Lodestar

Hey, all the cool kids are sleeping with stuffed animals these days.

A school isn’t a school until Sophie tries to destroy it.

Fine, but you should at least have to write an epic poem in my honor. Here, I'll help you. "Ode to Keefe Sencen, that brave lovable nut. He may not have teal eyes, but he has a really cute," "KEEFE"!

Mr. Snuggles is always the best thing to see when you first wake up.

Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.

Sooner or later you're going to have to solve the triangle. Or should we get real and call it a square?

Keefe?” she whispered. He smirked. “Did you miss me?

THAT’S MY BOX OF PRATTLES!” “NOT ANYMORE!” “MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM-REX STOLE MY CANDY!” “DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD-BEX SMELLS LIKE DRAGON POOP!” “SO DOES REX!” another voice added. “STAY OUT OF THIS, LEX!

I don't care. They tried to take my family from me, and I'm not going to sit back anymore. So you better find a way to get out now, Keefe. Before you get caught in the cross fire.

I’m always serious, Foster. Especially when you think I’m teasing.”\

We shouldn’t pass judgment until we see how things play out. Actions never tell the whole story. Good can be done for the wrong reason. And bad can be misunderstood.

I should’ve just made something up and gotten the favor over with.” “You probably should have. But you didn’t, so . . . I win!” He shook his hair, flashing his most adorably confident smile, “And I gotta say, I kinda get why you hesitated with this. It’s a big decision. I mean, on the one hand, I could go for the obvious and make you share whatever secret you keep almost telling me.” Sophie’s mouth turned to sandpaper. “So that still freaks you out, huh? That might be proof that it needs to happen.” His eyes locked onto hers, refusing to let her look away. And when she swallowed, it was so loud, she was sure the entire world heard it. “Or,” he said. “We could skip the talking.” “And do what?” she asked, hating her voice for cracking. “Any ideas?” He was so close now, she could feel his breath warming her cheeks. He leaned a tiny bit closer and someone cleared his throat—very loudly.

It's all a rather dark shade of gray. But that's a color all of us are familiar with, aren't we?

Until he was right in front of her, his lips curling with the world’s saddest smile. “Back to nervous habits, huh?” he asked as he brushed a fallen eyelash off her cheek. “It’s been a rough few weeks,” she whispered. “Yeah. It really has.” He blew the eyelash away and she wondered if he’d made a wish—until she remembered that elves didn’t have silly superstitions like that. She

Keefe smeared his blood across the smooth panel. But a metallic click echoed through the dark instead. A lock clicking into place. Lady Gisela stepped back, shaking her hair out of her eyes. “Finally done.” The