“But it is personal,” Keefe argued.
“It is and it isn’t,” Mr. Forkle said. “The problems our world is facing go beyond protecting the people we know and care about. Believe me—I understand the struggle. Do you think we were never tempted to break Prentice out of Exile before now? We knew where he was. We knew the nightmare he was trapped in. But we couldn’t risk that kind of exposure until Sophie was ready. And now”—his voice cracked—“it’s possible we were too late. But that doesn’t mean we were wrong to focus on Sophie’s safety.”
“We’re not saying you can’t investigate,” Granite added quickly. “We’re saying to manage your risks wisely. Enduring Exillium will be your greatest challenge yet, in many ways. Do not let your goals distract you from surviving.”
“Surviving?” Sophie repeated. “Enduring” didn’t sound very awesome either.
“Exillium is not so much a school as it is an institution,” Mr. Forkle warned. “It exists for the Unworthy—the hopeless cases that must be kept in line. Expect rules—lots of rules—which absolutely must be followed, regardless of how unfair or bizarre they may seem. Names are forbidden. Friendship is forbidden. Talking or interaction of any kind is forbidden. Refusing an order or an assignment is—”
“Let me guess,” Keefe jumped in. “Forbidden?”
“Yes, Mr. Sencen,” Mr. Forkle said. “And as our resident rule breaker I cannot emphasize enough how important it will be for you to submit to authority this time. Exillium is beyond the protection of the Lost Cities, which means there are no restrictions for how the Coaches punish disobedience. Also, the less you draw attention to yourselves, the safer you’ll be. You need to blend in at Exillium. Embrace your anonymity.”
“Will we really be wearing masks?” Biana asked.
“You will.” Granite opened the chests, which Sophie noticed had been painted with a black X across the top and the letter E embossed where the lines intersected. “Your uniforms are the same for boys and girls, and they are designed to hide your identities.”
He handed them each a thick stack of gray and black clothes, along with a pair of heavy black boots, and a silver-studded black half mask.
“I’ll try it on,” Biana said, heading toward her bedroom.
She clomped back a few minutes later in the steel-toed boots, which laced up over the fitted black pants. The long-sleeved shirt was also black, and worn tucked under a gray vest with silver buckles and chains across the front. The back half of the vest draped low and flared like a trench coat. Sewn under the collar of the vest was a hood with a deep cowl that cast Biana’s face in deep shadow. Paired with the mask, it was impossible to tell what Biana looked like, and the full effect was incredibly intimidating.
“I never thought I’d say this,” Sophie mumbled, “but I miss the dorky Foxfire capes.”
“I dunno,” Fitz said. “I think it’s kinda cool.”
“See, and I’m not on board with the hood,” Keefe said. “It totally kills the Hair.”
“The mask smells funny,” Biana added. “And this heavy fabric is making me sweaty.”
“Is the campus somewhere cold?” Dex asked.
“It changes every day, as part of their security,” Mr. Forkle said. “But it’s always in the Neutral Territories. You’ll find the campus tomorrow at dawn using these.” He reached into one of the trunks and pulled out a small black pouch, which contained five long black cords strung with a single bead.
The bead was blue and dotted with a flake of crystal no bigger than a speck of glitter.
“The crystal only works for a single leap,” Granite explained. “After that, you’ll have until sunset to prove that you deserve another bead to return the next day.”
“What happens if we don’t get one?” Dex asked.
“Do not find out,” Mr. Forkle warned. “I have no doubt that all of you are capable of handling their curriculum. Exillium focuses on skills, not abilities. Tasks like night vision, slowing your breath, regulating body temperature, suppressing hunger, levitating, blinking in and out of perception, telekinesis, on and on. It will be exhausting, and physically demanding, but could prove useful in the future. We know you’ll also be trying to gather information—and we’ll be grateful for anything you learn. But do not do so at the expense of your safety.”
Keefe fiddled with his necklace, coiling the cord so tightly around his finger it turned his fingertip red.
“You okay?” Sophie asked him.
He shrugged. “You know what gets me? My dad always said I’d end up in Exillium.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Biana and I will be the first Vackers ever sent there,” Fitz said. “Pretty sure that means we’re officially the disgrace of our family.”