Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6)

by Shannon Messenger

She pulled Grady into the embrace, and he reluctantly stretched an arm around Keefe. “Awww, it’s like I’m already part of the family,” Keefe said, earning a grumble.

Keefe gagged. “Yeah, that’s a big nope.” He held the remedy as far away from his nose as he could. “I don’t know if I’m going to make it, Foster. And in case I don’t, there’s something I need you to know.” He motioned for her to lean closer—so close she could feel his breath on her cheek, and a fresh wave of goose bumps streaked across her skin. “You need to know,” he whispered, “that—” “Oh, stop being so melodramatic!” Lady Cadence interrupted, cranking the handles left, to change the boat’s direction again. “Either slurp down that bilepod, or quit whining.” “Does that mean I can whine all I want if I eat this thing?” Keefe asked. “Because that might be worth it.”

“I think Tam’s causing the biggest stir,” Biana said, tilting her head toward an entire busload of schoolgirls who were shamelessly gawking. “Great,” Tam grumbled, pulling his bangs lower over his eyes—which only seemed to make the group swoon more.

Marella glared at Tam’s shadow. “Uh, I don’t remember giving permission for a reading.” “You heard me say it was a deal breaker before you came in here,” he reminded her. “Fine—but don’t push it, or I’ll burn the bangs right off your forehead.” “Oh good,” Sandor grumbled. “They haven’t even left yet and she’s already making threats.” Marella shrugged. “Now he knows not to mess with me.” Tam’s answering smile seemed to say he was up for the challenge.

“My theory is that Keefe made one too many jokes about Fitzphie, and Sophie finally threw him off a cliff,” Tam told Marella, careful to keep his voice low.

“Here,” Biana said, letting her mind take control—and smacking Alvar’s body against the metal railing in the process. “That was an accident,” she insisted. But a few minutes later she banged his shoulder. Then his head.

“Stay out of your mother’s studio!” his dad yelled behind them. “Can’t stop me!” Tam shouted back.

His eyes shifted back to Sophie, and he struggled to swallow before he asked, “How much groveling am I going to have to do before you trust me again?” “Hopefully a lot,” Tam jumped in. “I second that,” Biana added. “And I don’t even know exactly what happened.”

The rest of his sentence was choked off by Sophie’s tackle-hug. He laughed as he flailed to keep both of them from toppling over. “Don’t worry,” he grunted. “Breathing is overrated.”

“Like this?” Della asked, vanishing and reappearing a second later with a goblin throwing star pressed against Lord Cassius’s throat. “That yelp you just let out totally made my day,” Keefe told him. “Mine too,” Ro said. “But anyone can scare Lord Fancyclothes,”

A long second passed before Mr. Forkle sighed. “I suppose… whatever’s down there… we’ll have to own up to it eventually. But—” “Don’t,” Ro warned when he turned to her. “Don’t even think about telling me I’m not going. There’s no way I’m letting Scrawny Boy go in there without me. Some of my father’s traitors could be serving as guards.” “Scrawny Boy?” Keefe asked. “Did I, or did I not beat you at arm wrestling?” “One time!” Ro argued. “And only because you tickled me!” “Ogres are ticklish?” Tam asked.