Flashback ( PDFDrive )

Lady Zillah’s smile had a gleam to it. “I look forward to tomorrow’s
session.”
“Wait!” Edaline said as Lady Zillah turned to leave the Healing
Center. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
When Lady Zillah frowned, she pointed to Sophie’s hand and
forehead. “You need to remove the rest of the shadows. Or teach Tam
how to if they won’t respond to you.”
Lady Zillah shook her head. “There are no shadows. All that
remains are the echoes.”
“I don’t understand what that means,” Edaline told her.
“I’d wager none of you do. No one bothers learning about Shades.
You’d rather banish us like criminals.”
Sophie wished she could argue. But while the elves didn’t
discriminate because of money or skin color—like many humans did—
they had plenty of their own prejudices. The Talentless suffered the
brunt of the inequality, but certain abilities were also valued above
others. And some—like Shades and Pyrokinetics—were scorned or
forbidden. She’d even heard some of her friends talk about Shades as if
the ability made them harder to trust—though that was before they’d
really gotten to know Tam.
“For what it’s worth,” Magnate Leto said carefully, “I’m incredibly
grateful you accepted my offer to mentor Mr. Tam, just as I was
extremely happy when Mr. Tam agreed to attend Foxfire—and I’m
thrilled you’ll be exploring this new facet of his power. I’ve always
believed that Shades have a tremendous amount to offer.”
“We do,” Lady Zillah agreed, turning back to Edaline. “But even the
greatest among us could not do what you’re asking. Echoes cannot be
removed. They are a whisper of memory. The body’s story of its