Unlocked 8.5 (Keeper of the Lost Cities) Read online

  For Alex

  You named this book—and taught me the magical ways of colorful Post-it plotting—so it seems only fair to give you the dedication too

  Dear amazing Keeper readers,

  I know you’re probably thinking, Okay, what exactly is this book that I’m about to read? And the answer is: something extra special, designed to be read between Legacy (Book 8) and the currently still untitled Book 9 (hence why we’re calling this “8.5”). So that means I need to start things off with a great big SPOILER ALERT.

  IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE OTHER EIGHT KEEPER BOOKS—AND DON’T WANT TO HAVE ANY SECRETS SPOILED FOR YOU—STEP AWAY UNTIL YOU’RE CAUGHT UP!

  (Hint: that means you’ll want to have read Keeper of the Lost Cities, Exile, Everblaze, Neverseen, Lodestar, Nightfall, Flashback, and Legacy—in that order—before reading this!)

  The reason there are spoilers is because the first half of this book is a special kind of series guide, filled with details about your favorite Keeper characters and the world of the Lost Cities—plus new tidbits and information you won’t find anywhere else! You’ll also discover fun bonuses, like the gorgeous map of the Lost Cities, Keeper-themed quizzes and recipes, an Iggy coloring page, and tons of seriously amazing art—some of which comes with Keefe commentary!

  And after all of that awesomeness, you’ll find a 236-page exclusive Keeper novella, continuing the main story of the series from the end of Legacy—but I’ll explain more about that when you get there.

  For now, settle in for a super-fun look behind the scenes of the Keeper books—and remember to keep an eye out for those exclusive secrets!

  HAPPY READING!

  xo

  The Registry

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS Sophie’s given after Fitz brings her to the Lost Cities is a registry pendant—a simple choker-style necklace containing a special crystal that allows the Council to monitor her whereabouts. I wrote that detail into the series because it felt logical that a world in which anyone can travel all over the planet on a beam of light (and where light leaping can go tragically wrong) would have safety precautions in place to allow someone to be found in an emergency.

  But the Council uses the pendants for more than simply tracking a person’s location. In fact, the registry keeps files on everyone in the Lost Cities, monitoring all kinds of different things. (That’s why members of the Black Swan and the Neverseen sometimes alter their feeds to hide what they’re up to.)

  So, I thought it might be fun to give you guys a peek at your favorite characters’ registry files. I have a feeling you’ll be surprised by some of the details you discover in them! And remember—these are the Council’s official records, so there may be times when you know things that they haven’t figured out yet. Don’t let that confuse you—just enjoy being smarter than the leaders of the elvin world.

  (*whispers* You might also notice that certain files have been edited, both by the registry and by a certain powerful Technopath—and some files can’t be accessed at all.… The elves have tricky security!)

  WARNING:

  You are accessing CLASSIFIED Registry files. Unauthorized viewing is punishable by Tribunal.

  REGISTRY FILE FOR Sophie Elizabeth Foster

  KNOWN ABILITIES: Telepath, Polyglot, Inflictor, Teleporter, Enhancer

  RESIDENCE: Havenfield

  IMMEDIATE FAMILY: Unknown

  ADOPTED BY: Grady and Edaline Ruewen

  MATCH STATUS: Unmatchable

  EDUCATION: Current Foxfire prodigy

  NEXUS: No longer required

  PATHFINDER: Not assigned. Restricted to Leapmasters and home crystals.

  SPYBALL APPROVAL: None

  MEMBER OF THE NOBILITY: Yes

  TITLE: Lady

  NOBLE ASSIGNMENT: Regent; leader of Team Valiant; point of contact for the alicorns

  SIGNIFICANT CONNECTIONS: Cognate to Fitz Vacker; fealty-sworn member of the Black Swan; human family under the protection of the Council; former Wayward at Exillium

  ASSIGNED BODYGUARD(S): Sandor (goblin); Flori (gnome); Bo (ogre—temporarily reassigned); Tarina (troll—indefinitely on leave); Nubiti (dwarf—indefinitely on leave)

  A CHILD OF UNTRADITIONAL ORIGINS:

  In what was hopefully a first (and last) for our world, Sophie was born and raised by two humans (formerly known as Will and Emma Foster, relocated once as Connor and Kate Freeman, and again as [REDACTED FOR SECURITY] in an area of the Forbidden Cities that the humans call San Diego, California. She had one human sibling (Amy Foster, relocated once as Natalie Freeman, and again as [REDACTED FOR SECURITY], who was briefly a resident of the Lost Cities and was allowed to retain her memories of that time. But there is no genetic connection between Sophie and her human sister, or between Sophie and her human parents. Sophie’s embryo was created from the genetic materials of two unknown elves and implanted into her human mother by a member of the Black Swan who goes by the false name Mr. Forkle. He posed as both a human fertility doctor and a neighbor in order to monitor Sophie’s development, as well as her safety. He is also presumed to be responsible for triggering her telepathy at the age of five human years, as well as planting classified information into her memory, and revealing her location to Alden Vacker when she was twelve human years old. The possibility of Sophie’s existence was first discovered by Quinlin Sonden and Alden Vacker after the term “Project Moonlark” and a strand of unregistered elvin DNA were recovered during a memory break performed on Prentice Endal—though the Council believed the evidence to be an elaborate hoax. Alden spent years secretly searching the Forbidden Cities for the girl (often with the help of his sons, Alvar Vacker and Fitz Vacker) before finally receiving a human newspaper article that led him to Sophie. Fitz Vacker brought her to the Lost Cities and explained the truth about who and what she was, and also revealed that she would need to leave her human life behind. She was given access to a birth fund, a registry pendant, a nexus, and an Imparter—plus numerous other basic necessities. Later she was given a home crystal to Havenfield. Sophie’s residency was provisional at first, but she has since been granted full citizenship and continues to attend Foxfire Academy.

  UNEXPECTED EYE COLOR:

  Sophie has brown eyes (with small flecks of gold in them) instead of a shade of blue, like the rest of our species. No one, including her creators, seems to be 100 percent clear as to why—though most suspect the condition is related to certain modifications made to her genetics during the Black Swan’s experiments, many of which were based on alicorn DNA.

  A STRANGE HABIT:

  In what appears to be a nervous tic of sorts, Sophie is often seen tugging on her eyelashes. She’s been quick to assure everyone that it doesn’t hurt, but she does often appear to be trying to break herself of the habit. So far, she’s had little success. And it’s hard to blame Sophie for that, given the numerous stressful things she’s been through—and continues to endure.

  AN UNUSUAL REQUEST:

  Originally the Council ordered that Sophie’s human identity be “terminated” and that her human family be made to believe that their eldest daughter had passed away. But Sophie was concerned about the emotional toll her family would pay while grieving for their lost child, and she convinced Alden Vacker that her human identity should instead be “erased,” with the humans relocated to someplace their memories wouldn’t be triggered. Alden and Della Vacker oversaw the relocation, moving both parents, their daughter, and their pet (a large gray cat evidently named Marty) to a location with no ties to their previous lives. And Della was careful to ensure that their new lifestyle was what humans would classify as “very comfortable.” So
phie had also specifically requested that her family’s new home have a yard large enough for a dog, so Della gifted the family with a beagle puppy. Our records indicate that the dog has been named Watson.

  POSSESSION OF HUMAN ITEMS:

  Sophie brought one small purple backpack with her when she left the Forbidden Cities, and it was filled mostly with human clothing. The only other items were a scrapbook of family photos, a gadget called an iPod (which Dex Dizznee has made numerous adjustments to), and a bright blue elephant stuffed animal that she has named Ella and apparently cannot sleep without. All other items from Sophie’s human home were packed up and meticulously recorded before being stored in [ADDRESS REDACTED FOR SECURITY] in Mysterium, which Sophie has visited once with Councillor Terik in order to retrieve a childhood journal she’d left behind and realized was important. (Councillor Terik asked her why and was not given an answer.)

  UNKNOWN POTENTIAL:

  Sophie’s unconventional upbringing—as well as numerous other suspicious circumstances—led the Council to order Councillor Terik to descry Sophie during her first year in the Lost Cities. Alden Vacker brought Sophie to Councillor Terik’s private office in Eternalia, and she cooperated fully with the descrying. But the reading results were inconclusive. Councillor Terik reported afterward that he could definitely sense something strong when it came to Sophie’s potential, but what that actually means remains unclear.

