Sophie
It had been nearly a month since Keefe had been put in his coma, and Sophie hadn’t left the Healing Center. Grady and Edaline had come and begged her to come back to Havenfield, but she insisted that she couldn’t leave Keefe. Even though she was extremely upset at him for blatantly disobeying what she said to do, she felt responsible for him being in this shadowflux induced state.
Keefe please wake up, she begged him for what had to be the twentieth time that day. Please.
There was no response from him. There was never a response. Tears came to Sophie’s eyes. Please, Keefe! How many times do I have to beg? Everything is falling apart without you here Keefe. Fitz has gotten aggressive, Ro’s given up. We need you back. Please. Fat tears were rolling onto his tunic as she buried her head into his chest. I miss you.
She laid there, sobbing over him until Elwin came to check on Keefe. She moved away and Elwin gave her a Foxfire uniform so that she could go bathe. As she was slowly washing herself in the basin she had once used to her sponge baths, she listened into Elwin talking to Keefe.
“She hasn’t left,” Elwin was saying. “She’s stayed the entire time that you’ve been asleep. She’s been absolutely destroyed without you here Keefe. Sophie barely does anything besides sit with you. She needs you to be awake, Keefe. It was obvious how much you loved that girl and I think she’s starting to realize how important you truly are to her too.”
“He loved me,” Sophie whispered quietly to herself. She thought back to all the teasing he did, and all of Ro’s comments. It all made sense now. She quickly finished washing herself and got dressed, running out to Elwin. “Elwin,” She called out to him. “I think I’m going to go back home now. I don’t think that Keefe would have wanted me to give up on everything.”
He smiled and nodded, snapping to form a dark blue bubble over Keefe’s chest. “That’s good. Do you want me to hail Edaline and let her know?”
“Yes, thank you,” she responded, gathering up the things that Edaline and Grady had brought over. Elwin made the call and her parents came to pick her up, not saying anything. They said goodbye to Elwin and left the healing center.
“I’m proud of you Kiddo,” Grady said, grabbing her hand. “I know that was a hard decision for you to make, leaving him.
Sophie nodded, knowing that if she opened her mouth she would start bawling. They didn’t say anything as Grady held up his pathfinder to leap them home.
They arrived back at Havenfield to caos. Someone had let Verdi out of her enclosure, mammoths were running everywhere, and the gorgadon had ripped a giant hole in his enclosure and was trying to escape.
SOPHIE! FRIEND! HI! Silveny transmitted, flying above them. FLY? FLY? FLY?
Not right now, Silveny, Sophie answered, her eyes widening at the mess. Gnomes were standing on each other’s shoulders trying to catch some of the taller animals, but they kept tripping over themselves and tumbling to the ground. Wynn and Luna thought it was a fun game and kept running in between the feet of the animals. “What happened?” Sophie asked her parents, who were as shocked as she was.
“I don’t know,” Edaline said, snapping her fingers and making a rope appear. “Go inside and unpack. We’ll handle this.”
Sophie started to argue but her mom shot her the look and she went inside. Her bodyguards took their usual spot, but Bo stopped her from going into her room. “Something smells off,” he said, shoving her behind him. “Let us check your room first.” Sandor and Bo went into the room and a moment later Sandor let out a stream of goblin curses. He came back holding a note.
It’s time we had a chat, just the two of us.
L.G
Sophie’s mouth fell open. Lady Gisela wanted to have a private talk with her? This couldn’t mean anything good. She looked at Sandor and he saw the answer in her eyes.
“No,” his bunny voice snapped. “I will chain you to the wall if I have to but you’re not going to that meeting.”
“But what if she can tell us why Keefe hasn’t woken up yet,” Sophie argued. “Going to her meeting could be a good thing.”
“Or you could die,” Bo cut in.
“Exactly,” Sandor agreed, “I’m sure your friends would agree with us.”
Sophie let out a sigh as a plan came to her. “Fine. I won’t go.” she shoved past them into her room, grimacing at the smell of ash. She went to her bathroom to get changed before walking out and collapsing on her bed. She pretended to be asleep until Bo and Sandor left her room and then she crept over to her window. Even opening it as slowly as possible, Sandor heard and charged in. “you better not be--” Sophie didn’t hear the last part of what Sandor was saying before she jumped out the window, disappearing into the void. She teleported to London hoping that it was a stop the Neverseen patrolled often.
Biana, she transmitted out, searching for her friend’s thoughts.
Sophie? Is that you?
She let out a sigh of relief. Yeah, it’s me. Listen, Lady Gisela wanted to meet me privately. I’m in London right now. I just wanted to let you know in case she decides to kidnap me or something.
WHAT, Biana shouted at her. Are you crazy? Why didn’t you talk to us? We could have helped you make a RATIONAL decision.
Look, it’s too late to go back now. I just wanted you to be my messenger in case I don’t come back. Please tell Fitz that I’m glad we were able to become friends again, tell Dex that I truly appreciate him, and tell Keefe, if he wakes up that… I did this for him. And that I…. I love him too.
Sophie please don’t do this, Biana begged. Teleport to Everglen or Havenfield. Anywhere, just get out of there.
It’s too late, Sophie transmitted as there was a blinding flash in front of her. I’m sorry. She cut off the conversation with Biana as she looked at Lady Gisela standing in front of her.
“Well, looks like you actually came. I thought I would have to grab you out of your room in the middle of the night,” she laughed.
Sophie glared at her. “What do you want?” she asked.
“Ah, that’s the thing.” she nodded towards the shadows that surrounded the corner where they were standing. Someone tackled her and a cloth was pressed to her face, with a familiar sickeningly sweet smell. Right as Sophie’s consciousness drifted away, She heard Lady Gisela whisper, “You.”
