The Neverseen's Last Resort

59

Keefe

Keefe collapsed to his knees as Sophie fell limp in his arms, covered in warm blood that stained her clothes. Behind him, chatter blared loudly. Councillors were screaming orders to clean up the area, while Keefe's friends helped the Collective somewhere safer. The dome had collapsed and elves had already started filling the streets with countless questions and worries. Emissaries were sent out in search of any bodies or sign of the Neverseen. During the entire large battle, seventeen bodies had been recovered, three elves and two goblins were reported missing, and fifty-two were severely injured.

Keefe pulled Sophie closer to his chest, relieved when he heard she was still breathing. He'd used her enhancing to assist him in calming her emotions, but whether it was something the Neverseen had done or not, Sophie's enhancing was much stronger than before, and she'd fallen asleep when he'd only meant to help her calm a little.

"Sophie..." His grip on her tightened as rage boiled inside him. He forced it down, knowing that this feeling is what had motivated Fitz to end Alvar in the first place.

"Mr. Sencen."

Keefe turned at the mention of his name, and found councillors Bronte, Emery, and Alina. It was Emery who had spoken, Keefe realized, and his grip on Sophie tightened more. Sophie, no matter what damage she might have caused, was a good person. They couldn't take her away. No. The Neverseen were the enemy, and they needed to remember that. But before Keefe could voice these thoughts, Alina spoke, her voice surprisingly genuine when she asked, "Is she okay?"

Keefe paused a moment, confused, before glancing at the limp girl in his arms. "She's unconscious, but alive. I think we should take her to Elwin to be sure."

The councillors shared a look that sent prickles down Keefe's spine. Emery sighed, bending down to Keefe's level, and Keefe took that opportunity to grab the councillor's hand. A series of emotions flowed into him, and when he took a moment to read into them, he found fear, uncertainty, reluctance, and regret. Keefe pulled his hand away, studying the councillor's expression in search of an explanation.

"What happened?" Keefe asked, his blood turning cold. The councillor opened his mouth to speak, but with a second thought, he closed it and looked to Councillor Bronte. Alina spoke instead.

"I'm not sure now's the time to discuss this. Let's get the girl to a medic and we can come back to this later."

Keefe wanted to argue, but at the same time he knew Sophie's health was more important at the moment. So he followed the councillors until they found a wounded Livvy, still rushing around and healing as many as she could.

"Mrs. Sonden," Councillor Emery addressed, and Livvy whipped her head up from one of her patients. She smiled as her eyes found Keefe, but it was replaced at the sight of the limp Sophie.

"Call me Livvy," she told the councillors as she took Sophie from Keefe, much to his reluctance. Though he knew she could be trusted, he worried she'd wake without him. He stayed close just in case, as Livvy laid her on the grass as comfortably as possible.

"She's not dead," Keefe promised, grateful she hadn't been there to see the destruction caused by Sophie. He wondered if Livvy would still heal her after learning she'd joined the Neverseen in almost killing the Collective and destroying half the city.

"What happened?" Livvy asked as she placed a vial of youth to Sophie's lips. The liquid poured into her mouth, a drop dripping past her chin. Keefe watched as Livvy continued to work, hesitant to say anything in fear it would give away even the slightest notion that Sophie was... he couldn't bring himself to admit it, even in his own head.