Savi went to school only to find a note hidden in her locker written in a strange handwriting.
dєαr sαvαnnαh,
í nєєd чσu tσ tєll чσur fαthєr thαt í survívєd thє єхplσsíσn. í'vє chαngєd mч hαndwrítíng αnd αm hídíng σut єlsєwhєrє. í nєєd чσur hєlp вєcαusє чσur fαthєr ís dαmαgєd. hís pσwєrs wíll cσnsumє hím wíthσut prσpєr trαíníng, αnd í αm thє σnlч σnє whσ cαn prσvídє thαt trαíníng. mαkєs ít sєєm σdd thαt hє tríєd tσ kíll mє σff, dσn't чσu thínk? í αssumє чσu hαvє nσ ídєα whσ í αm; thαt's pєrfєctlч fínє. mσst hαvє nєvєr hєαrd mч nαmє, síncє thє cσuncíl tríєd sσ hαrd tσ єrαsє mє frσm hístσrч. vєrч gαllαnt σf thєm. αnd nσ; í'm nσt vєspєrα. í'm sσmєσnє whσ shσuld nєvєr hαvє survívєd. kєєfє thínks í díєd ín thє єхplσsíσn thαt kíllєd fítz, вut hє's wrσng. чσu'rє αll wrσng. díd чσu rєαllч thínk thє nєvєrsєєn wσuld díє σff sσ єαsílч? wє lívєd fσr cєnturíєs wíth thє вlαck swαn trчíng tσ єrαdícαtє us. чσu rєαllч thínk α pσσrlч plαnnєd єхplσsíσn crєαtєd вч α tєchnσpαth-ín-trαíníng cσuld wípє us σff thє fαcє σf thє єαrth? íf чσu thσught thαt, чσu'rє wrσng, вєcαusє wє'vє hαd twєlvє чєαrs tσ plαn σur nєхt mσvє. thє fσσd hєrє mαч nσt вє grєαt αnd thє cσmfσrts cєrtαínlч lαckíng, вut thє wσrld wíll sσσn sєє σur truє pσwєr. tєll чσur pαrєnts thαt thєч mαdє α místαkє ín lєttíng fσх lívє αnd trαín tαm ín hєr tєchníquєs, вєcαusє sσσn fσх wíll rєturn tσ mє, αnd shє'll knσw єхαctlч hσw tσ cσuntєr tαm. shє's αlwαчs вєєn вєttєr. shє cαn trulч cσmmαnd shαdσwfluх, unlíkє чσur sσrrч єхcusє fσr α shαdє. чσu'd вєttєr tαkє thís sєríσuslч, sαvαnnαh, вєcαusє íf nσt, чσur fαthєr's lífє αnd sαnítч αrє σn thє línє. í cσnsídєrєd sєndíng thís tσ чσur síх-чєαr-σld sístєr, вut thє chαncєs σf hєr єαtíng ít wєrє íncrєdíвlч hígh.
чσurs síncєrєlч, thє wσmαn thє cσuncíl tríєd tσ mαkє чσu fσrgєt вut fαílєd,
lαdч gísєlα
Savannah's heart was pounding because it had to be fake. Nevertheless, she scribbled her own reply on a letter below, leaving it inside her locker and trusting that Lady Gisela would find it.
𝒢𝒾𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒶
𝐼𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝐼'𝒹 𝒻𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉, 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝓇𝑜𝓃𝑔. 𝑀𝓎 𝒻𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇'𝓈 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝒾𝑒, 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻. 𝒲𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼'𝓂 𝒸𝑒𝓇𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝓉𝑒𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒. 𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓍𝑒𝒹. 𝐻𝑒'𝓈 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒶𝓈 𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓈. 𝐻𝑒'𝓈 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔 – 𝓌𝒽𝓎 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇?
