Survivor

Chapter 26

Another gasp sounded from behind her as people put two and two together and figured out that through the lighter hair, curves and cyan eyes she was indeed Sophie Foster. She could feel the mixed looks of shock, resentment, and fear radiating off the crowd behind her but she only focused on the people in front of her.
"Enough theatrics, what do you want?" Sophie asked twirling her dagger with a flourish and pacing up and down the limits of the crowd behind her.
"I think you know who we want." The member standing closer to her responded with a purr. Sophie instinctively turned back to see Keefe looking guiltily at the people around him. He seemed to actually think he had put these people in danger.
"Over my dead body." Sophie snarled back her eyes glinting dangerously.
"That could be arranged." He responded and she could see a small smirk from beneath his hood as he snapped his fingers and the twelve of them split into teams of six, one heading for her and the other to Keefe. She flicked the dagger slightly and it elongated into a thin sword, she would need all the range she could get. Using telekinesis she sent two of them sailing into a wall and crossed blades with another as the other three circled her like lions would circle a kill. There was panic all around her as people struggled to escape. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Keefe with what looked like a sword. Where on Earth did he get or learn how to use a sword?

Keefe's movements were fast and fluid much like her own, he mirrored her style exactly, he didn't make a move without it being intentional. Drawing her gaze back she spotted a weakness in her enemy's defense and quickly exploited it, moving on to the next she quickly dispatched to him as well before turning to the final one, before she could engage she felt a searing pain across her stomach as a whip slashed across her. Sophie stumbled slightly, enough for the whip to come around and slash across her cheek with a crack. Sophie quickly recovered and as the whip lashed out again she caught it on her forearm, still painful but not enough to cause much damage. She ripped her arm forward, drawing the whip from her opponent's grasp. It was a woman, she glared at her from under her hood as she drew a sword. Sophie cracked the whip against the floor and readied her own sword, all of the guests were out now and the only sound was the dragging of the whip against the marble floors and the sound of metal on metal from Keefe's fight behind her. This woman was faster than the others but Sophie was still the superior swordsman, she finished the fight quite quickly but as the woman was on her knees she heard a yell from behind her. Keefe.

Sophie turned slightly. Seeing the distraction, the woman on her knees took the chance to drive the sword through her abdomen. Sophie gasped in pain and clutched the wound as the woman jerked the sword violently up and little droplets of blood ran along the sword blade to the hilt. An infuriated yell from behind her told Sophie that Keefe had seen everything, she fell to the ground in agony and then the strangest thing happened. A wave of violent green energy swept the room taking in everyone but Sophie. It almost looked like... no. no. no. It almost looked like the energy Sophie had used when Amy died. Her inflicting energy. The woman fell to the floor and shortly after another thud sounded from just behind her. She summoned the energy to crane her neck and saw Keefe on the floor as well. His tired eyes were trained on her, he reached a shaky arm out and took her hand in his. He looked like he was faded, but he hadn't leaped and yet he looked exhausted and near death. He crawled closer, never breaking the link between their hands until they were face to face, lying side by side on the cold floor as blood pooled under her body. She whimpered involuntarily and Keefe's eyes filled with sorrow. She couldn't speak but she linked their minds with what remained of her strength.
Keefe? Even her mental voice sounded weak from the pain.
I'm here, love. His voice was husky and tired but she felt the energy he still possessed behind a mental dam of sorts. Sophie could feel the little pricks of approaching minds and Keefe seemed to detect it as well. His eyes met hers again and he smiled slightly.
I like your eyes better when they're brown. The elixir must have worn off by now and his words evoked a little laugh which she instantly regretted from the searing pain in her stomach. Keefe's hand tightened around hers.
Marry me, Sophie? Her heart did cartwheels at the thought.
Keefe... we don't even know if we'll make it through this. She responded, terror in her words.
I don't need forever I just need you. he replied looking at her silently but with a hint of happiness.
I love you... Yes. Keefe's eyes lit up with joy and he leaned in, his forehead touching hers lovingly... until they were ripped apart by black-cloaked figures.
"Keefe!"She called out loud, desperately trying to get to her feet but only receiving a kick right where she was stabbed. She fell back again, more blood pooling on the ground again.
"Leave her alone!" He yelled back, his words were still tired and husky sounding and now she saw why, the tiniest arrow she had ever seen was lodged in his side, just below his shoulder. He struggled but the Neverseen member holding him just jammed the arrow deeper into his side evoking a groan from him and a scream of fear from her. As she was hauled off she watched in pain and exhaustion, and when he was finally gone she sat in the cold, in the dark. All alone. Until a familiar elf's face filled her vision, one with glasses guarding grayish-blue eyes and dark hair.
"We've got to work on your accidents Miss Foster."