Savi hadn't been brave enough to go to her parents on her own, so Cerulean had escorted her there, and had been there the whole time. Savi would describe the scene as ugly whereas Cerulean called it beautiful when Sophie hugged Savi and they made up for everything. Savi had told them that she wasn't ready to confide in them yet, and maybe she never would be, but Keefe and Sophie had simply nodded understandingly and embraced her even more tightly. Savi wasn't sure if they cared or not, but just for then, it seemed good to be one big family.

She managed to bring herself out of bed in the morning, only to find Flori, Sophie's bodyguard, at her door. Savi cocked her head and asked, "Flori? What're you doing here?"

Flori gave her a green-toothed smile before responding, "Miss Foster wants you in the dining area, Miss Sencen."

"Before I'm changed? And Flori, I told you to just call me Savi."

Flori blushed. "Of course. I – I'm sorry. I've never been corrected for calling people by their titles before." She smiled. "And I think Miss Foster would rather you got changed first, M – Savi."

Savi smiled. That was better. Just Savi. No Miss. She made her way to her wardrobe, which was packed with Sophie's hand-me-downs, many of which Sophie said she'd never worn before. Apparently, when Sophie had first arrived in the Lost Cities, Della had bought her an entire wardrobe, and Sophie had only discovered some of the clothes when she'd already outgrown them.

"They were too pretty to throw away," she'd explained to Savi the day she'd given them to her.

Savi wondered how she never remembered the happy moments. But those were the days before Seri and Will. When Savi had only been five years old, Sophie had gifted her the wardrobe and all the dresses. She'd never been able to wear them until she was nine years old, but they looked like ballgowns on her. Now, they were just right.

Still, it wasn't like she could wear them. She sighed as she pulled on her Level One Foxfire uniform. At least there was alchemy with Lady Galvin today. Finally something she was actually good at. Well, she wasn't bad at the Universe – thank the photographic memory.

Being honest? She wasn't exactly bad at anything.

But... Inflicting was going to be a pain. Especially since Bronte clearly didn't like her, and thought she'd gotten off too well without punishment.

She went downstairs with a question on her mind, and the first thing she asked Sophie was, "Mom, is my mind impenetrable?"

"Funny thing is, that was what I was going to ask you," Sophie said. "Although I'm not sure if I should be the one trying to get through your blocking. I mean, no one can get through mine, and no one can block me."

"You might still want to try?" Savi offered.

"I've always been able to hear your mind," Sophie said, but she tried anyway. And her jaw dropped. "Your mind," she whispered, shaking slightly, "is quiet as a whisper."

"So... you can hear it, then."

"No! Okay. A whisper might've been the wrong word. It's just... I can't hear you." Sophie looked up. "And that's wrong. I'm supposed to be the most powerful Telepath there is. How come I can't hear you?"

"And how come," Savi said, pressing into her mother's mind, "I can hear you?"

"You can hear me?" Sophie turned white as a sheet. "What am I thinking now?"

"You're amazed because you thought you were supposed to be the most powerful Telepath out there. But think about something unpredictable, Mom, because I could've been basing that off what you just said."

"That's right." Sophie still looked pale as she started thinking about something else.

It hit Savi just as fast as the first thought. "Amy Foster?" she asked softly. "Isn't that your sister?"

Sophie turned even paler. "Y-yes, it is. And... you really can read my mind. That's not supposed to be possible."

"Yet it is," Savi said softly. "Yet it is." She could feel her mother's panic radiating off her in waves even though Sophie was trying to look calm. "Oh, and, Mom? I might have manifested as an Empath earlier today."

"Savi, you're eleven. You just manifested three abilities within a month!" Sophie said disbelievingly.

"Yeah. I suppose so."

"You suppose so," said Sophie with wonder. "Well... I'll talk to Keefe about this."

"Good idea," said Savi bleakly.

"Well, have some breakfast. Sorry – I couldn't think of anything I wanted to eat except for mallowmelt."

"Are you kidding? Mom, this is my dream breakfast." Savi stuffed a whole bunch of mallowmelt into her mouth and polished off the entire tray. "Okay, bye! Thanks, Mom." And she hugged Sophie before she left.

It felt weird and awkward at the same time, hugging Sophie. But even so, it felt right. Like that was what she was supposed to do. When was the last time she'd hugged her mother for real?

A long time.

She reached school in slightly higher spirits than usual and was over the roof when she came in top for the potion that day. Lady Galvin said that she was the 'total opposite of her mother', and honestly? Savi didn't mind.

"So... topping alchemy, huh?" Via cornered her after the end of alchemy, watching her intently. "I'm surprised. I honestly thought it would be me – not trying to have a big head or anything. But my grandfather is the alchemist."

"And you don't have photographic memory," Savi answered.

Via blinked. "How does photographic memory help in alchemy?"

"Well, for one, I don't have to keep double-checking with the whiteboard."

Via flushed crimson, because she had indeed checked the whiteboard at least forty times that lesson, trying to get her potion perfect and best Savi. As a result, she hadn't finished her potion in time and Lady Galvin had failed her.

"I was trying to play safe," Via said.

"Well, nice try," Savi responded.

Via looked at her a little worriedly. "We're still friends, Savi. You don't have to go all cold and sarcastic."

"Really? Real friend you were during the first week."

