Risk of Fates (KotLC fanfic)

Chapter Thirty-Seven (Dex POV)

~~~Months earlier~~~

Dex couldn't believe what Linh was telling him. Sophie was as good as dead, if she wasn't already. There was no chance of saving her. No chance of saving his cousin.

"So, to be clear," Keefe said, his eyes wet with unshed tears. "The Neverseen brainwashed some humans that Sophie became friends with to try and kill her. And she can't use her powers because of an ability restrictor. Wouldn't it be easier to just kill her themselves? And how did they get her to run away no problem?"

Dex had long suspected Keefe had a crush on Sophie but he never acted on it. He felt bad for the prankster, he really did. He knew what it felt like to have the girl you like not feel the same. Specifically, Sophie. Then Biana. Now Marella. He knew deep down she had the hots for Fitz, who didn't? But it still sucked. 

"Yes." Linh replied. "And I've suspected the same. There had to be something else going on. Some more sinister plan with Sophie. If she can't fight back, why couldn't they kill her? They're planning something, more than whatever they told Tam. And we need to figure it out. For Sophie. For Tam. But, he also told me why she went willingly. They hurt my brother, bad. They showed her and threatened to kill him. She kept him alive for a few days, but she would've been better off staying. He's dead anyways." 

It wasn't what Linh said that scared Dex, but how she said it. It was cold, emotionless. It wasn't the way you would talk about your twin, your only blood family that actually cared about you, dying. Linh was breaking, hanging onto small threads of sanity. Without Sophie, she would break. And Dex couldn't handle another friend being gone. First Tam was taken, then Sophie left, now Linh's breaking? The group was falling to pieces.

Edaline burst out into tears, again. Dex loved his aunt dearly, and missed his cousin as much or more than her, but her crying was getting a bit much. She would cry for half an hour, take a five minute break, then start up again. On that exact schedule. 

"Sophie's strong." Dex reassured the group. It was a feeble attempt, they all already knew that, but it seemed to lift their spirits slightly. It's always good to have reminders. "She can protect herself while we try to find her. And when we do find her, she's coming back home."

"That was a lovely speech, Mr. Dizznee, but we have bigger matters to focus on than uplifting words." The prick, sorry, Councilor Alina told him.

"Like what, doing your hair?" Biana snapped. That was the first time Dex had actually payed attention to her since Sophie went missing. And she looked like a mess. Sophie was her best friend, after all. But she was also Dex's best friend and he wasn't focusing on her being in danger. He was focusing on getting her back. 

"Like actually getting her back. And be careful with that tone, Miss Vacker. I am your higher up and you should know how a proper lady is supposed to speak." Biana launched into the air, claws out and eyes wild. Dex was ready to start cheering when Alden caught her and held her back.

"There is no reason to worry." The dumb Vacker stated. Just because Dex could get along with Fitz and Biana didn't mean he could get along with their pretentious, blissful, high-all-the-time father. Well, he wasn't actually high. Just based off what Sophie had told him of the human world, Alden definitely acted like it.

"Councilor, I'm sure my daughter didn't mean it like that. Just as I'm sure you didn't imply your words to discourage my daughter from sticking up for herself. We are all distraught, Sophie was a major part in our lives, but there's no reason to fight each other when we should be fighting the real enemy. The ones who took Miss Foster and Mr Song from us. The Neverseen. What I think, we should get to work on finding out her location. Whether we need to set up a deal with the Neverseen or tear the earth apart piece by piece to get her back, we will do it. Because she would do the same for us."