyped than before.  

Se didn’t know what her next class was, but unless it was P. E, Noreh didn’t think Calista would survive a whole hour with that much energy.  

Nine

One day at lunch Noreh heard of the Great Cape Incident.  

Of course Keefe had spread the story of burning Lady Galvin’s cape, and the news was spreading like wildfire.  Sophie didn’t seem to like the attention that much at first, but then she seemed to take it well.  Dex was even in the process of making brown eye drops.  

Noreh was pretty bored at Candleshade, so Keefe let her come with him to the Vackers.  Biana tried to give her makeovers, but Keefe and Fitz saved her from it by suggesting Base Quest.  But one time she didn’t get lucky.  

“Biana, I really don’t think—”  

“It’ll be fun,”  Biana insisted.  “Come on.  Just try it.  It’s not the end of the world to put on a little makeup and do something with your hair, you know.”  

Noreh fought for a little bit but eventually gave in.  Biana grinned and led her to her room.  She sat Noreh down and started pulling out makeup kits and serums, making Noreh gulp.  She had even more beauty products than Keefe did hair products—which was saying something.  

Noreh squirmed when Biana started brushing makeup on but somehow found the will to stay put.  She had to sit on her hands so she wouldn’t slap Biana away.  Biana finally finished with the makeup—or so Noreh thought.  She finished with Noreh’s cheeks.  She hadn’t even started on her eyes.  

In between colors she gave Noreh something to drink for her hair.  By the time she finished, Noreh didn’t think she wanted to look in the mirror.  But when she did, she gasped.  Her hair was bouncier and somehow a bit longer, the purple tints were more prominent, along with her eyes.  Her curls were also more contained in pretty wave past her shoulders.  

Her eyelashes were darker and more evened out, and her skin was softer but still had her rebellious flare.  Her lips had a light pink lip gloss that smelled like fresh strawberries.  She was left gaping at her reflection.  

“Biana. . . you’re. . . how. . .”  

Biana smiled.  “I took you and made you beautiful—not that you weren’t before.  You just needed a little help.  Wait right here.”  

Noreh flopped down on the floor, watching as Biana left to go get who knew what.  Footsteps thudded outside the room.  

“Noreh?”  Keefe called.  

“Keefe!”  She said, not caring to get up.  

The door to Biana’s room opened and two boys walked in—Fitz and Keefe.  They looked down at Noreh in confusion, wondering why she was on the floor, most likely.  

“Are you okay?”  Fitz asked.  

“No.”  Noreh pressed the back of her hand against her forehead in a dramatic way.  “I’ve been sparkleized.”  

“No, but seriously,”  Keefe said.  “You look pale.”  

“I’m always pale,”  Noreh said, but felt like she might have a fever.  Her body felt like the sun and her arms were itchy.  

Biana came back to the room and froze, looking at her brother in alarm.  “What happened?”  

“She was like this when we found her,”  Fitz told her.  “What did you do?”  

“Nothing!  I was just giving her a makeover—”  

Noreh groaned and looked at her arm, which was covered with hives.  “Oh, great.  Allergy.”  

“What an allergy?”  Keefe asked.  

Fitz’s eyes were wide.  He turned to Biana.  “Go hail Elwin.”  

Biana ran off to find her Imparter and hail Elwin.  Meanwhile Noreh was trying to stop herself from having a hurl fest, without much luck.  Keefe helped her sit up and tried to get her on Biana’s bed, but she refused.  Even though Biana had been mean at first, Noreh didn’t want to puke all over the bed.  The floor was the only one that had to suffer.  

Fitz tried to transport her to the room she’d stayed in the first night, but she couldn’t go far without falling and hurling all over everything.  Her vision started dimming even worse than it already was, and she passed out right as Elwin came running up the stairs.  

Noreh groaned, her whole body feeling sore and her throat burned like fire.  Her eyes blinked open and she saw the ceiling.  She forced her head up and saw a beady-eyed weasel–ferret— Bullhorn—laying in a ball at the far end of the room.  

Keefe was sitting on the edge of the bed, his hair ruffled and out of its usual style.  Noreh glanced down and realized that she was wearing an oversized, dark purple tunic with little banshees on it.  Something only Elwin would wear.  

“Keefe?”  She groaned.  

Keefe’s head snapped up and he looked at her, his eyes flooding with relief.  He stood up and walked over to her, handing her a bottle of youth.  “Here, drink this.”  

She grabbed it gratefully and downed it in three gulps.  He took the empty vial back and placed it on a table.  

“How do you feel?”  

“A lot better now that I’ve had something to drink,”  she said.  “But everything’s sore.  What exactly happened?”  

“You don’t remember?”  Keefe shook his head.  “Biana was giving you a makeover, but you had an allergic reaction to something.  It was Noreh’s Great Hurl Fest—Elwin said the same thing happened to Sophie yesterday.  Bullhorn was screaming. . .”  

“I almost died?”  Noreh asked.  

Keefe nodded.  

She grinned.  “Cool.”  

He gave her a bizarre look.  “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear you say cool when you heard you almost died.  How is that cool?”  

“Because it’s dangerous,”  Noreh said.  “And danger is my middle name.”  

“Doesn’t your middle name start with an S?”  

She waved him away.  “Details.”  

He sighed.  “I better let Elwin know you’re awake.  He’ll want to check on you.  He would be up here, but he’s downstairs talking with Alden and Della about you.”  

Noreh managed a grin.  “Yay.  People talking about me!”  

He rolled his eyes and left the room, leaving Noreh alone with the snoring banshee she really wanted to touch and find out what would happen.  So of course that’s what she did.  She almost fell flat on her face when she stood, but she managed to lean against the wall.  She stumbled over to the corner and picked the banshee up.  

Bullhorn did not like being touched.  He howled—who knew a banshee could howl?—bit Noreh’s finger, and scampered out of her arms.  She looked at her now bleeding finger and wobbled back to the bed.  

Elwin ran through the door just as she sat down.  “What happened?  I heard Bullhorn.”  

Noreh smiled innocently.  “He was just having a bad day.”  

He gave her a strange look and walked over, flashing lights around her.  He frowned when he noticed something red staining the comforter.  Noreh cursed in her mind as Elwin pulled the covers back and took in the sight of her bleeding finger.  

He looked at her with shock.  “What did you do?!”  

“Did you know banshees don’t like being touched?”  

“You touched Bullhorn?!”  

“No, don’t be ridiculous, Elwin,”  Noreh said.  “You should know better than to think I just touched him.  I picked him up.”  

“You picked Bullhorn up?”  Elwin clarified.  

Noreh tried for another innocent smile, but Elwin was not having it.  At that moment he looked like an angry Bullhorn as he fixed up her finger and finished checking her from the allergy.  

“Can I pick Bullhorn up again?”  Noreh asked when he finished and Alden entered the room.  

Elwin looked at her like she was crazy.  “Absolutely not!”  

“Awe.”  

He shook his head and turned to Alden.  “She’s good.  I made extra of what I gave her when she was out.  She can wear it as a backup in case this happens again.  Hail me if anything happens in the short time she’s here.”  He gave her a pointed look.  

“Thank you,”  Alden said.  

Elwin packed his stuff back into his bag and carried the finger-biting banshee out of the room.  Keefe came back into the room and grinned.  

“You picked up Bullhorn?”  

“I think he hates me.”  

Alden smiled.  “I’m assuming you two are planning on staying for dinner?”  

Noreh glanced at Keefe, who shrugged like he didn’t care.  But Noreh knew how much he wanted to stay.  

“Can we?”  Noreh asked.  

Alden smiled.  “I was hoping you would.  Dinner should be ready in an hour.  But make sure to take it easy, Noreh.  You should be resting.”  

