Product Description
In this stunning ninth book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie and her friends discover the true meaning of power—and evil.
Sophie Foster changed the game.
Now she’s facing impossible choices:
When to act.
When to trust.
When to let go.
Her friends are divided and scattered, and the Black Swan wants Sophie to focus on their projects. But her instincts are leading her somewhere else.
Stellarlune—and the mysterious Elysian—might be the key to everything. But finding truth in the Lost Cities always requires sacrifice. And as the Neverseen’s plans sharpen into terrifying focus, it appears that everyone has miscalculated. The Lost Cities’ greatest lie could destroy everything. And in the battle that follows, only one thing is certain: nothing will ever be the same.
About the Author
Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she learned—among other things—that she liked watching movies much better than making them. She’s studied art, screenwriting, and film production, but she realized her real passion was writing stories for children. She’s the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the award-winning middle grade series, Keeper of the Lost Cities, as well as the Sky Fall series for young adults. Her books have been featured on multiple state reading lists, published in numerous countries, and translated into many different languages. She lives in Southern California with her family—and an embarrassing number of cats. Find her online at ShannonMessenger.com.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One ONE
ARE YOU OKAY?”
Grady had asked the question three times, and Sophie still didn’t have an answer. All she could do was stare at the crumpled note she’d found waiting for her in her bedroom, hoping she’d somehow misread it.
Keefe couldn’t…
Wouldn’t…
A sound bubbled up her throat, something between a laugh, a cry, and a groan.
This was Keefe.
He definitely would.
“How long ago did Keefe leave?” she asked, glancing between Grady and the tiny gnome standing near her canopied bed.
Grady shrugged.
Flori shook her head, making her plaited hair rustle like windblown leaves. “I didn’t see him—but I was out in the pastures, waiting for the new patrols to arrive.”
Sophie sighed.
Sandor was in the process of frantically amping up Havenfield’s security because she’d burned down one of the Neverseen’s storehouses a few hours earlier, and everyone seemed to think that meant she’d officially started the war they’d been teetering on the brink of for years—but she couldn’t worry about that at the moment.
“Is Sandor still outside?” she asked, hoping he’d gotten a report about Keefe from one of the other guards.
Grady blocked her. “Listen, kiddo. I know what you’re thinking—”
“I doubt that.” Even she wasn’t sure if she wanted to clobber Keefe, lock him up somewhere, or wrap him in a huge strangle-hug and tell him everything was going to be okay—though the last option seemed the least likely.
“Keefe will be fine,” Grady promised, carefully steering her away from her doorway. “He’s very resourceful.”
She locked her knees. “If you knew what he’s planning, you wouldn’t be saying that.”
Silence followed, and Grady wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“You talked to him while he was here, didn’t you?” Sophie guessed, tapping her temples when he stayed quiet. “You know I can find out what you’re hiding.”
“Not without violating the rules of telepathy,” Grady reminded her. “But to answer your question… yes, I did talk to him—and he didn’t say much. He was obviously still afraid to use his voice.”
Something sour coated Sophie’s tongue, and she tried not to think about the fear she’d seen in Keefe’s eyes after he’d accidentally given his first command. Or how empty and hopeless she’d felt when the command turned everyone numb.
“That’s why he’s running away,” she murmured.
Part of the reason, at least.
Keef
