In just a small amount of time, everything had changed.
That was how time worked—it was slippery and unavoidable, kind one moment and feral the next. She looked back on years, and they felt like hours; she lived through hours and it felt like years. One second was one thing, the next another.
One second Dex and Mr. Forkle had been alive, the next...
Gone.
Such a simple word, yet it held so much impact.
Sophie was one of the first at Mr. Forkle's gravesite in the Norwegian mountains, below Trolltunga. So many things were racing through her mind, but the second Mr. Forkle's story of how the massive rock had received its name stuck out.
The twin brothers had a history she'd never had the chance to find out, triumphs and failures and even other identities she'd never discovered. Now that they were both dead, she started to question if she really knew them at all.
Hindsight is a dangerous game to play—words Edaline had once spoken to her over Jolie's murder.
Sophie felt a pang of regret when she realized she hadn't called Edaline "mother" since Oralie's planting.
So much pain. So many people gone. When would it stop?
Was it not the Moonlark's duty to protect this world? Shouldn't she have been able to prevent this needless grief?
Except sometimes protecting an entire world meant sacrificing those she cared about. It was another hard lesson as a leader, but one she couldn't forget. None of this was her fault—but it made her angry. Angry she hadn't been there to save them.
In groups, her friends and family cleared the side of the cliff and gathered around the multivarious sapling of the first Mr. Forkle, leaning in the wind for his brother.
Tiergan came up beside her and murmured, "Are you sure you want me to do this?"
Edaline, close by with Grady and Amy, reached for Sophie's arm to give her support.
"Yeah," Sophie said. "Other than his brother, you were his best friend." Besides, she didn't want the attention to be on her more than it already had been; word of the Moonlark saving the day apparently spread fast—even though she couldn't have done it without her friends.
Tiergan gave her a quick side hug. "Stay strong, Sophie." He stepped in front of everyone and cleared his throat. "Thank you for coming today. I know it's a small crowd, but that was the way Mr. Forkle—or Magnate Leto, if you prefer—liked it. He was a mysterious man, as I'm sure you all can attest to, but he was also caring and loyal and loving. And proud of everyone here, and he'd still be proud of who you've become and are becoming.
"I won't say too much more—I know it's freezing up here—but I want to iterate he was no prouder of anyone but the youth. We all know his catchphrase, 'you kids,' but believe it or not, it was one of endearment. He believed you were the future of this world. Don't let him down."
Sophie couldn't help remembering some of Forkle's last words to her: My work is done.
That was why none of the Black Swan members looked distraught; Forkle had been preparing them for this. He'd made a contingency plan in case he was killed, and that plan rested on her and her friends.
Tiergan dug the hole the same way Mr. Forkle had done it all those years ago, using his bare hands until it was about his finger-length in height. Sophie handed the seed, wrapped in cloth, to him. He mounded dirt over it, and Juline poured the syrupy liquid over it before crushing the green glass in her palm.
Sophie's teeth were chattering at this point, but she waited until the Wanderling sprouted. It looked just as eccentric as its twin, with maybe a few different details. A chilly wind blew; Sophie blinked, and when she opened her eyes, the saplings were leaning toward each other, branches entwined.
Her vision became blurry.
"We're going to go to Havenfield," Edaline said, squeezing her shoulder. "We'll take Amy."
"I'll be there in a second."
Her family leaped away, and a few others followed. Sophie stayed for a second, watching the Wanderlings reunite.
"Hey, Sophie?"
She jumped as Fernan Babblos materialized in front of her. "Oh my—please don't do that again."
He laughed, a little sadly. "Sorry. Um, not to distract from this, but you know how Dex's place in the Collective is now empty?" He plunged on without an answer, tapping his foot erratically. "Well, a long time ago I promised Jensi he could take my spot. I thought he was joking or jealous or something, so I kind of forgot about it—and then I asked Tam, and... Well, our relationship hasn't been the same since. So I was wondering if you could let him join?"
"Oh. I would, Fernan, but Rex already approached us."
"But the Collective was always six, right? With both Forkles? Maybe you could pull some strings."
Sophie nodded. "Of course. Jensi deserves it."
"Thanks," Fernan said, a smile identical to his brother's lighting up his face.
"Anytime." After what Jensi did at Everfalls, he really did deserve it. He would make a great leader.