She nodded.  “I will.  And thank you, Alden.”  

Ten

Final Exams were closing in, and Noreh couldn’t hail anyone for help, since she’d whacked her Imparter—unknowingly—with a mallet.  

Long story.  All that was relevant was that they were coming up soon, and she was pretty sure she was flunking all her classes.  To be fair, she wasn’t even trying to pass.  

But Lord Cassius and Lady Gisela were pressing her for better grades, and if she wanted to have a stable life, she needed to pass—better with flying colors.  And since she’d smashed her Imparter with a mallet (again, long story), she didn’t have anyone to tutor her.  

No way was she going to ask Lady Gisela for help, and Keefe wasn’t the greatest teacher, so. . . she was going to pay a surprise visit to Sophie for the first time.  She’d never actually been to Havenfield, but she figured it would happen sooner or later.  

She leaped to the glittery mansion and knocked on the door, admiring the pastures with the feathery T-rex.  The door opened and a girl with blonde hair and brown eyes stood in front of her.  

Sophie gasped.  “Noreh!”  

Noreh tried for a smile.  “Hey, sis.”  

Sophie hugged her.  “Why haven’t you come by?  Or hailed me?  It’s like you’ve been avoiding me at Foxfire, too.”  

“I didn’t mean to,”  Noreh told her.  “I made a friend and I sat next to her at lunch.  And I whacked my Imparter with a mallet—” 

“Why would you do that?  And where did you find a mallet?”  

Noreh smirked.  “Keefe’s room.  I got bored one day and decided to poke around.  You would not believe how much pranking supplies he has—well, had.  I took some.  And set them against him.  Also, that guy has a lot of hair products.  And I didn’t know it was an Imparter at the time.”  

Sophie nodded slowly.  “I have a feeling you didn’t come here to be social.”  

“Good assumption,”  Noreh said.  “So, I’m not doing all that great at Foxfire—”  

“You want me to tutor you,”  Sophie said.  “Sure.  But why not Keefe?”  

“Oh, I tried.  Don’t tell him, but he is a terrible teacher.”  She looked around the mansion.  “Where’s Grady and Edaline?”  

“They, uh, went out,”  Sophie mumbled.  “What do you need help with?”  

Sophie and Noreh spent the next few hours going through everything.  They hadn’t noticed that it got dark until the mansion’s door opened and Grady and Edaline came home.  

“I should probably get back to Candleshade,”  Noreh said.  “Keefe might start to wonder where I am.”  

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”  Sophie asked, closing the Universe book.  

“Sure thing,”  Noreh said, packing up her things.  

She left Sophie in the kitchen and headed to the door, bumping into Grady along the way.  He looked at her confused, probably wondering why there was a random girl in his house.  

“Who are you?”  He asked, his voice neutral.  

“I’m Noreh,”  she said.  “Sophie’s sister.”  

He nodded.  “Is Sophie in the kitchen?”  

“She is.”  Noreh turned the knob of the door but turned back.  “Thank you for taking care of her.  I know you guys mean a lot to her.”  

Him and Edaline looked pained, but Grady snapped out of it first and gave her a grim smile.  Noreh couldn’t help but worry and wonder that something was wrong, but she felt like she’d overstayed her welcome.  She opened the door and leaped home from the little light that was left.  

But when she got back to Candleshade, Lady Gisela and Lord Cassius were waiting for her.  And they were not happy.  

“You’re late again,”  Lord Cassius said.  “And your grades haven’t increased at all.  If anything, they’ve gotten worse.  Your scores are in the seventies.”  

“I went to see my sister—”  

“Instead of studying?”  

“I went to see Sophie because—”  

“No excuses!”  Lord Cassius growled.  “You are expected to be better!  Your grades are unacceptable!  From now on, you will be coming home straight after your sessions at Foxfire and will be studying with Lady Gisela.  There will be no more going to the Vackers, and no more seeing your sister.  Is that clear?”  

Noreh’s jaw tightened, and she glared at him.  “I don’t have to do what you tell me,”  she said coldly.  

He stalked closer and she stumbled back a step.  “Is that clear?”  

She looked at the ground.  “Very.”  

“What are you guys doing?”  Keefe asked, walking into the room.  

Noreh fled from the scene and ran to her room.  She locked the doors and collapsed against her bed, not sure how to feel.  She was angry, upset, sad, unsure, and just really, really wanted to cry for not understanding her emotions.  

She hated being vulnerable and letting Cassius do this to her, but she couldn’t help it.  Something inside her suddenly just snapped, and she burst into tears.  She ignored the knocking on her door and shot ice to keep it closed when Keefe tried to pick the lock.  She didn’t feel like talking.  

She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, but eventually sunlight streamed through her windows, and she got ready for Foxfire.  Instead of heading downstairs for breakfast, she went straight to the school, getting to her class early.  She sat by herself at Study Hall and lunch, ignoring everyone’s looks.  

But Sophie had had enough of it.  She marched up to Noreh as everyone was beginning to leave and demanded what was wrong.  Noreh tried to act like nothing was wrong and she was just tired, but she knew Sophie saw straight through that.  Surprisingly she let Noreh go with that excuse, told her to hail her, and leaped home.  

“Noreh!”  Keefe said, catching up to her.  “Hey.  What did my folks say to you last night?”  

She shook her head.  “It’s fine, Keefe.”  

“No, it’s not.  I heard you crying through the door,”  he said.  “You don’t have to listen to them, you know.  Come with me to the Vackers.  Don’t worry about whatever they said, okay?”  

She smiled sadly.  “Thanks, Keefe.  But I just want to be by myself for a little bit, okay?  It’s not just what they said, either.  I need to sort some things out.”  

He looked at her worriedly.  “If you say so.”  

Eleven

Noreh wandered through Candleshade, careful to avoid Lady Gisela.  Lord Cassius was who knew where, and Noreh had heard Keefe talk about him having a blue leaping crystal—and he’d said the blue ones led to the Forbidden Cities.  

That was the only reason she would be poking around in Cassius’ office.  She needed to see her family, even if she couldn’t talk to them.  And. . . maybe, just maybe, she needed to get away from the elves.  She didn’t belong with them, no matter what they thought.  

This might be the chance she was waiting for—for her to start over on her terms.  

She searched through the drawers of the grand desk, careful not to leave a trace that she’d been there.  She couldn’t risk Cassius finding out that she took the crystal.  

“Aha!”  She said, triumphantly scooping up the blue crystal.  “Where can I go?”  

She wasn’t sure how to use it, so she spun it to a random facet and held it up to the light, hoping her nexus would hold up and not let her fade.  She usually wouldn’t worry about it, but it was the first time leaping on her own.  

So she breathed in a deep sigh of relief when she landed safely in an alley behind a bunch of fast-food restaurants.  She wasn’t really sure where she was, but at least she recognized some of the stores, so that helped.  

She walked into one and found a small table in the back.  Someone came up and asked for her order, but she didn’t have any money and said she was just waiting for someone.  A boy around fourteen or so walked over to her table and sat down.  

He wore a leather jacket and dark sunglasses.  His raven black hair almost touched his shoulders that complimented his almond skin.  Noreh sat back in her chair, unsure of what to do.  He smiled, causing strange butterflies to rise in her stomach.  

“Hey,”  he said.  “Are you hungry?  I hear their cheeseburgers are really good.”  

“Um. . .”  Noreh wasn’t sure what to do.  

She wasn’t used to cute boys talking to her—besides Keefe and Fitz, but this was different.  He was different.  In his own charming, bad-boy kind of way.  He was. . . his voice. . . the butterflies. . . 

Noreh cleared her throat.  “Cheeseburger?”  

He smirked and waved the waiter down, ordering two cheeseburgers and fries.  He glanced at her.  “You wanted one too, right?”  

