Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #7)

by Shannon Messenger

Keefe grinned. “You’re so adorable when you worry. I’ve told you that, right?”

“I’m not stalling,” Sophie insisted. “I just . . . haven’t figured out what I want.” “Yeah, I know.”

Keefe tried to break the tension, pumping his fist and shouting, “LORD HUNKYHAIR LIVES! Say it now, Ro. Say it!” Ro said it, all right. Along with several ogre words that weren’t very nice.

Keefe was the kind of guy who was always willing to take the hit if he thought it would help a friend, regardless of how much it was going to hurt him.

so . . . we’ll need pockets. Why do clothes never have enough pockets? There should always be lots of pockets . . . the more pockets the better!”

Drowsy Sophie being hilarious without even realizing!

“That’s because Woltzer doesn’t like you,”

“All the cool kids sleep with stuffed animals,”

“Uh . . . is this a bad time?” Tam asked from the doorway, his silver-blue eyes darting around the room like he wasn’t sure where to look. “Elwin said to head here straight after study hall, but . . .” “It’s fine!” Sophie said, pulling her covers up higher, even though there was absolutely no reason to. “We were just . . .” She glanced at Edaline, who stood up to give her some space. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter,” Sophie told Tam. “You’re here! Let’s talk about Shade stuff!” Linh peeked her head over his shoulder. “This is fun! I never get to see Tam blush!”

Linh grinned. “I think I need to get Happy Shadow Thoughts embroidered on a tunic for you—with a bunch of smiley faces.” “I definitely think I need to see him wear that,” Sophie agreed. “Especially if it’s pink.” “Hot pink,” Linh decided. “With sparkly letters.” “And it should say Angry echoes—beware! on the back!” Sophie added.

“Embrace the sparkles, Foster,” Keefe told her. “They look good on you.”

“Aw, did you hear that? Ro thinks I’m pretty! I mean—I usually go for more of a roguish handsome, but . . .” He tossed his hair and fluttered his eyelashes.

“Done and done! I was already planning to have us start with telekinesis, since that’s what got Foster all swoony about my skills in the first place.” “I didn’t get swoony,” Sophie felt the need to point out. “Keep telling yourself that, Foster. Keeeeeeeeeep telling yourself that.”

Ro’s grin was equal parts gleeful and vicious. “How about if I’m right, I get to shave your head?” “Keefe,” Sophie warned. He smirked. “Okay. And if Foster knocks the vial back at you, you have to get a tattoo that says Sparkles Rule! It can be tiny. But it has to be somewhere we can see it.”

“You’re going to tell us we can’t do this, right?” she asked. “Because it’ll hurt my recovery?” “Nah. I just want to see what happens,” he said. Keefe pumped his fist. “WOO, we have Elwin approval! That makes this official. This. Is. Happening!”

“Please tell me you’re going to make them wear glittery armor that says Fearsome Foster Five!”

“And I want you to have it! So how about we call him ours? We’ll name him Krakie, and he can live right here.” He pointed to the bandage covering her right hand. “That way Krakie can protect you from the echo—not that you need protection. He’ll just be your backup.”

“Aw, it’s not so bad. I know, it sounds like it’d be a disaster. But . . . the lessons have actually been pretty awesome. I think I might’ve had a meltdown without them—but don’t ever tell him I said that, okay? He’ll start wearing tunics that say Foster’s Hero or something.”

And with each repetition, she filled Sophie’s mind with images of silver-tipped hooves kicking and stomping the black cloaked figures into the ground. Dude, Fitz transmitted. Remind me to never make an alicorn angry.

HATE! I know, Sophie told her. I hate what happened too. NO! HATE BAD PEOPLE! Oh, Sophie said, cringing away as Silveny’s thoughts added in lots of snapping and biting.

BUSY! Silveny told her. BUSY! BUSY! Somehow Sophie doubted that a sparkly flying horse had all that hectic of a schedule.

“Keefe’s right,” Elwin said, making them both jump. “You two do stare into each other’s eyes a lot.”

“Well, you should a little,” Livvy argued, “since I’m betting the Pretty Boy’s going to spend most of the night staring at you as he listens to your dreams.” “What else am I supposed to stare at?” Fitz wondered.

Seriously, what was it about cute boys that made it so hard to function?

“Dude, are you guys feeding each other?”

“Because now you can help me write The Ballad of Bo and Ro!” Keefe jumped in. “Did Foster tell you how much they loooooooooooooooooove each other? Step aside, Sandor and Grizel—Bo and Ro are vying for cutest bodyguard couple. And their names rhyme!”

“Oh, I think we are. And don’t worry, Foster,” Keefe added, patting her on the head. “I’ll still love you when you’re oozy. Maybe I should get you a tunic that says Oozemaster

“Best letter in the whole alphabet! But don’t worry, Foster, this isn’t like when Dizznee gave you those bracelets.”

“I’m the reigning president of the Foster Fan Club. It’s my job to know these things. But don’t worry, Fitzy, you’re still the runner-up.”

“You guys can figure it out. I believe in the all-powerful Fitzphie! Actually, you know what? We should call this one Sophitz, since—let’s face it—Foster’s the real talent when it comes to this kind of thing.” Fitz didn’t argue, but Sophie sighed.

“Yeah, that’s never going to happen. Once my father gets an idea in his head, he can’t let it go.” “What kind of idea?” Keefe asked. “The kind that involves smooching and weddings and little baby prince and princess BoRos?”

Keefe heaved a huge sigh. “Do adults have some sort of sixth sense that tells them when they should show up and stop us from doing something that’s actually productive?”

“Uh . . . you’ve seen how cute she is, right?” Keefe asked. Sophie flung a pillow at his head. Or, she tried to. Throwing with her left arm was much harder than she’d expected, and . . . She ended up nailing Magnate Leto in the face.

“We’re going to your session, and you’re acing that test and taking lots of notes or I will hang a banner in the middle of this campus—and we both know what I will have that banner say!” “Bo and Ro 4 Eva?” Keefe guessed, because he clearly had a death wish.

“Don’t worry,” Ro told him, patting his back as she carried him into the hall. “I’ll sneak your dad some amoebas tonight.”

simply want to make sure that you realize the dynamic between you, Mr. Vacker, and Mr. Sencen is . . . complicated.

For a sparkly winged horse, Silveny gave a pretty awesome pep talk.

Subtle, they were not.

Yoda refrence