Beyond the Veil

11

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*

The second Valerie was out of Tribunal Hall, she let out a sound of relief, the tension finally released from her body. She leaned against the cool stone wall, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tried to calm her racing heart. Glancing at Sophie, she managed a weak smile, silently grateful that it was over, at least for now.

"I'm so sorry!" Sophie said for the millionth time to Grady, Edaline, and Dex as they met her, Valerie, and Alden outside Tribunal Hall. She wished she'd never have to set foot in the terrifying building again. But she knew she'd be back at the end of the year. Her knees shook at the thought.

Dex grinned. "Are you kidding? This has been the coolest day ever! I finally got to see Eternalia. Foxfire was evacuated! I missed the Great Gulon Incident three years ago, but I bet it had nothing on this."

"What was the Great Gulon Incident?" Valerie asked.

Alden cleared his throat. "Perhaps we can discuss this another time? There's still a few things Sophie and I need to do."

Grady and Alden exchanged a quick look, and Grady nodded. "We'll take Dex home. Where should I tell his family he's been all afternoon?"

While the adults got their stories straight, Dex leaned toward Sophie, a huge smile showing off his dimples appeared on his cheeks. "Will Fitz get to know what really happened today?"

"I doubt it."

"Excellent. I finally know something Wonderboy doesn't."

She couldn't help laughing.

"Come on, Dex, time to go," Grady interrupted. He looked at the two girls and smiled. "See you at home, kiddo."

Everyone flashed away, leaving Sophie alone with Alden.

"Come on, Sophie. Let's take a walk."

Alden led her along the banks of the river that cut a winding path through the heart of Eternalia. "Do you know what these trees are called?" he asked, pointing to the large trunks all around them. Their burnt sienna bark twisted up to the hunter green leaves, which fanned out above.

"No," Sophie said. She'd seen them around—there were even a few at Havenfield—but she never thought to ask what they were.

"Their full name is Purfoliage palmae, but everyone calls them the Pures, because their leaves filter the air, keeping out any pollution or impurities. Every house and city has at least one to keep the air clean, and with so many growing here, Eternalia has the freshest, crispest air in the world. Well, it does when there isn't a fire nearby—but that's not important. Do you wonder why I ask?"

She nodded.

"I was thinking how odd it is that you don't know the name of one of our most common trees—and yet you and Valerie knew the name and location of two stars only a handful of us have ever heard of, and only the Councillors know how to find."

She stared at her feet. "I don't know why. I wish I did."

"I know, Sophie. No one thinks what happened is your fault, or Valerie's for that matter. But we are concerned about what else might be stored away in that mind of yours."

Her head snapped up. "You think there's other stuff?"

"It's possible. You knew how to read the cipher runes on those scrolls, didn't you?"

Her blood ran cold. Was that what Quinlin meant about her being a Keeper, all those months ago? "But . . . how would it get there?"

"We don't know." The hesitation in his voice said otherwise, and it made her desperate to shove into his thoughts. But she was in enough trouble already.