New World

Chapter Ten

Savi hadn't been brave enough to go to her parents on her own, so Cerulean had escorted her there, and had been there the whole time. Savi would describe the scene as ugly whereas Cerulean called it beautiful when Sophie hugged Savi and they made up for everything. Savi had told them that she wasn't ready to confide in them yet, and maybe she never would be, but Keefe and Sophie had simply nodded understandingly and embraced her even more tightly. Savi wasn't sure if they cared or not, but just for then, it seemed good to be one big family.

She managed to bring herself out of bed in the morning, only to find Flori, Sophie's bodyguard, at her door. Savi cocked her head and asked, "Flori? What're you doing here?"

Flori gave her a green-toothed smile before responding, "Miss Foster wants you in the dining area, Miss Sencen."

"Before I'm changed? And Flori, I told you to just call me Savi."

Flori blushed. "Of course. I – I'm sorry. I've never been corrected for calling people by their titles before." She smiled. "And I think Miss Foster would rather you got changed first, M – Savi."

Savi smiled. That was better. Just Savi. No Miss. She made her way to her wardrobe, which was packed with Sophie's hand-me-downs, many of which Sophie said she'd never worn before. Apparently, when Sophie had first arrived in the Lost Cities, Della had bought her an entire wardrobe, and Sophie had only discovered some of the clothes when she'd already outgrown them.

"They were too pretty to throw away," she'd explained to Savi the day she'd given them to her.

Savi wondered how she never remembered the happy moments. But those were the days before Seri and Will. When Savi had only been five years old, Sophie had gifted her the wardrobe and all the dresses. She'd never been able to wear them until she was nine years old, but they looked like ballgowns on her. Now, they were just right.

Still, it wasn't like she could wear them. She sighed as she pulled on her Level One Foxfire uniform. At least there was alchemy with Lady Galvin today. Finally something she was actually good at. Well, she wasn't bad at the Universe – thank the photographic memory.

Being honest? She wasn't exactly bad at anything.

But... Inflicting was going to be a pain. Especially since Bronte clearly didn't like her, and thought she'd gotten off too well without punishment.

She went downstairs with a question on her mind, and the first thing she asked Sophie was, "Mom, is my mind impenetrable?"

"Funny thing is, that was what I was going to ask you," Sophie said. "Although I'm not sure if I should be the one trying to get through your blocking. I mean, no one can get through mine, and no one can block me."

"You might still want to try?" Savi offered.

"I've always been able to hear your mind," Sophie said, but she tried anyway. And her jaw dropped. "Your mind," she whispered, shaking slightly, "is quiet as a whisper."

"So... you can hear it, then."

"No! Okay. A whisper might've been the wrong word. It's just... I can't hear you." Sophie looked up. "And that's wrong. I'm supposed to be the most powerful Telepath there is. How come I can't hear you?"

"And how come," Savi said, pressing into her mother's mind, "I can hear you?"

"You can hear me?" Sophie turned white as a sheet. "What am I thinking now?"