Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4)(46)

They channeled all their energy to their legs, letting it fuel their sprint. Their feet barely skimmed the ground as they raced through the forest.

Somehow Biana knew exactly where they were going, and within minutes they’d made it back to Calla.

“No time to explain,” Biana shouted as they tumbled underground. “Just get us out of here.”

Calla belted out a song, collapsing the tunnel’s entrance as she coiled roots around them and the trees whisked them to safety.


“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?” Mr. Forkle shouted the second they resurfaced in Alluveterre. The other four members of the Collective stood beside him, along with Fitz, Keefe, Dex, and Della.

Sophie stepped forward, ready to plead her defense—but Mr. Forkle wasn’t focused on her.

“I did not give you permission to put these children in danger!” he growled at Calla.

Calla didn’t blink. “I thought the only permission I needed was their own.”

“Yeah, we chose to go with Calla,” Biana agreed.

“And we’re fine,” Sophie added.

“Plus, we found something big,” Biana said, giving a quick recap of their encounter.

Only then did Sophie realize the dangerous detail she’d forgotten. She backed away from Calla. “I touched those sticks—and then I let you tie the roots around me—what if I just gave you the plague?”

“Relax, Miss Foster,” Mr. Forkle said. “The plague has shown no signs of being transmitted by touch. And anything outside the force field likely wouldn’t have been contaminated—assuming anything was.”

Calla nodded her agreement. “Do not worry over me. Our real concern is the Neverseen.”

“Yeah,” Keefe jumped in. “We’re going after them, right?”

“You are not going anywhere,” Mr. Forkle told him.

“But this is our chance to finally catch these jerks!” Keefe said.

“We might not get another opportunity like this,” Blur agreed.

“You aren’t actually considering staging an ambush?” Granite said when Mr. Forkle stroked his chin.

“There’s no time to prepare,” Squall added.

“Why are we arguing about this?” Keefe asked. “It’s a no-brainer. They’re going to come back to that tree at some point, and when they do, we blast them with everything we have.”

“There will be no blasting!” Mr. Forkle told him. “And again, there is no ‘we.’ You kids are not a part of this. Go upstairs to your rooms. And you”—he wheeled on Calla—“need to explain yourself when we return.”

“I can explain on the way,” Calla said. “You’ll need me to bring you to Brackendale.”

“You can’t leap,” Sophie agreed. “He said something about sensors.”

Mr. Forkle sighed. “Then Amisi can—”

“She doesn’t know her way around as well as I do,” Calla interrupted. “And she doesn’t know where we were today. So you can take my help now and be angry with me later.”

“All of us should be going,” Keefe said.

“For the last time, Mr. Sencen, you are staying here!” Mr. Forkle snapped. “And I do not want to hear another word about it!”

“We’re wasting time fighting,” Sophie said, stepping between Mr. Forkle and Keefe. “Every second we delay gives the Neverseen time to prepare.”

“You will not change my mind,” Mr. Forkle added. “We’re going. You’re staying.”

“What if something happens to you?” Della asked the Collective.

“If we’re not back by sunrise, have Amisi alert our Proxies,” Granite told her.

Sophie waited for Mr. Forkle to assure her they didn’t need to worry.

Instead he said, “Upstairs. All of you!”

“Come on,” she told her friends, who looked just as nervous as she felt. “There’s something else we need to work on.”

“It better involve studying your lessons,” Mr. Forkle warned.

Sophie didn’t bother replying as she dragged Keefe toward the stairs. He fought her for a second, but eventually gave in.

No one looked at each other or spoke as they climbed to the tree houses. The only sound was the slow melody of Calla opening a new tunnel into the earth to bring the Collective to confront the Neverseen.





TWENTY


KEEFE GLOWERED AT the campfire in the boys’ common room, keeping his back turned to all of his friends. “I can’t believe you went to face the Neverseen without me!”

“And me,” Fitz added.

“And me,” Dex said.

Both boys had very noticeably chosen beanbag chairs as far from Sophie and Biana as the room allowed.

“We didn’t know that’s what we were doing,” Sophie said, holding out her arm so Della could smear ointment on a deep scratch. “Calla only told us there were weird whispers in the forest—and she needed us to leave right away.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” Biana added, uncoiling the knot in her hair and looking way too good for someone who’d just survived a showdown with their enemy. “I’m pretty sure Calla only brought me because I happened to be there.”