UNLOCKED, kotlc

Chapter 37

Sophie knew it was a trap.

All things the Neverseen told her to do were a trap.  But she would do anything for Keefe.  Why had she never realized that until now?

There were definitely flaws in her plan- sneaking past Sandor and the rest of her personal bodyguards and getting past the goblins guarding Havenfield itself.  Part of her was glad that Nubiti wasn't there to follow her underground, but part of her wished she was still her bodyguard, because if trouble came up....

In the end, Sophie decided she couldn't find a way to outsmart the goblins, and decided she needed a distraction- or an actual reason to be down there in the first place.  But her mind came up blank, probably because she was trying really hard to also think about all the other things she needed to take care of.

She could wait for tomorrow- she hoped.

So she lay in bed, tossing and turning and thinking of how much she hated, hated the Neverseen and how they got to play with her like she was just their little pawn and manipulate them all until they did what they wanted.  

And the darkness of the Neverseen's cloak lured Sophie to sleep.

__________

Sophie was surprised that nobody could tell something drastic had happened that night.  She was nervous and jittery, a hundred times clumsier than she usually was, and stumbled over simple phrases that should've been easy to say.

They probably thought that she was still nervous from the night before, which was only half true.

Sophie really didn't feel in the mood to want to talk with Fitz considering how disastrous her last two visits had been.  Usually she'd talk everything over with Keefe, but seeing as he was still being sedated by Elwin, she'd have to devise an entirely sneaky plan all by herself, which she did not excel at at all.

All in all, she spent most of the day sitting under Calla's panakes tree and watching Winh and Luna gallop around the fields, all while trying to focus on how she was going to manage going into the cave in the first place.

What were they going to make her do? 

Surely they wouldn't make her inject more shadowflux- that had ended badly on its own.  Now that she could control her inflicting and teleport, she doubted they would kill her, but....  Sophie really couldn't expect them to have a nice little chat and then let her go with a goody bag or a muffin or something.

And when it was finally the next day, Sophie hadn't thought of anything but the usual just-sneak-out-and-try-not-to-get-caught-and-grounded-for-the-rest-of-your-life plan, which she figured was a pretty good goal to have- besides trying to come back alive.

She very, very carefully stuffed a few pillows under the blankets to make it look as if she was still sleeping there, tiptoed to the window, and glanced at Sandor, who's back was still turned.  She only felt a little bit sorry as she leaped from from the windowsill onto the grass below.

If she wasn't an elf, she would've broken every bone in her body. Luckilly, she was, and carefully levitated herself to safety.  Surprisingly, Sandor still didn't seem to notice she was gone.

Sophie started sprinting across the field.

The cave gave her mixed emotions.  Even though it was the place where the Neverseen had taken her, it was also the place where the Black Swan had given her the notes and charms that led her to their cave and they fixed her ability.  Sophie was pretty sure this experience was not going to leave her with as fond of a memory.

When she finally managed to split a crack through the air and charge through the void, she found herself inside the cave.  In the pitch black darkness, she carefully stepped forward.

Until a light shone somewhere up ahead and Sophie covered her eyes in response to the fluorescent light.

When she opened them, she saw three people.

Adela.

Lady Gisela.

And... Keefe?