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The second Valerie was out of Tribunal Hall, she let out a sound of relief, the tension finally released from her body. She leaned against the cool stone wall, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tried to calm her racing heart. Glancing at Sophie, she managed a weak smile, silently grateful that it was over, at least for now.
"I'm so sorry!" Sophie said for the millionth time to Grady, Edaline, and Dex as they met her, Valerie, and Alden outside Tribunal Hall. She wished she'd never have to set foot in the terrifying building again. But she knew she'd be back at the end of the year. Her knees shook at the thought.
Dex grinned. "Are you kidding? This has been the coolest day ever! I finally got to see Eternalia. Foxfire was evacuated! I missed the Great Gulon Incident three years ago, but I bet it had nothing on this."
"What was the Great Gulon Incident?" Valerie asked.
Alden cleared his throat. "Perhaps we can discuss this another time? There's still a few things Sophie and I need to do."
Grady and Alden exchanged a quick look, and Grady nodded. "We'll take Dex home. Where should I tell his family he's been all afternoon?"
While the adults got their stories straight, Dex leaned toward Sophie, a huge smile showing off his dimples appeared on his cheeks. "Will Fitz get to know what really happened today?"
"I doubt it."
"Excellent. I finally know something Wonderboy doesn't."
She couldn't help laughing.
"Come on, Dex, time to go," Grady interrupted. He looked at the two girls and smiled. "See you at home, kiddo."
Everyone flashed away, leaving Sophie alone with Alden.
"Come on, Sophie. Let's take a walk."
Alden led her along the banks of the river that cut a winding path through the heart of Eternalia. "Do you know what these trees are called?" he asked, pointing to the large trunks all around them. Their burnt sienna bark twisted up to the hunter green leaves, which fanned out above.
"No," Sophie said. She'd seen them around—there were even a few at Havenfield—but she never thought to ask what they were.
"Their full name is Purfoliage palmae, but everyone calls them the Pures, because their leaves filter the air, keeping out any pollution or impurities. Every house and city has at least one to keep the air clean, and with so many growing here, Eternalia has the freshest, crispest air in the world. Well, it does when there isn't a fire nearby—but that's not important. Do you wonder why I ask?"
She nodded.
"I was thinking how odd it is that you don't know the name of one of our most common trees—and yet you and Valerie knew the name and location of two stars only a handful of us have ever heard of, and only the Councillors know how to find."
She stared at her feet. "I don't know why. I wish I did."
"I know, Sophie. No one thinks what happened is your fault, or Valerie's for that matter. But we are concerned about what else might be stored away in that mind of yours."
Her head snapped up. "You think there's other stuff?"
"It's possible. You knew how to read the cipher runes on those scrolls, didn't you?"
Her blood ran cold. Was that what Quinlin meant about her being a Keeper, all those months ago? "But . . . how would it get there?"
"We don't know." The hesitation in his voice said otherwise, and it made her desperate to shove into his thoughts. But she was in enough trouble already.
"Is that what Emery said to you at the end?" She remembered Alden's slight nod. "He told you something telepathically, didn't he?"
"You are observant, aren't you?" He sighed. "He was giving me another instruction for you."
Her stomach turned. "Is it bad?"
"Of course not. Come with me."
He took her hand and leaped them to the edge of Eternalia, where a row of identical crystal castles glowed pink and orange in the sunset.
"Where are we?" Sophie asked as he led her toward the farthest one.
"These are the Councillors' offices. You have an appointment with Councillor Terik."
Nerves weakened her legs, causing her to miss a step on the way to the door. Alden's quick reflexes prevented her from falling. Before he could knock, the door swung open, revealing an elf with wavy brown hair and a circlet adorned with emeralds. His cobalt blue eyes examined Sophie with curiosity as she dropped a shaky curtsy, and Alden offered a graceful bow.
"Do you want me to stay?" Alden asked.
Terik waved him away. "It works better one-on-one—you know that."
"Then I'll be back in ten minutes." He squeezed Sophie's shoulder. "Just relax, Sophie. No reason to worry."
She nodded, her mouth too dry to speak.
Terik escorted her inside, leading her to an oval sitting room adjacent to the main entryway. Gesturing for her to take a seat in one of the plush armchairs, he settled across from her. "Did Alden explain why you're here?"
She shook her head, unable to find her voice.
He chuckled, the sound reverberating off the crystal walls and easing the tension in the room. "There's no need to be afraid. What's about to happen is considered quite an honor. Parents beg me to do this for their children, and I typically refuse. It causes too many problems." He sighed. "It's quite a burden being the only Descryer."
He seemed to be expecting a response, so she nodded once more.
"You have no idea what that means, do you?"
She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
"How incredibly refreshing. It means I can sense potential. So you can see why parents are always clamoring for me to meet their children. I used to agree, but then I noticed how often it backfired. Potential is nothing if it's not lived up to, now is it?"
She cleared her throat, realizing she hadn't spoken since she'd arrived. "No."
