Flashback ( PDFDrive )

“You okay there?” he whispered.
She nodded, not quite ready to use her voice.
Not ready to let go of his hand, either.
It had been close.
Too close.
She’d felt the headache rolling in like fog, but the wind had
knocked it back.
“Sorry,” Keefe said, tightening his fingers with hers. “I shouldn’t
have brought up any of those worries. Edaline warned me that you
need to stay calm right now.”
“But that might be what they want! What if—”
“Can I say something before you let that powerful imagination run
wild again?” he asked, filling her head with another soft, trickling
breeze. “I’ve been doing my own tests on Everglen’s security all week
—that’s why I haven’t had time to check in—”
“And I did an actual useful search,” Ro added, “with my senses.”
“It took us days,” Keefe continued. “We searched both inside and
outside the fence. And I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that
Everglen’s a fortress. Seriously, Foster. No one’s getting in or out
unless they go through the main gate—and the Council has guards
posted there around the clock. Dex also added a few extra fail-safes to
the Warden just in case. So there’s no way Alvar’s going anywhere.”
“I hope you’re right,” she said, taking a long, slow breath. “But that
doesn’t mean the Neverseen don’t still want me trapped in this bed.
What if—”
“That’s absolutely what they want,” Ro interrupted. “Isn’t that
obvious? I mean . . . they exploded your bones—and filled you with
those echo things, and—”