"Savi, you blocked everyone out," Via said unhappily. "Also?" She lowered her voice as Cerulean passed. "What's with you and Tsynis?"

"See you at lunch, Savi?" Cerulean called, since they had ability training next.

"Yeah, bye."

Savi turned back to Via. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you hanging out with him?" Via asked in a hushed tone. "He's a Tsynis, Savi! A Tsynis!"

"I thought you of all people would understand unnecessary prejudice," Savi said coldly. "Weren't your grandparents shunned for being a bad match?"

"Yeah, but, I mean, Grandpa's awesome. He makes cool potions. Anyway, let's not change the subject. Is something going on between you and Cerulean?"

"We're friends," Savi said firmly. "Besides, Via, we're eleven. Don't go crazy."

"Yeah, but I thought you'd like girls better." Via fidgeted with her cape. "Honestly, Savi, you're becoming impossibly hard to track down. You're always either sulking in your room or you're with Cerulean. I've asked your mom, you know."

"Really?" Savi asked casually. "Well, last I checked, I wasn't on the best terms with my mother. We just made up yesterday."

"Made up?" Via echoed.

"Don't really know what's going on in my life, do you?"

"Savi," Via said softly. "I went to Will's planting."

Savi felt slightly touched, but didn't let it show. Besides, she could feel Via's emotions, and while she was sincere, she was also annoyed at Savi. "Thanks. Did Harmony go, too?"

"I think so?" Via answered. Savi checked her emotions. A little nervous, a little guilty.

"No, she didn't," said Savi. "I didn't see her."

"There were a lot of people!" Via argued. "Harmony could've been there!"

"She'd never go."

"Maybe Aunt Biana forced her to."

Savi thought for a moment. "Okay, that's plausible." But she still knew Via was lying, so it didn't help that Via was defending Harmony.

"Yeah," Via breathed softly. "Are you in ability detecting with me?"

"Vi – I'm an Inflictor and a Telepath."

"Last I checked, that didn't stop your mother," Via replied.

Savi laughed. "Yeah, maybe not." She left out the fact that she was probably also an Empath.

"I haven't manifested yet." Via fidgeted with her cape again. "But I mean... Dad's a Technopath, Mom's a Pyrokinetic, her father's a Guster, and Dad's mom is a Froster. What are the chances of me manifesting as a Pyrokinetic?"

"Roughly seventeen percent. That's not counting other great-great-grandparents and whatnots, so I wouldn't bet on it."

"Honestly, Savi? There's a chance you'll be a Pyrokinetic, too. Then we'll be buddies!" Via punched the air before noticing that Savi was distant. "Savi?"

"Well, at least I'll have a Hydrokinetic with me to put out the flames," Savi said quietly. "And it's getting late, I should go to my next session."

"Oh. Okay!" Via forced herself to wear a bright smile as she hurried away.

Savi entered the Telepathy room only to find Tiergan and Councilor Emery. "Sir Tiergan. Councilor Emery." She managed a slight bow despite her inner desire to say, 'Hey, Tiergan. Oh, hi, Council dude. What's the occasion?'

"Good evening, Miss Sencen," both of them said in unison.

"Sir Tiergan, my mother told me you were going to be here, but to what do I owe this honor, Councilor Emery?"

Emery looked surprised. "I was told you were a rude girl."

"I can be polite when I want to be," Savi replied, smiling.

"Oh." He looked a little uncertain, then said, "Your mother said today that your mind is more impenetrable than hers, and you got through her blocking."

"To be fair," Savi said, "Mom doesn't know how to block. Her mind's just strong."

"Yet, even without her blocking, no one else has gotten into her head before. And she does block, Miss Sencen. She blocks instinctively."

"But you couldn't penetrate her mind, either, could you?" Savi asked. "So what's the point in you trying to penetrate mine?"

"Many points, Miss Sencen. Your mother does have a weakness. Certain people would enter her brain. Mr Forkle of the Black Swan could; Fitz Vacker could as well."

Savi winced at the mention of Fitz. She didn't have a physical attachment to him, but it was the fact that Will shared his name as a middle name that made the name a blow.

Emery hesitated. "My apologies, Miss Sencen. I hadn't realized you..."

"Hadn't gotten over it?" Savi asked. "Yeah, it's taking me longer than I expected."

"I understand," Emery said. "After all, he was your brother."

Savi half wanted to shout, 'YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND – WHEN HAVE YOU EVER LOST A FAMILY MEMBER?', but she wasn't going to lose her temper in front of a Council member just when she'd made a good first impression.

"Yeah." She shrugged. "So, what are we learning?"

"Another difficult prodigy," Tiergan muttered.

"I'm difficult?" Savi asked.

"Not in the stubborn way. In the I-can't-penetrate-your-blocking way."

"Oh." Savi looked at the ground. Was that a bad thing? Well, it wasn't like she wanted Tiergan hearing her thoughts. What would he do if he could poke around? Nothing good, probably, and everything bad.

Tiergan laughed at the way she was tensed. "There's nothing to worry about, Miss Sencen. Just relax. Trust the process."

"What process?" Savi demanded wildly.

"Well, there's a method Fitz used to penetrate Sophie's blocking and he told me. I need to use a phrase to make you trust me. Do you trust me, Miss Sencen?"

"I... honestly? I don't know. But... I wouldn't trust you with my life, if that's what you mean."

Tiergan sighed. "Then this is going to be a long hour."