SIXTY-THREE.

TIMKIN BROUGHT THEM to an expansive manor made of silver and crystal, surrounded by lush pastures filled with grazing unicorns.

"This is where you live," Sophie said, not sure what surprised her more-that she was at Stina's house, or that it was so bright and lovely. She'd always imagined the Hekses lived somewhere with blackened windows and crumbling walls, surrounded by gargoyles and craggy trees and a bunch of growling animals.

"We need to get him to lie down before he gets any paler," Timkin said, dragging Keefe toward the house.

Dex grabbed Sophie's arm. "Do you really think we can trust him?"

"He's Coiffe," she reminded him, still trying to wrap her head around it.

"But it's the Hekses," Dex said.

"I know. But . . . Fintan is alive. The Neverseen and the ogres are trying to force the gnomes into slavery. I think it's time to admit the world no longer makes any sense."

Dex couldn't argue with that.

So they followed their enemy into his house, which was decorated in pale blues and greens, like grass and sky. The furniture was plush, and the crystal walls were hung with family portraits. It wasn't as grand as Everglen, or as pristine as Havenfield, but it was the most homey house Sophie had encountered in the Lost Cities.

"Do you have an Imparter on you?" Timkin asked as he brought Keefe to the couch.

Sophie shook her head. "I left it back at Alluveterre."

"Fine, wait here," Timkin told them, "And don't touch anything."

Sophie dropped to her knees next to Keefe and tried to get him to look at her. "It's going to be okay," she said, taking his clammy hand.

Keefe didn't blink.

"This place gives me the creeps," Dex said, studying a humongous portrait of Stina on the wall. "Nothing about it makes any sense."

"You don't make sense," a snotty voice said behind them.

Sophie cringed, allowing herself one breath before she turned to face Stina-and found a fun bonus to put the cherry on top of the awkward moment.

Marella looked anywhere but at Sophie as she asked, "What's wrong with Keefe?"

"I don't know," Sophie admitted.

Keefe didn't seem to have a headache-which was a good sign. When Alden's mind broke, he'd clutched his head and cried out in pain.

But guilt affected people in different ways.

"Elwin will be here soon," Timkin said, stalking into the room, carrying a blanket. He froze when he noticed his daughter. "Where's your mother?"

"She stayed to make sure no one noticed you taking them away."

"Probably wise." Timkin draped the blanket around Keefe and placed his palm over Keefe's forehead to check his temperature. "I wish she'd kept you with her. I don't want you involved in any of this-"

"Why not?" Stina asked. "If she can be a part-"

"Unlike others in the Black Swan," Timkin interrupted, "I do not endanger children. Especially my children."

Sophie had seen the look on Stina's face many times, and fully expected a screaming match to follow. But after a second, she tossed her hair and stomped upstairs.

Marella turned to follow, and Sophie rushed to her side, taking her chance before her former friend could walk away.

"I'm sorry for anything I said before I left," she mumbled.

Marella frowned. "Huh. I thought you were going to apologize for leaving without me."

"I . . ." Sophie didn't know how to finish her sentence. She'd never realized Marella would've wanted to go with her to the Black Swan. And . . . if she was being honest, she wouldn't have ever thought to include her.

She liked Marella-she did. But she didn't know her that well.

So she let Marella follow Stina upstairs, hoping Stina would be a better friend than she'd been.

"She's better off," Timkin said, echoing her thoughts.

"If you hate the Black Swan so much, why are you one of them?" Sophie asked.

"I don't hate the Black Swan."

Sophie snorted. "You've said nothing but horrible things about them."

"Yeah, I always figured you'd join the Neverseen someday," Dex added. "If you weren't part of them already."

Timkin smiled at that. "I'd wager you think anyone who dares not to like Miss Foster has allied themselves with evil. And truth be told, I still see no value in Project Moonlark. But our world needs change. And while I don't agree with all of the Black Swan's politics, I can agree that they're the best chance we have of surviving. So if that means spending my days pandering to a group of children who will surely never live up to the Black Swan's foolish expectations . . . so be it. I'm hoping to be proven wrong."

Sophie sighed, marveling at Timkin's gift to insult her in every possible way while still sounding logical. And she couldn't fault him for doubting her capabilities. She often doubted them herself. Plus, she remembered what Mr. Forkle had told her about their world needing checks and balances. Why shouldn't the Black Swan have similar voices of opposition?

She was spared from further musings by a familiar voice saying, "Look who's back in the Lost Cities again and already needing a physician house call!"

She rushed to hug Elwin, grateful for a friendly face. And as he patted her shoulders, she felt her knots of panic loosen. Elwin would fix Keefe. Everything was going to be okay-if she didn't think about the Neverseen and the gnomes and the million other catastrophes.

"Okay, let's tend to the runner up for Most Frequent Patient," Elwin said, turning his attention to Keefe. He flashed orbs of different color around Keefe's face to examine him.

As the minutes stretched on, Sophie forced herself to voice her worry. "Could his mind be breaking?"

"I can't tell," Elwin admitted. "That's doesn't show up medically."

"Then I'll have to check," Sophie whispered.

"Is that safe?" Dex asked.

