life. Reports indicate that Tam insisted they would be better off together—and that he would rather be with her than without her. Which is a true testimony to the connection between these two siblings. For all the judgment that gets cast on twins, it’s strange that no one seems to value the bond that children from multiple births have with each other. Tam and Linh are not the only example, but they are an excellent testimony of love, respect, and compassion that truly cannot be compared.
A SILVER REMINDER:
In a similar vein to her brother, Linh’s long jet-black hair is tipped with silver—and it seems safe to assume that the metal was applied the same way (by melting down the chain of her registry pendant and dipping the ends of her hair into the molten silver). But in Linh’s case, the style was not meant to be a protest. Instead, Linh has explained that her “look” was intended as a reminder to herself of what can happen when she loses control of her hydrokinesis, and likely motivates her to hone her power.
NEW FRIENDS:
After Linh’s banishment, it appears that Tam had no intention of trusting anyone ever again. But Linh refused to let her time in Exillium cause her to give up on the idea of friends. And when a new group of Waywards arrived rather suddenly—and one of them accidentally set their rope on fire during the dividing—Linh bravely used her ability to help douse the flames, even though it meant defying the coaches’ orders. She stepped back after that, observing as much as she could about these newcomers—and trying to convince her brother that making contact would be worth the risk—before finally reaching out to the one she’d helped that first day. The girl turned out to be Sophie Foster, who agreed to sneak away with Tam and Linh to learn more about them. And whether it was the fact that Sophie clearly didn’t judge Tam and Linh for being twins, or the strange color of her eyes (which surely proved that Sophie understood how it felt to be different), or the stories she told about trying to stop both the plague and an ongoing rebellion—or the fact that Tam’s reading of her shadowvapor showed no immediate warning of danger—whatever it was, Tam and Linh opted to trust her. Soon after, Sophie introduced them to the rest of her group—which turned out to be a monumentally important shift for all of them. Tam and Linh found a new sort of family, as well as the means to return to the Lost Cities. The Black Swan acquired two vital allies. And all of them became true friends.
A MASTER OF HER ABILITY:
Watching Linh’s hydrokinesis now makes it hard to believe that she ever struggled with control. Her aptitude with the ability is nothing short of amazing—particularly since she’s mostly self-trained. She’s learned to resist the water’s call unless it’s truly necessary for her to answer it. And she’s able to perform all manner of impressive feats—everything from entertaining tricks (like gathering small amounts of water into creative shapes) to lifting flowing rivers and bending them into an arch to allow someone to cross safely under. Technically, Linh has caused one additional flood since her banishment—but it most definitely was not a case of her losing control. She flooded Ravagog because it was the only way to get herself and her friends safely out of the ogre capital. Even the Council recognized the distinction, and instead of facing another Tribunal, both Tam and Linh were welcomed home to the Lost Cities—and granted admission to Foxfire. Linh now trains with a Hydrokinetic Mentor, and has even returned to Atlantis and managed to resist the pull of all that water. Control will never be easy for her—such is the challenge with elemental power. But Linh has reached a level of mastery that allows her to make it look easy.
CAREGIVER—AND MORE:
When Wylie Endal was captured by the Neverseen—and then managed to escape—he returned to the Black Swan badly burned from what surely must’ve been a lengthy interrogation. Many might not have been able to face Wylie’s gruesome injuries, but Linh bravely stepped in to help, wrapping his scorched body in a cool water cocoon to draw out any remaining heat from his wounds. And when she’d done all she could for Wylie physically, she tended to his emotional recovery, visiting often and cheering him up with water tricks. (Apparently, he’s quite a fan of the water