“I’ve been wondering about that,” Grady said. “What would you have done if you’d been voted in?”

“I truly had no idea. In all my years with the order, it never crossed my mind that any of my identities might be considered for the Council. It stirred quite the controversy among the Collective. Personally, I didn’t fret too much, since I assumed I’d never win. But if I’d been wrong, I would’ve accepted the position. The same means that allowed me to live among humans for twelve years would surely have allowed me to be both Black Swan and Councillor.”

“And you still won’t tell us how you pulled that off?” Sophie asked.

“Perhaps someday. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be off. And while I’m away, I trust that you four”—he pointed to Fitz, Sophie, Tam, and Linh—“will be responsible members of the order and await further guidance before doing any of your own investigating?”

“Linh and I aren’t members of the order,” Tam reminded him.

“Yes, and that’s something you might want to reconsider. I’m not trying to rush you, of course. But you do push rather hard to be included in all of our happenings.”

Tam tugged on his bangs. “I’m sure I’ll take the oath soon. I just have . . .”

“Trust issues,” Mr. Forkle finished for him. “Not something I blame you for. But keep in mind that there may also be times when something needs to be restricted to those who are officially in our order.”

“Do we have to swear fealty together?” Linh asked.

“Of course not. You’re each welcome to make your own decision. And speaking of decisions”—he turned to Sophie—“are you planning on telling Mr. Sencen about our discoveries today?”

Her eyelashes turned itchy. “Should I?”

“I . . . would be careful with the specifics,” he said. “As I remember, the last time he found a note from his mother, he took the news quite hard.”

“Hard” was putting it mildly.

Keefe had tried to run away to Ravagog to take on King Dimitar all by himself. But part of the reason for his recklessness had been that Sophie kept the note secret.

“Let me know how it goes,” Mr. Forkle said before he leaped away.

Tam and Linh left with Lur and Mitya a few minutes later.

“Need me to stay while you talk to him?” Fitz asked.

Sophie shook her head. “I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

It wasn’t.

Keefe’s mind exploded with angry flashbacks, and he seemed especially fixated on the word “legacy.”

Should I not have told you? she asked.

No—it’s . . . whatever. I should be used to it by now.

Do you have any idea what she wanted to tell you?

I wish I did.

He also didn’t recognize the Lodestar symbol.

You’re sure? Sophie pressed. Look at it really carefully.

I am. The only part that’s familiar is the piece you already showed me. And I have no idea why my idiot dad would think it’s connected to the Lodestar Initiative.

Doesn’t that scare you? Sophie asked.

A little, he admitted. But I learned something super important today. Did you know Fintan has a cache—and not the one I stole from you and gave to him? He has one from back when he was a Councillor. Alvar told me. He asked me how I’m holding up after the Foxfire incident, making sure it wasn’t affecting my sanity and getting all big-brothery about it—

Gross, Sophie interrupted.

I know. But I was able to ask him how Fintan’s mind didn’t shatter after what he did to Kenric. He told me Fintan knows how to wipe his own memories, and locks anything dark-but-crucial away in his cache before he purges it from his mind so he doesn’t have to live with it.

Do you think that’s why he hasn’t recruited any other Telepaths? Sophie asked. Because he doesn’t need them?

Maybe—I don’t know. But don’t you realize what that means? His cache is probably filled with everything we need to know about the Neverseen.

Only if we can open it, Sophie reminded him. Plus, it can’t hold any of their current plans. Otherwise how could he work on them if he doesn’t remember them?

Either way, Keefe said. That cache is my new target. I’m betting he keeps it with the other one. And I’m going to find a way to steal them both.

SEVENTEEN

YOU’RE ALIVE!” SOPHIE said as Sandor helped her shove through the crowd to where Dex stood with his lanky female bodyguard—Lovise—in the purple grass of Foxfire’s expansive main field. “I’d started to worry.”

A gleaming silver stage had been set up in the center of the field, awaiting the arrival of the Council for some sort of official announcement. Scrolls had been sent out that morning, instructing at least one representative of every family to gather.

“Sorry,” Dex mumbled. “I know I haven’t been around much.”

“Much? I haven’t seen you since midterms!” Sophie’s eyes strayed to the damaged pyramid in the background, hidden under a bright orange tarp bearing the Foxfire seal.

A week had passed since Keefe set off the sound wave, and, other than that first day—when Sophie had gone to see Prentice and the Neverseen’s hideout—it’d been an endless week of nothing, nothing, and more nothing. All Sophie had heard about Gethen was “We’re waiting for an answer from the Council.” And Alden and Della had asked Fitz and Biana to stay at Everglen for “family time.” Even Keefe’s nightly check-ins had been unhelpful. He was still trying to figure out if Fintan hid his cache the same way the Councillors did—tucked away in the void of nothingness that only Conjurers and Teleporters knew how to access. If it was—and Keefe could figure out Fintan’s secret verbal command—he could steal it the same way he’d stolen Kenric’s cache from Sophie. But so far, Fintan and Alvar weren’t giving him any clues.

So Sophie had spent the week distracting herself by having lots of telepathic conversations with Silveny, making sure the alicorns were safe and happy and keeping themselves hidden. Silveny was still in the first trimester of her eleven-month pregnancy, and was happy to share more details than Sophie really wanted to know about preggers life—especially the morning sickness.