She nodded.  

“Make that three.”  

The waiter nodded, scribbled down the order and left.  Noreh laughed and looked at her surprise visitor.  He gave her a sly smile and leaned back in his chair.  

“So, what gave you the idea to come over to my table?”  She asked.  

“You seemed lonely,”  he said.  “And whenever someone turns down getting a cheeseburger, something’s wrong.  What is it?”  

She sighed.  “Have you ever felt like you don’t belong somewhere?  Me and my sister just moved to a new place, but we’ve barely seen each other since.  And. . . I don’t know.  Things were always weird before, but now it’s just. . . I don’t know.  The family I’m staying with, the boy is great, he’s fun and does a lot of pranks.  But the parents. . . I don’t know.  Is it bad that I want to run away?”  

He shook his head.  “Not at all.  I feel like that all the time where I’m at.  The kids are amazing but the grownups. . . they’re not all that great.”  

Noreh laughed and shook her head.  “We’re two strangers talking about our problems.  How did this happen?”  

“I guess we just got lucky,”  he said.  

She tilted her head.  “I never got your name.”  

“Shinriang,”  he said.  “You?”  

“I’m Noreh,”  she said.  “And I’m going to call you Shang.”  

He tensed.  “Noreh?”  

“Yeah,”  she said.  “Why?”  

Shang shook his head.  “N–no reason.  What’s that around your neck?”  

Noreh’s hand reached up to her neck to touch the cold choker-necklace Alden had given her when she first arrived in the Lost Cities.  Her mouth dropped open, realizing her mistake as she looked out the window to see Alden outside the restaurant.  

“I have to go,”  she said, standing.  “I–I’ll try to see you later?”  

“I’ll wait,”  Shang said.  “Good luck, Snowflake.”  

She took one last look at him before exiting the restaurant.  “Alden, I can explain—”  

“I hope you can,”  he said.  “The Council has ordered a Trial.”  

Noreh had the worst luck.  Not only did the Council want a Trial, Bronte wanted to expel her from Foxfire, force her to Exilium, and banish her.  Apparently he couldn’t do that to Sophie, so he was trying to get away with it with Noreh.  

And since Noreh couldn’t give them a reason why she went to the Lost Cities, she was expelled and sent to Exilium, with a warning that if it happened again, she would be banished.  When she got back to Candleshade, Cassius and Gisela were prepared to yell at her but she avoided them and ran to her room.  

Keefe didn’t try to talk to her, but he did slip her a note the next day at breakfast, asking if there was anything he could do.  She folded it and put it in her pocket before getting up to go to Exilium.  When she got there, she was in for yet another surprise.  

She was strung up by a rope and forced to use her cryokinesis to snap the rope.  She barely landed on her feet.  A girl with a pyrokinetic pen came up and asked who she was, but Noreh didn’t feel like answering.  Then a Shade shadow-whispered to her, but she ignored him, too.  And when someone yelled at her so hard, she crumpled to the ground as she was about to leap, she decided she’d had enough.  

She turned on the girl and started demanding questions, but the girl remained silent.  The pyrokinetic came up and started talking.  

“I’m Grace,”  she said.  “That’s Astraia—she’s a Vociferator, doesn’t talk much.  The Shade’s Tam and his sister the hydrokinetic is Linh.  It’s nice to meet you, sis.” 

Twelve

Grace had expected Noreh to deny her, maybe ignore her.  But what happened next was totally uncalled for.  

Noreh scoffed and turned to leave.  Grace felt wounded.  No one just scoffed and left!  That was rude!  She could handle being ignored, Forkle, Astraia, and Tam did it constantly, but scoffed at?  That was a whole other level.  

“Excuse me,”  she said.  “Don’t scoff at me!”  

Noreh turned.  “My sister is in the Lost  Cities at Foxfire.  I doubt she’d come to Exilium, whoever you are.  And I don’t have a sister named Grace.”  

“You’re right.  Sophie wouldn’t come here.  But I’m your other sister.  Half-sister, technically.  Grace Wiskoski, nice to meet you, Noreh Foster.  What exactly did you do to have to come here?”  

“I went to the Forbidden Cities,”  Noreh said cautiously.  “Why do you care?”  

“Because I’m your sister,”  Grace said logically.  “And Forkle wants to see you.”  

Noreh paused.  “Forkle like my old neighbor Forkle?  How—who are you?”  

Grace sighed.  “Grace Wiskowski, your half-sister.  Also a member of the Black Swan.  We want to recruit you.”  

Grace leaped Noreh to Alluveture, the Black Swan’s hideout.  Calla greeted them and led them to where Forkle and the rest of the Collective were.  

Noreh was taking it pretty well.  She was demanding to know where she was, who the Black Swan was, or why they wanted to recruit her.  She just followed Grace and Calla silently, taking in everything.  She was probably going to take everything out on Forkle.  

When they arrived they found Squall, Granite, Forkle, Blur, and Wraith standing in a wide circle.  Forkle was the first to speak—as usual.  

“Noreh, it’s good to see you again,”  he said.  “I trust Grace told you why you’re here and didn’t kidnap you like she did the last recruit.  

Grace grinned.  

Noreh crossed her arms.  “Good to see you too, neighbor.  I think.  So what type of organization is this?  Good or bad?  What’s your motive?”  

“We’re good,”  Grace interrupted Forkle.  “They genetically altered me, you, and Sophie.  That’s why you manifested so young.  And why your cytokinesis is the color of your emotions.  And also—”  

“Grace,”  Forkle said, his voice impatient.  

Grace smiled sweetly.  “Yes?”  

“Please stop interrupting,”  he said.  

“I’ll join,”  Noreh said.  

Granite tilted his head at her.  “You’ve barely heard anything about us—”  

Noreh shrugged.  “Grace explained all I needed to hear.  Just one thing.  I can go on missions, right?  Are those missions dangerous?”  

“Yes—”  Blur started.  

“Then I’m in.”  

The Collective exchanged looks and shuffled uncomfortably, clearly confused why Noreh would be so easy to recruit.  Grace jumped up and down.  

“Can we keep her?  Can we keep her, can we keep her, can we keep her?”  

“You have to swear an oath—”  

“She’ll do it!”  She looked at Noreh.  “You’ll do it, right?”  

Noreh shrugged.  “Depends on what it is.”  

“It’s really simple,”  Grace promised.  “Trust me.  It’s super easy.”  

“Okay.  But I need to get back.  Alden’s probably trying to track me down already since this thingy is, well, you know.  A tracker.  And a huge violation of privacy,”  Noreh said.  

“I already took care of that.  The council will think you’re still at Exilium.  I’m a great hacker.  Even better than Tinker?”  Grace said, flipping her brown hair.  

“No,”  Forkle said.  “By a large amount.  Now, Ms Foster—”  

“That’s just hurtful!”   Grace protested, clutching her heart dramatically.  “I am wounded, and I am offended!”  

“I thought you were a pyrokinetic,”  Noreh commented.  “How are you a better hacker than a technopath?”  

Grace turned on her.  “Not you too!”  

Wraith cleared his throat.  “We’re getting off topic.”  

“Right, Noreh’s joining, blah, blah blah, she has to get home, blah, blah, blah, I have to take her.  You guys are really ungrateful!  I never should have joined this organization,”  Grace said wistfully.  

“I thought you didn’t have a choice,”  Blur said, his voice confused.  

“I’m gonna go take Noreh here home!”  Grace slung an arm around her sister and walked away, ignoring the Collective’s protests.  “I’ll be back before dinner!”  

She leaped Noreh back to the forest Exilium had stationed in and met up with Tam and Linh—who definitely loved it when she invaded their down time.  They wouldn’t admit it, but they loved her!  She was the life of the party!  

