Flashback ( PDFDrive )

“Yeah, and why did I have to ditch Lovise?” Dex added.
“You did?” Sophie asked, realizing Dex’s bodyguard wasn’t
standing in the shadows like she should’ve been.
“I did,” Dex agreed, “and I had to promise to make the triplets all
kinds of pranking elixirs in order to convince them to distract her for
me—and I’m pretty sure they’re going to bring all of them to Foxfire,
so good luck with that.”
“I’ll make sure the campus is prepared,” Mr. Forkle assured him.
“And trust me, it’s worth the effort. I’m taking you both to meet with
one of the most reclusive members of the Black Swan—who happens
to not be a fan of goblins. Hence why I asked you to come alone, Mr.
Dizznee, and why I’m having us make a detour before I bring Miss
Foster home to her abundance of bodyguards. It’s time for you two to
meet Tinker, our Technopath.”
• • •
“Okay, this is the coolest place I’ve ever seen,” Dex said as he craned
his neck to study the metal-and-glass structure, which couldn’t seem
to decide if it was a mansion or a machine.
Spinning cogs decorated the sweeping arches and ornate columns
that formed the main building, which framed what appeared to be a
massive clock tower—except the frosted glass face had five hands
instead of two, and five symbols instead of twelve, and none of those
symbols were numbers. The markings didn’t look like runes, either—
too many sharp angles. Sophie had no idea what they were. But the
same symbols were also used to mark each of the contraptions
attached in a neat row along the very top edge of the tower’s roof. The
first reminded Sophie of a sundial. The second was probably some sort