after unlocked: a sokeefe fanfic

Chapter 48-Keefe/Sophie

Keefe didn't consider chasing a group down a dark tunnel that was definitely haunted his idea of fun.

And yeah, maybe he was currently boiling with rage and desire for revenge, but still, revenge was only fun if it consisted of dumping Gulon po—actually, he decided not to follow that thought.

"Fan out and search for the kids," a member in with an orange patch on the edge of his cloak snarled at the rest of the group. "I'll take the traitor here to Vespera. She'll want to participate in the fun."

Okay, so maybe he would follow the Gulon thought.

And the darker thoughts clouding around it.

"Come on," the man they'd met earlier—Ilic, Keefe recalled—muttered under his breath. "Orangey's getting itchy."

It was clearly an inside joke, as several other elves snickered. Orangey scowled at them. "Get out of here, Ilic."

"You're not my commander, Orangey," Ilic growled, "I could get you demoted pretty quickly."

He glared at Ilic. "Vespera likes me better. Fintan's gone, and Gisela's about to be." he smiled—the smile of a wolf—and shoved Gisela, making her stumble and let out a muffled cry through her gag. Ilic yanked her back upright. Orangey leaned over. "You've got no reinforcements."

"That's doesn't mean she won't listen to me." Ilic growled, but he stalked off, voice growing faint as he and the group with him disappeared down an adjoining tunnel.

Orangey watched them walk away, expression clearly displeased. "Move out," he growled.

Keefe waited a few moments then crept towards the tunnel, pausing before the junction to commit it to his photographic memory.

It was slow going. Every time he'd think they were about to stop, they'd veer into a different tunnel. Then another. Until Keefe was a little worried he wouldn't have time to get his mom and get back to Sophie.

Keefe glanced up, jolted out of his thoughts by a soft scuffle. He glanced ahead, but Orangey and his merry men had disappeared down a tunnel. There wasn't anyone behind him.

...at least, he thought so.

"Vespera was right. You are predictable."

Keefe whipped around, nearly hitting his head on a horizontal column he'd previously ducked under and forgotten about.

Ilic frowned. "I thought more of you. Really, I do hate proving Vespera right, and..." he shook his head, drawing his sword.

Keefe reached into his pocket and withdrew the Melder. He pointed it at Ilic.

"Did she predict this?" He pulled the trigger.

An empty click.

His eyes snapped down to the Melder, where the sight flashed red.

Programmed for finger print access.

Of course it was.

That seemed to be about his luck.

Ilic clicked his tongue. "She did. It's why the armory wasn't guarded. It's why it was so easy for Gisela to help you two."

"You knew?"

A slight look of irritation passed over his face. "I didn't know that Vespera was trying to get Gisela to betray us, but I knew that we'd let you escape somehow."

So he wasn't happy about that.

"You don't hate my mom?" Keefe asked cautiously, with a touch of disbelief in his voice.