But suddenly a Collective without Dex hit her. The last thing she'd told him was that they'd always be best friends.
A part of her couldn't help but wonder if she'd failed in that duty.
________________
"For how much you claim to be clumsy, you sure get away really fast," Keefe huffed, jogging to meet her in the alicorn pasture. Silveny and Greyfell didn't live at Havenfield anymore, but they still visited sometimes. Sophie had been transmitting to Silveny, trying to get the mama to come see her.
"Sorry—I didn't know you wanted to talk to me."
"It's okay." He stopped at a distance, and she felt her heart lurch. "If you're busy, I can come back another time..."
"No, no, it's fine. I was just trying to get Silveny to visit. She's been avoiding me for the past couple weeks."
"Knowing her, she's probably missing you like crazy. But alicorn vacation calls." He smirked, but it quickly fell. "So... how are you? With, you know, everything? I know you took Oralie's death pretty hard last time."
She felt the urge to cry, even though he hadn't done anything. "I don't know. Although I actually barely thought about Oralie the past two weeks. Being busy, I guess, but I think it comes in waves. And Forkle... I know he was ready. It's easier to come to terms with it when they're ready."
"I don't think Dex was," Keefe whispered, face contorting as if he were pained. "He and Biana..." The rest of his sentence was swallowed with a sob, and even though it was probably awkward, she hugged him anyway.
His fingers dug into her shirt for a moment before he pulled back and wiped his face. "Sophie—"
"Wait," she interrupted, sensing the topic change. "I'm the one that should apologize first. I don't even remember what I said, but I know it was stupid. I was just so frustrated at myself that I took it out on you."
"And I should have communicated what was going on with me. I kept on pretending I was okay, but I wasn't. Do you remember what my mom told me before we defeated her?"
It was an unnecessary question; with Sophie's photographic memory, she remembered everything.
"'You'll never do anything with your life, Keefe. That's why I gave you this chance—this legacy—to prove me wrong. But I guess you'll disappoint, again and again. You'll always stay the same: a failure,'" he quoted in an uncanny mimic of Gisela's voice.
Sophie shivered.
"I tried so hard to rebel against the person she thought I was, and it made me do stupid things."
"Keefe—"
"Let me finish," he said gently. "I realize now that I can't change who I am just because I'm afraid of becoming like her—because I know now if I do stay true to myself, I will never be like my mom. And... last names don't tell a person who they are."
Sophie tried to trace where this was going. "Wait, does that mean...?"
"I'm not a Foster, Foster." He chuckled at his own joke. "I'm a Sencen—and just because that name is equated with 'traitor' around these parts doesn't mean I can change it."
Sophie frowned. She got what he was saying, but for some reason the idea of him not being a Foster anymore bothered her.
"I'll be better," Keefe vowed, oblivious to her struggle. He scooted to her side. "So... we good?"
"Of course."
She smiled as he put his arm around her, and they watched the morning sun glint off the ocean below, listened to the leaves and various animal noises, smelled the sweet scent of pure air. It would take Eternalia a while to have the same, but already there was a new Pure-planting program in place.
The world was rebuilding—slowly but surely. And even though people she had loved wouldn't get to see it change, she owed it to them to enjoy the process.
Keefe sucked in a breath beside her, and she was a tad disappointed the time for relaxation was over. But that was completely forgotten when she comprehended what he said next: "If I asked you to marry me, would you say yes?"
"WHAT?" Sophie resisted the urge to pull away from him; not because she didn't want him to hold her, but because being near him was muddling her brain—and it must have been muddling his too. "Was that a proposal?"
"No! I was just wondering if you would. I guess I've been thinking about it for a while."
She tried to not let that make her giddy. "Um... why are you asking?"
He sighed. "I don't know, Foster. I'm really committed to this, you know? It's hard for me because everyone always lets me down, and I have this feeling that if I get too close to anyone, they'll hurt me somehow. But it's different with you. I don't know why, but it is. And... I want to know if you're committed too. I'm not asking for an answer to something like this, I promise. If things don't work out, that's okay, but I want to know if you want to try. To work our issues out, and then think about it."
"I'm committed!" she said, probably sounding defensive. "And as for the answer to your question, yes, I would marry you if you asked."
"Hardly a hesitation there. Makes a guy feel special."
She snorted. "You are special, Keefe. I love you."