And the first time she lit their house on fire was an accident.  She’d just manifested, it was an easy mistake when Tam said  “aim there”  and she aimed the opposite direction.  But hey, it was his fault for not being more specific.  

Tam groaned when he saw her approaching.  “Really?  Wasn’t torching the first hut enough?”  

Grace managed a smile, not letting him know how much she hated and feared her pyrokinesis.  “What, you think I’m going to torch this one too?  I’m too good for that, Tammy.  I’m going to torch your favorite blanket long before I torch your hut again.”  

Tam’s eyes narrowed.  “I don’t have a favorite blanket.”  

“Uh–huh,”  she said.  “And yet Linh said her name was—what was it again?  Oh, right.  I think it was Miss Fluffers?”  

Tam scowled and the forest managed to become darker.  Grace smirked and bounced past him into the twins’ hut.  Linh was sitting with Astraia, trying to get her to talk but not making any progress.  

Grace sat on the floor next to them and flopped onto Astraia, making her quiet friend look at her curiously and like she didn’t know if this was normal for Grace.  

“So,”  Grace said.  “What have you guys been up to?”  

Linh tried to let Astraia answer but she seemed to know what they were trying and shook her head.  The two girls sighed, Grace more heavily and dramatically than Linh.  

“Astraia,”  Grace said.  “Say something.  Anything.  Come on!  You can’t stay quiet forever!  If that’s your plan, how do you expect yourself to not say a word for your entire life?  You do realize how long we elves live, right?  I don’t think you can stay quiet for hundreds of thousands of years, missy.”  

Astraia shook her head and curled her knees into her chest.  

Grace sighed.  “One thing, okay?  Just say one thing, and if that kills our eardrums, then we won’t bother you about speaking again, okay?  One word, one sentence, whatever.  Words never killed anybody.  They can cause wounds, but not death.  So come on!  What do you have to lose?”  

Astraia cleared her throat, taking ten minutes before whispering the first word she’d ever said since day one of Exilium.  “What would you want me to say?”  

She covered her mouth with her hand, realizing she actually said something.  Her face showed that she expected them to fall in pain, covering their ears, but they stayed in their exact position.  Her voice was a bit rough but still soft and powerful.  

Linh hugged her and Grace gave Tam a smug I told you I could get her to talk look, making him roll his eyes.  She sat up and stood, remembering the earlier mission she had given herself.  

It was time to find her brother.  

Thirteen

Keefe was waiting when Noreh leaped back to Candleshade.  

He gave her a small smile and they leaped to Everglen.  He asked how Exilium was and she told him about her mystery friend, deciding to leave out the part that she was a pyrokinetic and possibly her half-sister.  

She’d tell him later, when she was a hundred percent sure and when things weren’t so fragile.  But she did confront Alden about it after dinner.  Her curiosity could only be contained for so long.  

“I need to speak with you,”  she said.  

“Noreh,”  he said, standing up from behind his deck.  “Come in.”  

Noreh walked in and sat down in the overly-cushioned chair.  Alden sat back down, his cape swishing as he did.  He looked at her curiously, slightly confused, waiting for her to start.  

“What’s the Black Swan?”  

He sighed.  “Noreh, what me and Alvar were talking about at the dinner—”  

“It’s not just that,”  she interrupted, taking a deep breath before explaining how someone tried to recruit her.  

Alden was by her side in seconds.  “Noreh, listen to me.  We cannot trust them.  We don’t know anything about them—”  

“Except they’re the reason me and Sophie were in the Forbidden Cities.  And Prentice worked for them.  And—”  

“Noreh!”  He took her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.  “Whatever you’re thinking, you need to stop.  The Black Swan is not to be trusted.”  

“But I need to know,”  she insisted.  “They created me.  They’re why I exist—why Sophie exists.  And they had Fitz bring me here—it’s only fair that I at least ask them why.  Maybe I can join and—”  

“No, Noreh.”  Alden looked her in the eyes, his voice the most stern and urgent she’d ever heard him use.  “You need to stop thinking about this immediately, okay?  You can’t go back to Exilium until we find the Black Swan’s agent.  Do you have a name or anything that might be useful?”  

“No.  But that wouldn’t help, anyway.  They don’t use names and everyone wears masks, so you can’t identify them.”  

He sighed.  “I’ll alert the Council about this.  I’m sure they’ll want to meet with you to ensure you’re safe.  Until then, I’ll hail the Sencens and see if you and Keefe can stay the night.”  

Fitz, Biana, and Keefe were waiting for Noreh at the door.  She walked down the stairs reluctantly, wishing Alden had told her more.  She wanted to go back to the Black Swan, and more than she wanted to admit, she really, really wanted to see Shang again.  

When Keefe asked if she was ready to get back to CandleShade, she said Alden wanted them to spend the night and was in the process of hailing his parents.  Fitz seemed suspicious and tried to ask what was going on but she just told him it was nothing.  He didn’t seem to like her answer but she didn’t give him anything else.  

Biana let her borrow a pair of indigo pajamas with peacocks on them while Keefe borrowed a pair of blue ones from Fitz.  The four of them gathered in Everglen’s large living room and sat in a circle.  

“So. . .”  Biana said.  “Who's up for a little truth or dare?”  

“I’m down if Keefe is,”  Noreh said.  

“I’m down,”  Keefe said.  “Fitzy?”  

FItz’s sigh sounded more like a groan.  “I have a feeling we’re going to do it anyway, despite my opinion?”  

“Yep!”  Biana said.  

“Fine.”  

Biana looked too giddy for Noreh to feel comfortable, and Keefe looked like he was already thinking of some disastrous dares.  Fitz and Noreh exchanged some looks of regret as they shuffled uncomfortably.  

“So, who’s going first?”  Biana asked.  

“Noreh, truth or dare?”  Keefe asked.  

“Dare all the way,”  Noreh said.  

Keefe smirked and Fitz leaned over to whisper,  “you’re gonna regret that.”  She shrugged and stared Keefe down, waiting for her dare.  

“Let’s see,”  he said, putting his hands together.  “I dare you to dye your hair neon colors.”  

She shrugged.  “Okay.  But I’m picking the colors and you can’t see it till tomorrow.”  

They went on for a while, Biana having to eat a strange concoction Noreh whipped together, Fitz having to let Biana style his hair, Keefe having to sing a nursery rhyme—which everyone seemed very confused by but Noreh found hilarious—that she roughly taught him in two minutes, and so on.  

It ended when Biana dared Keefe to kiss her on the cheek.  He did it, but Biana turned her head at the last second and Keefe caught a bit of her lip before he realized what was happening.  That was when FItz decided they should go to bed.  

Noreh got the room she slept in the first night she was there and Keefe had the one next to hers.  Fitz and Biana’s were down the hall.  Noreh closed the door to her room, stumbling against the door as her vision blurred again and she felt light headed.  

She blinked it away and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep in seconds.  

Fourteen

“How about this?”  Calista asked, showing Noreh a vial holding a sloshy red liquid.  

“Pretty,”  Noreh said.  “But Keefe dared me to dye my hair with neon colors.  Besides, I think I’d rather something. . . colder than red.”  

“We should check the back,”  Calista said, glancing at the window of watching elves.  

Ever since Noreh started going to Exilium, people kept watching her and whispering behind her back, though she didn’t care that much.  It was a bit weird when some of them tried to follow her all over Atlantis, though.  

She followed Calista to the back of the shop and looked around at the vials, trying to find a neon one that didn’t look too bad.  She picked up a small box that had a picture of purple, blue, and bright green  blended together.  

“How about we try this one?”  

Calista looked it over and nodded, going to the backroom and setting up the chair and sink for her to dye her hair.  Noreh sat down and opened the box, taking out the little vials.  She carefully started with the purple, then the blues, the greens.  