𝒮𝒞𝒮
But she certainly hadn't expected to find her return letter waiting right after lunch.
sαvαnnαh
thαt ís α fσσlísh dєcísíσn. чσu dσn't wαnt чσur fαthєr dєαd, dσ чσu? αnd dσn't fσrgєt thαt íf чσu rєfusє, í'll fínd αnσthєr wαч tσ cσnvíncє чσu. í'm nσt єvєn αskíng чσu tσ dσ much. í'm just αskíng чσu tσ tєll thís tσ kєєfє – ín fαct, just pαss hím thє lєttєr. hє'll dєαl wíth ít. dσn't dєlvє tσσ dєєp; ít's nσt mαttєrs thαt cσncєrn чσu. αnd αlsσ? í mєαn ít. íf чσu rєαllч wαnt αnч uppєr hαnd αt αll, чσu'd вєttєr tєll tαm tσ stσp hís trαíníng wíth fσх. í hσpє чσu'vє rєαlízєd вч nσw thαt shє's cσrruptíng hím. fσх ís dσíng єхαctlч αs vєspєrα ís tєllíng hєr tσ. vєspєrα's mσtívєs αrє díffєrєnt frσm mínє, sσ í cαn't єхαctlч guαrαntєє tαm's sαfєtч. wє shαll cσntínuє tσ cσmmunícαtє ín sєcrєt, sαvαnnαh cαllα sєncєn. αnd чσu wíll nєєd tσ cσσpєrαtє wíth mє íf чσu wαnt tσ hαvє αnч frєє wíll. í hαvє wαчs tσ αchíєvє whαt í wαnt. вєlíєvє ít σr nσt, í dσn't wαnt tσ hαrm чσu; чσu'rє mч grαnddαughtєr, αnd thє σnlч tαlєntєd hєír tσ thє sєncєn fαmílч. í'vє wαtchєd чσu síncє dαч σnє. whσ dσ чσu thínk hαs вєєn tríggєríng чσur αвílítíєs ín чσur slєєp? чσu hαvє sσ much pσtєntíαl, αnnα. dσn't wαstє ít. í knσw чσu вєttєr thαn чσu knσw чσursєlf. αnd чσu shσuld knσw thαt cєrulєαn ís nσt whσ hє sєєms. dσn't trust hím. αnd whαtєvєr чσu dσ, dσ nσt вєcσmє cσgnαtєs. í'm wαrníng чσu. hє wíll usє чσu αnd mílk чσu drч. hє wíll mαnífєst αs α tєlєpαth gívєn tímє; вut чσu shσuld píck αnσthєr cσgnαtє вєfσrє thєn. чσu dσn't wαnt tσ вє вєtrαчєd, dσ чσu? thє clσck ís tíckíng.
lαdч gísєlα
"Triggering abilities in my sleep?" Savi wondered.
"Savi? Hey, Savi, what're you holding?" Cerulean asked.
Savi stashed the letter away. "Nothing," she said, "that concerns you. Anyway.... What's the next subject?" Her mind was a long ways away from their conversation.
Lady Gisela had called her Anna. Did she care, maybe even a little?
"Savi. Saaaaaaaavi. Honestly, earth to Savi! What's going on?" Cerulean demanded.
"Letters," Savi whispered. "Letters and warnings, letters and warnings..."
His pulse quickened and fear was coming off him in waves.
"Come with me," Savi said quietly.
"We'll miss Elementism!" Cerulean protested.
"It's far more important," Savi said, deathly quiet.
His fear doubled as he followed her into the classroom.
"I just got a message from Lady Gisela," she said and watched his reaction.
Cool. But his emotions were going haywire. Fear, worry, sadness, anger, guilt.
"You're working with the Neverseen, aren't you?" Savi asked, letting out a long sigh.
Cerulean looked away. "Savi, it isn't what you think-"
"I trusted you. I confided in you. You let me think we were actually friends." She spat out the last word with malice.
Cerulean backed away. "Savi, we are friends."
She snorted. "You really think I'll trust you after all this?"
"I... I don't expect you to," he said in a small voice. "I just..."
"Hoped so? Because you're lonely and haven't got any friends? If you thought that, Cerulean, then you should have stayed far, far away from the Neverseen. Nothing good ever comes out of that. Everyone's struggling to decide whether to give you a chance. When this gets out, your family's going to be disgraced again. Your grandmother doesn't know about anything, does she?"
"No," he said in a low voice. "Granny – Theodora – she's got nothing to do with any of this."
"Your grandmother's fighting against the prejudice. I can respect Theodora for that. You're not helping, you know? Running off to the Neverseen." Savi laughed wildly and threw her hair behind her neck. "Think twice before you act, Cerulean."
