UNLOCKED, kotlc

Chapter 13

Sophie didn't believe it.

At least she didn't want to believe it.

The Neverseen were the cruelest, meanest, and downright merciless people she'd ever known or ever thought to imagine. They'd spent years abusing and torturing innocent people, plotting devious schemes, murdering the people she loved, and driving the people she cared for into insanity.

And if they had something, a leverage like knowing where Sophie and her friends and family were at all times they could turn the tide in their favor.

There was no way they could've guessed where she'd teleported to- it might've been possible to track them to Havenfield, but nobody could've guessed where she went unless...

"My clothes," Sophie breathed, feeling so, so stupid.  "I bet you anything if you check in between the seams they'll be a tracker."

Turns out, she was right.  When Sophie removed her jacket and let Elwin snip across the seams, he pulled out a small, disc-shaped tracker stamped with the Neverseen symbol.

They fell for that trick so many times. So. Many. Times.  And they never learned.

"How could that have gotten in there?" Fitz said, asking the question they were all thinking.

"I don't see anyway they could've gotten in between the seams like that," Biana said, because she obviously knew everything about clothes.  "On a lining like that on such an intricate jacket, it would take a while to undo the seams and put something in there.  I suppose they could've done it in the standoff during Foxfire finals, but there was no way they could've gotten enough time. "

"So, you're saying they have some person on the inside, stealing all of Sophie's clothes and sewing in trackers," Tam said dubiously, from across the room.

"Hey he brings a good point," Dex pointed out, earning himself a glare from Keefe.  "Shouldn't we check Sophie's other clothes?  That could prove if it really happened at the standoff or if- if someone else that we know did it."

They contacted some of the gnomes that were busy moving the animals out of the Havenfield pastures to check...

And of course they found more trackers.

One in every single item of clothing- each a disk shape with the Neverseen symbol engraved into the top of it.

"I don't believe it," Sophie said.  "There can't be anyone spying." She looked at all her friends and her eyes settled on Keefe as she realized something.

"You're an Empath!" she burst out, and everyone looked at her like she was going delirious.  Elwin's hand drifted to a Bottle of Youth on her bedside table like he was about to offer it to her.

"We know that, Foster," Keefe said gently.

"No but you can tell when someone's lying!"

"We... also know that," Keefe said, and then his features contorted with realization.  "Oh... you mean I can tell if someone's lying and if they're working for the Neverseen or not."

"Duh," Sophie said.  "But I can't see how any of us could've been a traitor. We've all been with the Black Swan for so long..."

"One of us hasn't been with us for long," Linh said from the doorway.  "Yes, I've been eavesdropping on your entire conversation. But this is important. Think about it- who do we know that's been with the Neverseen and just recently switched sides?"

Sophie instantly thought of Tam, but knew that Linh would never accuse her brother.

"Glimmer," Linh said, as if it were obvious.

"Glimmer didn't do that," Tam said instantly. "I know she didn't. I swear."

Linh's face darkened.  "You don't know anything about her."

"And you do?" Tam challenged. Sophie had never seen them argue about anything.

"Whoa guys, let's calm down a little bit-" Fitz cut in, and Keefe added, "Yeah, Tammy Boy, how do we know that you aren't the one who did it? Weren't you with the Neverseen recently too?"

Tam scowled, which seemed to be his favorite expression.  "I wouldn't do that."

"Kidding-" Keefe said, but Sophie spaced out for the rest of their arguement.

They were supposed to be being brought together.

Instead, the Neverseen were tearing them apart.