Searching for Clues

##### **Spoiler Warning: Plot details follow.**

Celia is back for her fifth year at Renasci. She spends the second half of summer at Heath's house, with a brief visit to Havesmoor to make up with Higby. She also goes to the castle, Villandrie, where she discovers a note from her mom that tells her she needs to find seven clues to access the information in the Document Vault. Throughout the book, especially at the schools, Celia has trouble with her gifts. She has visions, projects her thoughts, and hears other people’s thoughts.

## Synopsis

Celia Fincastle thought she had everything under control, until it all came crashing down around her just before her fifteenth birthday. Now she has to do her best to pick up the pieces, put her life back together, and move on, which is difficult when she's cut off from the demesne for the summer. Stuck with Aunt Agatha again, Celia quickly realizes that things still aren't what they seem, and while she's seeking answers and information, those are in short supply.

Returning to the demesne doesn't bring the result she expected, but then everything shifts again with the discovery of a new puzzle, one that has Celia looking for pieces of a different sort. Her search brings her to new people and new places, but now she has to balance all the demands on her time and attention even as she struggles to master new abilities and keep up with her schoolwork. The stakes are higher than ever and Celia can't afford to fail, because now she's searching for more than just answers.

## Plot

Celia goes to Heath's house for the second half of the summer, where her friends, Maddie, Josh, and Kitt all surprise her (Heath and Audra are already there). Everyone can barely recognize due to her haircut she had gotten only a few days before.

> *Her hair fell only to her chin now, styled in a sleek look that curved around her face and made her look like she was about five years older than her actual fifteen."*
>
>

This was surprisingly helpful to the Guild, as they could ease up on her security to Renasci. Before summer ends though, Celia gets the chance to briefly visit Havensmoor, and dissolve the tension between her and Higby. She also has the chance to visit the palace, Villandrie, finally. There, she discovers a note from her mother telling Celia that she has to find seven clues hidden at all seven school around the demesne before she can access the vital information in the Document Vault.

Finally, school rolls around, and Celia gets back into her normal routine, this time taking first year classes along with her IS (Independent Studies). She also starts learning the hardest level of touch: healing, with Dr. Spedacura, in the infirmary.

Not too long into the year, she recieves a request to meet with the Commission, where she is told that her liaison, Professor Legaspi, is being replaced with a man, hand-picked by Mr. Kingsall, named Mr. Trevor Baynes.

Maddie gets her first postcard from Hux depicting her stuffed animal Hildegard who is no longer at her house, but is traveling the world.

The first of Celia’s clues, located in Renasci's Main Hall sends her off to Trowth. She goes with Maddie over Thanksgiving break, under the guise of restarting a student exchange program with all the schools, Celia as Renasci's representative. Celia first starts hearing other people's thoughts while there, specifically Maddie's.

Christmas that year is the first one Celia spends alone since she had started at Renasci, as all her friends and advisors had gone home for Christmas.

She goes to Elpidapax next, with Audra. This is where she meets Truno and finds the clue sending her to Faynen next.

This is also when Celia starts having brief flashes of places, people or conversations: the very beginnings of visions.

One in particular, she unknowingly projects onto Professor Legaspi and Higby during her trip to Faynen. It depicts herself, captured at Huperpetra. Higby and Anne go there to save Celia but get captured instead. Celia, who was not actually at the castle, must then follow them, because she is the only one who can break the type of blocks used there. Luckily, they succeed. This all happens in the span of a few hours, and Celia has to quickly get back to Faynen, with the emotions still fresh.

The school year ends all too soon, only a few weeks after the fiasco. On the BUS back home, Celia mentions Veradisa, a girl (crush) Heath met at Faynen. Everyone bombards him with questions about her until they arrive at the station. There though, a surprising turn of events occurs.

Celia is called back to Renasci for an emergency and veherates with Professor Legaspi. Someone is lying beaten up, muttering and twitching, in the infirmary at RAGS. It's Quiroz.

## References

1. ↑ "Searching for Clues," Goodreads, last modified 2013, accessed December 20, 2021, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19033931-searching-for-clues.
2. ↑ Melissa, Gunther. *Searching for Clues.* (Colorado Springs, Colo.: Hayes Allan, 2013) [Page 25]