Savi's suite didn't end up being as fanciful as she'd imagined. Her imagination had made her expect gold-threaded paintings, intricate carvings on the walls and beautifully carved statues. What she didn't expect was that someone had evidently bought her a stuffed toy, since there was a tiny red panda lying on her bed. Savi only knew it because Sophie had educated her on a lot of animals in the Forbidden Cities, or rather, just given her an animal encyclopedia so young Savi would stop bothering her.
She was about to scoop it up and throw it to a corner of the room, renouncing the fact that she was a child, before the red panda jumped to its paws and scurried around her bed. "You're kidding," Savi said. "Someone got me a real, live panda."
The red panda only scratched her blanket in reply.
Savi sighed, grabbing the red panda only for it to dash away, making panda sounds. She had no idea what that meant. "Look, I'm not an animal person, maybe I" But as her fingers brushed its tail, she realized it was the softest thing she had ever felt. "Okay, maybe a little bit of snuggle time. Just today," she conceded. It was getting dark, so she got into bed, called to the shades to close, and reached out her hands to the little red panda.
It scurried over to her and tackled her, its little furry tail brushing against her chest. "Okay, you got me. I'm a big softie," Savi admitted as she scratched its ears. "And you're... male? Female?"
Another panda sound.
"Okay, hit my right hand with your tail if you're male, and left if you're female." Savi raised her hands out to it, not daring to believe that it would work.
The red panda smacked her left hand hard with its tail. Savi winced and jerked her hand away. "Yep! Definitely female. We'll call you... Scarlet?"
If a red panda could facepalm, it was definitely doing that now.
"Red?"
Same reaction.
"Zinnia?"
The red panda let out a squeak of indignation.
"How about... Rose?"
It tilted its head, as if considering.
"Oh, I've got it. You want to be Rosie, don't you?"
Now she was getting lots of disapproval.
"So.... Rose."
Her new fluffy pet was starting to look really mad. "What do you – hey, that's a sand box there, let's go try writing!"
She threw the red panda into the sandbox and it glared up at her before beginning to scratch something into the sand. The red panda's writing was lopsided and squiggly, but eventually she translated it to what might've been Keira.
"No way am I calling a red panda Keira."
The red panda let out a sigh of frustration and started over. It still looked a little like Keira, but maybe she hadn't been writing that in the first place. "Does that say... Keris?" Now the red panda was bouncing happily up and down.
"You want me to call a red panda Keris?"
The red panda – Keris, she supposed – squeaked happily and nodded.
"Fine. Keris it is." Keris gave a very reddish-brown smile, waving her fluffy tail. "Just know, like, you're not going to stay with me permanently, okay? Who sent you?"
Keris wrote another name in the sandbox which looked like 'Gasile'. Savi laughed. "Keris, I'm not good at unscrambling, but that really obviously spells Gisela."
Keris wrote an 'and', and wrote 'Trix'.
The name Trix seemed slightly familiar...
OH! Trix! The Guster! He had used to be friends with Rayni Aria who was now basically Sophie's bestie, which was why Savi HATED Rayni. Now she remembered. Actually, she noticed that the Neverseen had already gifted her an Imparter which was shiny on her desk.
But it wasn't the new Imparter her eyes focused on, it was the blue Imparter she pulled out from her pocket. She watched it, waiting for it to buzz. How long would it take for Harmony and Via to contact her? She'd given them one each. Honestly, she didn't really expect Harmony to contact her, but Via, maybe.
It was dark, but she left her room anyway, strolling along the grounds, bored half to death, eyes not leaving her surroundings once. Her right hand was sitting inside her pocket, feeling the blue Imparter, just waiting for it to buzz.
It never did.
And she was about to give up when it did buzz with a message – she'd forgotten the blue Imparter couldn't call. But it was from some joint Imparter, which was weird, but it seemed that Keefe had gotten access to her blue Imparter through Via.
It was an image – a picture of the note he was giving her. Savi wondered why he couldn't have just typed. Rolling her eyes, she read it.
Anna.
I've no clue where you went, but I can only hope that you're still with me. Still on our side. You haven't gone to Cerulean, have you? I know you, Savannah Calla. You're not one of the bad ones. You're stubborn and hotheaded, but you're not evil. Please don't join those who are actually evil. My mother was once in that organization, Anna. Seriously – haven't I told you enough tales of her evil wrongdoings? It's good she's dead, or I'd be running there now to rescue you.
I know you'll never forgive me or Sophie, but I promise the neglect wasn't intentional. I wasn't even aware of it – you keep to yourself a lot, you know that? And Sophie's breaking down about this too. Even Seri's cried twice.
