“Okay, ready,” Dex said, his voice at least an octave deeper.
Sir Astin rolled his eyes. “The Council’s address will be starting soon. Della, let’s have your group go first.”
She took Fitz’s and Biana’s hands and glittered away, using the path Sir Astin created for them.
“Where are you taking Sophie?” Grady asked.
“I believe the Council set up their stage in the diamond plaza,” Sir Astin said. “So I was thinking the ruby arches would be a safe place to tuck ourselves away.”
Grady nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on the guards.”
“Thank you. And thank you for your assistance, Mr. Dizznee. Your generosity will not be forgotten.”
“Just keep my boy safe and we’re even.” Kesler pulled Dex in for a final hug.
Sophie strangle-hugged Grady, wishing she’d gotten to see him for more than ten minutes.
Keefe stood there watching.
“I’m sure we’ll see each other soon,” Grady promised when Sophie pulled away.
She tried to believe him, giving one last smile as she took Sir Astin’s hand and leaped to Eternalia.
SIXTY
SOPHIE HADN’T BEEN to Eternalia since the day Kenric died, when she’d stood with Alden and Fitz, watching the jeweled city melt in the Everblaze. She’d heard it had been rebuilt, but she’d assumed it would look patched together. Instead the new city shined brighter than the original.
Each new building was made from multiple jewels, and the colors were artfully arranged. It felt like walking through a world made entirely of stained glass. And yet, the breathtaking beauty felt wrong. A place blanketed with so much tragedy shouldn’t be allowed to shimmer.
Sophie hid behind her dark hair as they entered a crowded square. Elves had gathered around a fountain with a statue in the center, resting under arching streams of colored water. Sophie’s breath caught when she recognized the statue’s face.
The sculptor had captured Kenric’s toothy grin and the twinkle in his eyes. And yet, stone could never capture the warmth Kenric had radiated.
She studied the statue’s features, trying to spot a similarity between his and hers—something to prove, or disprove, her theory. The slope of his nose looked familiar, as did the corners of his eyes, but it was too ambiguous to mean anything.
“Come along,” Sir Astin said. “The protest is this way.”
A river divided Eternalia, with the main city on one side, and the Councillors’ twelve crystal castles glittering on the other. The Pures lined both shores, filtering the air and casting slender shadows. The shadows spread wider that day, from the hundreds of gnomes clinging to the towering trunks and balancing on the fan-shaped leaves.
More gnomes gathered along the river, lined up in neat rows like crops. They sang as one, demanding justice, their earthy voices echoing off the jeweled walls.
A row of goblins had stationed themselves in front of the gnomes, creating a blockade of rock-hard muscle. Sophie couldn’t tell if they were trying to protect the gnomes, or stop them from entering the diamond courtyard where a stage had been set up for the Council. Either way, one goblin toward the center was the biggest, grayest, gobliniest sight for sore eyes ever.
“Sandor,” she whispered, wishing she could tear through the crowd and tackle him. But that would be the kind of crazy security risk he’d give her a never-ending lecture for.
Sandor didn’t show any scars, and when he moved, she saw no sign of a limp. It seemed too much to hope that he could survive a fall like that with no permanent damage. But maybe Elwin was that good.
The crowd of elvin onlookers kept a safe distance from the goblins, stretching into the city and scattering among the jeweled buildings. Sir Astin led them to a ruby tower off to the side, with graceful arches lining the bottom floor that gave them enough shadows to hide in and still have a perfect view of the stage.
Sophie searched the crowd, hoping to spot Fitz. But she saw no trace of any of the Vackers. The only face she recognized was Jensi. He stood with his parents and an older brother Sophie had never seen before. Several guys with long greasy ponytails stood at Jensi’s side, and Sophie wondered if that meant Jensi had gone back to hanging out with the group Marella had nicknamed the Drooly Boys. She wished she could catch his eye and give a small wave, but she knew he wouldn’t recognize her.
“There’s my mom,” Dex said, pointing to a woman with amber-colored hair. She looked so much like Edaline, it took Sophie a second to notice Edaline standing next to her.
“I can’t believe she brought the triplets,” Dex said, laughing as the three wild-haired kids ran circles around Juline and Edaline.
“I guess everyone’s here,” Keefe mumbled. “Even him.”
Sophie followed Keefe’s gaze to where his father stood with the goblin guards, ordering a small group of them to divide off and cover the stage.