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“Well, I doubt your mentors will get quite as specific. But . . . theanswer to both questions is related. Our birthing process is not asecret. But the location of our hive definitely is, and that’s where wekeep the transport pods. And bringing you there also requires me toreveal something that’s beyond classified. Something I doubt ourempress ever planned on sharing. That’s why this is such a risk. Theonly way to help you means . . . revealing the identity of our other elvinally since the hive is at their property.”Sophie felt her eyes stretch wide.Tarina nodded. “I figured that might be your reaction. And I won’twaste time making you renew your promise for secrecy. I’m trustingyou to keep your word. I also won’t waste time sharing the wholelengthy history. All you really need to know is that several thousandyears ago, our hive was raided by ogres. We managed to fight them offand maintain control of our lands. But in that one night, we lost anentire generation.” She lowered her head, giving those ancient losses amoment of silence. “And after we’d buried our dead, we realized howvulnerable we were. The ogres knew what our hive looked like now.They’d never stop until they found it again. And while our empressconsidered turning to your Council for protection, she’d already seenhow little help they gave the gnomes after the ogres stole theirhomeland. And she feared her people would fare as poorly. She’d alsoseen the brilliant illusions that were hiding your cities in plain sight.And she realized that was what we needed—that extra layer of clevercamouflage to keep our hive secret. So instead of speaking with yourCouncillors, she approached the elf who was directly responsible forconcealing your world.”
Sophie grabbed her arm, feeling like the earth had just tiltedsharply. “Please tell me you’re not talking about Vespera.”She couldn’t breathe again until Tarina told her, “No. My empressallied with the elf who actually implemented the illusions, since shewas the one we’d need in order to veil our hive.”The earth tilted the other way as Sophie realized there was only oneperson Tarina could mean—the name Tarina confirmed a second later.Luzia Vacker.
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For Mara Anastas, for believing fro
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ONESO IS IT STRANGE COMING here and
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“Relax, Foster,” Keefe said, sh
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The younger Vacker siblings had bee
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wasn’t giving them access either.
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“Yeah. I guess.”“Hmm.” He t
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“Ugh, you elves overthink everyth
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“The Vacker parade,” Keefe corr
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“Your dad didn’t tell you he go
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around the Councillors’ thrones.
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Alvar bowed again. “I understand
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invited for moral support.A quick g
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fury better than anyone. But . . .
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Alden cleared his throat. “I know
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Eventually Emery said, “Well, you
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“Occasionally,” Luzia admitted,
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Fallon ignored him. “It’s also
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He hummed a few more beats, rocking
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Ro snickered.“This will be quick,
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He was following our orders—and w
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“Don’t pretend like you actuall
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He jerked away. “No, we’re—
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“Practice is about building muscl
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“Yes, but I would’ve sliced off
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Councillor Bronte, her inflicting M
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“It helps me to picture the Never
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FOURYOU OKAY?” FITZ ASKED, WAVING
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“That’s because you also made t
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“I don’t think that.” She ste
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interrogated. Her wrists still stun
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“No. But my dad said it was small
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away. And that you left everything
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Fitz dragged out a sigh as he scrap
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Fitz’s answering smile was full m
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FIVESOPHIE WASN’T UNCONSCIOUS.The
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“I guess I’m not the only predi
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There was no way to know if the sig
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“You’d better hope that’s tru
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“The Black Swan is . . . adjustin
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She circled her hands, bending all
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again, this time cracking bone. And
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SIXYOU WANTED TO FIND ME so badly?
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Ruy laughed. “You’ll have to do
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shimmer and shine. But if we want t
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“Those shadows you’re fighting
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yourself this: Have you ever notice
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Thunder clapped and lightning flash
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She didn’t know how—not with th
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Biting her lip and bracing for the
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“Uh, I don’t think this is maki
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down would undo some of the recover
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her to order them back to Gildingha
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“You know her?” Tam asked.“I
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“But not always the same way,”
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At least he looked peaceful.His eye
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“Yes, I did. But”—he took a l
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“If guarding me is too dangerous,
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someone with different strengths an
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His eyes glazed, and there was such
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she’s an Empath.”“How many Em
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Magnate Leto frowned. “There isn
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wrong—and it made it so we couldn
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“And please tell me there’s a w
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instead of standing up to the Counc
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“Hey,” she said, offering him h
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“Look at me, Keefe.”She had to
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“The Neverseen don’t get to con
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there was still no sign of you or D
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searched the facility. But the Blac
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TENGRIZEL’S BEEN TELLING ME FOR w
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hold our own against an ogre. They
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so they can keep doing that to see
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work on skills like telekinesis and
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Nightmares were far less scary than
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Sophie shivered, wondering how long
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seeing anything. Well . . . I’m s
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named Mrs. Stinkbottom—and now bo
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fingers and conjured a short, braid
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slumber party a secret. That’s wh
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backup bodyguard’s going to be?
