Keefe's POV
The Neverseen has done it.
The Neverseen, the bad guys, the enemies. . . have control over all the bodyguards. That Gethen! The dude can't chill for 2 seconds without doing something-that-might-get-the-world-to-end, I swear. Brainwashing bodyguards to kill their old friends, exploding Lumenaria, you name it.
Fitz dead, killed by Grizel. Ro dead, killed by Bo, somehow she was able to protect her mind until dying by her lovers sword. Dex dead, killed by Lovise. The second Mr. Forkle, killed by Tarina. Grady and Edaline, killed by Sandor.
Then there was Sophie, alive, but lost her family, her bodyguards, her Cognate, her cousin. Even Ro, though I'm not sure if she had a connection to the bodyguard Ro's death seemed to affect her. I swear, for all the times she called herself weak, she wasn't weak at all.
Then there was me, weirdly untouched, though I had a suspicion Mommy Dearest had something to do with that.
All I'm saying is, times aren't great right now.
Sophie's POV
I shouldn't have left.
It was the start of Level Five for me, and even though I was dreading having to dress as a saber-tooth tiger, I was exited to be free.
Ever since the Black Swan uncovered a Imparter hail between two aynonamous Neverseen members that discussed something about Havenfeild, death, and 'final stage' of their grand scheme, I'd been cooped up under I didn't even know how much security.
Finally able to see my friends, even my mentors. Heck! I was even happy to see Stina stalking around the halls, waving a merry wave at her that left her speechless.
I NEVER should have left, but I tried to think about not being guilty. The elvin mind, although 100x better than human brains, wasn't able to cope with guilt without shattering.
So I tried to focus on facts, I didn't know that they would brainwash my bodyguards into killing my adoptive parents, the same bodyguards who designed the security so they had no trouble dodging it, and I wasn't the one who skewered them with a brutally barbed sword they left as a gift of horror for me to return to after school.
I should have asked to come with Dex to Rimeshire, maybe then I could've saved him.
But of course, I didn't know they would even brainwash Lovise into killing her charge, I didn't know Dex would suffer until his last breath by burning to death, which was extra brutal because ever since our kidnapping, me and Dex hated fire and sedatives.
Ok, this whole pep-talk wasn't going as planned. Or, it wasn't until I got a Imparter hail from Keefe, I instantly picked it up and his mussed blond hair, ice blue eyes, and worried face filled the screen.
"Hey Fo-Soph." he said, almost saying 'Foster' before stopping himself.
Not that the memories didn't resuface.
(A/N: This is Sophie's memory.)
"Help!" I dashed after Fitz's hoarse cry, thinking the worst, abandoning my bodyguards, who instantly split up, trying to cover and protect as much of Everglens grounds as possible.
I reached the massive crystal doors and I yanked them open before sprinting to Fitz's anguished cries of pain, thinking of one thing.
I can't end it like this.
Fitz and I had gotten into a fight about my crush on Keefe, and I did not want to end our friendship this way, or make it up to him if he got out of this. If I got out of this.
I burst into Fitz's room, only to find a force feild glowing bright white, so I was trapped outside, while Fitz and Grizel were trapped inside the blinding energy.
Watching in pure horror, Grizel gripped Fitz's throat, her eye's bright purple, her veins pressing against her grey skin, which looked oddly shiny.
"LET HIM GO!" I screeched, but she didn't even turn around to face me, but Fitz spotted me.
His voice a weak rasp, he said. "save me, Foster."
I rammed my shoulder into the force feild, ingoring the biting pain as tiny jolts of electricity made me clutch me shoulder. Desprate, I tried to wrap my swirling worry for Fitz, disgust at Grizel, and fear of one of my friends dying in a spear of mental energy.
Before even considering what could happen, I used a brain push combined with my inflicting and imagined it shooting like a bullet to the force feild.
And to my suprise, a tiny hole appeared.
But before I could even register I could now get to Fitz, the hole sealed and with a gruesome CRACK! Gizel snapped Fitz's neck and the blinked away, along with the force feild, leaving me with a dead Fitz and a truckload of guilt.
"Sophie? Seriously, I'm starting to worry here." Keefe waved an arm infront of the Imparter's camera, I just hung up.
After a few seconds of silence, Keefe glittered directly in front of me. Clutching my heart and stumbling backward in fright, my leg tripped my other leg and I went tumbling to my flower carpet.
"Sophie, SNAP OUT OF IT! Grizel killed Fitz, not you!" he swooped down next to me, cradleing me in his arms, my heart, still heavy but fluttering. Even though I'm sure Keefe could feel my crush he made no mention of it as he gently swayed me and whispered sweet things in my ear.
"It was my fault." I said, slumping. Keefe only hugged me tighter.
"No, it isn't. Did you kill Fitz?" I shook my head. "then you have zero reason to feel guilty."
I shook my head again. "Should've saved him."
Keefe pressed me against his chest, still gently cradleing me. "You did everything you could."
I choked back a sob. "I could've, I'm the moonlark and I couldn't do a single thing to even make up with Fitz over out stupid fight over my stupid crush!"
"I'm sure Fitz would understand, I bet he's watching from heaven, guilty himself he didn't apologize. And honestly Sophie, you can't blame you heart for feeling. . . well, feelings." I slung my arms around his neck, taking deep breaths of his lemony scent.
"Well," I said carefully. "maybe I'll at least make our fight worth it. Keefe, I. . . like you." I said, not daring to look up from the soft crook in his neck as I said it.
"Sophie." he breathed, and I braced myself for the worst.
But all he said was, "I love you too, Sophie."
And despite the pain, despite the guilt, and the horrible memories. I felt happy. Happy in Keefe's arms, knowing working together, we could stop this.
I giggle, booping Keefe's nose. "I love you too Keefe Sencen."