Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities Book 3) by Shannon Messenger Page B

off a lecture about Foxfire being a noble school and how they all needed to act like they were aware of the privilege they’d been given by attending. But she was forced to pay attention when Dame Alina declared that she had a special announcement to make.
    “As some of you may already know, we’ve had our first prodigies manifest abilities this year. So would everyone please join me in congratulating our new Vanisher, Biana Vacker, and our new Technopath, Dex Dizznee!”
    Spotlights flashed on both Dex and Biana and the room erupted into cheers.
    As soon as the lights dimmed, Dex spun to face Keefe. “Did you tell Dame Alina about me?”
    Keefe laughed. “Dude, I never talk to Dame Alina if I don’t have to.”
    “Well maybe you had to,” Dex pressed. “To get out of detention or something.”
    “Nope. I have detention for the rest of the month—you can check.”
    “Then was it you?” Dex asked, turning to Sophie.
    “Do you really think I would do that?” She could hear the hurt in her voice, but she couldn’t believe Dex would ask.
    Dex’s eyes dropped to his feet. “I don’t know. Who else would it be?”
    “I have no idea,” Sophie admitted. “But I also don’t think this is a bad thing. I mean, look around you.”
    “Exactly,” Keefe jumped in, pointing to the crowd of whispering prodigies. “Everyone’s talking about how cool you are!”
    “No, they’re saying Biana’s cool. For me they’re probably saying, ‘Of course Dex got a lame ability.’”
    “Nobody thinks it’s lame,” Sophie promised.
    “How would you know? Are you reading their minds?”
    “I could.” Though she wasn’t allowed to. According to the rules of telepathy, she wasn’t supposed to read anyone’s mind unless they gave her permission first.
    Dex turned back to Keefe. “And you’re sure you didn’t tell anyone ?”
    “Uh, no offense, but if I’m going to brag about someone, I’ll brag about me. Or Foster. But usually me.”
    Dex didn’t look convinced. But he didn’t say anything else as he turned and walked away.
    Sophie waited until he’d disappeared into the crowd before she asked Keefe, “It wasn’t you, right?”
    He clutched his heart, pretending to be wounded.
    “I wonder who it was, then. No one besides us . . .” Sophie’s voice trailed off as she thought of someone else who knew.
    Someone who was always watching.
    Someone who might have a leak .
    But . . . why would the Black Swan—or their leak—tell anyone about Dex’s secret ability?
    “Hey,” Keefe said, waving his hand in front her eyes. “Don’t let Dex get to you. He’ll be over this by the end of the day.”
    She doubted that—Dex could hold a major grudge. But she nodded as she turned to follow the other prodigies out of the pyramid.
    Keefe stayed beside her as Sandor led them through the main building. The crystal walls of each wing matched the color of the corresponding grade level’s uniform, and when they reached the amber brown Level Three wing, Sophie turned to head toward her locker.
    “Wait,” Keefe said, jumping in front of her. “You should ditch with me. I mean, do you really want to suffer through elvin history?”
    “Miss Foster will be going to her session,” Sandor told him before Sophie could reply.
    “Aw, come on. You can ditch with us too!”
    Sandor cracked his knuckles ominously.
    “You know you don’t want to listen to two hours on the Troll Emancipation Act,” Keefe told him.
    “It’s on the Elvin-Ogre Treaty, actually,” Sophie corrected. “Which will probably be useful, considering everything happening.”
    Keefe’s brows shot up, and she realized she hadn’t told him about the tracker being made by ogres yet. But she didn’t have time to get into it right then.
    “Fine,” Keefe said as she opened her locker and grabbed her history book. “Go be the model prodigy. But I’m coming over after school and you’ll tell me whatever you’re hiding. And then we’ll come up with