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The tiny female gnome was one of So
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Which of course meant the bad news
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“Yeah, bring on the weapons,” T
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ELEVENSOPHIE WAS ONE HUNDRED PERCEN
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“I didn’t command it,” Tam ar
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But darkness is vital—and not bec
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encounter with the kind of force th
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“Light is not the answer,” Lady
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Darkness flooded Sophie’s mind. B
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kicked free and crawled up and out.
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“I don’t think that’s a good
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Well . . .That almost made sense.As
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And Magnate Leto’s slip now made
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“Because I think I might understa
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Something inside Sophie shriveled,
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THIRTEENWELL, I THINK IT’S SAFE t
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So now the Neverseen even got to co
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chance to top the Great Gulon Incid
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“Okay, how were you not in the fi
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make getting dressed way easier. Bu
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And that kind of conviction doesn
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“Uh, we’re supposed to be keepi
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“You still up for it, Foster?”
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“Foot . . . energy . . . ,” Sop
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“Ready?” Ro asked, snatching an
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FOURTEENIT TOOK ELWIN MOST OF the n
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you’re going to make them wear gl
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“Cool—the Prattles kraken! I’
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“I thought we’d start with cold
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She gave him half a shrug—and a f
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nailed the breath control trick on
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Then again, wasn’t it better that
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FIFTEENHOW LONG HAVE I BEEN asleep?
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“Your pulse is also racing,” El
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He switched to a red orb around Fit
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“Probably pretty soon,” Sophie
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And because Fitz insisted, she also
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—and that stuff is horrible, by t
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And very sparkly.And between her ha
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Okay, she said, I’m going to try
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SILVENY! he transmitted. PLEASE! SO
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I know.Silveny had always been an o
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A stream of new images cut off the
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NO CHECK! NO CHECK! NO CHECK!Someon
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“Not yet. But she will,” Fitz s
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“My parents are coming?” Fitz a
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“Alvar won’t even have access t
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SEVENTEENI’M FINE,” FITZ PROMIS
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The tinge of green to Fitz’s skin
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The real prize for Ickiest Way to S
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“This is actually only half of it
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“It’s kinda hard to forget,”
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“Looks like things are about to g
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something to camouflage what they w
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“Hear that, Ro?” he interrupted
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“I can handle it,” he promised.
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“He really doesn’t know when to
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“Aw, come on, Leto,” Ro whined.
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“See, but now you’ve got me cur
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EIGHTEENWITH BOTH OF US?” FITZ as
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that detail. And honestly, that was
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He pointed to their trays, which st
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“Like what?”He stared at his ha
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The thought was softer than a whisp
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It IS, Sophie agreed. I’m super g
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You do have time, he told her. Fift
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Not if her name wasn’t on one of
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brother.”“And I’m worried he
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is Leto making—and why does the F
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“Wouldn’t you rather do it not
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repeated the process with Fitz’s
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TWENTYTHE FIRST STEP,” TIERGAN SA
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“Then the masking fades, the same
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“That’s it.”“That’s it?
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TWENTY-ONETHE GILDED MEMORIES CALLE
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I can do that now if you want, Keef
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me break down like that.Anger burne
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matching tunics that say, My Legacy
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“Yes, well, I’ve never felt you
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Couldn’t have been that big, Fitz
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assuming you can find the right wor
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Then Keefe whispered, “I think we
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No idea. This one’s way more dama
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—but she highly doubted that was
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Keefe reeled toward Sophie and Fitz
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“But she didn’t tell me anythin
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You okay? she asked Fitz when she n
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scribbled questions.”Ro shrugged.
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TWENTY-FOURWHO’S READY TO GET OUT
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“Wow,” she whispered, letting o
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Her mind flashed to the monster, bu
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Yeah. That’s why I haven’t chec
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easy way to stop or pivot direction
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Fitz cleared his throat and shifted
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And their hurried pace was smoother
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TWENTY-FIVEDON’T LET GO!” LADY
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the attack.”“Really?” Linh as
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you’d probably be sleeping. Oh—
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Just like Sophie couldn’t stop wi
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“Thanks for all the visits,” Fi
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TWENTY-SIXWHY ARE THEY WAITING UNTI
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“I’m not leaving early,” he s
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The echo was only a tiny part of he
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“Check in when you can,” she to
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Lots more patience.Plus a long list
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Boy reference? Because you know I h
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“But you know they have to be hum
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“Why not?” Sophie had to ask.