When she finished she waited an hour, playing truth or dare with Calista before she washed her hair.  She started straightening it—despite Noreh’s protests—after Noreh dried and brushed the tangles out.  

She looked in the mirror and smiled.  “You know, Keefe’s dare was actually just what I needed.”  

Calista inspected her.  “It’s not how it shows on the box—”  

“I think I like it better, honestly,”  Noreh said.  

Calista shrugged and started cleaning everything up while Noreh put her hair in a ponytail, the curled ends bouncing at her shoulders.  Her Imparter flashed and Calista picked it up, an excited look on her face.  

“Hi Keefe Sencen!”  She said.  

Noreh shook her head, smiling.  Keefe was Calista’s major crush—along with Fitz.  It was honestly kind of amusing to watch her talk about and to them.  

“Hey. . . Calista, right?”  Keefe asked.  “Is Noreh there?  She was supposed to be here half an hour ago.”  

“I’m here!”  Noreh called off screen.  “I was doing your dare.  I kind of like it, not gonna lie.”  

“SO, Keefe,”  Calista said smoothly, twirling a braided piece of her strawberry hair around her finger.  

Noreh shook her head and finished cleaning the dye out of the sink and resetting everything.  Calista was talking to Keefe like they were old friends.  Noreh waited patiently while they talked for half an hour before Keefe made an excuse about Biana being impatient and hung up.  

Calista handed Noreh her Imparter and said goodbye, the distracted look in her eyes suggesting that she was still dazed from her conversation with Keefe.  

Noreh arrived at Everglen and Alden was surprised by her hair but hastily found a compliment.  Biana said she loved it, Fitz said it was cool and Keefe said she should’ve come to the hair master (meaning him) but it was okay for a beginner.  

They had dinner and Alden decided they should stay another night (apparently he didn’t trust Noreh, but she didn’t really blame him) and they decided wisely not to play another game of truth or dare.  

When she climbed the stairs to her room she stumbled and collapsed into Keefe, who caught her frantically.  Fitz and Biana huddled around her.  

“Are you okay?”  Biana asked.  

Noreh tried to blink the blurriness away.  “Yeah, just really tired.”  

Keefe and Fitz exchanged a worried look but helped her to her room.  She sat down on her bed and took a deep breath, which led to a yawn.  She grabbed one of the pillows and held it, since she didn’t have a special stuffed animal like Sophie.  

“I’ll hail Elwin in the morning,”  Fitz said.  

“Seriously, I’m fine,”  she insisted.  “Just tired.”  

He and Keefe exchanged another one of their looks before he and Biana left, leaving Noreh alone with Keefe.  

“Are you sure you’re fine?”  He asked.  

She sighed.  “Yes, Keefe.”  

He sat next to her, tapping his fingers against his legs nervously.  She watched him from the side of her eyes, waiting for him to say whatever he was so nervous about.  

“Astra—Noreh,”  he said.  “It’s just. . . you remind me of someone.  My sister, Astraia.  You two looked a little alike and are kind of the same.  She’s a Vociferator and was banished.  She goes to Exilium.  I was wondering if you might have seen her?”  

She stared at the pillow in her arms.  “Everyone wears a mask.  I can ask my friend, but I haven’t seen her.  Sorry.”  

He stood from the bed and walked to the door.  “And the reason I’m so worried about is because you feel like a sister to me.”  

Fifteen

Nore was having the worst day of her life.  

Not only did she nearly choke to death by seeing how long she could hold her breath under water, but Grace wasn’t there and Tam the Moody Shade got mad at her for absolutely no reason.  

And it just so happened that Stina (she had a lot of words she wanted to use) told Sophie the only reason the Vackers were being friends with her was because Alden wanted to keep an eye on her, so Sophie fled and Dex went to check on her and they went into a cave and there was a big tidal wave so the two of them were now missing.  

So yeah, worst day of her life.  

She locked herself in her room, hesitant to trust the Vackers anymore and only letting Keefe in to bring food.  He tried to see how she was doing but she just pushed him away and locked the door when he left.  

Fitz, Biana, and Alden kept trying to hail her but had no luck.  Alden even visited and tried to see if she was okay but she wouldn’t unlock the door, no matter how much he pleaded and how much Cassius ordered and demanded her to obey him.  

Then Sophie and Dex’s disappearance was announced a tragedy and that they were dead.  Noreh barely ate anything Keefe gave her and he was left having to force her to eat.  He hailed Elwin one time but Noreh wouldn’t let him in.  

Finally the day of Sophie and Dex’s plantings came.  Noreh wore a silky green dress that got lighter near the bottom, matching her hair.  She twisted the emerald ring Grace had mysteriously left at her desk the day Alden announced the missing elves were dead.  

Noreh had just finished fish–braiding her hair when Keefe knocked at the door.  She opened it and found him dressed in a green jerkin, his hair less styled than usual and his eyes bloodshot.  He offered Noreh the smallest and saddest of smiles.  She just looked down and grabbed his hand, clinging to him tightly as they met his parents downstairs and leaped away.  

The ceremony was crowded but Noreh, the Dizznees, and the Ruewens were in the front.  Noreh had Keefe stand next to her, since she didn’t like the attention and she didn’t trust herself not to attack Stina or go on a psycho rampage.  

Edaline looked terrible.  There were dark circles like bruises under her eyes and her figure was slumped.  Grady didn’t look any better.  The Dizznees were hard to interpret.  Kesler was tense, his face hard.  Juline was crying softly and the triplets were standing still, looking at their brother’s tree.  

At the end of the ceremony Noreh and the Dizziness stood by their family’s tree.  The Ruewens stood a little far away in the middle, unable to decide what side to stand on.  People passed by and gave their condolences.  

Lord Cassius and Lady Gisela left early on, telling Keefe to leap straight back to CandleShade after Noreh was done.  The Vackers were the last to come through the line for Sophie.  They tried talking to Noreh, offering condolences and apologies and trying to explain, but she was too numb to say anything.  

Eventually they gave up and left.  Edaline and Grady watched from afar.  Noreh took a deep breath and headed over to them.  They looked alarmed at her arrival but stayed where they were.  Keefe drifted uncomfortably around them, unsure if he should take Noreh away or not.  

“I’m Noreh,”  she said.  “Y–you were Sophie’s foster parents?”  

They glanced at each other hesitantly before nodding.  

“I didn’t see Sophie that much, and I only met you once,”  Noreh started.  “But I know she loved you guys a lot.  I–I. . . appreciate that you guys were able to take care of her while she was here.  Thank you.”  

They smiled grimly, guilt and grief on their faces.  Noreh took a deep breath and hugged them, closing her eyes.  They were shocked at first and tensed, but Edaline hugged her back and Grady gave in a bit after.  

They were all crying when they pulled back.  Even Keefe had a few tears when she walked back to him.  She gave him a quick hug before they leaped back to CandleShade and she locked herself back in her room.  Then she finally let herself break down, crying on the floor as green ice spread across the floor and on the walls, icicles suspended in the air.  

She fell asleep on the floor and woke to the sound of breaking glass.  She jumped to her feet and faced the intruder.  

Grace had her long chocolate hair straightened against her army green collared tunic.  She wore laced black boots and dark leggings.  She knelt down next to Noreh, an empathetic look on her face, like she understood what Noreh was going through.  

Noreh grabbed her hand and stood, stumbling into Grace as her vision blurred again and the nausea hit harder than expected.  Grace caught her and steadied her, looking worried.  

“Are you okay?”  She asked.  

“I’m fine,”  Noreh gritted out.  

Grace hung her head.  “It always happens to us.  There’s no fix.”  

Noreh looked at her weirdly.  “What?”  

