Unlocked

Twenty Seven - Keefe

As Sophie bent down, Keefe felt her emotions go haywire. Terror. Pure terror. The emotion was tenfold what she usually felt, even when they were facing the Neverseen. This emotion was raw and intense, vibrating from her body in tidal waves.

Keefe went rigid in fright.

Sophie's hand slipped from his grip. She dropped onto the rough ground and starting dragging something into the light of the torch. No, not something—someone.

After Sophie tugged the figure a couple feet, Keefe could see the body.

Oralie.

But this figure looked so much different than the glamorous Councilor, Keefe doubted it was her for a few moments.

Her usual curled hair hung in bloodied clumps, the tangled locks cascading over her broken body. Her pale pink gown was torn into shreds, the lacy fabric tinged red in splatters. Circular scars lined her collarbone, her blanched skin harshly scathed. She must've been shot by a melder, Keefe realized.

He helped Sophie drag her body to the wall of the cave, just beneath the flickering flames of the torch.

Sophie leaned over Oralie's limp body, her ear pressed to her heart, searching for any indication that it was still beating.

But Keefe felt her defeat.

Oralie was dead.

Sophie looked up at Keefe, her face reddened and wet from tears. Her lip trembled and her body shook with tremors as she cried.

Keefe was still trying to process it all. He couldn't believe the Neverseen could've been so cold hearted. Sure, they were awful. But killing a Councilor? Keefe's jaw clenched in fury.

He might've shocked his unconscious mother just for spite if he hadn't felt a new emotion spiraling from Sophie.

Guilt.

He took her hands in his and waited for her to meet his eyes. Tears spilled freely down her face, her beautiful brown eyes wet and scared.

He gently tilted her chin up and said firmly, "This is not your fault." He pressed all the fervor that he could into the words, wishing he could engrain them into her mind until she believed them.

He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair, trying to ease the pain circulating throughout her. But he was afraid this was the kind of pain that no one could take away. Keefe feared this type of heartache would be engraved into Sophie's mind for years into the future.

With one hand Keefe reached out and pressed a hand to Oralie's chest. He had no idea how long she'd been dead, but he had to try and save her. He quietly pulsed, letting energy spark from his fingertips. His hand lightly glowed as the electricity sank into the limp Councilor's body.

Nothing happened.

Nothing.

At.

All.

Now Keefe was crying too. She'd just been gone too long. Sophie's biological mother was dead, and he didn't have the power to save her.

His ability wasn't strong enough.

He wasn't strong enough.

Keefe hugged Sophie tighter, and in the darkness of the cave, they both fell apart.