Шеннон Мессенджер - Keeper of the Lost Cities

She nodded and tried not to fidget, but between his wild dark hair and huge, iridescent spectacles, he reminded her way too much of a mad scientist.

He lifted her right arm.

“What are you doing?”

He snapped his fingers and a ball of green light formed around her elbow. “See? Painless.”

She stared at the glowing orb. “How did you do that?”

“I’m a Flasher. I can manipulate light the way I want it—though I’m not as skilled as Orem Vacker. You’ll see his crazy light show on the next total eclipse. It’s one of our biggest celebrations.”

It was strange to think that the elves had their own traditions, but it also made sense. The elves lived in their own world, and she needed to learn more about it—and quick—so she didn’t look like an idiot all the time.

“Whoa, that is some serious damage. It’s not permanent,” he added when she tensed. “And it’s not your fault. Toxic food, toxic water, toxic air. What chance do your poor innocent cells have?”

“You can see my cells?”

“Of course. Did you think I was wearing these glasses because they make me look dashing?”

She smiled. “What do they do?”

“Anything, depending on what color of light I use.”

He snapped again, flashing blue and purple and red orbs of light around her body and squinting through the lenses. Then he took the glasses off, and Sophie was relieved to see he wasn’t as stunningly perfect looking as the other elves she’d met. His eyes were more of a gray than a blue, and his mouth was a little too small for his broad jaw. But when he smiled, his whole face lit up.

“You can sit up now,” he told her, holding a small silver square in front of her eyes when she did. He frowned.

“What? Just tell me. I can take it.”

He laughed. “You’re so dramatic. I was expecting your eye color to be from the toxins. But your eyes are perfect. They’re just . . . brown.”

“They always have been. Even when I was a baby. Do you know why?” The last question came out as a whisper.

“No idea. I’m sure there’s a reason, but I’d have to do some research. It’ll be a great case study for the books once I figure it out.”

“What? No—you can’t!” How was she ever supposed to fit in if they were running case studies on her?

“All right, all right. Relax. I won’t.”

Sophie released the breath she’d been holding. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Elwin laughed. He rifled through the satchel slung across his shoulder and removed tiny vials of colored liquids. “Now, try not to let this worry you, but your body needs a major detox. We’ll start with these.”

Sophie braced for the bitter burn of medicine, but the bottles were filled with sweet syrups, like nectar from unknown fruits. They made her tingly and warm inside.

“Good girl,” Elwin said as he cleared the empty vials away. He placed a large, clear bottle in front of her. “All of us drink one of these every day, but I want you to drink two for a while, to make up for lost time.”

“‘Youth in a Bottle,’” she read from the label. “Like the fountain of youth?”

“I suppose that is where those legends come from,” he agreed. “It has a few enzymes that are essential for our health.”

The water was cold and slightly sweet, and somehow more refreshing than what she’d tasted before. She downed the contents in one gulp and handed the empty bottle back to him. He gave her another, and she drank it just as fast.

“I don’t have a few of the medicines you need, but I’ll give Alden a list. I want you to come see me in a couple weeks for a follow-up.”

Her face twisted into a scowl before she could stop it.

Elwin laughed. “It won’t be so bad—just a quick checkup. I work at Foxfire, so you can stop by anytime.”

Mention of her new school made her tug out a couple of loose eyelashes.

“What are you doing?”

“Sorry. Nervous habit.”

“You tear out your eyelashes?”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“Still.”

“You sound like my mom.” The warmth of the medicines faded as the reality of everything that had happened rushed back. “Well, I thought she was my mom.”

He sat next to her on the cot. “Alden told me about that. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really.” She stared at Ella, hugging her tighter.

He whistled. “You’re a pretty brave kid, you know that?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes you have to be brave.”

“True,” he agreed, laughing.

“What?”

“That just sounds funny coming from someone hugging a stuffed elephant.”

Her cheeks heated up. “I know it’s lame but—”

“I’m teasing. Personally, I can’t sleep without Stinky the Stegosaurus—there’s no shame in that.” He laughed. “Anyway, you should get some sleep. You’ve had a big day. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

“SO, YOU GONNA PUNCH ME?”Fitz asked as he showed her to her room.

“I guess not,” she mumbled, feeling horrified about the big production she’d made. He must think she was the biggest wimp ever .

Fitz grinned. “What’s with the ‘doctor phobia’ thing? You were more afraid of Elwin than you were of jumping into the whirlpool.”

“I guess you’ve never had anyone stick a needle in your arm or strap you to a bunch of machines.”

“You’re right about that.” He shuddered and she felt a little better. And least he understood her fear now. “Why did they do that to you?”

“The shots were because I had an allergic reaction a couple years ago.” She rubbed her arm, remembering the bruise the needles gave her. “The machines were because I hit my head when I was five.”

“How’d you do that?”

“I guess I passed out and cracked my head on the concrete—I don’t remember. All I know is I woke up in the hospital and my parents were freaking out, saying my neighbor had called nine-one-one and that I’d been unconscious for hours.”

“That happened when you were five?”

She nodded.

“Was that before or after your telepathy started?”

“The same time. I started reading minds in the hospital. I always thought something happened to my brain when I fell, but I guess it was my elf genes kicking in.”

He didn’t respond.

“What?”

“It’s just . . . telepathy doesn’t kick in at that age. Something would have to trigger it.”

“Trigger it how?”

“I have no idea. Not many things trigger a special ability—and none of them exist in the Forbidden Cities. My dad will have to look into it.”

She repressed a sigh. Alden had a lot to look into, thanks to her.

Fitz stopped in front of a bedroom fit for a princess—huge canopied bed, crystal chandeliers, and glass walls overlooking the lake. “This is you. If you need anything, my room’s just down the hall.”

Her heart did that weird fluttery thing when their eyes met, and she had to look away to speak clearly. “Thanks for your help today. I don’t think I could’ve gotten through all this without you.”

He cleared his throat. “I don’t deserve your thanks.”

“Why?”

He kicked the ground. “Because—I knew what was going to happen and I didn’t tell you when I made you come with me. I never realized it would be hard for you to move here—not until I found you there on the floor. I feel like I ruined your life.”

“Fitz.” She paused to find the right way to explain the crazy emotions spinning through her. “Today was hard. But you were right about what you said yesterday. This is where I belong.”

Fitz straightened up, like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. “Really?”

“Really. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to be okay.”