Please? Even if you joined them, you can back out. Come back to us. Even if you're a double agent. I tried this before, Anna. It didn't work and almost got my friends killed. It's not worth it.
Keefe
Savi hated how her gut was telling her to laugh in Keefe's face, chide him for being so, so stupid. He really thought his lovely daughter was still in there, didn't he? He didn't think she'd turned completely bad. Well, he was wrong. He was –
Something fluffy pawed her leg, and she looked down to find Keris, the red panda's eyes wide, and she frowned suddenly. She hadn't thought of it, but why would Gisela or Trix even know red pandas existed?
Then she found the P.S, and it read, By the way, Anna... Kerita is from me.
"Hold it right there," Savi said, glaring down at Keris, "Kerita?"
Keris continued pawing, looking slightly ashamed.
Savi cracked up. "That's worse than Keris. Whatever. Come on, let's get back. I still haven't heard anything from Harmony or Via, but"
Keris smacked her with her tail and squeaked indignantly.
"What?" Savi asked. Keris gestured to the image of Keefe's letter, and then Savi's hand. Savi groaned. "Keris, I am not writing a reply." Still... Keris might be Savi's only genuine friend around here. With a long sigh, Savi began drafting her own message. She forged Gisela's handwriting, wondering if it would spark any memories in Keefe. She had conveniently not told him Gisela was alive yet.
Keefe,
First and foremost, Lady Gisela is alive. Is that a big bummer? Well, apparently you didn't examine her dead body closely, so, nope, you failed! Also, yes, I'm joining the Neverseen for real, and if you keep contacting me this way through Via and Harmony, I'm going to shut down these Imparters. It was meant for them, not you. Via, if you're reading this, my trust in you is faltering.
I'm not evil, Keefe. But I don't have to be evil to be with the enemy. The Black Swan's wrong. You're wrong. The Neverseen aren't right, but they aren't wrong either. Sure, the killing and attacks might be a little crazy, but I'll deal with it.
And you honestly think I care that Sophie and Seri are breaking down? What, my pesky little sister and my mom who never cared about me? Don't fake it, Keefe. Don't you dare fake it. I've felt a lot of emotions off you, but I've never felt love. Don't bother denying.
Send me one more return message. It can be as long as you like. But no more after that. Any more, and Via's channel gets shut down. And you'd be careful with the way you make use of Harmony. I'd advise you not to at all, because once Harmony can't contact me, I'm uncontactable.
I'm not your puppet.
Anna
Keefe's reply came in within the next two minutes.
Anna. Anna, please. I have enough time to message you for an hour, but you'd cut me short like this? Well, if one message's all I get, I'm going to milk it dry.
My mom's alive – why does that even surprise me? Of course Mommy Dearest has ways to come back to life. They faked a body, huh? Okay, she was definitely prepared. Does that mean Chameleon's alive, too? Or even... or even Dark Hearts, and Blur? We need to check those bodies again, do DNA scans, I can't believe we never did. Thanks for that. I know you weren't trying to help me, but it was helpful all the same.
Yes, Anna. Your mother and your sister are genuinely sad, as am myself. We miss you. Yes, I know your relationship with Seri isn't the best, but you're siblings. I want to meet you, Anna, even if it's just for goodbye. Could we arrange a meeting at Will's Wanderling sometime?
That message had Savi seething. Keefe was trying to use Will to get to her?! Was he trying to keep her away from Will's Wanderling?!
No. I can't even believe you would try to use Will to get to me. You and I are done. Another peep from you and Via's line goes dead.
Keefe was probably groaning on the other end, but Savi didn't care. In fact, she was in half a mind to shut down Via's line even before they tried anything again, until a tiny message ticked at her Imparter, from Harmony's line.
Anna... are you okay?
Savi bit her lip, not wanting to give Harmony the answer her friend deserved, but she had to, didn't she? Her finger hovered over her Imparter, wondering what kind of message she should send to Harmony.
The final words that came out were raw, cold and merciless, although Savi could feel a twinge of regret as she typed.
I'm fine. I've joined the Neverseen for real – I'm sorry. And I'm not sure when Gisela will find out about this; maybe she already knows. Don't try to find me.
Savi turned the Imparter on silent before she stowed it away, carrying Keris back to her bedroom as she flopped on the, thankfully, gnomish-made bed, waiting for sleep to take her.
It never did.
She was in an unfamiliar environment, away from family and friends, away from home. She missed Willowtree and her bedroom there, she missed Via and Harmony.
She even missed Cerulean.
But she'd just agreed to keep herself hidden from him.
Conflicted, she stood up again, sighed, and went to her desk, and drank the slumberberry tea that Gisela had left for her.