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turned out to be her protector and
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“Here,” Mr. Forkle said when sh
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of weather vane. The third might’
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“No, we’re long past that. The
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He crouched to study the metal anim
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even sound like words, just gibberi
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stopped in front of a cluster of wi
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“Okay, what was that?” she aske
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“Fake caches,” Mr. Forkle corre
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“Mr. Dizznee has made some simple
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“What about the other thing you t
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Tinker tapped the base of each nail
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Dex pressed his finger to the tiny
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“Caution and moderation will be k
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The pen had a much more cagelike fe
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training?”“Not without Elwin’
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“That too,” Bo said as he stepp
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—you carry the hate for what thes
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Tarina followed her gaze. “Can yo
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TWENTY-NINEYOU WANT TO FORM AN alli
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asking you to join any plot or sche
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“I didn’t say our soldiers—I
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over the years. She’s amazing. As
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reason I can think of, other than h
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finishing up without me?”The gnom
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“Did you search his bags?” Bo d
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Sophie took a slow breath, working
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She closed her eyes, swaying softly
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But she wasn’t going to complain.
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THIRTYSHOULD YOU BE LYING LIKE that
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“She seems okay. Though I think t
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I’m expecting you to hold true to
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She didn’t. But it made sense.How
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breath. At least Councillor Oralie
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“Of course I am. I’ve been stuc
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Then he stepped aside.Her turn.And
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mentally prepared for the ugliness
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“The first rule of dagger throwin
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rhythm and could hit exactly where
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Between visiting Tinker and finally
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“But find out everything else. I
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Daddy’s little hugfest tomorrow.
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See. See. See.Silveny’s mental vo
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So she would save it for a last res
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“Wrong!” Tarina informed her.
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session. And she could feel his min
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And since Sophie had already blown
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I’ll see what I can dig up, he to
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And yet, despite all that time and
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Sophie spun around to find Marella
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“Nope. And way to be smooth about
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wants training to defend herself, I
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“Is that bad?” Linh added, shar
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think it must be the rhythm of dark
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That’s actually why I reached out
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“You’re not all coming with me,
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“Of course,” she said, smoothin
Page 495 and 496: most of the space, framing a small,
Page 497 and 498: THIRTY-THREEWOULD YOU LIKE TO SIT?
Page 499 and 500: think it’s easy to sit here knowi
Page 501 and 502: LEGACY!LODESTAR!NIGHTFALL!KIDNAP!AD
Page 503 and 504: Sophie nodded, hooking Fitz’s arm
Page 505 and 506: Sophie’s eyebrows raised as he le
Page 507 and 508: crusty and gross. Honestly, I don
Page 509 and 510: “Yet,” Fitz added. “I still t
Page 511 and 512: gleaming door made of braided silve
Page 513 and 514: THIRTY-FIVEFITZ MEANT HIS WINNOWING
Page 515 and 516: as a tradition. Then people just si
Page 517 and 518: She shook her head again, sucking i
Page 519 and 520: And it only grew bigger when she bu
Page 521 and 522: THIRTY-SIXSORRY!” SOPHIE SAID, FE
Page 523 and 524: Right before they would’ve splatt
Page 525 and 526: “Hang on tight,” Sophie warned,
Page 527 and 528: THIRTY-SEVENLABOR IS GOOD NEWS, RIG
Page 529 and 530: But none of that mattered.“Silven
Page 531 and 532: “I can handle it,” Timkin said
Page 533 and 534: “More of a calming agent,” Vika
Page 535 and 536: THIRTY-EIGHTTWINS,” SOPHIE REPEAT
Page 537 and 538: “Hey,” Fitz said, stepping clos
Page 539 and 540: And Timkin didn’t look convinced.
Page 541 and 542: Sophie’s gaze darted back to Silv
Page 543 and 544: the beach, their feet kicking up sa
Page 545: that we have to invent ways to surv
Page 549 and 550: Tarina shook her head. “It would
Page 551 and 552: Out loud she added, “And I was al
Page 553 and 554: way she kept glancing over her shou
Page 555 and 556: “With all due respect,” Tarina
Page 557 and 558: “This is the hive?” Sophie aske
Page 559 and 560: thick and green, like a lake of sno
Page 561 and 562: “Is it me, or is it super stuffy
Page 563 and 564: FORTYSOPHIE LEARNED MORE ABOUT BIRT
Page 565 and 566: And so was her brother, who arrived
Page 567 and 568: “It doesn’t have a name—and i
Page 569 and 570: She wasn’t sure what they were ta
Page 571 and 572: at the moment, her brain could bare
Page 573 and 574: Sophie wasn’t a fan either. There
Page 575 and 576: She chewed her lip as she considere
Page 577 and 578: “So it was you this whole time?
Page 579 and 580: Nubiti, if she hasn’t already. An
Page 581 and 582: FORTY-THREEOKAY, THAT MIGHT BE THE
Page 583 and 584: Edaline shook her head at him. “D
Page 585 and 586: Real wasn’t bad.But it was . . .
