Keeper of the Lost Cities

THIRTEEN

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” HER DAD SHOUTED AS Sophie set foot through the door. His round face—usually so soft—was bent and twisted into hard lines.

Her mom rubbed her temples. “We almost called the police.”

Sophie’s eyes burned with unshed tears. Her parents, her house, her whole life for the past twelve years—this was the last time she would see any of it. It was far, far too much for her brain to process, so she did the only thing she could do. She raced across the room, threw her arms around them, and hugged as hard as she could.

“Did something happen, Sophie?” her dad asked after a minute. “Your school called and said you left early.” His mind flashed to unspoken horrors.

Sophie cringed away from his thoughts. “Nothing bad happened. It’s just been a strange day.” She buried her face into her mom’s side. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too,” her mom whispered, totally confused.

“What’s going on, Soybean?” her dad asked.

Sophie trembled at the nickname—proof that she really didn’t belong with her family.

“She’s just trying to get out of trouble,” Amy said, bouncing into the room. She loved watching Sophie get busted.

“Amy, how many times have I told you not to eavesdrop?” her mom asked.

Amy shrugged. “How long is she grounded for?”

“Three months,” her dad answered.

Amy shot Sophie a triumphant look.

“It doesn’t matter,” Sophie said, still hugging her parents. “I’m sorry for worrying you guys. I won’t do it again, I promise.” For once she would be able to keep her word.

“Well, maybe two months,” her mom decided, rubbing Sophie’s back.

Amy pouted and Sophie couldn’t help smiling at her pettiness.

She was stunned to realize at that moment that she was going to miss Amy. Her bratty, obnoxious, pain-in-the-butt little sister. Sure, they fought all the time, but fighting with her was . . . fun. Why had she never realized that before?

She ran over and wrapped Amy up in a hug.

Her parents gasped.

“Ugh, what are you doing?” Amy asked, squirming in Sophie’s tight embrace.

Sophie ignored her struggles. “I know we don’t always get along, Amy, but you’re my sister, and I love you.”

Amy jerked away. “Why are you being weird?”

“I’m not being weird. I just wanted to tell you I love you. I love all of you.” She turned to her parents, who were watching the strange scene play out between their daughters with their mouths open. “I couldn’t have asked for a better family.”

“What happened to you?” Amy asked.

“Nothing.” She turned away to blink back tears. “I’m going to my room now.”

Her dad cleared his throat, coming to his senses. “You’re not off the hook yet, Soybean. We still need to talk about what happened today.”

“We will,” she agreed, desperate to get out of there. Fitz was keeping watch outside, and she had to hurry. “Later.”

SHE RACED TO HER ROOM and packed in a daze. She didn’t take much. Everything felt like it belonged to someone else—to another life.

When she was done, she allowed herself one minute to rememorize every detail of her old room: the pale blue walls, the dusty stacks of books piled on every available surface, the blue and yellow quilt her mother made for her when she was a baby. Her room looked empty now. Maybe that was because she felt empty.

Then she took a deep breath, turned off the light, and closed the door.

She tripped over Marty’s furry body in the hall. “Sorry, boy,” she whispered, crouching next to him. She rubbed his soft fur, trying not to cry. He’d been her only friend—but she couldn’t take him with her. Her family would need him.

“Amy will take care of you,” she promised as she stood up.

His pink mouth opened, releasing one tiny, pathetic meow.

“I’ll miss you too.”

FITZ HAD GIVEN HER A disk of sleeping gas to release if she couldn’t sneak out. She’d hoped she wouldn’t have to use it—the idea of drugging her family made her physically ill—but they were waiting at the base of the stairs.

“Where do you think you’re going?” her dad demanded, glaring at the backpack slung over her shoulder.

Amy giggled. “Aren’t you in enough trouble already?”

“Sophie Elizabeth Foster, you tell us what’s going on right now!” her mom yelled.

Sophie stared at them, clutching the sleeping gas, too afraid to use it. “I’m sorry,” she managed to say. “I have to leave.”

Her dad moved between her and the door. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“It’s not up to me.”

“Sit down,” he demanded, pointing to the living room couch.

Clearly, they weren’t going to let her go, and time was all but up. “Fine. I promise I’ll explain everything if you just sit down and listen to me.”

She cringed at the lie, hating herself for saying it. But it worked. They moved to the couch and waited for her to start talking.

She fingered the disk, ordering her hands to spin the top the way Fitz had shown her. But she couldn’t—she couldn’t let the last words she said to them be a lie.

“Please, please know that I love you. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. I have to go now, but I will never forget you.”

Tears blurred their faces as she held her breath and twisted the disk between her hands. Air rushed past her fingers as the gas released, and she dropped it and backed away.

Somehow she managed to count to thirty to let the gas clear before she breathed. Then she crumpled to the floor, burying her face in her hands.

“IT’S OKAY, SOPHIE. IT’S GOING to be okay.”

It took her a second to recognize that the voice belonged to Fitz. He crouched on the floor, holding her against his shoulder. Some part of her brain knew she should be embarrassed about smearing tears and drool and snot all over his jacket, but she couldn’t make herself care.

“I drugged my family,” she whispered.

“You did the right thing.”

“It doesn’t feel like the right thing.”

He squeezed her tighter as another round of sobs overcame her. “Look, Sophie, I feel like a jerk for saying this, but we have to get out of here. The Washers could be here any second, and they can’t find us here.”

“Washers?”

“Telepaths trained to erase memories. I’m sure the Council has sent them by now.”

She forced her arms to let go of him and wiped her tearstained face on her shirt. “Just give me a second.”

“I’ll go get your bags. Are they upstairs?”

She pointed to her worn purple backpack. “This is all I’m taking.”

“That’s all?”

“What am I supposed to take? What am I going to need it for?”

“It’s now or never, Sophie. Don’t leave anything behind that you might regret later.”

“No, there’s nothing—” She stopped as she realized there was. Something she’d decided to leave because she was too embarrassed to take it with her. Something she suddenly couldn’t bear to leave without.

“Ella,” she whispered. Saying the name made her feel a tiny bit better. “I haven’t slept without her since I was five. I thought I should leave her behind, but—” She couldn’t finish.

“Where is she?”

“Upstairs, on my bed. She’s the bright blue elephant wearing a Hawaiian shirt.” She blushed, but he didn’t laugh. Somehow he seemed to understand.

“I’ll be right back,” he promised.

She closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see her family’s limp bodies, and counted the seconds until Fitz returned. When he handed her the worn blue elephant, she was surprised at how much better she felt. Now she had something to hold on to. One thing she loved was coming with her.

“I’m ready to go,” she said with sudden determination.

Fitz helped her to her feet and led her to the door. A big part of her wanted to look back one last time, but she kept her eyes forward. Then, clutching Ella with one arm and Fitz with the other, she took the two hardest steps she’d ever taken—out of the past, and into the future.