"She speaks! I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten how." He smiled. "I know you're nervous, Sophie, but I promise you have no reason to be. The Council decided that—given today's unusual circumstances—it might be a good idea for me to see what I sense about you. It's painless, I assure you. All I have to do is hold your hands and concentrate. Do you think you can handle that?" He extended his hands towards her.
She hesitated half a second before placing her hands in his. A small part of her feared what he would find, but she also knew this wasn't optional. She took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.
"Fascinating," he whispered, staring into space.
It felt like one million seconds passed before he released her hands and stood up.
"Incredible."
"Am I allowed to know what you sensed?" she asked quietly.
"I would tell you if I knew what to say. I felt something—something strong. But I couldn't tell what it was."
She already knew the answer, but she still had to ask. "Has that ever happened before?"
"No. This is a first." He moved toward the door, opening it before Alden could knock.
Alden glanced between Terik and Sophie. "How did it go?"
"Interesting," Terik murmured, his mind seemingly far away.
When he said nothing else, Alden turned to Sophie. "Are you ready to go home?" She nodded. Terik didn't say goodbye, and he was still standing there, lost in his own thoughts, as the light swept them away.
Upon reaching Havenfield, Alden handed her a parcel wrapped in green paper. "The Council also insisted you keep one of these."
She carefully unwrapped the package, revealing a thick teal book. Her fingers traced the silver bird etched into the cover—a creature with long legs resembling a crane, sweeping tail feathers like a peacock, and a curved neck like a swan. "It's beautiful."
"It's a memory log." Alden opened the book to reveal its smooth white pages. "Has Tiergan taught you how to project?"
She nodded.
"Good. The Council wants you to keep track of your memories—to see if we find any that don't belong to you."
"How do I do that?" They couldn't expect her to record every memory she'd ever had. That seemed to be impossible.
"Just record anything that seems important. And make sure to document all the dreams you remember."
She bit her lip. "Even the nightmares?"
"Have you been having nightmares?"
"Sometimes." Since school started, they had become less frequent, but at least once a week, she still woke up in a cold sweat. "Sometimes I dream that my family is trapped in a burning house, trying to get out." She shivered as the terrifying images flashed through her mind. "Valerie says I talk in my sleep about them."
Alden was silent for a moment before speaking softly, "Your family is safe, Sophie. You have no reason to worry about them."
She met his gaze. "You won't tell me what's going on with the fires?"
He took a step back, as if needing distance from her question.
"Do the fires have something to do with me?" She held her breath as he seemed to contemplate his response.
"I. . . don't know," he whispered. "Which is why this memory log is important. I'll be checking it often to see if there's anything noteworthy. Make sure you record those nightmares."
She nodded.
He pulled her in for a one-armed hug, then paused. "You haven't mentioned those dreams to Grady and Edaline, have you?"
"No. Why?"
"Jolie died in a fire. Didn't they tell you?"
She shook her head. "They never talk about her. I don't think they know that I know."
Sadness etched lines on his face. "It's difficult for them. You can't imagine how difficult. Death is such a common thing for humans. For us..." He trailed off. "Her fiancé's house caught fire. He tried to save her, but there wasn't enough time. He barely made it out alive, and even then..." He didn't finish the sentence, but the look in his eyes conveyed the grim outcome.
Sophie tried not to imagine the horror he described. Burning to death—the mere thought made her shudder. "I won't bring up the dreams, I promise."
"Thank you." He smiled sadly and left her. She retreated to her room and shut the door. For some reason Valerie wasn't in their room.
As Sophie thought about the memory log, she found herself overwhelmed by the vividness of the images. Her entire body trembled as she witnessed her family's terror amidst the smoke and flames. Slamming the log shut, she hid it behind her bookshelf, hoping to shield it from prying eyes.
Desperate to distract herself from the haunting images, she reached for her old scrapbook and settled onto her bed. However, she couldn't bring herself to even open it, let alone flip through its pages. Before she could contemplate further, Edaline entered the room, concern etched on her face.
"Everything okay?" Edaline asked gently.
Startled, Sophie clutched the scrapbook to her chest. "I'm fine," she replied curtly, her voice sharper than intended.
Edaline frowned, sensing something amiss. "Dinner's waiting downstairs. Val will be home in a few minutes, she is with Clara."
The thought of food made Sophie's stomach churn. "I'm not really hungry. But thanks."
Edaline hesitated before sitting beside her on the bed. "Did something happen with Alden? You can tell me."
As Edaline reached out to comfort her, Sophie flinched, afraid to let her touch the scrapbook. Edaline withdrew her hand, masking her disappointment with a forced smile as she stood.
"Don't worry about it. You want to be alone. I'll send some dinner up later, in case you get hungry."
Sophie watched her leave, regretting the way she had reacted. But for now, she had more pressing concerns to address. With a deep breath, she forced herself to examine the photo mounted on the scrapbook's cover once more, confirming what she had seen earlier.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the image of herself at eleven, building a sandcastle on the beach. But it wasn't just any sandcastle—it was an exact replica of the crystal castles in Eternalia.
How was it possible for her to build a model of something she hadn't even known existed at the time?
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