Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities) Read Online Free PDF

So someone must have given her limbium. But who? And why?
    Two blurry spots in her past. Both times when the elves had clearly interfered with her life. That couldn’t be a coincidence.
    The kidnappers hadn’t been able to wipe away her memories—but the Black Swan made her. And they’d had no problem planting secret information in her head. So couldn’t they take some away?
    She needed those memories back. Deep in her subconscious there had to be something left, a clue that could trigger some tiny piece they missed. She just had to find it.
    Iggy flitted over to her leg, curling up on the top of her knee as she turned to the first blank page in the memory log.
    Come on, brain . Give me something useful this time.
    “STILL HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING?” ELWIN asked, squinting through thick iridescent spectacles as he squatted in front of her. The morning sun streamed through the glass walls of the living room, where Sophie sat on the sleek white couch. “Those dark circles are starting to look like bruises.”
    “I have a lot on my mind.”
    He lowered his glasses to study her. “Anything you want to talk about?”
    Her mind flashed to her dizzy spell the day before, but she looked away and shrugged. She was tired of being tested and watched and fussed over. Besides, if something were wrong with her, Elwin would’ve found it by now. His glasses could see right down to her cells.
    Elwin heaved a sigh as he stood, looking incredibly out of place with his lime green, gremlin-covered tunic in the elegant, pristine room. Havenfield usually had a few books and gadgets strewn about, leaving splashes of color. But Edaline had been on a cleaning rampage, trying to keep herself distracted.
    “Look up,” Elwin instructed, slipping on his glasses again.
    Sophie obeyed, and her eyes caught the light from the cascading crystals of the chandelier in the center of the room. It felt like the colored flash seeped into her brain, making her head throb.
    “You all right?” Elwin asked, as she flinched.
    “Why? Do you see something?”
    Elwin frowned and leaned closer, squinting at her forehead. “No, everything looks normal.”
    She released a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
    Everything looked normal.
    Everything was normal.
    She was just tired from the sleepless night.
    “You really need to rest,” Elwin said, echoing her thoughts. “Maybe you should try some slumberberry tea before bed.”
    “No sedatives.”
    “It’s just tea—”
    “No sedatives.” She’d lost weeks of her life to a drugged haze while she was held hostage. She never wanted to feel that way again.
    Elwin sank next to her on the plush couch. “Fine. We can let the insomnia go for now. But if you don’t start sleeping, we are going to have to come up with a plan. Understood?”
    He waited for her to nod.
    “Good. And I want to check on you in a couple of weeks. School will have started by then, so just come by my office. I’ll have your usual bed ready.”
    Sophie glared at the ground. Of course she had to visit the Healing Center during the first week of school. Her friends would tease her relentlessly about it—especially Keefe.
    “Glad you’re excited to see me again.” Elwin winked as he stood and pulled out his pathfinder.
    She opened her mouth to apologize, but a swell of panic surged into her mind and knocked her words away.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “I . . . I don’t know. I think something’s wrong with Silveny.” She stumbled to her feet and raced toward the arched, golden door of Havenfield’s main entrance.
    Sandor jumped in front of her. “You must stay inside if there’s trouble.”
    A fresh surge of terror poured into her mind, cold and sharp. “But Silveny needs me.”
    When he didn’t budge, she bolted for the back door. Sandor growled, sounding so much like an angry bunny rabbit Sophie couldn’t help smiling as she slipped outside and took off through the pastures.
    Sandor chased after her, shouting