"Are we still..."
"We're not friends. But we were – I truly believe we could have been good friends. So, I'll keep your secret, but if you do anything suspicious, I'm letting the cat out of the bag."
He relaxed visibly. "Thank you."
"Don't make me regret it," Savi snarled. "Also? Stop whining about the study dates because there won't be any more of those."
"Sav..."
"Don't call me that. Don't you dare call me that. I said, leave me alone! And never talk to me again." Savi whirled around and stormed away.
During Elementism, Harmony leaned over and whispered, "Finally ditched Tsynis, have you, Savannah?"
"Should've seen it coming," Savi grumbled.
Harmony's eyes narrowed, but there was a smirk in those eyes. "He's bad, isn't he? Best stay away from him. Make some friends. With girls."
"Sure."
"Want to come over to our table?" Harmony asked, motioning to the seat beside her and a seat away from Via.
Savi looked at her old friend, whose eyes were pleading, and Harmony, who seemed almost welcoming. She gave a curt nod and sat down next to Harmony.
Upon arriving home, Sophie somehow knew something was amiss. "What happened in school?" her mother asked cautiously.
But Savi was in no mood for worrying, or Sophie trying to pretend she'd ever cared about Savi. "You never cared about me," she spat. "You've ignored me most of my life. Just leave me alone. I don't want to know you." She brushed past Sophie and ran up the stairs, slamming her room door.
She didn't even open it when Edaline came with mallowmelt.
She was pretty sure Sophie knew something was off by then, but her mother didn't come up, giving Savi some space instead. That she could respect. She locked her room door and fiddled with Keefe's Pathfinder. She'd stolen it that morning from her father. She raised it to the light, wondering where she could go to.
Just as she did that, the blue beam on her nexus went to full and it fell off. Savi caught it before it hit the ground and latched it around her arm again. She could remove it whenever she wanted, but just for now, she was going to wear it, to be safe.
She changed the dial to the Wanderling Woods, deciding it was time she paid her brother a visit.
Will's Wanderling had grown since she'd last seen it, sprouting green shoots and looking healthier than he had ever been. A single tear slid down Savi's cheek as she remembered her brother, but she shook it away. Now was not the time to cry.
"I thought I'd find you here," a voice murmured from behind her, and crushing guilt, worry and sadness overwhelmed Savi's emotional senses.
"What, worried?" she asked waspishly, without looking at Cerulean.
"Yes, and I'm sorry."
"You should have realized this would happen," she spat, before moving away from Will's Wanderling. He'd always hated when she'd argued with Sophie and Keefe. She wasn't going to argue with her former best friend in front of him.
"Savi, it's not like I wanted-"
"You joined them," she snarled. "That's all that matters. You joined them but you reached out to me anyway. You should have stayed far, FAR away!"
"I... I know that. I just didn't know how you'd react. And I was lonely." He looked at the ground. "I promise, every day I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to lose you as a friend."
"Well, now you have," she snapped, looking everywhere but at him. "You disappointed me," she mimicked Theodora's voice, before switching back to her own. "Cerulean, I thought you were different. I stood up for you. Thought the prejudice against you was unnecessary. But this is how you return it? People want to trust you but they can't because of your family's connection to the Neverseen. You're not helping, you know that?"
"I... didn't think I would, but... there will never be a place for me in this world, Sav. It's not like you. You're special. You have famous parents. You've got everything. I have nothing, and no one will ever trust me, so why bother?"
"I trusted you," Savi whispered. "You betrayed my trust."
He deflated. "You won't ever trust me again, will you?"
Savi met his eyes. "I trusted you and treated you better than family, and where did that make me end up?"
"I swear, Savi, I didn't want it to be like this!"
"Yet it is." Savi looked away. "Listen, I don't want to hear it. Spare me. We'll talk again in school – if I've cooled down. But I'll approach you. Don't come to me. And if I'll be sitting with Harmony and Via." She narrowed her eyes. "At least I know I can trust them."
"You can trust me."
"No, I can't." Savi snorted derisively. "After all you've done, you think I'd trust you? No! Leave me alone." And when he wouldn't, she raised Keefe's Pathfinder to the light and light leaped away.