  A COMPLICATED ADOPTION PROCESS:

  Upon the discovery of Sophie’s existence, Alden and Della Vacker applied to be her guardians—but their application was rejected because Alden’s search for Sophie had not been authorized by the Council. Sophie was instead placed at Havenfield with Grady and Edaline Ruewen, and adoption proceedings were initiated shortly thereafter. But several months later, the Ruewens canceled the adoption, citing emotional distress due to their ongoing grief over losing their daughter (Jolie Ruewen) sixteen years earlier. Alden and Della Vacker then renewed their application for guardianship, and the Council was willing to grant permission. But Sophie’s kidnapping—and brief presumed death—ended the proceedings once again. After her rescue and recovery, both the Ruewens and Vackers applied for adoption. The Council opted to leave the decision to Sophie, who chose to permanently return to Havenfield with the Ruewens.

  THE CONSTANT SHADOW OF GRIEF:

  Finalizing her adoption was surely a relief for Sophie—but it was still only a “step” toward truly feeling like a family. A period of adjustment is expected in these situations, so it wasn’t surprising that Sophie initially struggled to use terms like “Mom” and “Dad.” But for the Ruewen-Foster family (assuming that’s what they call themselves), there was the added complication of the loss of Jolie. Reports indicate that Sophie initially worried that Grady and Edaline wished she were more like their lost daughter, and she tried to avoid the subject as much as possible. She evidently also tried to avoid Jolie’s old bedroom, out of fear that she might not be allowed in there. But all of that changed when Sophie discovered that Jolie had been involved with the Black Swan.

  A MIRROR THAT’S PERHAPS TOO HONEST:

  Spectral mirrors are one of Lady Iskra’s numerous inventions—and while they were quite popular when they first went on sale, many soon found their mirrors’ style and fashion “advice” to be obnoxious (and at times even insulting). The gadgets have since become nearly obsolete, but it appears that Jolie Ruewen kept one in her bedroom at Havenfield, and had even befriended Vertina (the tiny “girl” programmed to appear in the corner of the mirror). So when Sophie was looking to learn more about Grady and Edaline’s deceased daughter, she opted to move Vertina’s mirror to her bedroom—a decision she likely regrets at times, given Sophie’s general lack of interest in clothes and makeup. But reports indicate that Vertina has proven to be quite useful at times, even helping Sophie locate Jolie’s secret diary, which led Sophie to identify Jolie’s killer.

  A MYSTERIOUS MIND:

  Sophie has a powerful photographic memory, but it had two blank spots when she arrived in the Lost Cities—both connected to traumas in her childhood that led to her waking up in human hospitals (one when she was five human years old, and the other when she was nine human years old). Our investigation shows that both memories were erased by the Black Swan “for her protection” and have since been returned. Her mind also appears to be filled with numerous bits of information about the Lost Cities—much of which is highly classified (like the location of the unmapped stars)—which were planted as part of her “preparation” for her role as the moonlark. She also struggles to read words written in the primary runic alphabet because her mind has been trained to instinctively recognize them as the Black Swan’s cipher runes.

  THE BLACK SWAN’S MOONLARK:

  Details on the so-called “Project Moonlark” are still vague at best. But the secret—and highly illegal—genetic experiment was carried out by the Black Swan and resulted in the creation of Sophie, who was designed with specific abilities in an attempt to make her a valuable asset against a rival band of rebels now known as the Neverseen. She was also raised with no awareness of who she was or where she belonged in order to give her a unique perspective on the Lost Cities. And she was hidden among humans, both to keep her safe until her abilities manifested, and also to provide her with a different level of insight into the human species—perhaps to someday help determine how to resolve the problems arising from humankind’s destructive behavior. Many suspect that some larger purpose for the moonlark still has yet to be revealed. Only time will tell—assuming Sophie continues to survive the numerous attempts on her life.

  A GIRL OF MANY TALENTS:

  Sophie is the only elf to manifest five special abilities—and it’s unclear whether she will continue to manifest any others. She’s the youngest elf on record to manifest, becoming a Telepath when she was only five human years old. The ability was triggered by the mysterious Mr. Forkle, who also triggered her inflicting and Polyglot abilities after rescuing Sophie and Dex Dizznee from their kidnappers. (He let Sophie and Dex make their own way back to the Lost Cities in order to keep his identity hidden, and presumably triggered the new abilities to help her through that challenge.) Mr. Forkle additionally triggered Sophie’s enhancing after she chose to accept the talent. But Sophie’s teleporting triggered on its own, possibly from the adrenaline of nearly plummeting to her death.

