“
But before he left, he asked, “Still best friends, right?”
A soft smile curled her lips, and her heart pull back into its place.
“Forever.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
It’s too bad Keefe isn’t here—you two could have a contest to see who whines the most.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
Ohhh, a lovers’ quarrel!” Ro clapped her hands. “Those are my favorite. Anyone have snacks? I feel like we should have snacks for this.”
“That’s not what this is,” Sophie told her. “We’re not...never mind.”
Ro grinned, flashing pointed teeth. “If you say so.”
“Fosters not ready to face her feelings,” Keefe stage-whispered.
“I’m ready to strangle you,” Sophie countered.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
You can’t change who you are! Or who your family is,” Tam told her. “Believe me—if I could! I would. All you can do is make sure you’re living by what you believe in.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
Tam's shadow fell over hers, and he shadow-whispered, "I'm trusting you. I don't care about me, but if something happens to Linh..."
'I promise, we're only trying to help,' Sophie transmitted.
Keefe let out a sigh that sounded more like a groan. "And I thought secret Telepath conversations were the worst. Just so we're clear," he told Tam. "I'M the president of the Foster fan club. And we're closed to new members."
Tam's cheeks flushed. "Uh...not sure what that's about but...no worries there--no offense!" he told Sophie.
She noticed he stole a quick glance at Biana after he said it.
Sophie couldn't decide if she should feel relieved or insulted.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4))
“
Wait for the morning, when you can regroup with your friends and the seven of you can start scheming together.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
Well, if you like honestly,” Ro said, following him over to Keefe, “it stinks here, too. Everything smells like...”
“Fresh air?” Sophie guessed.
“Awww, my girl keeps getting snarkier and snarkier,” Keefe said proudly.
“I’m not your girl,” Sophie snapped back. “And don’t think I’m done being mad at you!
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
They weren’t friends. And they weren’t actually sisters. They were just two different girls from two different worlds.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
...if you lose, you’ll have to wear a metal diaper to school and call me Lord Hunkyhair from now on.”
“Uh... yeah, no,” Fitz said as Biana asked, “Hunkyhair?”
“Lord Hunkyhair,” Keefe corrected. “What? It’s accurate.” He tossed his head like he was in a shampoo commercial. “I think we need to make it a thing either way- don’t you, Foster?”
“I think you’re ridiculous,” Sophie told him.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #7))
“
You can’t change who you are, or who your family is,” Tam told her. “Believe me—if I could, I would. All you can do is make sure you’re living by what you believe in.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
We wanted her to see that the shadows that scared her could be beau,titular and powerful when we learn how to control them,” Edaline added.
Taking control.
It sounded so simple.
And so impossible.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
Three hands. No fourth for her. It was how it should be. How it would have to be. And Sophie could live with that. She could let them go again, to spare them that pain.
But it would still hurt.
It would always hurt.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
Fitz’s eyes never left Sophie’s as he let Biana lead them for forward, offering one last smile before he left.
It was only a half a smile.
But she knew it was just for her.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #7))
“
By the way, you look awesome,” Biana said, admiring Sophie’s dress. “Now I’m wishing I braided my hair or something.”
“Oh please, you look amazing,” Sophi assured her. “Like always.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #7))
“
I know this isn’t going to make any of it better,” Sophie said! Holding her sister tighter. “But I’ve done this before. The part where it all feels hopeless, and like it’s never going to come together. And you know what? Somehow, it does. It’s never perfect. But it usually better than what I’ve been fearing.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
Fine,” Mr. Forkle grumbled. “But I will hold you responsible if he causes any more trouble, Miss Vacker.” “He wouldn’t do that, now would he?” Biana said, proving how little she knew about imps. “Come on, let’s get you all set up in my room—and then we’ll see what we can do about this stinky fur.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4))
“
And then there was Biana—proof that some people were born for moments like these. Now that she had a circlet, Sophie already couldn’t imagine Biana without it. And the look in Biana’s eyes seemed to say, I’ve just made my own Vacker legacy, and I can’t wait to show you what I’m going to do with it.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #8))
“
They pulled apart when Keefe shouted, 'YOU GUYS HAVE TO SEE THIS!'
