Keepers of The Lost Cities

Chapter 1

This takes place after Exile.

Sophie Foster Ruewen was feeling pretty great as she walked down the Foxfire halls with her best friend Dex by her side.

"I know I shouldn't be," Sophie sighed, "but I feel relaxed. For the first time in a long time."

"Sophie, you deserve to be relaxed. After everything you've gone through? You're amazing." Dex reddened as Sophie stared at him. "I mean, it's amazing...you've just done a lot, you know? Like..."

Dex trailed off as he realized Sophie wasn't really paying attention. Instead, her eyes lead to Dame Alina, who was showing a new student around the walls of Foxfire. The girl was dark-skinned, and her black hair in little twists, forming a crown around her head.

"Who's she?" Sophie asked.

"Do I look like a person that knows?"

Sophie glared at Dex, then quickly smiled as Dame Alina made her way towards them. Her blue eyes glanced over Dex and lingered on Sophie. She cleared her throat.

"Sophie, this is Nala. A new student at Foxfire. Would you like to show her around?"

Dame Alina phrased it like a question, but she and Sophie both knew she had no choice, even though she felt like she could be doing better things right now.

"Of course, Dame Alina."

Dame Alina turned away without thanks, leaving Sophie and Dex with Nala.

Nala looked both of them up and down. "It's okay, you can go." Sophie blinked. "I know you don't actually wanna show me around."

"It's not that, you see—"

"You feel bad? If you don't show me around, that is."

Sophie arched her eyebrow ever so slightly. "Yeah," she glanced down at her shoulder. "But—"

"I'm a pretty strong empath. I don't have to touch you to read your emotions clearly. I'm also a telepath, but I didn't read your mind just now."

"You...have more than one ability?"

Nala grinned, and Sophie heard her voice enter her head.

We're more alike than you think.

"That's just great," Dex grumbled. "We've got two telepaths and the stupid ability I have is—"

Dex cut himself short before revealing his secret in front of Nala, but she just nodded instead.

"I'm also a technopath, Dex. Nothing to be ashamed of."

Sophie and Dex exchanged a glance. Sophie believed the telepath thing, considering she just heard Nala's voice in her head, but the Empath and the Technopath? That was pushing it just a bit now, wasn't it?

Nala gave a short laugh. "Yeah, they never believe me."

Sophie and Dex stayed silent as she walked off, and the bell rang for their first class.

"You have three abilities, don't you?" Dex said over the noise of the bell.

"Yeah, but I was made to have more than one. She's normal. Unless..."

Dex nodded in agreement. "Unless she's—"

"You kids are going to be late! Get to class!" A teacher snapped at them. "Quick, quick!"

◈▣◈

Lunch came soon, and Sophie and Dex were talking to their friends about Nala and what she had told them.