He met her eyes and took a step back. "There's a catch, though."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm leaving," he said, never breaking her gaze.
She felt something inside her wilt. "Leaving where?"
"The Lost Cities. This place isn't where I need to be right now—but I'm not running away. I need to heal, and I can't do that where the cut keeps getting reopened. I'm not asking you to come with me—that wouldn't be fair—but I thought you should know."
Not running away. He wasn't running this time. Inhale, Sophie, she ordered, taking deep breaths. He'd warned her this time—this wasn't him joining the Neverseen or running from his new ability.
He needed to heal.
Maybe she did too.
"Keefe." She closed the distance between them once again. "Wherever you go, I go."
"Are you sure?"
She pressed her lips to his, perhaps hungrily, since they hadn't done this in a while. "Yes."
He laughed. "Well that's the thing—I actually haven't figured out where we're going."
"I... might have an idea. I haven't been to the Forbidden Cities in years—not seriously, anyway—so it could be smart to go to San Diego. I know the terrain there. We can get on our feet, and if we don't like it we'll go somewhere else."
"Maybe we'll travel," he said, eyes lighting up. He kissed her again. "I love you, Foster."
"I love you too."
He grinned crookedly. "Yeah, I know."
________________
No matter how many times Sophie's friends rallied together, she would never stop being blown away by the sheer number of people that had affected her life in so many ways. Only three days had passed since her and Keefe's decision to move, and now everyone gathered at Havenfield to say goodbye.
All twelve Councillors were there, and the Vackers, and the Dizznees, and the Collective—both old and new—and Linh and Wylie and Ro and Marella's new troll bodyguard and Amy and Grady and Edaline and the Chebotas and Jensi and Stina and three young elves that Keefe apparently knew.
"So, are we going to do a line system, where they come to us, or should they stand side by side and we go to them?" Keefe wondered.
Sophie sighed. "We know way too many people."
"Yeah. We should be social recluses in the Forbidden Cities. We'll be that hot, mysterious couple everyone gossips about."
"Whatever you say, Hunkyhair." She ruffled his stylized hairdo.
"Don't mess with the locks!" he yelped, ducking.
"That's payback for spending two hours in my bathroom spritzing stuff on it when I could've been getting ready!"
"You two are almost as adorable now than when you were younger!" Ro said, catching Keefe by the back of his shirt and dangling him before Sophie. "Muss it—he totally deserves it after letting you go for a week back there."
Sophie ran her hand through his hair one more time. "There, I think that's sufficient payment."
"Please tell me you're engaged," Ro moaned, dropping Keefe, "because only newlyweds act as repulsive as you two, and I'd hate to think you're going to get even more ridiculous."
"We've talked about it, but we're not there yet," Keefe mumbled grumpily, trying to get his hair to stand up again.
"When we come back, we'll talk," Sophie promised.
"That's my girl! Keep him in check, Blondie—there are a lot of shiny new pranks one can pull in a human city."
"Okay, Ro," Sophie said, moving to the Councillors.
"Oh, and don't let the girls get close to him! I'll lend you an ogre sword, if you want—"
"Bye, Ro!"
"See what I had to live with for too long?" Keefe said, stopping in front of Councillor Alina. "Hey! Or should I say 'bye'?"
"I'll be happy to be rid of you," Alina grumbled. "But as for you, Miss Foster... the elvin world will be in search of their favorite hero."
"Well, I'm not going anywhere. I'll still help if you need me, but it will also be good to get a break."
"Before you move on," Emery said, stepping forward, "we'd like to give you this." He handed her a golden box embossed with swirling patterns.
She unclasped the silver lock and gasped. Inside rested a metal circlet with a pink tourmaline in the center. "Was this...?"
"It was."
Her eyes started to well. "Thank you. I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything," said Councillor Liora. "It's a gift, one we know Oralie would want you to have."
Keefe squeezed her hand. "We'd better go. We've still got a loooooooot of goodbyes."
She glanced to their right, where everyone had gathered around the Panakes. "Right. Thank you again."
"It's the least we could do for our Moonlark," Terik called, and with those words ringing in Sophie's ears, Keefe dragged her to the mysterious three girls—one in a teal gown, one with a purple stripe in her hair, and Jeri; Sophie recognized her from Everfalls.
"I'm really going to miss you guys," Keefe told them. "And Foxfire. Mainly my projection every morning," he added with a wink.