They ran to the main room and found Keefe standing under the skylight, holding up Mr. Snuggles like it was a baby lion about to be made king. The sparkly red dragon twinkled almost as much as Keefe's eyes as he said, 'I went in to check on our boy and found him cuddling with this!'
'Isn't that the same dragon Fitz brought to your house that one time?' Dex asked Sophie.
'WHAT?' Keefe shouted. 'YOU KNEW AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!'
'Mr. Snuggles wasn't my secret to share,' Sophie said.
'ITS NAMES IS MR. SNUGGLES?! That is....I can't even...' Keefe ran back to Fitz's room shouting, 'ARE YOU MISSING YOUR SNUGGLE BUDDY?!'
'Fitz is going to die of embarrassment. You know that, right?' Biana asked.
Down the hall, Sophie could hear Keefe laughing hysterically.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4))
“
Silveny's pregnant,' Sophie told her friends when she joined them for breakfast.
Fitz dropped his fork. 'Are you sure?'
'Oh yeah,' Sophie mumbled, sinking into the chair next to him. 'She showed me...'
'GAH!' everyone said.
Keefe pushed his plate away. 'I'm done with food forever.'
'Me too,' Dex agreed.
'Me three,' Biana said.
'Seriously, that is one batch of memories you do not have to show me,' Fitz told Sophie. 'I don't care if it's part of our Cognate training.'
'But it's still huge,' Biana added. 'Do you know how far along she is?'
'I'm guessing it's new, since the last few times I transmitted to her she didn't mention anything about--'
'STOP!' Keefe held up his hands. 'Ground rules for this conversation: All talk of alicorn baby-making is off the table--got it? Otherwise I'll have to rip my ears off. And for the record, I do not want to be there when Baby Glitterbutt arrives.'
'Me either,' Fitz said. 'My dad made me go to the Hekses' unicorn preserve for a delivery one time.' He shuddered. 'Who knew they came out so slimy?'
'Ew, dude, I did not need to know that. Can we talk about something else? Anything else?'
'Does anyone know how long alicorns stay pregnant?' Sophie asked.
Biana shook her head. 'We've never had a baby alicorn before. But I'm pretty sure unicorns are pregnant for eleven months. So maybe it's the same?'
'Do you think Silveny knows?' Fitz asked. 'If her instincts are telling her she's pregnant, maybe they'll also tell her how it's going to work.'
'I guess I can ask. It was hard to get information out of her. All she wanted to tell me about was--'
'STOP!' Keefe said.
'I wasn't going to say that. She was telling me that she's really hungry. I'm not sure if it's a pregnancy craving or an excuse to get more treats, but she went on and on about how she needs more swizzlespice. We'll have to find a way to let Jurek know.
'Do you think he already knows?' Fitz asked. 'He's the equestrian caretaker at the Sanctuary. Maybe he...saw stuff.'
'WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THE GROUND RULES?' Keefe shouted, covering his ears. 'That's it, this conversation is officially over. Next person who says "alicorn" is getting pelted with fruit.'
'What's wrong with the alicorns?' Granite asked behind them.
He'd arrived with Mr. Forkle, each of them carrying stacks of scrolls.
'Silveny's pregnant," Sophie said, and all the scrolls went THUNK!
'Are you certain?' Granite whispered, bending to gather the uncurling paper.
Sophie nodded, and Mr. Forkle rushed to her side. 'Tell me everything.'
'And I'm out!' Keefe said, covering his ears and singing, 'LALALALALA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!' as he raced up the stairs to the boys' tree house.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4))
“
These trees were dying. My friends told me I should uproot them to spare the rest of the forest. But I could feel too much life in their trunks to pluck them from the ground.'
'How did you save them?' Biana asked.
'I listened. And I realized their voices had been silenced. So I gave them mine. I sang of sunlight and rain and rich soil. And hope. Always hope.' Calla moved to another tree, one that had the widest curve of them all, and lay in the slope of its trunk. 'For a week, I stayed right here. I didn't stop, even to rest my throat. I could barely rasp by the end, but I could feel their strength returning. They'll forever bear the mark of their trials, but they are survivors. Proof that anything can be overcome.'
