Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #7)

by Shannon Messenger

“What?” Sophie asked, wiping under her lashes when she noticed Keefe staring. “Did I smudge it?” “No, Foster. You look . . . perfect.”

Clarette, Velia, Alina, Terik, Liora, Emery, Oralie, Ramira, Darek, Noland, Zarina, and Bronte.

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

Not that any of it helped them draw less attention.

Fitz offered Sophie his arm, and she tried to ignore the way her insides fluttered at the gesture. He was probably only doing it because everyone knew that climbing things without tripping wasn’t one of her strengths—particularly when she was wearing heels. But her face still grew warm as she hooked her elbow around his. It got even warmer when he told her, “I’m glad you’re here.” “So am I.”

Potential is a tricky thing. We have to live up to it in order for it to matter. But it shouldn’t be ignored either—especially in a situation like this. We’re all born with certain qualities. Certain limitations and abilities. But our experiences are what truly shape us. Everything we see and learn and do makes us who we are.

“A lot can happen in six months,”

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.

“Okay, first? We both know my hair is awesome,” Keefe said with his hugest smirk yet. “And second: It’s not like they’re setting your brother free. Were you listening to Dizznee? I’m pretty sure if Alvar breathes too hard, Dex’ll zap him.”

“Uh . . . whatever you’re doing,” Keefe said as Fitz pulled out his home crystal, “I’m pretty sure it’s a bad idea. Like, epic-level bad. Me-running-off-to-join-the-Neverseen bad.”

Sophie smiled. But the words kept crashing around her mind, sharpening every time they hit. And when her next two throws struck the same mark—without her even trying—she realized why the idea felt so prickly. There’d been a moment in Nightfall when Vespera had told Sophie’s friends: I suspect the moonlark could tear these halls down stone by stone if she truly unleashed herself. She’d been taunting Sophie at the time—trying to make her lose her temper—and Sophie had refused to give in. But . . . Could Grizel and Vespera both be right? Sophie already knew she was part of a genetic experiment. And she’d been raised in the much more violent world of humans. And now she seemed to have a talent for lethal throws. Could all of that be connected—and if it was, did that mean . . . Had Project Moonlark made her a natural killer?

“As if they don’t tease us about our relationship enough already!”

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.

His smile really was a beautiful thing. But it didn’t last.

And that was a problem, since Sophie had one secret she really, really, really, really, really didn’t want to share.

“A couple of days?” she tried. “How about tomorrow?” he countered. She closed her eyes, wondering if her stomach was turning inside out. But stalling was probably only going to prolong her misery. “Tomorrow,” she agreed, barely managing to choke out the word.

The pain was only a memory now. Gone but not forgotten. Another thing to carry—and she would. But the fear . . . This was not the kind of terror she’d battled before. This was solid. Tangible. A monster in the dark. Prowling into the prickliest places. Feasting on what’d been hidden away. Growing stronger. Fiercer. Dragging her down.

Sophie’s eyebrows shot up. “You sure about that? You’ve seen how much time I spend with Keefe.”

Guilt makes us do funny things.”

That was the one thing I thought I did right. But I guess I messed it up—and

“Oh joy, it’s going to be a long night of sulky-boy angst,” Ro groaned as she shoved Keefe aside and stomped into the room. “Quick, who wants to trade jobs with me?”

Keefe’s eyes shifted to Sophie, and he looked like the Most Miserable Boy in the Universe.

“You okay there, Foster?” Keefe asked. “Your mood just shifted.”

Nightmares she could handle. Nightmares were far less scary than monsters.

“All the cool kids sleep with stuffed animals,” Elwin told her. “It’s why I gave Biana Betty-the-Yeti while I treated her injuries from Nightfall—though she insisted on renaming her Lady Sassyfur.”

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.

Predictable. Weak. Preparing your replacement. We can find you. See you soon.

Their Vanisher will never be the same. This is my swan song. You can’t fix me. Everyone will pay. Damaged. What are they hiding in that impenetrable little brain? Sophie, please—stop!

And that’s all it was, she told herself. Just a nightmare. Not even the scariest one she’d ever had.

was. Your subconscious wasn’t in control in that moment. I couldn’t see what took over, but it almost felt like your memories were under attack.

Nope. She shut the memory down before it could wake the monster. She’d been having to do that a lot. Constant mental self-editing.

His eyes met hers—some sort of staring contest. And she didn’t blink.

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

I’m not exactly proud of that time period, you know? Whenever I think about it, I want to slam my head into the wall.”

She might be broken. She might be healing. But she was strong.

she argued, because denial was becoming her new best friend.

“Aw, we can’t have that. Foster would miss me too much. Who knew the way to her heart was my mad teaching skills?” “Or I’m just bored,” Sophie countered. “Nah, you’re realizing I’m the total package. Beauty and brains—” “And super modest,” she noted. “Exactly! And, because my amazingness knows no bounds, I even come bearing presents!” He pulled a box of Prattles from his cape pocket with a dramatic flourish. “Today you’re getting my brilliant lesson and candy!”

His smile softened into something that made Sophie’s cheeks warm. And her heart seemed to trip over itself as he leaned close

“You’re a very strange person, you know that?” she asked as he pinned the new creatures in place. “I think the word you’re looking for is ‘awesome.’ I’m an awesome person—who stopped you from thinking about how hungry you are for, like, five minutes.” “And then reminded me,” Sophie noted with a stomach growl.

Her face tried its best to burst into flames.

He waited for her to meet his eyes, and when she did, he gave her the sweetest smile she’d ever seen.

“Because they had to ruin them,” she said, running her hand over her bare shoulder. Fitz cleared his throat. “I . . . wouldn’t call that ruined.” He didn’t say what he would call it, though, and it made her wish her Polyglot ability worked for translating Cute Boy so she could figure out if that was supposed to be a compliment. It kinda felt like one.

How about I tell you when you finally share the secret you keep holding back from me? Walked right into that one, didn’t I? You totally did—but don’t worry, I know we can’t get into any of that now. They definitely couldn’t. Not if Fitz’s echo reacted to emotions.

NOT OKAY! NOT OKAY! NOT OKAY!

And the intensity in Fitz’s eyes made her heart ache and want to flutter away.

right around the time her lungs decided to remind her that air was a pretty important thing.

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

“She’s definitely figured out how to use her cuteness against you.”

“I’d rather him bully me than bully you,”

“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. Keefe doubled over, clutching his sides and gasping between choking laughs: “THAT . . . WAS . . . THE . . . GREATEST . . . THING . . . I’VE . . . EVER . . . SEEN!”