cascade | kotlc

10. The Other Project

 "You're alive!" Sophie said as Sandor helped her shove through the crowd to where Dex stood with his lanky female bodyguard, Lovise, in the purple grass of Foxfire's expansive main field. "I'd started to worry."
June rolled her eyes. "No need for such dramatics. Since when was he not fine? He's been in the least danger out of all of us."

"Didn't I get kidnapped?" he asked quietly.

"Try battling to the death on Mount Everest, or riding an alicorn over several thousand miles of see, or almost falling off a cliff, or skydiving off an airplane to the highest mountain in the world, or tumbling around in a tidal wave while trapped to a metal cage, or clinging onto the edge of a metro train-"

"What's the last one?" he interrupted. "I don't remember that."

"That's because it just recently happened."

A week had passed since Keefe set off the sound wave, and other than that first day, it'd been an endless week of nothing, nothing, and more nothing. June was constantly pestering Mr. Forkle to bring her a Tesla Model Y, but he refused, claiming driving cars was too dangerous and not suited for children. June pointed out she could drive a motorcycle. He ignored her.

Fitz hadn't been around too much recently. Alden and Della had asked him to stay at Everglen for 'family time', and June understood. She didn't push for Fitz to come over. The Vackers would have to heal.

Sophie cut June off from her weekly check-ins from Keefe, claiming that he didn't particularly like her bantering. While she was insulted, something about knowing Sophie and Keefe talked every night made her extremely happy. Perhaps they'd finally work out their feelings. She still expected a very extravagant confession from Keefe.

June was still trying to learn whatever she could about Alabestrine -- Sophie had confirmed that was what the rune had said -- and the only slightly interesting detail was that Alabestine was isolated from other stars, so its white glow was considered 'pure' because no other light ever touched it. That sounded like bogus, but it did remind June about the Lodestar, which did reflect pure light, and it couldn't have been a coincidence. She was getting nowhere, though, and she was seriously considering staging a Foxfire break-in just to see what she could potentially learn. She might even get Linh involved.

She didn't have a plan yet for infiltrating the Gold and Silver towers. From 'casual' conversation with Mr. Forkle, he learned the tower's entrances were completely sealed shut when not given direct access, and the walls were built to be practically indestructible. Additionally, the Foxfire grounds had a perimeter that would monitor students' locations and actively transmit them to the Council and principal. That was why she needed Linh; she hadn't signed up for Foxfire yet, technically. But she couldn't exactly ask Linh to levitate all the way up to the dorms, where the only windows were, and she didn't know if those had any extra protection. She really hoped they would.

We'll have to worry about that later.

"So what have you been up to?" Sophie asked Dex. "I tried hailing you a bunch of times but you didn't answer."

Dex patted his cape pockets and frowned. "I must've left my Imparter at Slurps and Burps, but I've had it with me every day and it never gave any alerts. Are you sure? Your sister's hails got through fine, she hailed me just yesterday."

Sophie frowned. "What? I don't understand. Maybe it's an issue with my Imparter, then. I'll figure it out later."

He nodded absentmindedly. "Everyone's been stocking up on medicines, and Slurps and Burps is busier than ever. I think people are worried that the next time the Neverseen attacks, someone's going to get hurt."