Shannon Messenger - Keeper Of The Lost Cities (Book 1)

For Mom and Dad,

who always believed this day would come.

(And because Im hoping imaginary grandchildren count!)

B LURRY, FRACTURED MEMORIES SWAM through Sophies mind, but she couldnt piece them together. She tried opening her eyes and found only darkness. Something rough pressed against her wrists and ankles, refusing to let her move.

A wave of cold rushed through her as the horrifying realization dawned.

She was a hostage.

A cloth across her lips stifled her cry for help, and a sedatives sweet aroma stung her nose when she inhaled, making her head spin.

Were they going to kill her?

Would the Black Swan really destroy their own creation? What was the point of Project Moonlark, then? What was the point of the Everblaze?

The drug lulled her toward a dreamless oblivion, but she fought backclinging to the one memory that could shine a tiny spot of light in the thick, inky haze. A pair of beautiful aquamarine eyes.

Fitzs eyes. Her first friend in her new life. Her first friend ever.

Maybe if she hadnt noticed him that day in the museum, none of this would have happened.

No. She knew itd been too late even then. The white fires were already burningcurving toward her city and filling the sky with sticky, sweet smoke.

The spark before the blaze.

M I SS FOSTE R! MR. SWEENEY S NASAL voice cut through Sophies blaring music as he yanked her earbuds out by the cords. Have you decided that youre too smart to pay attention to this information?

Sophie forced her eyes open. She tried not to wince as the bright fluorescents reflected off the vivid blue walls of the museum, amplifying the throbbing headache she was hiding.

No, Mr. Sweeney, she mumbled, shrinking under the glares of her now staring classmates.

She pulled her shoulder-length blond hair around her face, wishing she could hide behind it. This was exactly the kind of attention she went out of her way to avoid. Why she wore dull colors and lurked in the back, blocked by the other kids who were at least a foot taller than her. It was the only way to survive as a twelve-year-old high school senior.

Then perhaps you can explain why you were listening to your iPod instead of following along? Mr. Sweeney held up her earbuds like they were evidence in a crime. Though to him, they probably were. Hed dragged Sophies class to the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park, assuming his students would be excited about the all-day field trip. He didnt seem to realize that unless the giant dinosaur replicas came to life and started eating people, no one cared.

Sophie tugged out a loose eyelasha nervous habitand stared at her feet. There was no way to make Mr. Sweeney understand why she needed the music to cancel the noise. He couldnt even hear the noise .

Chatter from dozens of tourists echoed off the fossil-lined walls and splashed around the cavernous room. But their mental voices were the real problem.

Scattered, disconnected pieces of thoughts broadcast straight into Sophies brainlike being in a room with hundreds of TVs blaring different shows at the same time. They sliced into her consciousness, leaving sharp pains in their wake.

She was a freak.

Itd been her secrether burdensince she fell and hit her head when she was five years old. Shed tried blocking the noise. Tried ignoring it. Nothing helped. And she could never tell anyone. They wouldnt understand.

Since youve decided youre above this lecture, why dont you give it? Mr. Sweeney asked. He pointed to the enormous orange dinosaur with a duckbill in the center of the room. Explain to the class how the Lambeosaurus differs from the other dinosaurs weve studied.

Sophie repressed a sigh as her mind flashed to an image of the information card in front of the display. Shed glanced at it when they entered the museum, and her photographic memory recorded every detail. As she recited the facts, Mr. Sweeneys face twisted into a scowl, and she could hear her classmates thoughts grow increasingly sour. They werent exactly fans of their resident child prodigy. They called her Curvebuster.

She finished her answer, and Mr. Sweeney grumbled something that sounded like know-it-all as he stalked off to the exhibit in the next room over. Sophie didnt follow. The thin walls separating the two rooms didnt block the noise, but they muffled it. She grabbed what little relief she could.

Nice job, superfreak, Garwin Changa boy wearing a T-shirt that said BACK OFF ! IM GONNA FART sneered as he shoved past her to join their classmates. Maybe theyll write another article about you. Child Prodigy Teaches Class About the Lame-o-saurus.

Garwin was still bitter Yale had offered her a full scholarship. His rejection letter had arrived a few weeks before.

Not that Sophie was allowed to go.

Her parents said it was too much attention, too much pressure, and she was too young. End of discussion.

So shed be attending the much closer, much smaller San Diego City College next yeara fact some annoying reporter found newsworthy enough to post in the local paper the day before CHILD PRODIGY CHOOSES CITY COLLEGE OVER IVY LEAGUE complete with her senior photo. Her parents freaked when they found it. Freaked wasnt even a strong enough word. More than half their rules were to help Sophie avoid unnecessary attention. Front-page articles were pretty much their worst nightmare. Theyd even called the newspaper to complain.

The editor seemed as unhappy as they were. The story was run in place of an article on the arsonist terrorizing the cityand they were still trying to figure out how the mistake had happened. Bizarre fires with white-hot flames and smoke that smelled like burnt sugar took priority over everything. Especially a story about an unimportant little girl most people went out of their way to ignore.

Or, they used to.

Across the museum, Sophie caught sight of a tall, dark-haired boy reading yesterdays newspaper with the embarrassing black-and-white photo of her on the front. Then he looked up and stared straight at her.

Shed never seen eyes that particular shade of blue beforeteal, like the smooth pieces of sea glass shed found on the beachand they were so bright they glittered. Something flickered across his expression when he caught her gaze. Disappointment?

Before she could decide what to make of it, he shrugged off the display hed been leaning against and closed the distance between them.

The smile he flashed belonged on a movie screen, and Sophies heart did a weird fluttery thing.

Is this you? he asked, pointing to the picture.

Sophie nodded, feeling tongue-tied. He was probably fifteen, and by far the cutest boy shed ever seen. So why was he talking to her?

I thought so. He squinted at the picture, then back at her. I didnt realize your eyes were brown.

Uh... yeah, she said, not sure what to say. Why?

He shrugged. No reason.

Something felt off about the conversation, but she couldnt figure out what it was. And she couldnt place his accent. Kind of British, but different somehow. Crisper? Which bothered herbut she didnt know why.

Are you in this class? she asked, wishing she could suck the words back as soon as they left her mouth. Of course he wasnt in her class. Shed never seen him before. She wasnt used to talking to boysespecially cute boysand it made her brain a little mushy.

His perfect smile returned as he told her, No. Then he pointed to the hulking greenish figure they were standing in front of. An Albertosaurus, in all its giant, lizardesque glory. Tell me something. Do you really think thats what they looked like? Its a little absurd, isnt it?