"If I survived the madness in Exile, I should be up for this." Still, her hands trembled as she reached for Keefe's temples.

She braced for chaos and confusion, shards of memories and pockets of emptiness. Instead, Keefe's mind looked like a long, shadowy hall, leading to a single memory.

The scene was cracked and distorted, as if the memory had been repressed-or damaged. Keefe was only a kid, no older than five or six, and he'd climbed the endless staircase in Candleshade, following his mother's voice. He found her on the roof, standing in the moonlight, talking to two figures in black hooded cloaks. Keefe hadn't recognized the voice when the taller figure spoke. But Sophie did.

Brant.

"We need to move up the timeline on the Lodestar Initiative," he whispered.

"Why?" Lady Gisela turned to the other figure. "You said the girl had brown eyes."

Sophie's mind buzzed, realizing she had to be looking at the Boy Who Disappeared.

"But the real child is out there somewhere," Brant jumped in. "If Alden finds her first-"

"We're monitoring Alden closely," Lady Gisela interrupted.

"Not close enough," Brant argued.

The Boy threw out his hands. His words were garbled-damaged in the memory-but Sophie was pretty sure he said, "It's not easy to leave Foxfire."

"Then perhaps you should go to Exillium," Lady Gisela told him. "Ruy is having no problems there."

"You know I would draw way too much attention if I left," the Boy whispered.

The memory crackled too much to hear Lady Gisela's reply. Brant said something too, but the words mushed together-or maybe that was Sophie's brain trying to make sense of what she'd just learned.

The scene cleared as Lady Gisela said, "It's a good thing Fitz is close to my son's age. Perhaps they need to spend more time together."

At the mention of himself, Keefe stepped forward. "Mom? What's going on?"

Lady Gisela hid her surprise well.

"Nothing, baby," she said, opening her arms for a hug. "Why are you out of bed?"

Sophie couldn't decide what made her sadder: watching Keefe cuddle against his mom, or watching Lady Gisela turn to Brant and whisper, "Go get our Washer."

Washers were Telepaths with the ability to erase memories. That explained why the scene had blips and damage. Lady Gisela had it wiped from Keefe's mind.

But washed memories could come back. All it took was something to trigger it. Fintan mentioning the Lodestar Initiative must've been enough, and now Keefe's mind was fixated.

The memory started over, and Sophie watched it replay, searching for clues she'd missed. One thing she knew for sure: Ruy-the Psionipath-wasn't the Boy Who Disappeared.

But that didn't matter at the moment. She needed to get Keefe back.

"He's remembered something his mom erased," she told Elwin when she pulled her mind back, "and now his brain is stuck on it."

"What did he remember?" Timkin asked.

Sophie stayed silent. Her trust in Timkin Heks only went so far.

"If that's the case, what his mind really needs is to rest long enough to reset," Elwin said, reaching into his satchel and pulling out a vial filled with deep purple serum. "This will knock him out for twenty-four hours, which should be enough time. I wouldn't leap him until he wakes up, though. He already looks a little faded. I'll give him something for that-don't worry."

"He can stay here," Timkin said.

"I'm staying with him," Sophie told him.

"I assumed."

Sophie helped Elwin prop Keefe up and pour the elixir on Keefe's tongue. Thankfully, Keefe swallowed it without a fight.

"I'll bring him to his room," Timkin said, lifting Keefe and heading for the stairs.

Sophie turned to follow, but Elwin blocked her, forcing her to drink several elixirs while Dex endured a full checkup.

"Do you think Fitz and Biana will be safe at Everglen?" Sophie asked Dex.

"Of course they will," a stern female voice said behind them. "The Council has far larger problems than teenage runaways."

Vika stalked into the room, eyeing Sophie and Dex like intruders. She was tall, like her daughter, and her dark hair was slicked into a ponytail as tight as her features.

Sophie stood taller. "What's happening with the gnomes?"

"They're testing the cure. And then . . . who knows?" Vika undid her ponytail, letting her wild hair fall over her face. "Going to Ravagog is a death sentence for them. But so is staying here."

"You really think the ogres can unleash the plague in the Lost Cities?" Elwin asked.

"Assuming they haven't already," Vika said. "They could've done it today, while we all stood there watching. They've already done an excellent job of making us look the fools."

Sophie shivered as she realized that Vika was right. All the gnomes were gathered in Eternalia-it would've been the perfect chance to unleash the plague.

But she hadn't seen any sign of the Psionipath.

Then again, Fintan had made it sound like the force-fielded trees were just part of their timing system.

"For what it's worth," Elwin said, resting a strong hand on Sophie's shoulders, "I think the ogres need the gnomes, and that's what they're really aiming for. King Dimitar said he had a project for them, remember? So I doubt they're infected yet, but I'd sure like to get my hands on that cure."

"Do you think we can make more from the sample they gave?" Dex asked.

"I'm sure the healers will keep a bit to try," Elwin said. "But I'm betting the Neverseen would have planned for that. I'm going to stop by Lumenaria after I leave here and see what's up. I'll be back to check on Keefe when the sedatives wear off."

Elwin was about to leap away, when Sophie ran over and whispered one additional request.

Elwin smiled. "Consider it done."

"What was that about?" Dex asked when Elwin was gone.