Keeper of the Lost Cities

FIFTEEN

SHE’S ALIVE!” FITZ TEASED WHEN SOPHIE wandered into the living room the next day. He sat in an overstuffed armchair reading a book called Twenty-Five Ways to Catch the Wind. “You do realize you slept through breakfast and lunch, right?”

“I did?” Sophie looked around, trying to find a clock, but everything was covered in weird clothes—like a costume shop threw up on the furniture. “Sorry. I guess I was tired.”

“You had a rough day yesterday. Plus, your body needs rest while it detoxes,” Della said, materializing in the center of the room.

Sophie clutched her chest. She couldn’t understand how anyone could get used to the ghostly way Vanishers appeared.

Della frowned as she met Sophie’s eyes. “How are you doing?”

Sophie shrugged. She didn’t know how to answer.

“Well, you look great. Not that you weren’t pretty before, but I think that detox made a difference. You should see how shiny your hair is, and your eyes are so . . . exotic. You’re going to be quite the heartbreaker when you grow up.”

“Who is?” Biana strode into the room in a fitted dress with intricate gold embroidery that shimmered with every step. She looked way more glamorous than any twelve-year-old had the right to look.

“Sophie,” Della said, smiling at Sophie. “Doesn’t she look pretty today?”

There might’ve been things that were less embarrassing than that moment, but Sophie couldn’t think of any. Especially when Biana shrugged, and asked, “Isn’t that the same dress you wore yesterday?”

“All my other clothes were—” she started to explain, but Della held up her hand.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve sent something up for you. I’ve been shopping all morning.” She waved her arms at the explosion of clothes. “Behold. Your new wardrobe.”

“That’s all for me?” Was she going to be wearing five outfits a day?

Della winked “I got you everything you’ll need, plus a few extras. The only thing I didn’t get was a new nexus. I figured you’d want to pick your own. Unless you want to keep Fitz’s old, beat-up one.”

Sophie stared at the cuff on her wrist. “This was yours?” she asked Fitz.

He nodded.

She liked that—more than she wanted to admit. She fingered the sparkly stone, which was exactly the same color as his eyes. “Do you want it back?”

“I don’t need it anymore. It’s yours if you want it.”

She was very aware of everyone watching her, so she tried hard to sound casual as she said, “Might as well keep this one then, so it doesn’t go to waste.”

“If that’s what you want,” Della agreed with a smile. “I should be done packing all of this in a few minutes, and then I’ll get you some lunch.”

“Packing?” Her heart sank as Alden entered the room holding her backpack and Ella. “Are you kicking me out?”

She tried to make it a joke, but a touch of hurt leaked into her words.

Della rushed to take her hands. “Of course not. We thought you’d want to get settled into your new home. If you want to wait a few days, we’ll unpack your stuff right now.”

Sophie swallowed to steady her voice. “No, it’s fine. In fact, I don’t really want lunch. I’m not hungry.” Her stomach was so knotted with nerves there wasn’t room for food.

Della smiled sadly. “You’re going to like Grady and Edaline.”

Her palms dampened at the strange names. “What are they like?”

“They’re great,” Alden promised. “They run an animal preserve at Havenfield, so they always have all kinds of exciting things going on.”

“Do they have any kids?”

Della glanced at Alden.

He looked away. “Grady and Edaline lost their only daughter about fifteen years ago. Her name was Jolie. She was twenty when she died. It was . . . . terrible accident.”

Della covered her mouth with her hand.

Alden shook his head. “I’m not sure if they’ll mention it, so you might want to wait to see if they bring it up. That way you’ll know they’re ready to talk about it. And please don’t let that make you more nervous to meet them. I won’t deny that their loss has affected them, but they’re still two of the most wonderful people I know. You’re going to like them.” He offered her his hand. “Come on. Let’s go meet your new guardians.”

“WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL PRESERVE is this?” Sophie asked as a booming roar shook the ground. Fenced-in pastures spread as far as she could see, filled with creatures that looked like mutant, scrambled versions of animals. Ella—in her bright blue glory—suddenly looked normal.

