Into the Light

Chapter VII

Keefe let out a strangled noise, kicking and thrashing against the two Neverseen restraining him. "HEY! Don't touch her!"

"Shut up," their leader spat, stalking towards Keefe and tilting his chin up to meet his eyes, "We don't have the time for this nonsense. Tell us where it is."

Keefe kept his mouth shut firmly and Sophie could sense the man's impatience. Keefe's danger.

"Where what is? We don't know what you're talking about," she cried, knowing it was pointless. Playing dumb never even worked in movies, the villans usually responding with something like, 'dont play dumb, what do you think I'm stupid?'

"Don't play dumb, what do you think I'm stupid?" Huh.

"Where is the item you were sent here to retrieve," he turned his attention to his associates, "Did you search them?"

"Of course we did. We confiscated their leaping crystals, their weapons, and a book written in a human language," he held up The Care and Maintenance of Lawn Mowers.

Sophie made eye contact with Keefe as the Neverseen continued to argue.

We need a plan, she transmitted, we have to get that book.

He nodded, blinking several times and moving his mouth in a funny way.

...Was I supposed to understand any of that?

According to the look on Keefe's face, she was.

Okay, okay. Open your mind to me, I'm sure we can figure this out if I can just understand what's going on in your head.

Keefe just winked at her.

Keefe. Don't you dare do anything stu--

Keefe turned to the Neverseen holding his right arm and stomped on his foot. Hard, apparently, as the man clutched at it, completely freeing Keefe's arm. Which he then used to punch the man on the left. In the face.

If Sophie had time to think about all of this, she would have found it incredibly hot. She did not, however, have time to think anything, instead focusing her energy on retrieving the book and the leaping crystals.

She had to make the best of the situation, even if it wasn't the best plan. Even if she resented it a little bit.

She ducked away from the struggle, grabbing the book that, in the confusion, had fallen to the ground alongside their leaping crystals.

Scrambling to her feet, she spotted Keefe, cornered by all four of their captors.

She knew what had to be done. Keefe wasn't going to like it.

Forgive me, Keefe, she transmitted, gathering her focus and engaging her least favorite ability.

Sophie had never... mastered inflicting. She had no one to train her, and though she knew how to use her power it was unpredictable and dangerous on the best days. Mr. Forkle had deemed it fit for use only in the most dire of situations.

Sophie supposed this was one of those situations. She pushed her pain and fear outwards, and everything went foggy.

Taking deep breaths, she blinked her vision clear to see Keefe crumpled alongside the Neverseen, on the filthy ground of the alley. She darted forwards and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so, so sorry, Keefe, but I need you to get up. Can you walk?"

He nodded, groaning and bracing himself on the wall as he struggled to his feet.

"We have to hurry, they won't be incapacitated for long."

Keefe huffed a weak laugh. "The lovely Miss F, using big words no matter what. You're cute when you're smart."

Well. At least he was feeling like himself.

Supporting his weight, she helped him limp out of the alley,moving as fast as they could with him still weak with the aftershocks of her power.

Not fast enough.

A stiff breeze swirled around them, whipping Sophie's hair around her face, blowing ever stronger. Lifting them off the ground.

Sophie looked back, and her fears were confirmed. "They have a guster," she yelled over the howling of the wind that was boosting them higher and higher into the air.

Keefe clung tighter to her as the wind swirled around them, tearing at their clothes and hair as the rose above the tops of buildings. Sophie slung an arm around her waist and dug in her bag for a final option.

She grasped the leaping crystal. "Can you focus enough to make a leap?"

Keefe shook his head, mumbling something that may have been I'm sorry.

"Not your fault."

Time seemed to freeze as the noise, which had reached a deafening level, cut of almost instantaneously.

The wind stopped battering them from all sides.

The wind stopped lifting them. Stopped supporting them.

Then, all at once, they began to fall