Flashback ( PDFDrive )

The thirty minutes felt like thirty hours before they were circling
back to their friends and learning that the other group had an equally
unexciting search. And Sophie knew that was technically good news,
since no villains meant no danger. But . . . if the Neverseen didn’t
show, it also meant all their planning was a waste—and that Fintan
had tricked them again.
“I’m starting to think it’d be easier if I just ran onto the stage and
shouted, ‘Hey, Mom, we know you’re here! Come out, come out
wherever you are!’ ” Keefe grumbled as they headed into round two of
walk-scan-squint-listen duty.
“But you’re not going to, right?” Wylie seemed to need Keefe to
verify.
Keefe shrugged. “Ask me again when we we’re on round three of
this.”
Loud fanfare drowned out Wylie’s reply, and all twelve Councillors
shimmered onto the stage amid cheers and whistles and applause from
the excited crowd—or that’s what it looked like, at least.
“I may not trust Luzia,” Keefe whispered as Councillor Emery
launched into his welcome speech, “but she sure can pull off an
amazing illusion. I mean . . . I know that’s not actually them standing
up there, and my brain’s still like, yes it is.”
“Mine too,” Sophie admitted, wondering if maybe that was why it
was so hard to trust Luzia.
Luzia could hide anything she wanted.
“Is it bad that the festival’s starting?” Marella asked when applause
erupted again and the Councillors appeared to glitter away. Orem’s
projection took their place, and the cheers were so loud, Marella