Grace shook her head.  “Nothing you need to worry about yet.  When you’re ready I’ll take you to Forkle.  Just take a couple of deep breaths first, okay?”  

Noreh breathed in a long breath.  “Why do I need to see Forkle?”  

Grace put her hands on Noreh’s shoulders.  “Because we think we’ve found Sophie.”  

Sixteen

Noreh freaked out, just like Grace had expected.  

She started demanding questions and her cryokinesis started throwing icicles and freezing everything.  She nearly froze Grace’s hand off before she could get the icicle–happy elf under control and leap her back to Alluveture.  

There was a yelling match featuring a confused Noreh and a pleading Forklenator.  Grace stood by, silently watching and ready to intervene if needed.  

Cahto kept coming up in her thoughts and she tried to push it away.  It had been nine years since the Neverseen had taken him.  She barely remembered what he looked like.  

The only thing she did remember was playing hide n’ seek before people in dark cloaks showed up.  Squall barely showed up in time to save her, but it was too late for Cahto.  They had already leaped him away.  

Noreh and Forkle finished their yelling match and were about to make the leap to the Neverseen’s hideout the gnomes sensed when Grace stopped them.  

“I’m coming too, right?”  

Forkle shook his head.  “It would be dangerous to bring you there, considering your . . . past.  You’ll need to sit this one out, Miss Smoke.”  

“But Cahto—”  

“Might not be there,”  Forkle interrupted.  “Miss Foster is our top priority right now.”  

Noreh glanced between the two, confused.  “Whose Cahto?”  

Forkle grabbed her hand.  “This is not the time.  Cahto is probably not even there, Grace.  Miss Foster is still there, and every second we waste is another that the Neverseen hold her and Mr. Dizznee prisoner.”  

Grace crossed her arms and watched as they leaped away.  Squall tried to talk to her, as did Granite and Blur, but she ignored them, heading back to Astraia and Torie’s hut.  They didn’t mind too much—they were used to her coming over randomly.  

She sat criss–crossed on the ground next to Astraia, glaring at the floor.  Astraia traced her fingers against the floor, looking as bored as ever.  She had that sad look on her face that suggested she was thinking about Keefe again.  

Grace was thinking about her own brother.  Forkle could just be so unbelievably stubborn when it came to stuff like that.  She was only fourteen, but that was old enough to search for him herself without getting killed.  

Tori came in, carrying a wooden tray with drinks and small bits of food.  Astraia stared at it, looking like she wanted to cry but couldn’t.  Grace gave her a hug before grabbing one of the drinks.  Astraia numbly grabbed the other drink and stared at it in her hands.  

“We’ll find Cahto,”  Torie promised.  “And you’ll see Keefe again.”  

Astraia slumped and nodded in the reflection of her depressed drink.  Grace shrugged and swirled the juice.  

“You’ll see Scarlet again, too,”  she told Torie.  “And Cornelian.”  

Tori gave her a small smile before sitting next to them.  They all stared at their drinks and the snacks, being the depressed group they were.  Hours passed by and Grace thought her brain would explode.  

Finally she stood to leave, thinking that Forkle and Noreh had to be back by now.  Astraia waved goodbye, still not trusting herself to speak even though nothing went wrong last time she spoke, and Tori let her take some of the snacks with her, which was definitely a bonus.  

Grace made sure she was out of sight when she leaped, since Tori wasn’t part of the Black Swan and would question why she was using a light leaping crystal.  When Grace arrived back at Alluvetere, she found Noreh and Forkle having another yelling match.  

“How could you just leave them?!”  Noreh shouted.  “They were drugged and unconscious!  How could you just leave them in an alley?!”  

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on a sec,”  Grace said.  “You left Sophie and Dex drugged in an alley?  When they were unconscious?  With the Neverseen chasing them?  I didn’t sign up to be one of your failed experiments, but to make all of this even worse you left the one that actually turned out right drugged in an alley?!”  

Forkle pinched his nose, trying to get support from Granite or Wraith or Blur.  Squall was fuming behind him, and judging by the red handprint on Forkle’s cheek, she was not happy he had left her son drugged in an alley either.  

“Grace, now’s not the time—”  

“It’s never the time,”  Grace grumbled.  

“You kids,”  he muttered.  “You don’t understand.  We couldn’t simply bring them back here.  They would ask too many questions.  And now is too dangerous for the Moonlark to join—”  

“You let me join,”  Noreh argued.  “You reached out to me to join.  I didn’t even ask.  If I’m part of your little organization, why can’t Sophie be?  Not that I want her to be, but still.  Why is there a difference?”  

Forkle opened his mouth to answer but Grace beat him to it.  “Because we’re failed experiments.  The only reason we exist is because Forkle was trying to get us right, but we didn’t work out so he tossed us aside—though he kept you with Sophie for some reason.  We were supposed to be like Sophie but we’re dysfunctional or something, so we’re titled failed and ignored.  He’s probably the reason you and Sophie went to two different families when Fitz brought you to the Lost Cities, and when you get headaches or dizziness?  That’s the side effect from being Forkle’s failed experiment.”  

“Grace,”  Forkle said, his voice low.  

Noreh took a step back from him.  “What?”  

Granite stood between them.  “I think it’s time you go home, Noreh.  You’ve been gone a long time and people will start to wonder why you’re missing.  As for you,”  he turned to Grace.  “Walk with me.”  

“But—”  

“It wasn’t a request.”  

Grace crossed her arms and followed Granite past the Collective as Noreh leaped back to CandleShade.  Granite led her to her training spot, a round place in the forest where the ground was replaced with a fire-proof black mat.  He waited while Grace let out all her anger before starting a conversation, which was a smart decision.  

“Grace,”  he said, his rocky figure crackling as he sat on the edge of the ring.  “You know I’m here for you, and you know Mr. Forkle didn’t just toss you aside—”  

“Yes he did!”  Grace shouted, picking up a throwing star.  “He tossed me and Cahto aside and didn’t even care when he got kidnapped, but he cares about Sophie!”  

Granite touched her arm after she threw the bladed star, which was another smart decision.  It was dangerous to touch her when she had something sharp or dangerous in her hands.  

“You know that’s not true,”  he said quietly.  “He does care for you—all of us do, Grace.  But you’ve shut us out since day one.  We do care and we can help, but you don’t trust us.  I, personally, will help you search for Cahto, even if the rest of the Collective won’t.”   

Grace shook her head and grabbed another throwing star.  “Why are you doing this?  I know Sophie’s your favorite.  Why bother with me?”  

“Because your human family died when you were young and the Neverseen has your brother,”  Granite told her gently.  “You need someone you can rely on.  Someone to help you.  You pretend you’re fine and everything but I know that’s not true.  Keefe Sencen does the same thing.  It’s not healthy.  You need someone to help.”  

Grace held the throwing star, looking at her reflection in one of the pointed blades.  “I have Astraia.  That’s all I need.”  

“You know Astraia doesn’t even trust herself to talk,”  he pointed out.  “Let me help you, Grace.  Or at least let someone who can actually speak help you.”  

Grace threw the star, the blade sinking into the dummy’s arm.  “Look, Tiergan—”  

Granite straightened.  “How do you know my identity?”  

“I’ve lived here for how long?”  Grace snorted.  “Please, how dumb do you think I am?”  

Granite was clearly flustered but tried to hide it.  “Who all do you know?”  

“Lets see,”  Grace counted in her head.  “I know a few of Forkle’s, Blur’s, and Squall’s.”  

Granite rubbed his forehead.  “Well this is. . . not how I planned for this conversation to go.”  

Seventeen

Noreh couldn’t stand being in CandleShade any longer.  So she went to Atlantis instead, hailing Calista beforehand saying she needed her best friend to help her think straight.  

