Flashback ( PDFDrive )

people usually hold on to their properties. I never thought about how
weird it is that Luzia gave Everglen to my dad.”
“Do you know how long ago that happened?” Sophie asked.
“It’s been a few decades. I think she offered it to him when he
became an Emissary. And she’s the one who told my dad to add the
gates. She said that if he was working for the Council, he should
protect his privacy. I think she might’ve even made the gates. I know a
Flasher did something to the metal to make it absorb light, so no one
can light leap in.”
Sophie had always wondered exactly what the massive glowing
fence that surrounded the property was meant to keep out—especially
since the elves claimed the Lost Cities were such a safe place.
“Do you really think she picked Everglen because of the view?” she
asked.
Fitz shook his head. “There are tons of lakes that are way prettier
than ours.”
Sophie had thought the same thing. Not that Everglen wasn’t
gorgeous—it was one of the most beautiful places she’d ever been. But
that was mostly because the house was a shimmering crystal palace
with jeweled mosaics and twinkling chandeliers and fountains
everywhere. The lake . . . was just a lake.
And Everglen was huge. Way bigger than Havenfield, which was
saying a lot, since Havenfield’s grounds were used for an animal
preserve. Sophie had spent hours running around the property when
she’d played base quest with Fitz, Biana, and Keefe, and she still
hadn’t explored the whole place.
“Have you ever seen pictures of what the original house looked
like?” she asked.