“But how is it redeeming to only care about ourselves?” Sophie asked.
The silence that followed felt like it was breathing down their necks, probably because the whole school was watching.
The Coaches’ eventual reply was to order everyone to their Hemispheres.
Sophie kept her head down as she ran to her purple Ambi tent and sat near one of the tent poles. A shadow passed over her, and she looked up to find the Shade and the Hydrokinetic standing beside her.
The Shade’s whispery voice filled her head. “You’ll get in huge trouble if you keep talking to the Coaches like that.”
Probably, Sophie transmitted. But someone needs to tell them they’re wrong.
The way he tilted his head made her wonder if he was smiling. It was impossible to tell between the mask and the hood.
“This place is called Bosk Gorge,” he whispered, “and it’s not the worst we’ve seen of the desolation.”
Where was the worst?
“Wildwood. There’s pretty much nothing left.”
Before Sophie could reply, the purple Coach stormed into the tent and clapped her hands.
“Everyone rise!” she ordered.
Sophie moved to stand, then realized the Coach meant a different kind of “rise.”
The rest of the Waywards floated off the ground as the Coach announced they’d be practicing levitation-in-motion.
“Choose any movement you’d like,” the Coach said. “But you must keep moving. Every time you fall, you prove yourself Unworthy.”
Sophie could’ve sworn the Coach looked at her as she said the last part, and it made her determined to stay airborne. She closed her eyes, pushed against gravity, and floated her body off the ground. But she couldn’t figure out how to move like the other Waywards. Motion required resistance—something to bounce off and create thrust. So when she tried to “walk,” her legs only flailed, and the longer she hovered there, the heavier her body felt.
How you holding up? Fitz transmitted as she collapsed for a break.
I don’t understand how they’re all doing this, she grumbled.
Neither do I. I’ve dropped twice already, and Biana’s hit the ground three times. My Coach says we’re not motivated enough.
You’re lucky you guys are together. I’m the only one struggling in my group.
She forced herself to levitate again, and tried flapping her arms, which mostly made her look like a giant chicken. She felt even more ridiculous when she stole another look at the plague-infested forest.
I can’t believe we’re wasting time on this when we could be down there investigating.
Maybe it’s better, Fitz said. We wouldn’t want to accidently infect Calla.
Sophie definitely didn’t want that—but it still felt like they were missing an opportunity. They could be learning things that might help the gnomes, and instead she was trying to air-swim.
“You’re focusing your efforts too narrowly,” her Coach said as Sophie dropped on her belly so hard it knocked the wind out of her. “Gravity isn’t the only force you have to work with.”
A gong announced their break before Sophie figured out what that meant.
She stumbled to the eating area, where all the Waywards were lining up for lunch. The food itself was simple—baskets of whole fruit for them to choose from—and Sophie noticed everyone only took one piece. They also sat separately, on threadbare blankets the same color as their Hemisphere. The only sounds were the wind and the awkward crunch of chewing.
She’d chosen a pear-shaped fruit with a smooth teal skin. It looked too pretty to eat, and Sophie wished she’d gone with that instinct. It tasted like juicy cheese, and each bite felt greasier than the last. The Shade and the Hydrokinetic sat across from her, sharing a purple spiky fruit between them. Sophie wondered if that meant they were boyfriend and girlfriend.
“You should be more careful about your telepathic conversations,” the Shade’s voice whispered inside her head.
One of these times you’re going to give me a heart attack, Sophie transmitted. How do you talk like that?
His shadow stretched farther over hers. “It’s called shadow-whispering. My shadow is carrying my consciousness, so no one can hear me except you—but I still only do it when no one’s looking. You need to take the same precaution. If the Coach catches you, they’ll punish everyone. They want us to hate each other. It’s how they keep control. They know there are only three of them and hundreds of us. If we unite, we could take them out easily.”
Or they could try getting us to like them, Sophie suggested. Fear isn’t the only way to control people.
“No, but it’s the quickest. I would know.”