after unlocked: a sokeefe fanfic

Chapter 42-Keefe

"Hm." She stepped away from him, picking up one of the very sharp objects and playing with the tip.

Keefe squared his shoulders against the bindings. "You know, I'm not going to break."

"That isn't the point of this exercise." Vespera purred.

"Yeah? Then what is?" Keefe demanded.

"The Moonlark will break, if only to put you out of your suffering."

"Sophie won't do that. You heard yourself, she hates me." He couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice.

Buried under that bitterness was hurt.

Vespera paused, looking at him with a tilted gaze. "The Moonlark has never lied to you before?"

"Lied to me?"

"Never mind," Vespera said. "But believe it or not, you, my fellow Empath, are a liability. Because though the Moonlark 'hates' you, she still cares dearly for you."

"Do you not know the definition of 'hate?'"

"Can you not read emotions as well?" Vespera countered.

Well, this was new.

Keefe had never, emphasis on never, thought that the Top Creep of the Creepiest Creeps would be giving him a pep talk—twisted though it was.

He tried to act confident, to act like Sophie hated him—it was better that way, he told himself—but he knew that Sophie didn't hate him.

Not really.

If she knew he'd be tortured, she'd do either everything in her power to get him out, or to make it better.

For him.

And that was great, but...

He was a liability.

Just like his mom.

"Very well." Vespera said. "I can make a deal with you."

Keefe's eyes flicked up to her, trying to ignore her, but unable to.

"Sophie can stay untouched. She will not be tortured, or prodded, and she will be given food, water, and warmth."

Keefe narrowed his eyes. No strings attached?

He nearly laughed. Yeah, right.

"There is one condition."

"I was wondering when we'd get there," he said.

Vespera inclined her head. "You've known your mother for long enough to know that she reflects much of the Neverseen. Sophie may get all of what I said earlier, however," she stressed the 'however,' "you do not. This means if Sophie get food, you do not. Sophie get blankets and warmth and meals, you do not. Sophie stays untouched, but we may do whatever we would like with you."

A lump formed in his throat, but he forced himself to swallow it and nod. "Don't touch Sophie," he said. "And don't tell her."

"Any information we should be made aware of?" Vespera asked, motioning for the bodyguards to leave. She picked up two dagger, one for each hand, and dangled them under his chin.

Keefe closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said calmly, "No."

Vespera tutted. "Too bad."

Keefe's heart pounded, the blood rushing from his face when the first of the cold steel touched his skin.