Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-43347423-20200111144721/@comment-43347423-20200212013418

Chapter Seventeen

'''Immediately it was gone, and Keefe was close to tears. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. She hoped he would be okay for a second while they dealt with Oralie.'''

“Councillor Oralie!” Keefe exclaimed, leaning down to inspect her where she lay on the floor and pulling Sophie down with him.

'''The blond woman had her eyes closed, and Sophie could see silver powder brushed on them. Her hair was fanned out around her head and she had one arm underneath all of it and the other draped over her body.'''

'''“Oralie!” Sophie let go of Keefe’s hand so she could shake the councillor. “Oralie, wake up!”'''

“Please,” Keefe said softly, which seemed to be the key because Oralie finally opened her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” Keefe apologized.

'''Oralie gave a weak smile, sitting up. “I know. I can feel it from here.”'''

Sophie took Keefe’s hand again.

“You should try aiming it only at me,” Sophie said, “since it doesn’t hurt me.”

'''Keefe didn’t say anything. He clearly never wanted to use his ability again.'''

'''“You should,” Oralie agreed. “Even if it doesn’t work, we could learn more about the ability.”'''

'''After a beat, Keefe nodded. Sophie felt the fuzzy, greyness seep into her head, and neither Keefe nor Oralie cried out in pain.'''

“Do you feel it?” Sophie asked them, and they both shook their heads.

'''The grey was swept away, reminding Sophie of wiping off the moisture on car windows when it rained. She remembered writing her name, drawing smiley faces, and writing words backwards in the hopes that people in other cars would read it.'''

'''“So it can be targeted,” Oralie concluded. “I wonder why it only has an effect the second time you’re subjected to it. And why it doesn’t hurt Sophie.”'''

'''“I think it doesn't hurt me because I have an impenetrable mind,” Sophie said. “Like the telepathy restrictor Dex made me. That’s what it feels like when he does it, anyway.”'''

'''“But the reason Dex’s gadget didn’t hurt you wasn’t because you have an impenetrable mind,” Oralie reminded her. “It hurt you at first, remember? He had to calibrate it specifically to you for it not to hurt.”'''

'''Oralie stopped there, and Sophie was glad she did. What Sophie knew she had been about to say was really mushy. Unfortunately, Keefe seemed to have regained his snark.'''

“So what you’re saying is,” he said, “Foster’s my perfect match.”

Oralie gave the knowing smile Sophie was starting to see so often, and Sophie turned red.

'''“Well, it might not be that,” Oralie said. “It might be her mind. But she compared it to Dex’s gadget, and I had to correct her.”'''

Keefe smirked.

'''“Okay, okay,” Sophie said. “That’s sweet. I appreciate it. But can we please get back to work?”'''

'''Keefe kept right on smirking. “Sure, Foster.”'''

'''“Okay. So, you’re probably pretty drained, Keefe, so maybe we should have you build trust like any other Cognates would. You might not be telepathically connected, but you still need to have trust,” Oralie suggested. '''

“Okay,” Sophie said before she asked Keefe’s permission to enter his consciousness.