The Neverseen's Last Resort

57

Keefe// Sophie

Sophie... Sophie... Sophie...

Keefe couldn't think. He couldn't speak, he couldn't breathe. Sophie... was Keeper? She had been his enemy? The one he'd fought against? The one he'd used his new... He swallowed the lump in his throat, wincing at the memory. He had used it on her, even after swearing never to use it again. Tears pricked, but he forced them back. He couldn't worry about his own feelings now; Sophie needed his help, even if she didn't seem to know it.

She'd been kidnapped by the Neverseen, and now, she was their puppet. He bit back a scream. He'd failed her. Since forever, she'd always worried she'd hurt her friends, let them down, watch as another one of her friends died before her, and being helpless. Calla... Kenric... The deaths had nearly broken her, and now, she had nearly killed Mr. Forkle, alongside the rest of the Collective, not to mention the council itself and her friends. How would he be able to tell her about that after they saved her? She'd break, and being the only one with the ability to heal minds, she'd be broken... forever. His eyes widened. Did Sophie know about Biana? Did she know about Biana's capture? Her mind breaking?

So many feelings, a mix of anger and confusion, swelled inside him, begging to breathe. The feelings were followed by heartache and longing-- forcing Keefe to blink back more tears. He longed to have his Sophie back-- His 'Foster' back. He missed that; being able to tease Sophie until she was on the verge of snapping, sharing those long talks at night. He missed it so bad. 

Looking back at her, he no longer saw the awkward, nervous human-raised girl he'd met all those years ago, but a confused, scared girl who only knew to hate. His nails dug deep into his palms until they bled. The Neverseen had done this to her. It was their fault she was hurting. And they would pay. 

Keefe straigtened, eyes following another flash of movement that darted across his peripheral vision. Eyes trained on the left, straining to find what he'd seen, his eyes came to a rest on... Fitz? Panic washed over him. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Alvar, Sophie-- not the best combination for an action-craving, sister-grieving, anger-issued kid. Surely the scene wouldn't look at all like it actually was, and Keefe worried just how Fitz would interpret everything. What would he do?

His watch never left Fitz, who seemed to simply be watching from a distance. Thinking of a plan? Had he seen Alvar? If so, things could only go downhill-- hopefully not too far. 

"LIAR!" Sophie continued to scream, breaking Keefe's heart. She seemed as though she were struggling to wrap her head around the fact that Alvar was the enemy. Had they brainwashed her? Convinced her to join them? Had they lied to Sophie about her human family? She'd mentioned it once as Keeper, so maybe she truly believed her human family had been murdered. But did she seriously think it had been the Black Swan's doing? Would she really listen to the Neverseen?-- after everything they'd done? What was Keefe missing? 

He glanced back to Fitz, paling as he found his friend had disappeared. What was he planning? In that moment, Keefe wished more than anything he were a Telepath. 

"Linh," Keefe said, voice barely audible through the force field. "I think--" he stopped as he realized she wasn't listening. Eyes glossed over with tears, Linh's focus was fixed on the raging Sophie, and he could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Beside him, Dex was no use, either. Keefe was on his own. 

://

Tears stung, and the smoke from the fires before now burned in Sophie's lungs as she continued to scream, pouring everything into her cries. Alvar was a liar. He'd done something to Sophie. He'd done something, and he'd lied about it-- the person she trusted most. Anger, sadness, confusion; they all blurred into one messy emotion, unreadable and indescribable. If asked for a definition, her only answer would be: pain. It hurt. So, so, much. Maybe, she realized as she continued to cry, maybe she wasn't mad with Alvar. He'd only wanted to protect her after all... Right?