“Havenfield is one of the rehabilitation centers for our Sanctuary,” Alden explained. “The animals are brought here first for training, before we release them into their protected home—and they’re not easy to catch. We’re still trying to trap Nessie. She’s quite the escape artist.”

“These things live around humans?”

“Where do you think the legends come from? Which is why it’s not safe for them. We’ve even had to collect endangered species—gorillas, lions, mammoths—”

“Mammoths are extinct,” she interrupted.

“Tell that to the thriving herd we have at the Sanctuary.”

“You have a herd of woolly mammoths?” Somehow that was harder to believe than goblins or ogres.

“We have colonies of everything. Mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, dinosaurs.” He laughed when her jaw fell slack. “Every species exists for a reason, and to allow one to die off would rob the planet of the unique beauty and qualities it provides. So we make sure they all continue to thrive. Grady and Edaline train the animals to be vegetarians by feeding them gnomish produce; that way they won’t hunt one another once they’re moved to the Sanctuary.”

Another roar interrupted their conversation. Whatever it was sounded like it wasn’t happy about its new diet plan.

The path they followed split, part of it winding down steep cliffs to a rocky beach lined with dark caves. Still, that path looked much less scary than the wide, flower-lined one they took to meet her new guardians.

The path led to a wide meadow, where gnomes were using thick ropes to lasso what looked like a giant lizard covered in neon green feathers. The beast thrashed in protest.

“Oh, stop being such a drama queen,” a husky male voice commanded from somewhere among the ropes and feathers.

ROAR!

“Okay. Here goes nothing,” he called.

The gnomes tugged on the ropes, pulling the beast’s neck low enough for a blond elf to heave himself up—no easy feat considering the beast was twice the size of an elephant.

SNAARRLL!

“I’m trying to help, you silly girl,” he yelled as the beast bucked and thrashed.

Sophie cringed, hoping she wasn’t about to watch her new guardian become lizard food.

“Need a hand, Grady?” Alden called.

“Nah. Almost got it.” He lunged and grabbed something black tangled in the feathers. It twisted and writhed, but Grady yanked it off, nearly losing his balance in the process. The fluffy lizard stopped struggling as Grady tossed the black thing to one of the gnomes and slid down the beast’s back. “Sorry about that,” he called to Alden, once he was back on the ground.

“No problem, my friend. Verdi giving you trouble again?”

“That’s why she’s our permanent resident.”

“Would you like to meet a tyrannosaurus, Sophie?” Alden offered.

Her eyes stretched wide at the name. So the dinosaurs really weren’t extinct. The idea was so impossibly cool. And they looked nothing like what humans thought. Now she knew what Fitz meant with his smug comments at the museum.

“Is it safe?” she asked as she followed Alden forward. She wasn’t sure if she was more nervous about the deadly dinosaur or about meeting Grady.

“It is now that he got that jaculus off her neck. It’s a winged serpent that feeds off blood.”

She clung to Ella for support and moved to Alden’s other side, away from the gnome struggling to contain the bloodsucking snake.

“Easy there, Verdi,” Alden said as the giant beast whipped her head toward him and Sophie.

Verdi was more intimidating up close, with huge yellow eyes, sharp claws, and a pointed snout. Sophie tried not to tremble as Verdi bent down in front of her, lowering her giant head to Sophie’s height. Rows of sharp fangs glinted with dinosaur slobber in the sunlight.

“Are you surprised by what dinosaurs really look like?” Alden asked, motioning for her to come closer.

“I wasn’t expecting the neon feathers,” she admitted, her legs refusing to take another step forward.

Grady laughed beside her, and she whipped around to get a better glimpse of her new, dinosaur-riding guardian. With his chiseled features and feather-covered tunic, she couldn’t decide if he reminded her more of James Bond or Robin Hood—which felt wrong. He was so unlike her chubby, balding dad she wasn’t sure how to relate.

His handsome face stretched into a smile. “You must be Sophie.”

She shook the feathery hand he offered and squeezed Ella tighter. He didn’t look scary—but her knees banged together anyway.

“Want to pet Verdi?” Grady asked.