Calista was eager to see Noreh and caught her up on all the gossip at Foxfire and told her about her crush—a boy named Maverick who had pale blonde hair and  “gorgeous”  blue eyes.  Noreh couldn’t help but smile as Calista explained her crush in every detail.  

But the smile quickly vanished when she remembered Forkle leaving Sophie and Dex drugged in an alley and what Grace said about them being failed experiments.  Was Forkle really the reason she and Sophie had been separated?  

“Do you have any crushes?”  Calista asked.  

Noreh blushed but was glad Calista was being normal like she’d asked her to.  “There’s one guy. . .”  

“Who?”  Calista demanded, leaning across the table and staring into Noreh’s soul.  “I must know who the poor guy is.”  

Noreh rolled her eyes.  “I only saw him once, but he was. . . amazing.  His eyes are. . . and his face. . . and his voice. . . his hair. . .”  

Calista laughed.  “Sounds like someone’s love-sick!”  

Noreh shook her head.  She wasn’t love-sick for Shang.  She was pretty sure he didn’t even remember the day he walked over and bought her a cheeseburger—not that she actually got the chance to eat it.  

Plates of blue and orange glops, butter blasts, and mallowmet appeared on the glass table and Noreh dug in.  She had let Calista order, and Calista knew exactly what to get—though Noreh didn’t know what the glop things were.  The blue one tasted like juicy cheeseburgers, and the orange like the most delicious, most creamy mac n’ cheese.  

“So,”  Calista said, watching as Noreh popped a butter blast into her mouth.  “How are you, really?”  

Noreh sighed, staring at the mallowmet.  “I honestly don’t know, Cal.”  

Calista nodded, stirring a bowl of the orange glop while tossing a butter blast into the air.  “That’s a good start, I guess.  At least you’re not crying or wanting to murder anyone?”  

Noreh eyed the butter blast Calista kept tossing in the air.  “Yeah, I guess.  I’m still not sure what to do about the Vackers.  You know, with Stina saying they were only being friends because Alden told them to.”  

Calista tossed the butter blast into her mouth and Noreh frowned.  “Look, I’m not saying this only because Fitz is dreamy, but this is my honest thought:  I think it started like that, but I also think after time they actually were your guys’ friends.  I mean, if you saw how Biana looked when Stina told Sophie. . . and how desperate Fitz was. . . I think you’d understand.”  

Noreh thought about it.  Biana was a little stiff at first, but then she started acting naturally.  Maybe Calista was right.  But what if it wasn’t?  What if Biana and Fitz were just really good actors?  

The only one Noreh was sure of was Keefe.  She just knew he wasn’t faking.  He called her his sister, which she didn’t think he would do if he was acting.  

“It’s just my opinion,”  Calista said when Noreh remained silent.  

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Alden and Della, who seemed to be shopping or something, maybe visiting Quintus.  Calista followed her gaze and quickly finished her glop/soup and mallowmet, tossing a few butter blasts into her mouth before standing.  

“I better get back to the store,”  she told Noreh.  “Hail me if you need anything.”  

Noreh watched her go, taking a deep breath before she looked back at Alden and Della.  Alden was obviously in a hurry, his face more saddened than usual, as was Della’s.  He spotted her and hesitated a second before walking over.  

“Noreh,”  he said softly.  “I’m so sorry.”  

“For what?”  She asked, flicking the silver fork between her fingers.  

“For everything,”  Alden told her.  “For Sophie, for asking Biana to be friends with you so I could keep an eye on you.  I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be.  But please, Noreh, don’t blame Fitz and Biana.”  

She watched the fork as she flicked it between her fingers, biting her lip.  “I don’t blame them,”  she said at last.  “How are they?”  

Alden seemed surprised that she asked that question.  “They’re. . .dealing with Sophie’s death in different ways.  They’ve never had anyone close to them die before so it’s all new to them.”  

Noreh nodded.  “Can I see them?”  

Alden hesitated a second before answering.  “Of course.  It’s good to see you out of CandleShade.  I was worried when Keefe said you hadn’t left your room since the planting.”  

He led her over to Della, who crushed her with a hug before Alden told her she needed some air.  They took the giant bubble out of Atlantis and arrived in front of Everglen’s bright gates.  Noreh couldn’t believe she hadn’t been there in so long.  

The gates opened and Alden took the lead, taking her up the grand staircase while Della went off to do something for the Council.  Alden knocked on Biana’s door.  When she didn’t answer he gently opened it to find Biana on her bed, facing the wall.  

Noreh walked into the room and Alden left the two alone.  She wasn’t sure what to do exactly, so she sat on the edge of the bed next to Biana, waiting for her to notice her.  

Biana looked at her and gasped.  “Noreh?”  She immediately threw herself at Noreh.  “I’m so sorry.  My dad did ask me to be friends with you but you were really my friend and Sophie’s gone and I couldn’t tell her before. . . but you are my friend and I’m so sorry!”  

Noreh put a hand on her friend’s back.  “It’s okay, Biana.”  

Biana looked at her, her cheeks wet with tears.  “Really?”  

“Of course.  I think this proves you’re my friend.  I’m sorry I ever doubted.”  

The two sat together in a long silence, unsure of what to do next.  Biana’s room was in a state Noreh hadn’t thought capable.  Clothes were on the floor and her beauty products looked untouched.  

“Where’s Fitz?”  She asked.  

Biana stared at the window again.  “In his room.”  

When she didn’t say anything else, Noreh stood and headed over to Fitz’s room.  She found him standing and holding a small little albertosaurus.  His expression was dazed and sad.  He sighed and turned, gasping when he noticed her.  

“Noreh?”  

She gave him a small wave.  “Hey, Fitz.”  

“What are you doing here?”  He asked, placing the albertosaurus on his dresser.  

Noreh fiddled with her dark tunic.  “I came to see how you guys were.”  

Fitz gave her a look.  “Why us?  Shouldn’t it be the other way around?  Sophie is—was, your sister.  You should be more upset than any of us.”  

She shrugged, not looking at him.  “I just want things to go back to normal.”  

And they would.  Once Sophie and Dex were back safely.  And they would be back.  Sophie was tough.  And Forkle said he activated Dex’s ability, so they would be okay.  She had to believe they would be okay.  

Or she would probably lock Forkle in a dark hole for the rest of his life and start being emo herself.  And she didn’t really want to be like Tam.  Sure, he was a softie on the inside.  But he was so. . . intense.  

Fitz had a distracted look in his eye for a few seconds before he led her out of his room and back into Biana’s.  Keefe arrived just as they excited his room, looking surprised to see Noreh there.  

“Just came to check on you and Biana,”  he said quietly before turning to Noreh.  “I thought you were still at Candshade.”  

Noreh shrugged and Fitz straightened, his eyes looking into the distance.  Biana slowly came out of her room and everyone stared at Fitz.  After a few seconds his teal eyes focused on them again and he looked stressed.  

“What is it?”  Noreh asked, trying to keep the hope out of her voice.  She had a feeling Sophie would transmit to him if she could, even though they were half-way across the world.  

Fitz shook his head, trailing a hand through his dark hair.  “I—I don’t know, it’s just. . .”  he sighed.  “I feel like Sophie’s transmitting to me, but that’s impossible—”  

“We have to find her,”  Noreh interrupted, knowing it was real.  “Please.  If there’s a chance she’s alive, we have to get her and Dex.”  

The three exchanged looks and Fitz explained that Sophie had described a strange tree that Keefe had recognized as the Four Seasons Tree.  The four elves quickly hurried to the Leap Master and shouted the command.  

They were bringing Sophie home.  

And Dex.  

A/N:  Hey peeps!  I hope you liked those chapters!  🙂  I’m already working on chapter nineteen.  We’re coming to an end on part one!  Who’s excited???  Also, I have another thing.  

