Шеннон Мессенджер - Keeper of the Lost Cities

“Winner,” Lady Alexine announced, and Sophie spun around. Fitz waved to the cheering crowd before he turned and met her eyes. Her heart fluttered.

“It appears we’ve reached our final battle,” Sir Caton announced. “I think it’s safe to say that this is the most unusual match we’ve had in Foxfire history. Are the competitors ready?”

Fitz stepped toward Sophie with a smug smile. “I am.”

“Uh, me too.” Her voice shook, betraying her nerves.

“Go, Fitz!” Biana shouted. Her voice hid an edge that made Sophie wonder if Biana wanted her to lose more than she wanted her brother to win. She wouldn’t be surprised.

“Kick his butt, Sophie!” Keefe cheered. “It’s about time someone took Fitz down.”

“Some best friend you are,” Fitz shouted. But he said it with a smile.

“Any preference on splotcher color?” Sir Caton asked.

“Pink! Pink! Pink! Make Fitz look pretty in pink!” Everyone joined Keefe’s chant.

Sophie glanced at Fitz, trying to read his expression.

He grinned. “Ladies’ choice.”

“Pink,” she decided, to make Keefe happy. And it would be kind of funny to splat him with pink—not that she expected to win. Dex said Fitz always won.

“Pink it is.” Sir Caton tossed the splotcher, and Sophie and Fitz made it float in the space between them.

“On your marks!”

Sophie’s hands clenched into fists. If she was going to beat Fitz, she was going to have to give it everything she had—and then some.

Adrenaline surged through her veins. The murmur of the audience faded, and she became aware of another buzzing in the back of her mind, like a back-up pool of energy she’d never noticed before. It felt stronger than the other energy. Could she draw from there instead?

“Get set. . . . Splotch!”

Sophie threw her hands out, pushing toward the splotcher with her mind. Her brain seemed to stretch, like someone snapping a rubber band, and her ears rang, but she didn’t break her concentration.

The splotches exploded as her force met Fitz’s and Sophie felt the energy rebound. The next thing she knew, she was flying backward across the room. She caught the surprised look in Fitz’s eyes as the same phenomenon happened to him.

For a long second she was weightless, then her back collided with the wall and the wind was knocked out of her. An almost simultaneous crash told her Fitz had met the same fate.

Pain shot through her whole body and she collapsed. The last thing she saw was Fitz crumpled on the floor. Then everything went black.

W ELCOME BACK,” ELWIN SAID, PLACING A COOLcompress across her forehead. “You know, for a girl who hates doctors, you sure can’t seem to stay away from the Healing Center.”

She pulled herself into a sitting position, wincing as pain whipped through every muscle.

“Easy there. You’ve been out nearly ten minutes.” Elwin flashed an orb of yellow light around her and put on his glasses.

“Ten minutes? What happened?”

“No idea. I’ve never heard of anyone getting seriously injured while splotching. Leave it to you.” He chuckled.

Her memories flooded back. Splotching. Flying backward through the room. Fitz’s crumpled body. “Where’s Fitz? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine.” Elwin pointed to her left, where Fitz lay in a bed with his eyes closed.

“He’s unconscious!”

“He’ll come around any minute.” Elwin placed a cold compress across Fitz’s forehead and his vivid eyes sprang open.

“WhermIwhahapped?” he mumbled, closing his eyes.

Elwin chuckled. “Must’ve been some splotching match.”

“Will he be okay?”

“Of course. If he weren’t, Bullhorn would be freaking out right now—or worse: laying next to him.” He pointed to the slinky gray creature curled up in the corner. “Banshees can sense when someone’s in mortal danger. Fitz hit his head a little harder than you, so he needs another minute for the medicine to set in.”

“This is all my fault,” Sophie groaned. She wasn’t sure if that was true, but it seemed like the most likely option.

“What did you do during the match?” Elwin asked.

“I don’t know.”

Fitz stirred, and he looked more lucid when he opened his eyes.

“How are you feeling?” Elwin asked him.

“I’ve been better, but I’ll live.” Fitz winced as he sat up. “Are you okay?” he asked Sophie, rubbing the back of his head.

She nodded, feeling shy. She hadn’t really talked to him since the first day of school.

Elwin handed them each a blue vial. “This will ease the pain. You’ll still be stiff tomorrow, but I can’t help that.”

The glands behind her tongue zinged as Sophie swallowed the sour medicine, but the ache in her back vanished.

“Do either of you remember what happened?” Elwin asked as he collected the empty bottles.

“Not really,” Fitz admitted. “I remember pushing toward the splotcher, but then it was like it rebounded or something.”

“Rebounded?”

“Yeah. I felt my force hit hers and bounce back at me.”

“That’s what I felt too,” Sophie agreed.

Elwin’s eyes widened. Then he shook his head. “Nah. Couldn’t be.”

“Couldn’t be what?” Sophie asked, with a horrible feeling he was going to tell her it really was her fault.

“That sounds like what happens when someone does a brain push—using mental energy for telekinesis instead of core energy. But a brain push is a highly specialized skill only the Ancients can pull off.”

Sophie’s heart hammered in her ears. She had pulled energy from her mind in the match—was that a brain push? “Doesn’t telekinesis always use mental energy?”

“It uses mental control ,” Elwin explained. “Your concentration controls how you use the energy—where you send it, how much you send. But the actual energy and strength comes from your core. Don’t you feel the pull in your gut when you draw on it?”

She did. “But why would a brain push send us flying across the room?”

“Mental energy doesn’t mix with core energy, so they’d rebound.”

That matched what she’d felt. But how could that be? “Is it something you could do by accident?”

“No way. It’s a less draining way to move things, but it takes years and years to train your mind to store energy like that. Then it takes a lifetime of practice to use that mental power. It must just be that you and Fitz were evenly matched. Which is still weird—don’t get me wrong. You’re awfully young to have that kind of strength. But I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Sophie. Fitz, on the other hand, might want to worry about being beat by a Level Two.”

Elwin laughed and Sophie’s face caught fire. She was too afraid to look at Fitz to see if the teasing bothered him. Plus, she couldn’t help wondering if Elwin was wrong, if she’d done a brain push. But . . . what she’d done had been almost effortless. If it was a brain push, wouldn’t she have had to try a lot harder?

“You two are cleared to return to session,” Elwin announced, interrupting her thoughts. “But I want you sitting on the sidelines. And take it easy for the rest of the day.”

“Thanks, Elwin.” Fitz stood on shaky legs, leaning on the bed for a second.

Sophie jumped up, wobbling as the blood rushed to her head.

“Take it easy,” Elwin repeated as they made their way to the door. “Oh, and, Sophie?” He grinned when she met his eyes. “I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

FITZ STAYED QUIET AS THEYwalked back to the auditorium.

Sophie bit her lip. Was he mad at her? She’d just worked up the courage to ask him when they reached the amphitheater, and a round of applause drowned out the question.