Page 587 and 588: “The most powerful elf our world
Page 589 and 590: FORTY-FOURGRADY AND EDALINE TRIED T
Page 591 and 592: know how proud we are of how you ha
Page 593 and 594: Sandor and Bo, off a cliff. She may
Page 595 and 596: Flying wasn’t possible until Silv
Page 597 and 598:
“Or Keefette. Or Keefelle. Or Kee
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best friend and see how Fitzy was h
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counts.”“Has it ever occurred t
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“Cadfael,” Sophie repeated, nee
Page 605 and 606:
She stalked deeper into the pasture
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Breathing became a little easier. B
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“Well, for one thing, the masking
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that her writing was still mostly i
Page 613 and 614:
She started with Gethen’s taunts,
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panic switches—which could now se
Page 617 and 618:
They didn’t fly far, just circled
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should’ve let Vertina talk her in
Page 621 and 622:
Mr. Forkle nodded. “The Council
Page 623 and 624:
“No,” Mr. Forkle called back to
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practically invented that strategy
Page 627 and 628:
“Oh, are we to the part where you
Page 629 and 630:
“And what about you, Sophie?” F
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ability, and it was time to undo th
Page 633 and 634:
FORTY-SIXWE SHOULD CANCEL THE FESTI
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Pyrokinetic is hardly reliable. Par
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attention.”With that she turned a
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that he’d figure out when and whe
Page 641 and 642:
Ro muttered something that sounded
Page 643 and 644:
“Thank you for thinking about me,
Page 645 and 646:
“Smart,” Biana said, glancing a
Page 647 and 648:
looked . . . scared.“I’m fine,
Page 649 and 650:
The good news was, the security for
Page 651 and 652:
“Or you could take this,” Dex s
Page 653 and 654:
The Collective agreed. And the Coun
Page 655 and 656:
FORTY-SEVENA HUGE RED MOON FILLED T
Page 657 and 658:
“So, who’s going with whom?”
Page 659 and 660:
The thirty minutes felt like thirty
Page 661 and 662:
Maybe he thinks he can.Is he even n
Page 663 and 664:
built into the Warden’s band. “
Page 665 and 666:
darkness and landing them among the
Page 667 and 668:
“Right,” Fitz muttered, wincing
Page 669 and 670:
FORTY-EIGHTI KNEW IT!” FITZ YELLE
Page 671 and 672:
“So this was never about the fest
Page 673 and 674:
“Why do you look so afraid?” Um
Page 675 and 676:
“That’s all?” Gethen sighed d
Page 677 and 678:
“There has to be another way,”
Page 679 and 680:
“So they were never here?” Mare
Page 681 and 682:
to himself about how he should’ve
Page 683 and 684:
“Trying to,” she said, choking
Page 685 and 686:
halo of light up ahead.“That’s
Page 687 and 688:
More important, though: Keefe’s s
Page 689 and 690:
they know they all but phased me ou
Page 691 and 692:
“Actually, I was thinking more ab
Page 693 and 694:
I know, he said, reminding her that
Page 695 and 696:
So they concentrated on coming up w
Page 697 and 698:
Even Alvar looked shocked by the re
Page 699 and 700:
“Not like this. Our hives are cel
Page 701 and 702:
And the drippy walls were lined wit
Page 703 and 704:
dragged it back to her. “I mean i
Page 705 and 706:
“Interesting,” Gethen said. “
Page 707 and 708:
“Aim for its eyes!” she shouted
Page 709 and 710:
as she fumbled to regain her balanc
Page 711 and 712:
The name pinched her heart, jolting
Page 713 and 714:
“I’m not serving anyone,” he
Page 715 and 716:
Fitz nodded and went back to starin
Page 717 and 718:
The Neverseen couldn’t say the sa
Page 719 and 720:
Ro raised one eyebrow. “I think w
Page 721 and 722:
Sophie had no doubt of that.It’s
Page 723 and 724:
each containing an orange blob. “
Page 725 and 726:
new Shade.”Tam snorted. “So, wh
Page 727 and 728:
“Are you sure? From what I hear,
Page 729 and 730:
a chance to experience our side and
Page 731 and 732:
FIFTY-TWOSOPHIE HAD NEVER SEEN KEEF
Page 733 and 734:
something for their soporidine—so
Page 735 and 736:
answered Grady’s and Edaline’s
Page 737 and 738:
All rang with vulnerability and str
Page 739 and 740:
So it seemed especially timely when
Page 741 and 742:
Or . . . maybe that was why she was
Page 743 and 744:
perfect shade of shimmering teal.
Page 745 and 746:
“I never realized there were this
Page 747 and 748:
“But it looks like no one’s fil
Page 749 and 750:
I’d also be lost without my amazi
Page 751 and 752:
KEEPEROFTHELOSTCITIES.COMALADDINSIM
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