"You know, they're going to find another Magnate, Keefe, and they'll be great," Sophie said.
"Not as great as me, though, right?"
She rolled her eyes. "Of course not. But still, there will be another."
He laughed and swung his arm around her shoulders. "Way to sell it, Foster. But, you know, since I am leaving... I just wanted to say I'm proud of you, Pru, for standing up to your father."
The girl in the teal dress blushed. "Well... it was about time."
"That's the spirit! And you"—he pointed to Jeri—"were quite the heroic figure at Everfalls, I hear. What's that about?"
"You know, having a epitaph that says, 'Jeri: Saved the World by Knowledge' is a whole lot lamer than 'Jeri: Master Pyrokinetic and Bearer of Fiery Vengeance!'" She brought her voice down an octave for the last part, and Sophie bit back a snort.
"What's your obsession with death anyway?" Keefe muttered, but he fist-bumped her with a grin. Finally, he looked at the girl with a purple streak in her long black hair. "And you? What are you going to do about your parents? Save the world like you wanted to?"
She shrugged, and just that small movement gave Sophie the impression she was one of those Too-Cool-For-School types. "I fought in the battle, so that's something. But clearly it's not enough, so I'll talk to them about it."
"What if they don't change? Will you be okay?"
"Yeah, I've got these elves," she said, bumping shoulders with Jeri.
"Aw, Stormy's getting all mushy on us," Pru teased.
Stormy scoffed. "Whatever."
Keefe looked over their heads, where Biana was waiting. "Hey, kiddos, we've got to make some more progress in this Good Riddance parade. I'll be back one day, before you graduate at least, so don't forget about me!"
"Yeah, we won't," Stormy said with a scoff.
Sophie giggled as they walked away. "You know, Keefe, you're actually really good with children."
He raised an eyebrow. "We're talking about kids already?"
"Oh, shut up!" Sophie squealed, smacking his shoulder.
"On a normal day I would be gagging right now, but since I know you recently had some troubles, I'll be nice and congratulate you," Biana said when they approached her.
"Whatever—you were always Team Foster-Keefe," said Keefe, hugging her. His expression became serious after he pulled away. "How are you doing?"
"I'm... okay. You guys?"
Sophie suddenly felt guilty for acting so exuberant. "I miss him."
"Yeah, me too," Biana whispered, pulling Sophie in for a hug too. "Don't waste any time with that one, alright?"
"I won't," Sophie vowed, looking at the handsome blond boy standing next to her. Never in a million years would she have thought someone like him would want her, but here she was.
Alden and Della were next, and Alden pulled Keefe aside for a moment, so she walked away to give them some space. She was just turning her head when her foot caught on one of Calla's roots, and she nearly faceplanted before a pair of arms caught her.
"Never grew out of your tripping phase, did you?" Fitz asked with a chortle.
"That's a low blow, Councillor Crisp-Cologne. Speaking of, you're back in the Council, right? I didn't see you with them."
"Yeah, I am—for now." He glanced at Stina as he said that, then shook himself. "Uh, well, I'm going to miss you around here. 'Informing Sophie' is my excuse out of meetings, so you'd better hurry back."
"I'll try—but you should also come see us. We're thinking we'll stay in San Diego for a couple years at least, so... right where you first found me."
He blew out a breath. "Wow. That feels like it was so long ago."
"So long ago, yet also like yesterday. But seriously, Fitz—thanks for everything you've done for me over the years. You'll always be one of my best friends."
"Anytime, Sophie. Really."
"Are you two done yet?" Stina asked, somehow much closer to them than she'd been earlier. "I've been waiting ages, and I can't anymore. I need to have a chat with you." She pointed to Sophie.
"Me?"
"Good luck," Fitz stage-whispered before walking away.
Sophie grimaced. She wasn't positive if "have a chat" meant something different in elvish, but she wasn't exactly thrilled to find out.
"Oh, relax, it's not like I killed your unicorn or anything," Stina said.
"I don't have a unicorn."
"Details, details. That's not the point anyway; I just need to let you know I'm not the same bully you met at Foxfire all those years ago. I am not jealous of you." She gestured down Sophie's body. "There's nothing to be jealous of. I'm me. Stina Heks. And you're no better than I am."
