Flashback ( PDFDrive )

Grady hurled another purple melon, but the gorgodon was faster,
slinging its tail with a perfect strike and showering Grady and several
of the gnomes in purple juice.
“Need help?” Sophie called as Grady wiped his face with his soggy
sleeve and reached for another piece of fruit.
Grady’s head whipped toward the sound of her voice, and before
she could blink, he was tossing the purple melon over his shoulder and
sprinting to her side, scooping her into a hug that somehow managed
to be gentle and crushing—and very, very sticky.
“Sorry,” he said, wiping a smear of purple off her arm. “I’m covered
in tangourd.”
He was. And he smelled like sweat and mud and something
strongly peppery. But Sophie didn’t care one bit as she wrapped her
good arm around him and leaned in.
“I missed you,” she whispered into his shoulder.
“Right back at you, kiddo.” He bent to kiss her cheek, and she could
feel his tears mixing with hers before they both eased back to study
each other.
His gaze washed over her sling before settling at the base of her
neck, and it took her a second to figure out why he was frowning.
“I still have the Ruewen crest you gave me,” she promised, patting
the same cape pocket that held Krakie and his friends. “But Tinker
made me this one to block any trackers.”
She explained what little she knew about how the null worked, as
well as the bangle on her left arm and the silver gadgets covering her
nails.
“Sounds like those are all great ideas,” Grady said, lifting her wrist
to study her new bangle. “But what was that part about starting