  GREAT POWER, STRUGGLE, AND RESPONSIBILITY:

  Sophie’s telepathy was a burden for her as a child, often exposing her to harsh or hurtful things and causing headaches because she did not know how to shield her mind from the constant bombardment of human thoughts. She also had to hide the ability, because humans would have either doubted her or studied her—or both. And when she moved to the Lost Cities, her problems amplified. Sophie has faced suspicion, judgment, and gossip because of her past, and because of the strength and abundance of her abilities—all of which became worse after Sophie made several missteps in regards to the rules of telepathy, including attempting to cheat on her Level Two alchemy midterm and illegally invading King Dimitar’s mind. Her telekinesis also proved somewhat unwieldy when tested by Councillor Bronte during her Foxfire qualification exam—and there was a very suspicious incident involving Fitz Vacker during Foxfire’s Ultimate Splotching Championship. After Sophie nearly faded away, her abilities also began to malfunction, requiring a dangerous “reset” performed by the Black Swan. She needed a second “reset” later, for further refinement to her inflicting. And initially, her teleporting required her to jump from dangerously high places in the hope that the momentum would help her slip into the void before the fall killed her. Despite those challenges, Sophie’s abilities and skills are, in short, incredible—even with her lack of proper training and practice. Her unique telepathy allows her to transmit astoundingly long distances, track the thoughts of others to their precise locations, communicate with animals, and heal broken minds. She can also slip past anyone’s mental blocking, while her own mental shi
elds remain nearly impenetrable. (Reports indicate that only Fitz Vacker, Mr. Forkle, and the alicorns have ever been able to bypass her guard.) As if all of that weren’t impressive enough, she has now become Cognates with Fitz Vacker, and when the two of them work together, they’re able to accomplish numerous feats that many would consider to be impossible. Her inflicting has been somewhat less reliable—though the recent reset has given her significantly better control. She’s also proven that negative and positive emotions can be inflicted—something previously unknown to her inflicting Mentor (Councillor Bronte). And while her linguistics Mentor (Lady Cadence) finds Sophie’s mimicking to be seriously lacking, she has noted that Sophie’s grasp of languages and pronunciation is flawless. Enhancing is Sophie’s newest ability, and another talent that she has recently learned to master. Thanks to the guidance of Councillor Oralie, Sophie no longer requires gloves—or the special gadgets the Black Swan’s mysterious Technopath designed for her—in order to “switch off” the ability. And Sophie’s teleporting, which already allows her to go nearly everywhere she desires without needing a leaping crystal, recently became much stronger. Reports indicate that she can now reach the void by simply running, without needing a falling sensation first.

  AN UNEVEN PRODIGY PERFORMANCE:

  Despite being an “advanced student” in human schools (Sophie’s human education records indicate that she was considered “years ahead” of her other classmates), Sophie has struggled with many of her sessions at Foxfire. Particularly challenging subjects include PE, elementalism, and alchemy—the last being a session she didn’t technically pass. (Her Mentor’s notes list numerous fires and explosions.) In fact, Sophie was only able to advance to Level Three because the Council agreed to replace alchemy with an inflicting session mentored by Councillor Bronte. A linguistics session was also added to her Level Three schedule in light of Sophie manifesting as a Polyglot, and Lady Cadence was brought back to the Lost Cities (somewhat unwillingly) to be Sophie’s Mentor. Both new ability sessions required giving Sophie access to the Silver Tower—something that has never been granted to a Level Three before. And Sophie does excel at her telepathy session (mentored by Sir Tiergan and now including Fitz Vacker) and her elvin history and Universe sessions, where her photographic memory works in her favor. She’s also done fairly well at making friends and generally adapting to her new environment—though she has ended up in detention a significant number of times. It should be noted that Sophie’s numerous near-death experiences, as well as certain incidents involving the Council, have often hindered her attendance at Foxfire and forced her to miss key exams.