KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Rescued: part 2

Grady and Edaline both wrapped Sophie in a hug, Keefe moving aside to give them room.

And then when they both pulled away—tears in their eyes—Elwin hugged her too.

"No more getting kidnapped," he told her sternly.

"I'll do my best." Sophie laughed a little, rolling her eyes. "At least this time I wasn't badly injured or fading away."

Then, to Sophie's great surprise, Grady grabbed Keefe and hugged him too.

"You did well," Grady told him.

"I don't know about that," Keefe mumbled. "I kind of lost it at first."

Edaline looked at Sophie with a sappy grin on her face and winked at her.

"But you pulled it together and you took control of the situation. You got us there, fast, and let Fitz handle the communication while you kept your mother sufficiently distracted."

"I guess."

Keefe may be trying to downplay his part in her rescue, but Sophie could tell that Grady's praise meant a lot to him.

Then Sandor, who was awake and growing more alert, got up and walked over to Sophie.

She threw her arms around him, breathing in his musky goblin scent.

Both tried to apologize for failing to protect the other.

Then Elwin cleared his throat. "Sophie, I know you'll want to go home, but I would really prefer to keep you here overnight just to make sure that there won't be any side effects of that monstrosity Gisela had placed on your head. I still can't believe Dex managed to get it off you when he wasn't the one who made it."

"He's pretty awesome that way," Sophie said. "But...you're keeping me here?"

"I want to be nearby in case symptoms present themselves. Unless you want to go home with a sedative and just let me visit in the morning."

"No sedatives," Sophie said automatically, trying not to panic.

Gisela had drugged her immediately after taking her, and by the time she came around, the ability restrictor was on her head.

As if she'd needed any more reasons to hate and fear sedatives.

The full weight of everything that had happened was catching up to her at last. Vespera was dead. Sophie had been abducted again, drugged again.

Had woken up with another ability restrictor on her head.

She had feared Gisela had won. That Keefe would either not be able to get to her, or would sacrifice himself to save her, and that the happiness they'd shared for just a few shining minutes was all they were destined to get.

And now...

Gisela dead. Fear for how Keefe would handle it. For how Fitz would come to terms with what he'd done—even though it was the right thing.

But she tried to keep her composure because she did not want Elwin or Grady or Edaline to try to insist she take a sedative.

Please no more sedatives.

But Keefe must have felt her downward mood shift into panic, because his arms were around her in a moment.

"It's okay," he whispered to her. "It's okay."

After a moment, he removed one arm from around her and reached for her hand. She knew what he was doing, and turned on her enhancing.

Gentle blue breezes instantly entered her mind.