Over the years they had seen numerous clear crystals that were used to leap all over the lost cities, green to visit the orges, blue to take you to the Forbidden Cities, Yellow to go to the neutral territories and only one place a purple crystal went.

Alluveterre.

Linh, Tam and Wylie had already mulled over their feelings with purple crystal and what might be at the end of the leap but for Dex, Biana, Fitz, Sophie and Keefe this was huge!

Mr. Forkle's words rang through Sophie's mind.

Never is a long time, most things tend to be more temporary.

“Wow, I guess I didn't realize you would have one too Linh” came out of Sophie’s mouth.

Her life had been a whirlwind after the incident with the Neverseen hideout where Keefe had stolen Tam’s crystal with the intent to compromise the hideout, she had been whisked away to the peace summit and then had the aftermath of that to deal with.

“Do you think it is still there?” Dex asked not sure what part of it he was referring to, the cave itself, the treehouse, the forest it was all unknown.

“For what it's worth,” Keefe started to speak. “I don't know that the Neverseen ever used the crystal. After I got back and Fintan and Brant realized how much was at stake in their own hideouts my interrogation was delayed. Fintan didn't formally question me until right before the peace treaty negotiations, by then everyone was relocated and updated on the timeline changes. At first I wasn't even sure if it would be enough to save my arm from being burned off.”

“I didn't know they were going to burn your arm off,” Fitz said a quiver in his voice.

“Foster didn’t share that part with ya, huh?”

“It wasn't my story to share.”

“Well,” Keefe started up again. “They had gotten my blood and had Nightfall. Alvar was the one who said Alluveterre wasn’t that important that all that was there was a place to stash a couple kids and the gnomes or dwarves would probably be waiting and ready to report back to the Blackswan so they could ambush the Neverseen.”

“Alvar protected it?” Biana questioned, “why?”

“I suspected since I brought him back he knew I was playing both sides and didn't want me to ruin everything with you guys. He always muttered under his breath about the real Vacker Legacy and how in time you would see why he did it. I think he wanted you to join him Biana, you were always his favorite. When he spent the night there before Ravagog he figured out how much it meant to us.”

“Oh” was all Biana could get out.

“Or maybe he figured he could swipe the crystal and take his girlfriends there,” Keefe said with a smirk. “What girl wouldn't love a magic treehouse and it was way better than his place.”

That comment brought a collective eye roll from the group.

“Either way the Neverseen have been gone for long time, if they ever were there I am sure it is safe,” Keefe continued. “Aren't you dying to check it out?”

“Wouldn't the council be notified if we leap there, you said they were monitoring the Forbidden Cities and we don't exactly know where it would show up?” Tam asked his weariness for the council had never faded.

His words pulled at the group, it was true they had no idea where in the world it would make their registry pendants tag.

“You have all forgotten this used to be an ordinary day for Foster, discover something unknown and potentially dangerous, hail a counselor, save the world, eat some mallowmelt. We got this.” The Keefe they all knew was right in front of them but Sophie remembered his words before when they were at the sanctuary checking Silveny for aromark “hail your bestie the counselor” Keefe wasn't the same as before and he had realized she wasn't his bestie anymore, could they even be friends? Sophie wasn't sure how to feel about it but the joke did lighten the mood.