Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4)(13)

Sophie glanced at her friends, and she didn’t have to be a Telepath to know what they were thinking. After all the risks they’d taken—all the sacrifices they’d made—they’d been hoping the Black Swan would be more . . . cooperative.

But it was too late to turn back. They had to keep moving forward and hope they could convince the Black Swan to work with them.

She clutched the cache in her pocket, glad to know she had a secret of her own as she followed Mr. Forkle out of the tunnel.

The river was empty. No people. No boats. No sign of whatever ride Mr. Forkle had arranged—until he blew into a slim copper whistle. It made no sound, but the brownish water rippled. Bubbles followed, growing larger until a scaly gray-green head popped out of the water.

“Plesiosaurs?” Keefe asked as five more dinosaur heads burst out of the water.

“Eckodons,” Mr. Forkle corrected. “Though Miss Foster likely knows them as Nessie.”

Sophie smiled, no longer stunned when human myths turned out to be based on reality. The creatures did have long, hooked necks like the Loch Ness Monster, but their noses were a bit more pointed, and long gills lined their cheeks.

“These are the dinosaurs that use sound vortexes, right?” Fitz asked.

“Precisely why I chose them,” Mr. Forkle agreed. “They will be slower than light leaping, but faster than many other methods. And the Neverseen cannot track us underwater.”

“Underwater?” Sophie repeated as he handed everyone a clear slimy membrane and told them to wrap it around their bags to keep them dry. “How will we breathe?”

“Yeah, I can only hold my breath for fifteen minutes,” Dex said.

“Fifteen minutes?” Sophie repeated. “How can you hold your breath that long?”

“It’s a mind over matter skill,” Mr. Forkle explained. “One very few take the time to learn.”

“My dad said the stuffy nobles underestimate it,” Dex said. “He made us practice all the time.”

“Your father is wise,” Mr. Forkle told him. “Nevertheless, you will not have to hold your breath today. I brought lufterators.”

He passed them each a T-shaped gadget and showed how they put the longer end in their mouths and let the other piece cover their lips and nose. It felt like sucking air through a teeny straw, and it made Sophie dizzy. But after a few tries, her lungs fell into a slower rhythm.

“Do you have any more lufterators?” Biana asked.

“One is all you’ll need,” Mr. Forkle assured her.

“I’d still feel better if I had a spare,” Biana insisted.

“I can check yours to make sure it’s working, if you want,” Dex offered.

“No!” Biana said, a bit too quickly. “I’ll just . . . wait here and you guys can send someone back for me with another.”

“Don’t be absurd, Miss Vacker,” Mr. Forkle said. “We’re all leaving now.”

Biana shot Sophie a desperate Help me! look, but Sophie didn’t understand the problem.

Keefe grabbed Biana’s wrist. “It feels like you’re hiding something . . .”

“I agree,” Mr. Forkle said. “So let’s see what it is, shall we?”

“You don’t have permission to read my thoughts!” Biana shouted.

“I do not need it if you’re endangering us.” Mr. Forkle closed his eyes and Sophie knew there was nothing Biana could do to stop him. Even she couldn’t block him—and he’d designed her mind to be impenetrable.

Biana turned to her brother. “Please, don’t let him do this.”

“It’s already done.” Mr. Forkle said, staring at the empty space behind her. “It appears we have a stowaway.”





SIX


HOW CAN WE have a stowaway?” Fitz asked as Mr. Forkle shouted, “Show yourself!”

Nothing happened for a moment. Then Della appeared behind Biana.

“Mom?” Fitz said, rushing to tackle-hug her before he shouted at his sister. “HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS SECRET?”

“I made her swear not to say anything,” Della explained. “And I only involved her because I needed to hold on to someone while we were teleporting.”

“Why the subterfuge?” Mr. Forkle asked. “Please tell me you don’t doubt our ability to protect your children?”

“Quite the opposite.” Della straightened her gown, looking like an ocean goddess in aquamarine silk. “I’m here to join the Black Swan.”

The words seemed to dangle, waiting for someone to reach out and grab them.

“Does Dad know?” Fitz asked.

“Of course. He wanted to join, but we decided he’d be more useful if he stayed working with the Council. And my talents are far better suited for covert activities.”

“Ms. Vacker—” Mr. Forkle started.

“Della,” she corrected.

“Your offer is very generous, Ms. Della,” Mr. Forkle emphasized with a slight smile. “But we already have a Vanisher working with us.”

“No one can vanish the way I can. Not even my son—and I’m sure you’ve heard how valuable Alvar has been to the Council.”

She blinked out of sight, reappearing a second later knee-deep in the river. Sophie wasn’t sure what was crazier, how fast Della had moved, or how she hadn’t caused ripples in the water.