"Uh..." Sophie wasn't sure whether to be offended or proud. "Well, I guess in that case I'd have to reply that you've grown a lot, and from what I hear, you saved a lot of people in St. Louis."
She bit her lip. "That wasn't really anything special."
"What? Of course it was! You had sharp wits in the heat of battle; not many people can say that."
"Yeah...? I mean, yeah! I guess I was pretty smart."
"Don't let it go to your head." She spotted Keefe making his way over to the Dizznees. "Excuse me, Stina. It was great seeing you before I left."
She ran off before the elf could go off on another ramble and rejoined her boyfriend. They repeated their condolences from Dex's funeral, but it all felt so fake to Sophie. "I'm sorry for your loss" was what people said when they didn't have anything else to say, but she'd been Dex's friend.
Kesler and Juline didn't seem to notice, though. They looked like they hadn't slept for days. There wasn't much Sophie and Keefe could do before they had to press forward.
Next were the Chebotas. Sophie didn't know them really well, but Thapelo acted as if he were her long-lost uncle. "Thank you for defending Everfalls," he said, shaking her hand. "It's our home, and what you did is beyond words."
"It really is," Maruca added from beside her parents.
"You were more than incredible too," Sophie said, eager to turn the attention on someone else. "Besides, I heard you got promoted to Head Emissary of the H.R.P.?"
"Yeah, well, apparently me saving a human showed the proper care the Councillors were looking for. I'm excited to implement my ideas—and actually, I think what you two are doing is brilliant. Showing the humans important elves like you are willing to move to the Forbidden Cities is the exact thing they need to see in order to move to the Lost Cities. That way they don't feel like they're the only ones giving something up."
"I'm glad we could help," Keefe said. "We'll probably go to human reinstatement sites on our side every once in a while, see if we can do anything..."
Sophie left the two to their conversation, noticing her Hydrokinetic friend lurking in the background. She walked over to Linh. "Hey! I'm really happy you could make it."
"Tam and I wouldn't miss it," she said, but the words felt more like a stand-in than ones she'd actually thought about. Sophie's suspicion was confirmed a second later, when she blurted, "Can we talk about something?"
"Yeah—what's up?"
Linh guided them away from the Panakes, closer to the alicorn pasture. "Sorry about the secrecy, but if the others overheard me it would just cause more chaos than clarity."
Sophie felt the flitterwings in her stomach taking flight. "Oh?"
Linh took a deep breath. "There's something I haven't told you. Actually, only a few people know, but since you're leaving, this may be the only chance I get: Wylie and I were assigned to spy on the Purities. We were supposed to find where their meetings were being held and observe them."
"What? And did you find them?"
"Yes." She shut her eyes. "And I joined them."
If Sophie were in a movie, she suspected this would be the moment dramatic music started to play. But this wasn't a movie, and the only soundtrack was her scattered thoughts, and among all that the thing she kept returning to was... "Why?"
"There was a man who presented a persuading argument. I didn't know about the attacks, Sophie—all I heard was that the Purities' goal was to help the humans. And since we didn't know much about them at the time, I wanted to give them a chance.
"But when I went to be let in, Wylie followed. A Purity spotted him and thought I'd betrayed them, so she pulled a knife on me. We got away, of course, but I knew in that moment it was a mistake. I'm so sorry."
Sophie waved her hand. "It... it's okay. It wasn't your fault; we should've figured out more about the Purities instead of automatically assuming they were like the Neverseen. Maybe then we would have realized their members were human."
"Don't regret your mistakes," Linh said. "They're what we learn by."
"Foster!" Keefe yelled. "We're on a schedule here, you know."
"Sorry—I have to go," Sophie said. "Thank you for telling me what you did, though. You've got a big heart, Linh. I'm glad you didn't let what happened change that."
They hugged before Sophie ran back to the group—only the Collectives and her family.
Don't forget Jensi, she reminded herself, careening off course to find the elf. "Hold on a sec!" she told Keefe, finally spotting him with Amy.
"Our turn?" Amy asked hopefully, but Sophie had to give her an apologetic look.
"Sorry; I need to ask you something," she explained to Jensi.
He appeared shocked. "Me? Uh, okay."
She led him off a little ways. "With me leaving, the Collective is going to have another hole in it. You've really proven yourself over the past few weeks, and even though I haven't been here to see it all, Amy's been singing your praises since I got back."
He blushed. "Oh—well that's nice—but what does that have to do with me?"
