Memory Log: A KotLC Story

Chapter 11:

Sophie's POV:

Dex pulls up the registry with ease, sitting down on my bench to accomplish this. I feel a proud smile tug at the corners of mouth as I watch my best friend embrace what he used to hate, and excel at it to the point where it was casually, chaoticly fun.

"Okay, so the registry has tried to keep me out since the last time when Keefe completely changed his file and I edited mine, and they also fixed the redactions Keefe and I made. They've presumably had their best technopaths working to keep me from messing with the files, but what they didn't realize," Dex pauses, turning the gadget around for us to see, a glint shining in his eyes, "Is that I'm already in."

Keefe whistles in approval.

Dex grins, his dimples showing. "Alright, what do you guys want to do?"

Biana sits down on his left and looks at the files as he scrolls to hers. As she's reading, she gasps. "I never thought the council kept this close of tabs on us!"

Keefe scoffs. "Oh yeah, I think we were better off when we lived pendent-less, high-tailing it with the Black Swan."

I have to agree. The council's records on them were detailed and in depth to the point where it made me want to rip off my necklace and leave it for the Gisela. Another slight breath draws me back to reality and I fix my attention on Biana, Dex, and Keefe, who took it up on himself to take a peek as well. "What'd you find?"

"It's nothing Foster, just some more speculation about where Mommy Dearest must be," Keefe gives a smile, but I don't buy it, and push my way over to them.

And I still am not fully prepared for what I see. 

" '..After some reasoning, we arrive at the conclusion that Lady Gisela has most likely been hiding out in the Lost Cities, presumably in plain sight and most likely in Atlantis. We don't know how, or where to start looking without alerting Atlantis of the massive search that will have to be conducted. For now, it just seems the only thing we can manage to do is..' " My voice catches are I take in the next words, " 'Tell everyone to keep an eye out and wait for all of this to end.' "

My mind whirls and I stumble back with the hard realization. 

It's like all we've done to fix the Lost Cities' problems have gone to the trash bin.

My vision rims with red, my head full or nothing but anger.

They aren't going to do anything.

After a few seconds, I feel hand on my shoulder and start seeing familiar green and blue waves pool into my vision, helping to calm me down.

I look at Keefe, who's standing right in front of me now. He sighs. "It's not like they can do anything, Foster. They aren't to blame for Mommy Dearest's inferior immitations of your mysterious ways."

He winks, passing it off for another joke, but for a second, or even a half a second, I see a flicker of the boy in the Exillum Healing Center, the one who had notes all on his walls after fathomlethes and desperate searching for answers, the boy who confided in me, the person that numbed everyone and freaked out trying to bring us all back.

The boy who cried into my shoulder and was there to let me do the same.

And I can't pretend I don't see it

I'm a horrible liar, especially to this certain empath.

I swallow the urge to ask if he's alright in front of the others. So I settle for a hug, pulling him in close. It wasn't meant to be much, but it was also meant to be everything. I need him to know that he can talk to me. 

When he hugs me back after minute, he whispers something in my ear.

"Calm down."

Instantly, I relax, my fears and worries seemingly fading. 

A command.

I frown at the realization before shrugging it off. Because this time, he didn't use a scary command on me and send me away after.

This time, he helped me and stayed right by me.

A throat clears and we jump apart, realizing that there are other people here. My face burns as Biana, Dex, and Tam stare at us. I don't risk glancing at Keefe. Mostly because I really don't want to be more embarrassed by the total Deja Vu of the situation.

"So now that you guys are done with that 'so-sweet-but-increasingly-awkward-for-the-rest-of-us' moment, I would like to say that now we can shift our focus and get back to kicking some Neverseen butt!" Dex clarifies, a very interested look on his face.

Biana nods.

I glance at Keefe and see he's paled slightly,even though he's nodding along. 

Are you sure you're okay with this?