Keefe sat on one of the curved trunks, and Sophie waited for him to make a joke. But he just slid his fingers over the rough bark.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4))
“
Oh please, you look amazing,” Sophie assured her. “Like always.” It wasn’t a lie. Even in a hall full of Vackers, Biana managed to shine. So did Fitz—though Sophie was trying not to notice. “Hey, Fitzy,” Keefe said, elbowing Fitz’s side. “Wanna join our bet on how long this Tribunal is going to last? You get to name your terms—oh, but if you lose, you’ll have to wear a metal diaper to school and call me Lord Hunkyhair from now on.” “Uh . . . yeah, no,” Fitz said as Biana asked, “Hunkyhair?” “Lord Hunkyhair,” Keefe corrected. “What? It’s accurate.” He tossed his head like he was in a shampoo commercial. “I think we need to make it a thing either way—don’t you, Foster?” “I think you’re ridiculous,” Sophie told him.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #7))
“
THE GREAT GULON INCIDENT: [JUST GONNA LEAVE THIS ONE WITH: REDACTED] [NOT THAT I HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS!] THE VACKER CONNECTION: [UH, FITZY’S MY BEST FRIEND—NOT A “CONNECTION.” AND ALDEN AND DELLA ARE WAY NICER TO ME THAN MY OWN PARENTS ARE. BIANA’S SUPER AWESOME TOO. ALVAR… NOT SO MUCH. I PROBABLY SHOULD’VE SEEN THAT ONE COMING. BUT WHATEVER, MY POINT IS: I DIDN’T TRY TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE VACKERS—NO MATTER WHAT WEIRD STUFF WAS IN ONE OF MY ERASED MEMORIES. SO DON’T GO THINKING THERE’S MORE TO IT THAN THAT.] [AND HOW DO YOU GUYS EVEN KNOW ABOUT THAT MEMORY? THAT KINDA MAKES ME WANT TO RIP THIS REGISTRY PENDANT OFF MY NECK AND THROW IT FAR, FAR AWAY!] INSTANT RIVALRY: [YOU THINK BANGS BOY AND ME ARE “RIVALS”? HATE TO BREAK IT TO YOU, BUT NOPE! I MEAN, YEAH, HE’S SUPER ANNOYING WITH ALL THE “LOOK AT ME, I’M A MOODY SHADE” NONSENSE—AND HIS HAIR IS TOTALLY RIDICULOUS. BUT THERE’S NO RIVALRY. JUST DON’T EXPECT US TO BE BESTIES, AND WE’LL BE GOOD.] UNWITTING ERRAND BOY: [OKAY, THAT SUBHEADING MAKES ME WANT TO PUNCH WHOEVER WROTE IT IN THE MOUTH. BUT… I GUESS IT’S ALSO KIND OF TRUE. MY MOM DID HAVE ME DO STUFF AND THEN ERASE MY MEMORIES SO I WOULDN’T KNOW ABOUT IT. MOM OF THE YEAR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. TRY NOT TO BE JEALOUS.] [AND I’M WORKING ON GETTING THOSE MEMORIES BACK, BY THE WAY. I’VE BEEN FILLING JOURNALS WITH DRAWINGS AND EVERYTHING. IT’S JUST TAKING A WHILE BECAUSE I’VE BEEN A LITTLE BUSY ALMOST DYING AND STUFF.] TEAM FOSTER-KEEFE: [WOO-HOO, TEAM FOSTER-KEEFE IS OFFICIALLY A THING!] [BUT THE REST OF THE STUFF IN THIS SECTION IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GETTING REDACTED. SERIOUSLY—BOUNDARIES, PEOPLE! FOSTER’S AMAZING—AND OBVIOUSLY WORKING WITH ME MAKES HER EVEN MORE AMAZING. BUT YOU GUYS NEED TO STOP WITH ALL OF YOUR WEIRDO SPECULATING.] ONE PART OF A TRIANGLE: [OKAY, THAT’S IT. I’M DEEEEEEEEEEFINITELY DITCHING THIS PENDANT THING. WHY IS THE COUNCIL PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS STUFF???????????] [ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, BUT I’M GOING TO ADD ONE THING: FOSTER GETS TO DO WHATEVER SHE WANTS, OKAY? SHE CAN LIKE WHOEVER SHE WANTS. OR BE CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT SHE’S FEELING. SHE CAN EVEN BE OBLIVIOUS—IT’S HER LIFE. HER CHOICE. AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF IT.] [EVEN ME.] [ESPECIALLY ME. I WOULD NEVER WANT TO…] [NEVER MIND. MY POINT IS, LET THE POOR GIRL FIGURE THIS OUT ON HER OWN. AND SERIOUSLY, STAY OUT OF OUR LIVES!!!!]
