𝓟𝐫𝗼𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝓢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐞

Chapter #25 - Keefe

The gnome's expression turned solemn, his gaze shifting to the elegant Panakes up on the hill. "Yes. I am Calla's brother. I was... I was heartbroken when she sacrificed herself. We had been so close..." —he wiped away tears that glinted against his tree-like skin— "You see, when she joined the Black Swan, I had always been a sort of overseer— making sure nothing pulled her in too deep. I had promised I would take care of my sister. And I know it was the right thing, but when she died..."

He sucked in a breath.

"I felt like I had failed."

Keefe nodded in understanding.

The silence was interrupted by a voice Keefe had been hoping he'd be able to avoid.

"That boy," Grady muttered, eyes wide, "You're back."

***

"Is Sophie—"

"No, she's not here. And Edaline is visiting her sister right now." Grady's voice was firm. Angry. He turned to Yarrow, who he clearly recognized. His tone warmed a million degrees, "But Flori is, since what Sophie is doing required her to have minimal bodyguards."

Yarrow nodded and walked over to a huddle of gnomes to see if he could find his... wait, if he was Calla's brother, was he Flori's great great great grandfather or something?

"Please don't tell her I came," said Keefe, keeping his voice so soft that it came out as more of a mumble. "I just need—"

"Do you have any idea what Sophie's going through right now?!"

"I-I... It was the only way... my new abilities..."

"You know," said Grady matter-of-factly, "I almost took the letter before Sophie could read it."

"Really?" Keefe had never considered that he would do that.

He nodded, "But you know why I didn't?"

"Because Iggy's awesome new hairstyle would give me away?" he offered, trying to use the joke to ease the tension. It was like old times— which for some reason made Keefe want to cry.

"No. It was because... I knew she needed the truth. She would find out that you left soon enough, and... I didn't want her to find out without realizing how much she meant to you."

"Oh."

It was all he could say. Because to her those words... coming from Grady, of all people...

"I really need quicksnuff."

Sophie's father raised his eyebrows. "Why?! Is there a fire?"

Keefe had originally planned to get his hands on an imparter, so he could call an adult to warn about his discovery. Someone who could funnel the information to Sophie and his friends without telling them exactly where they got the info— like Alden or Mr. Forkle.

But Grady was the person in front of him right now, so he might as well tell him.

"My ability... somehow, it can trigger special abilities in certain humans."

Grady's jaw dropped.

"And, well, I triggered someone to become a Pyrokinetic. And now I need quicksnuff to put out her fires." He took a deep breath. "But that's not the worst part. I think my mom was trying to find the humans with dormant abilities and recruit them— and all the ones who didn't cooperate...

"She'd kill them."

That was why she killed Ethan and Eleanor Wright. And Alice's father. And probably other humans all over the world that he didn't know about. But it got even worse.

"So I needed to warn you," Keefe continued, "I think my mom's trying to use me and my ability to trigger the abilities in humans— way more ruthless than elves— and numb them so that they could easily be controlled if necessary. She's trying to make an army."

He wanted to scream.

It sounded so much scarier out loud.

At this point, thick lines of worry were creasing Grady's face. "Are you really sure this is all true? It's still just a hunch, after all."

"I know I haven't had a great track record when it comes to hunches. Okay— it's probably the worst record in all of history. But like I used to tell Foster," he choked up on the name, "I need you to trust the Empath." He held Grady's gaze for a moment before letting go.

Yarrow dashed back at a surprisingly fast speed for such a short, squat gnome. In his hand was some green powder.

He held it out, "We found some quicksnuff." Keefe reached out to snatch it, but Grady beat him to it. Yarrow looked at them curiously, though it soon seemed to become clear he should go. He waved goodbye to Flori and the other gnomes and once again used his roots to go back to Prospectus.

"I'm not giving this to you until you make a promise," Grady said.

"Anything."

Well, not anything, but hopefully it would be a promise he could keep...

Grady pulled out an imparter from his pocket and put it in his palm. "You have to take this. I won't tell anyone you have it. But if I call you— you answer. You got that?"

"Yeah. I get it."

This time it was Grady's turn to hold Keefe's gaze, but he eventually handed him the imparter and quicksnuff. Keefe held his blue crystal back up to the light, taking him back to Sweden.

"Don't do anything stupid, Keefe."

He nodded.

It didn't seem to occur to Grady until after he was gone that Keefe hadn't technically agreed to the promise.