Flashback ( PDFDrive )

The Collective agreed. And the Council even offered to light leap
the alicorns there so that there was no risk that they’d be seen. And it
definitely wasn’t hard to convince Silveny and Greyfell to teleport over
to their babies.
But before they left, Silveny called Sophie over to her pasture.
Sophie hadn’t told either of the alicorns about what might happen that
night at the festival, but Silveny must’ve plucked the worries from
Sophie’s mind, because she nuzzled her nose into Sophie’s neck and
asked, SOPHIE SAFE?
I’ll try, Sophie promised.
NO TRY! Silveny told her. SAFE! SAFE! SAFE!
She flooded Sophie with such an overwhelming burst of confidence
that she tingled from head to toe. And Sophie tried to cling to the
feeling as she watched the alicorns crack the sunset-streaked sky and
teleport away. But it faded when she made her way back inside and
found Fitz, Keefe, Dex, Tam, Biana, Marella, Wylie, and Linh busy
arming themselves with throwing stars and daggers and the gadgets
that Dex and Tinker had made. And the last wisps vanished when
Flori shuffled in with a basket of Panakes blossoms and ordered
everyone to fill their pockets with as many flowers as they could.
Reality sank in then, along with the stomach-twisting realization
that if things went wrong that night, there would be pain.
And blood.
And maybe worse.
“Everyone, gather around,” Magnate Leto called, clapping his
hands as he strode into the room. He’d chosen to switch identities to
prevent the Neverseen from realizing he was still alive. And it was his
job to bring them to the festival, along with their various guards.