Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities Book 3) (55 page)

“We’ll always need you,” Edaline said quietly. “But that’s the point. What we need more than anything is for you to be safe. And I knew you wouldn’t believe me. That’s why I’ve already packed your things.”

She pointed to a purple backpack stashed by the door.

The same purple backpack Sophie had shown up with after she left her human family.

It was crammed a lot fuller this time. But it still seemed impossibly small.

Was that really all she’d have to help her for the next stage of her journey?

No.

She turned to study the faces of her friends—the faces that had been with her through everything. She’d fought so hard to protect them that she hadn’t really considered how much they’d protected
her
.

Individually they were vulnerable. But together, they were a
team
.

“You guys are sure you want to do this?” Sophie asked, needing to check one last time. “There’s no going back from here.”

Keefe smirked. “Uh, how many times do I have to tell you:
Bring it on, Foster.
I’m ready.”

“Me too,” Fitz promised, nodding quickly at his dad.

“Me three,” Biana agreed.

“So the real question,” Dex said, flashing his dimpled grin, “is, are
you
sure you want to do this?”

“Yes,” Sophie told him, not needing any deep breaths or counted seconds before she decided.

She
was
ready.

So all she had left to say was, “Let’s go join the Black Swan!”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Yay, you made it to the end—and you’re still reading! That makes me
ever
so happy. So I want to start by thanking you, dear reader, for coming along with Sophie and her friends on their incredible journey through the Lost Cities. Thank you for reading, for telling your friends, for following me online, and for all of the amazing e-mails and fan art that you take the time to send me.
You
make this job worth doing.

*reaches through the pages to hug you*

I would also never survive this crazy, confusing business without an army of brilliant people at my side.

Laura Rennert, I can’t thank you enough for your unfailing belief in both me, and this series, and for handling all of the complicated agent-y things so I don’t have to deal with them. I also want to thank the entire team at Andrea Brown Literary, as well as Taryn Fagerness for her untiring efforts to bring KEEPER to readers all around the world. And to my foreign publishers, thank you for taking a chance on these books, and for all of the time and energy you put into translating them for your readers.

Liesa Abrams Mignogna, thank you for rolling with every twist these stories throw at me, and for always pushing me to make the books they best they can be. I also want to thank everyone at Simon & Schuster for the support they give this series, especially Mara Anastas, Mary Marotta, Lauren Forte, Fiona Simpson, Alyson Heller, Emma Sector, Carolyn Swerdloff. Julie Christopher, Lucille Rettino, Paul Crichton, Michelle Fadlalla, Venessa Carson, Anthony Parisi, Ebony LaDelle, Matt Pantoliano, Michael Strother, Amy Bartram, Jeanine Henderson, Mike Rosamilia, Siena Konscol, and the entire sales team. Plus a tremendous thank you to Karin Paprocki for yet another breathtaking cover design, and to Jason Chan for his seriously stunning artwork.

Thank you, Kari Olson, for the peptalks, honest opinions, and lightning-fast critiques—plus your ever-loyal support for all things related to Keefe. And thank you, Sara McClung, for squeezing in a second read among all the hectic, new-mom things, and Sarah Wylie for loving the draft so much, you’re now contemplating a switch to Team Fitz. (I know how much it pained you to admit that)

Every author also needs a network of writer-friends to lean on and laugh with, and I’m lucky to say I have some of the best. Thank you, Heather Brewer, MG Buerhlen, Lisa Cannon, Christa Desir, Debra Driza, Kirsten Hubbard, Nikki Katz, Lisa Mantchev, Andrea Ortega, Cindy Pon, CJ Redwine, James Riley, Amy Tintera, Kasie West, Natalie Whipple, and Kiersten White, plus the wonderful ladies of Friday the Thirteeners. I also must thank Margaret Peterson Haddix for joining me for some very hectic touring in the Midwest, and for braving a midnight Walmart bathroom stop somewhere between Minneapolis and Milwaukee. (Oh, the glamorous lives we authors lead.)

I will never be able to properly express my gratitude to the teachers, librarians, bloggers, and booksellers who have gotten behind these books and helped get them in the hands of readers, especially Alyson Beecher, Katie Bartow, Maryelizabeth Hart, Faith Hochhalter, Katie Laird, Kim Laird, Brandi Stewart, Andrea Vuleta, and
so
many others. I wish I had the space to thank you all individually, but since I don’t (this book is rather thick, after all), I hope you all know how much I truly appreciate each and every one of you, and if I haven’t had a chance to meet you in person yet, I hope our paths cross soon.

To my parents, thank you for telling pretty much every person you meet that they need to read these books (regardless of whether or not they have kids), and to all my friends and family, thank you for the unending amount of slack you cut me as I battle through my crazy deadlines.

Last, but definitely not least, I must thank my husband, Miles, who I seriously don’t know what I would do without. Thank you for celebrating every high and holding my hand through every low. And thank you for pushing us to get one more kitten. You were right, we needed an orange one.

About the Author

Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts where she learned—among other things—that she liked watching movies much better than making them. She’s studied art, screenwriting, and television production, but realized her real passion was writing for kids and teens. She is the author of the middle grade Keeper of the Lost Cities series and the young adult novels
Let the Sky Fall
and
Let the Storms Break
. She is also one of the founders and organizers of WriteOnCon, a free online Writer’s Conference for kidlit writers held annually in August. She lives in Southern California with her husband and an embarrassing number of cats. Find her online at
ShannonMessenger.com
.

MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT

KIDS.SimonandSchuster.com

authors.simonandschuster.com/Shannon-Messenger

Also by Shannon Messenger

Keeper of the Lost Cities

Keeper of the Lost Cities Book Two:
Exile

For teen readers

Let the Sky Fall

Let the Storm Break

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

First Aladdin hardcover edition November 2014

Text copyright © 2014 by Shannon Messenger

Jacket illustration © 2014 by Jason Chan

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at
www.simonspeakers.com
.

Cover designed by Karin Paprocki

Interior designed by Mike Rosamilia

The text of this book was set in Scala.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Messenger, Shannon. Everblaze / by Shannon Messenger. -- First Aladdin

hardcover edition. pages cm — (Keeper of the lost cities ; 3)

Summary: Sophie's talents are getting stronger and, with the elusive Black Swan group ignoring her calls for help, she is determined to find her kidnappers but a daring mistake pushes her world to the edge of war, and soon she has exposed a a major conspiracy that could threaten all she loves.

ISBN 978-1-4424-4599-4 (hardback) — 978-1-4424-4601-4 (eBook)

[1. Ability—Fiction. 2. Psychic ability—Fiction.

3. Identity—Fiction. 4. Foster parents—Fiction. 5. Elves—Fiction. 6. Fantasy.] I. Title.

PZ7.M5494Eve 2014 [Fic]--dc23 2014016688