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Unlocked (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #8.5))
“
Sophie had to force herself to breathe slower to keep her head from getting woozy. “I’m sure I speak for everyone,” Keefe grunted, “when I say: Are we there yet?” “Almost,” Tiergan promised. “Everyone dig deep—and don’t look down.” “Steaming sasquatch poop—that’s a long way to fall!” Keefe announced. Fitz moved closer to Sophie, his new cologne tickling her nose as he whispered, “I almost forgot. I brought you a present.” Her heart skipped at least five beats when he slipped an orange velvet satchel into her palm. He’d been bringing her lots of tiny gifts lately—and she’d been trying hard not to read too much into it. “Ugh, anyone else ready to vomit from the Fitzphie?” Keefe asked. “I am,” Dex said, as Linh asked, “Did Fitzphie become an actual thing?” “I don’t even know what ‘Fitzphie’ is supposed to mean,” Tiergan noted. “Want me to explain it?” Tam offered. “No,” Sophie said, opening the satchel and pulling out a fist-size crystal prism. It was heavy like a paperweight, and when she held it up to the light, rainbow sparkles flashed across her fingers, highlighting words carved across the base, along with the Foxfire seal. Alvar Soren Vacker “That’s called a Radiant,” Fitz explained. “It’s the highest honor any prodigy can receive when they complete the basic levels at Foxfire. Alvar was so disgustingly smug about earning one that he told my mom she should keep it on the mantel in our main sitting room, so it could inspire Biana and me to work harder.” “Ugh, I forgot about that,” Biana grumbled. “I can’t believe Mom did it.” “I know. So I think it’s time to destroy it. And considering where we are, maybe it’d be fun to let it take a really nasty fall.” “Gotta give you credit,” Tam told Fitz. “That’s pretty much a perfect gift.” It was. Though Sophie felt bad taking it. “Shouldn’t you or Biana do the honors?” “Nope. Alvar was there when they took your parents,” Biana argued. “And when you were kidnapped.” “Just throw it extra hard, for us,” Fitz added. Sophie glanced at Dex. “Alvar helped kidnap you, too.” “So boost your throw with the Sucker Punch I made you,” he suggested. They seemed pretty sure, so Sophie gathered whatever mental energy she could muster and channeled it into her arm muscles. A burst of force from the Sucker Punch gave her throw extra oomph as she hurled the Radiant down the center of the curving stairs, where none of the bodyguards would be standing. A satisfying
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6))
“
Uh, I think I speak for all of us when I say, ew,” Dex complained as he sat down next to Biana. Biana shoved him. “That’s not what he meant. And gross—he’s my brother! He knows not to tell me that kind of stuff.” “Um, there’s nothing to tell!” Sophie emphasized. “Okay, but why not?” Stina asked, joining them on the grass. “We’re talking about kissing Fitz Vacker, aren’t we? Fitz! Vacker!” She curled her arms around her knees and stared dreamily at the swaying branches. “How are you not—” “All right, just so we’re all clear,” Biana interrupted, holding out her hands like stop signs. “I’m good with Sophie dating my brother. It’s a little weird, but… whatever. But that doesn’t mean I want to hear about it.” “YUP!” Dex agreed.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #8))
“
Besides, I thought I should be a good friend and check on Fitz. Do not go in there. It’s pretty much the Great Vacker Hurlfest. Every time Fitz spews up black gunk, it makes Biana barf, and then Della loses it—and repeat!
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4))
“
Oh please, you look amazing,” Sophie assured her. “Like always.” It wasn’t a lie. Even in a hall full of Vackers, Biana managed to shine. So did Fitz—though Sophie was trying not to notice.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #7))