She really didn’t want to get closer to those deadly looking teeth, but she didn’t want Grady to think she was a wimp either. So she took a deep breath and stepped close enough to rub the T. rex’s cheek with a light touch. Verdi stayed docile, watching Sophie with her unblinking yellow eye. Sophie lost herself in the stare.

“She’s still in pain,” she said, not entirely sure how she knew.

“Is she?” Grady separated the feathers on Verdi’s neck. “The wound is pretty deep. Maybe I should treat it.”

Sophie stepped back, and plugged her nose as Grady spread stinky brown slime over the wound. It smelled like death and rot and tuna fish—not a good combination.

“Kelpie dung,” Alden explained. “Takes the sting out of most bites.”

She hoped she wouldn’t have to touch any dung while living there.

Grady closed the stinky jar and wiped his hands on a cloth the gnome handed him. “I think you were right, Sophie. She seems more relaxed now. You must be good with animals.”

“I can be—with normal animals at least.” She stole another look at the gigantic feathery lizard. Verdi was still watching her, and maybe she was crazy, but she could swear she was trying to thank her.

“Well, come on, Edaline’s probably waiting.” Grady’s voice sounded wary, and his steps were almost as reluctant as Sophie’s as he led them to a house overlooking the ocean. It was small compared to Alden and Della’s palatial estate but a mansion by human standards. The house was taller than it was wide, with golden columns breaking up the etched glass walls, and a glittering cupola rose from the center of the roof.

There was no fancy entryway like Everglen’s, just a huge room with clear walls overlooking the ocean and scattered furniture breaking up the space. A wide central stairway curved to the upper floors, and a chandelier of intricately braided crystals cascaded from the domed ceiling. It was simple but elegant, and very, very clean. So clean it didn’t look lived in.

Edaline swept into the room in a pale blue dress made of wispy fabric that floated around her as she moved. She had soft pink cheeks, wide turquoise eyes, and amber hair that fell past her shoulders in soft curls. Aside from Della, she was the most beautiful woman Sophie had seen—except for the purple shadows under her eyes. Sophie’s human mom had similar dark circles sometimes, but only when she was stressed.

She wondered what Edaline was stressed about. She hoped it wasn’t the idea of having her live with them.

Edaline frowned when she saw Grady. “You’re covered in dinosaur fluff! I’m sorry, I told him to be presentable,” she told Alden.

Alden laughed. “I’ve yet to see someone ride a T. rex without picking up a few feathers.”

“You’ve never seen Edaline in action,” Grady corrected with a smile.

Sophie tried to imagine someone so delicate playing rodeo cowboy with a dinosaur. Nope, she couldn’t picture it.

“I’m going to wash up,” Grady said, dashing up the staircase.

Edaline nodded. Then she took a deep breath and turned to Sophie. “Welcome to our home.” Her shaky voice sounded more nervous than Sophie felt, which actually made Sophie feel better. At least Edaline thought this process was scary too.

“Thank you for having me.” She didn’t know what else to say.

Edaline smiled, but sadness lingered in her eyes. “I hope you can stay for tea,” she told Alden. “There’s mallowmelt.”

Alden’s face lit up. “If you insist.”

Mallowmelt turned out to be a gooey cake that tasted like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies soaked in ice cream and covered in frosting and butterscotch. It melted on her tongue and was, hands down, the best thing Sophie had ever tasted. She giggled as Alden helped himself to three pieces. Grady joined them a few minutes later—his hair still dripping from a hasty shower—and helped himself to four slices.

Tea was served in a nook in the kitchen, and even though Sophie could see orange, feathery dinosaurs grazing outside in one of the pastures, it reminded her a little of home. Maybe it was the pastel linens on the table, or the intricate flowers painted on the china—but for the first time all day she didn’t feel the empty, homesick ache she’d woken up with.

“Would you like some lushberry juice?” Edaline offered Sophie.

“Um, sure.”

Edaline snapped her fingers. There was a tiny pop and a flash of light, and a bright green bottle appeared on the table.

Sophie scooted back like the bottle was possessed.