Part one will be more like part two—maybe.  I’m going to add a small part before but I won’t upload that until I’m completely finished.  I will continue to write on the more recent chapters, though, don’t worry.  

The part one (before) is going to be probably no more than ten chapters.  I honestly might make the scenes into flashbacks instead.  I got the idea from Astatine and Undecided, since I’m adding  “Before”  as part one as a brief prologue/intro type of thing.  

Anyway, I’ll let you guys go.  I don’t know if I’ll have chapter nineteen ready for the October update, but if not I’ll definitely have it ready for November.  This year has gone by so fast. . . 

Until next time, be safe and have a great day/night and God bless!  

—C. H

Eighteen

They arrived at the Four Seasons Tree and Noreh immediately took off running, the three elves hot on her heels.  A few feet away were two unconscious figures, obviously Dex and Sophie.  But something strange started happening to Sophie.  She started to sparkle.  

“No!”  Fitz shouted, sliding next to her.  “Biana, go hail Elwin.  Keefe, take Dex to Everglen.  Noreh—”  

“I’m staying right here,”  Noreh said with determination.  

Biana fumbled for her leaping crystal—her imparter was back at Everglen.  Keefe picked Dex up and slung him over his shoulder, grabbing Biana’s hand.  The two looked at Sophie in worry before stepping into the light.  

Noreh knelt next to Sophie, trying to hold back tears as she looked at her sister.  Sophie’s skin was starting to turn clear and the glitter started rising up to the sky (A/N: I don’t know if that’s what fading looks like but that’s how I imagine it).  

Several long, painful moments passed as they waited for Elwin, and Fitz let out a laugh, a tear trickling down the side of his cheek.  He looked up at Noreh and gave her a relieved look.  He was talking telepathically to Sophie.  

“Where is she?”  Elwin demanded, running at them.  He gasped when he saw Sophie.  “Fitz, pry her lips open.”  

Fitz obeyed and parted Sophie’s lips.  Elwin poured a white medicine down her throat and she coughed.  

“Don’t fight it, Sophie,”  Elwin warned.  “Your body’s not ready to be awake.”  

Fitz seemed to be transmitting to Sophie, and finally she succumbed to the sedative.  Elwin worked on stopping her from fading while Noreh and Fitz stayed next to Sophie and watched.  

Finally when Elwin thought she was safe to leap they went to Everglen, where Alden, Della, Keefe, and Biana immediately swarmed them.  Elwin ordered everyone aside and brought Sophie up to one of the guest rooms.  

Alden followed and Della put a hand on Biana’s shoulder, who was looking at Sophie and stifling sobs.  Keefe gently grabbed Noreh’s forearm and led her to a couch in another, and as soon as they sat down, she burst into tears.  

Only they weren’t tears of sadness.  They were tears of anger.  Anger at Mr. Forkle for leaving Sophie in the alley, angry at the Neverseen for kidnapping her, angry at the Council, angry at the entire Lost Cities.  

Because none of this would have happened if they’d stayed in the Forbidden Cities.  The Neverseen didn’t even know where Sophie was until she arrived at the Lost Cities.  And maybe, just maybe, if Noreh had actually lived with Sophie in the Lost Cities, she could have stopped this all from happening.  

She cried out all her emotions into Keefe’s shoulder until she couldn’t bear it anymore and passed out right there.  

Her dreams were full of darkness and taunts.  Full of pained memories.  

Sophie, unconscious, in Mr. Forkle’s arms after falling on the stairs.  Noreh manifesting after waking up in the hospital.  Sophie screaming in pain, saying the voices hurt but no one was speaking.  Sophie’s drained, fading body by the Four Seasons Tree.  

Everything Noreh lived for revolved around her sister.  She couldn’t imagine a life without Sophie.  And now she had Keefe, her new brother.  If Grace felt that way about Cahto. . . then Noreh would do everything in her power to help her half-sister find her twin.  

She woke up with a jolt, and strong, gentle arms from behind pulled her back.  She whipped her head around and spotted Keefe next to her, looking sleep deprived.  Biana was asleep on the opposite couch beside Della, who was nodding off.  Alden, Fitz, Elwin, and Sophie were nowhere in sight.  

“Is she. . . ?”  Noreh thought through the haze, taking deep breaths.  

Keefe put an arm around her shoulders to keep her steady.  “Elwin’s been with her all night.  It’s a slow process.  Fitz and Alden have been with him the whole time.  They said. . . they said Bullhorn was lying next to her.”  

Noreh gulped, resting her head against his shoulder.  “I’m guessing that’s a bad thing?”  

Keefe paused a second, needing to clear his throat.  “Elwin told me before that whenever a banshee lays next to someone, it means they’re close to death.”  

Noreh sucked in a breath, trying to stop the black snowflakes flickering around her fingers.  Keefe grabbed her hand and squeezed it, making Noreh feel the slightest bit better.  And even though her sister might not stay alive, she couldn’t help but wish Shang was there.  

Of course it was ridiculous.  She’d only seen him once, and she didn’t even know him all that well.  But there was just something. . . something about him that she just. . . found unique.  She didn’t know what, but he was just. . . amazing.  

She stood before Keefe could feel the change in her emotions and made an excuse saying that she needed space.  Keefe understood and let her go, and when she was out of sight, she headed to Everglen’s Leap Master and leapt to the Forbidden Cities—but not before snapping her registry pendant off.  

Noreh glittered in front of a familiar restaurant and took a deep breath before opening the door.  At a booth far in the corner, all by himself, was a figure with dark, shoulder-length hair.  Now it was her turn to be the one to walk up to his table.  

“Knew you’d be back,”  he said before she even came into view.  “You never got to try the cheeseburger.”  

Noreh laughed and sat in the empty seat across from him, a tray holding a cheeseburger and fries on the table.  By the looks of it, Shang had already eaten two and was eyeing her fries.  

She resisted the urge to hug him and grabbed one of the fries—which was still warm.  He tried to steal one but she slapped his hand, earning a raised eyebrow.  

“How did you know I was coming?”  Noreh asked, needing an answer and confirmation that he hadn’t stayed at the restaurant the entire time she was gone.  

“Easy.  I used a spyball,”  he answered casually.  

“Wait—so you’re an elf too?”  She gasped.  “I mean, I guess that makes sense.  But how are you here?  Isn’t it, like, illegal to have contact with humans?”  

Shang smirked and stole one of her fries.  “I don’t really care about the Council’s rules.  Besides, they don’t even know I exist.”  

Noreh’s jaw dropped and she put the cheeseburger she had just picked up back down on the tray.  “What?  How does the Council not know—”  

Shang pressed a finger to her lips.  “Because they weren’t notified of my birth.  My mother, Vespera, is in prison.  So a group called the Neverseen took me in when I was born.  If I could, I’d leave in a heartbeat.  But I can’t.”  

“Why not?”  

He leaned closer to her, so close she could feel his breath on her cheek as he whispered,  “they’re the group that took Sophie.  And I might be able to take them down.”  

A/N:  Yay!  We finished part one!!  You guys know how it ends, with Sophei recovering, getting adopted, etc.  Same thing happens with Noreh (though she doesn’t need to recover) and she gets adopted by the Sencens, because she doesn’t want to leave Keefe alone in CandleShade.  

I’ll try to write the next part as fast as I can!  Hope y’all have enjoyed this story so far!  Please comment for any ideas, thoughts, or anything random.  I would love to talk to you!  All ideas will be considered and I will answer all questions as well as I am able !  

That’s all for now peepsicles!  Until next time, be safe and have a great day/night!  

—C. H

Read the rest on Wattpad!

C. H (@AvidWriter4Life) - Wattpad