Flashback ( PDFDrive )

named Mrs. Stinkbottom—and now both boys were as attached to
their sleeping buddies as Sophie was to her Ella.
“She’s right here,” Edaline said, leaning down to scoop up the
bright blue, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing stuffed elephant from the floor.
“You knocked her off when you were thrashing.”
“Stinky’s hanging with us too,” Elwin told her, retrieving
something fluffy and peach from his personal office.
He’d told her once that he couldn’t sleep without his stuffed
stegosaurus, but she’d forgotten all about it until right then. And
Stinky looked very well loved. His feathers were faded and missing in
several places, and his body was extra lumpy, like the stuffing had
shifted around during all the years of hugging.
“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.” He
glanced around the room. “Good. Looks like Biana finally went to
session. Vanishers. I’ve found her hiding in the corner three times
today, even though I promised I’d give you her message once you
finally woke up.”
“What message?” Sophie asked.
Edaline’s smile was hard to read. The corners said happy news, but
the curve said you’re busted.
Which made sense when she told Sophie: “Biana wanted you to
know that everyone’s in for your weapon-training program, and—”
“She told you?” Sophie interrupted, hugging Ella tighter and trying
to figure out why Biana would do that.
Battle training obviously wasn’t something they’d be able to keep
secret—especially now that she couldn’t sneak off anywhere without