Grady laughed. “Guess you’ve never seen a Conjurer in action before.”

“How?” she asked when her mouth was able to form words again.

Edaline smiled for real this time, and it lit up her whole face. “If I know where something is, I can bring it here with my mind. It’s kind of like teleporting, but with objects.”

That was pretty much the coolest ability ever. “What can you do?” Sophie asked Grady.

His smile faded. “Nothing nearly as fun, trust me.”

She waited for him to elaborate, but he looked away.

Alden rose. “I, unfortunately, must get going.” He dug a scraggly paper out of his pocket and handed it to Edaline. “Elwin wants her to take these medicines for the next few weeks. You should be able to find them at Slurps and Burps.”

All the color faded from Edaline’s face. “I guess I’ll take her tomorrow. Is there anything else she needs?”

“Della took care of the rest. You know how she is when it comes to shopping.”

“I do. I made the mistake of letting her help me shop for a gift for . . . a friend’s daughter one time. Four hours later I had a whole new wardrobe and still no gift.”

Grady took Edaline’s hand and she turned away, staring out the window.

Sophie’s heart ached for them. She knew their pain—she’d lost an entire family. Maybe that was why Alden put them together. They all knew what it was like to grieve. But she didn’t feel like talking about it, so she kept quiet.

Alden fished a thin crystal square out of his pocket and handed it to Sophie. “This is an Imparter. It’ll allow you to communicate with anyone in our world. So if you need anything, or simply want to talk, say my name to the screen and you’ll reach me. Okay?”

“Okay.” She strangled Ella as her heart pounded in her ears. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Grady and Edaline—but it would be weird to be alone with them. What would they talk about?

Alden leaned closer, so he could whisper. “It’s going to be okay, Sophie. If you need anything—anytime—I’m here. Use the Imparter.”

She nodded.

“Good.” He waved to Grady and Edaline, gave Sophie one more reassuring smile as he held up his pathfinder, and vanished in a flash of light.

The silence he left behind was deafening.

Grady snapped out of it first. He jumped to his feet and nudged Sophie. “Let’s show you your new room.”

“THIS IS REALLY ALL MINE?” Her bedroom took up the entire third floor.

Star-shaped crystals dangled from the ceiling on glittery cords, and blue and purple flowers weaved through the carpet, filling the room with their sweet scent. A giant canopy bed occupied the center of the room, and a huge closet and dressing area took up an entire wall. Bookshelves full of thick, brightly colored volumes filled the other walls. She even had her own bathroom, complete with a waterfall shower and a bathtub the size of a swimming pool.

“I hope it’s okay,” Edaline said, biting her lip.

Was she kidding?

“It’s awesome,” Sophie said, feeling more excited about her new home already. She dropped her backpack off, but decided to keep Ella with her. It helped having something to hold.

Half of the second floor was Grady and Edaline’s bedroom, and the other half was a long hall with three closed doors. Two were their personal offices. One they didn’t explain, but Sophie assumed it was Jolie’s room. They didn’t forbid her from going to that part of the house, but they didn’t give her a tour either, and with the way their voices strained as they spoke about it, she decided it would be best to stay away.

After an awkward but delicious dinner of soupy green stuff that tasted like pizza, Grady and Edaline left Sophie alone to unpack—which turned out to be a good thing.

Unpacking made everything real.

She lived here now, in this strange, slightly too perfect world where everything she knew was wrong and all she had to show for the past twelve years of her life was a backpack stuffed with wrinkled clothes she’d never wear, an iPod she couldn’t charge, and a scrapbook full of memories that had been erased from everyone except her.

At least she knew her family wasn’t missing her the way she missed them. Their new life—wherever it was—would be better without her. Alden and Della would’ve made sure of it.

Tears welled in her eyes as she put the last remnants of her human life away. Then she curled up on her bed with Ella and let herself have one last good cry.

When her eyes finally dried, she promised herself she wouldn’t look back anymore.

Grady and Edaline weren’t like her parents, and Havenfield wasn’t like her old house—but maybe that was better. Maybe it was easier if they were different. And maybe, with time, it would really feel like home.