"Your brother said you've wanted to be a part of the Collective for years, and he told me the promise he made you—the promise he didn't keep. Now Fernan's not a part of the Collective anymore, but I still am—and I want you to take my place."
Jensi's mouth dropped open, and for the first time since she'd met him, he was speechless. "I... What? Y-yes. Of course!"
"You know I don't just mean a part of the Collective, right? I'm asking you to be the head of the Black Swan."
"But... am I even equipped to do that?"
"You're more than equipped," she said, and she meant it. She couldn't imagine anyone better taking her place.
He breathed out a laugh, and she was almost positive she saw tears in his eyes—which was when she gestured for the Collectives. "Ready to stand with them for the first time?"
He sniffled and nodded, and they walked over to where Wylie, Tam, Marella, Rex, Keefe, Blur, Granite, and Wraith were huddled. The circle broke for them, and Sophie said, "Welcome the new leader of the Black Swan."
Keefe cheered, and Jensi made his way around the ring, shaking hands and beaming.
"Two generations all together," Granite said.
Wraith's cloak shimmered in the air. "Makes one feel old."
"If it makes you feel better, you'll never be as old as Bronte," Keefe said. "I'm actually not sure if anyone has him beat."
"All jokes aside, we really do need to get going," Sophie said. She held out a fist to Marella (the Pyrokinetic didn't like hugs, apparently).
"Uh, what are you doing?" Keefe asked Tam when the latter boy shifted.
"What's your problem?" Tam snapped.
"Are you trying to hug me?"
"At this point it would be rude to say no, so..."
"You've never spared me," Keefe muttered, but he still wrapped his arms around the other elf and patted Tam's back awkwardly. "Are the feels satisfied now?"
Tam shoved him off with a glare that uncannily landed on Keefe's face. "Get away from me."
Marella and Sophie cracked up.
"Hello—over here!" Amy called, jumping so she could be seen above Wylie's shoulder. "We're ready, or did you forget about your own family?"
Sophie sighed and held out a hand to Wylie. "I guess this is sort of our last meeting with me as your leader."
He smiled and shook it. "Adjourned, then?"
"Adjourned."
Keefe took her hand again as she walked over to her family. Amy wrapped her arms around Sophie first. "I'll visit you all the time."
"I don't doubt it. Just enjoy your time here for the time being, and then we'll talk about company. Got that, Lady Amy?"
Her sister snorted. "I'm sick of hearing that name come from tiny brats that think they're smarter than me."
"My prodigies aren't tiny brats!" Keefe gasped, but Sophie placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let it go, babe."
Grady's hug was next, and he held on for a lot longer than everyone else. "Be safe, 'kay, kiddo? I love you."
"Love you too, Dad."
"I love you as well," Edaline said, taking Grady's place. "If you ever need anything, hail us with your Imparter. You have that in your bag, right?" She lifted Sophie's purple backpack, the one she'd brought from San Diego.
Now she was taking it back. Something about that was both satisfying and terrifying.
"I've got the Imparter and my spyball and my Fade Fuel and the first aid kit, and basically every other thing I'd need for emergencies."
"I'm only being careful," Edaline defended.
"I know. I love you... Mom." Her real mom. A tear ran down Sophie cheek, and Edaline immediately wiped it away.
"Now, now, no crying. You're starting a new adventure. That's what I keep telling myself; maybe it will help you too."
"Not me," Grady cut in, glaring at Keefe. "I keep thinking of worst-case-scenarios, mostly because you're going with that boy."
"Really, Dad—"
"I'll take care of her," Keefe said before she could defend him.
"You'd better, Sencen. One of the hardest things a father has to do is hand his daughter off to another man, but... you're a good one—she loves you, at least, so you have to amount to something."
"Grady!" scolded Edaline.
"I'll take care of her," repeated Keefe.
Grady nodded and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man."
"Now go, before I change my mind and conjure something to tie you here!" Edaline said.
Keefe smiled, pulling Sophie to a clear space of grass. "You ready, Foster?"
She shook her head yes. A new adventure. That was what this was.
But it also wasn't, because she'd been to San Diego before. It had always been a part of her, even when she discovered she was an elf.
So the nerves fell away as Keefe levitated them into the sky. And when they dropped to meet the void, she knew where she was going.
Sophie Foster was going home.