Neverseen (56 page)

“And how is it safer to release the alicorns and leave them completely unprotected?” Councillor Emery asked.

“Because they can teleport,” Sophie reminded the Council. “Why do you think it took you so long to find Silveny? The only reason she let me catch her was because she
chose
to come to me—and it took tons of convincing to prove to her I was safe. I’m sure she’ll be even more careful now that she has a family to protect. And the ogres can’t steal her if they don’t know where she is.”

“Her reasoning does have its merits,” Councillor Clarette said quietly.

“How?” Councillor Alina demanded. “This world is too dangerous.”

“The alicorns survived for thousands of years on their own,” Bronte argued.

“Yes, and Greyfell very nearly didn’t,” Councillor Emery
reminded him. “We’ve all seen his scars—and those happened decades ago, before humans built their weapons of mass destruction.”

“They’ll also have ogres hunting them this time,” Councillor Alina added. “And the Neverseen.”

“Not if we make them think the alicorns are still in the Sanctuary,” Edaline suggested. “They’d never expect us to set them free. So let them keep their focus on the wrong place.”

“And Sophie can transmit to Silveny and check to make sure she’s okay,” Oralie added.

“Silveny can also transmit to me if she needs anything,” Sophie agreed.

Councillor Emery frowned at the other Councillors. “It appears we have much to discuss.”

“We can’t wait too long,” Sophie told them. “King Dimitar might already be planning something. We have to let them go before it’s too late. There’s no way to completely guarantee the alicorns’ safety. Just like we couldn’t truly protect the gnomes. So maybe we have to trust that other creatures can take care of themselves. Calla was the one who saved her people, wasn’t she? Not us.”

She could see several Councillors nodding. But not enough, so she added one more thing. “Believe me, I
don’t
want to let Silveny go—or Greyfell, or the coming baby. I just lost Calla. I can’t lose them.” Her voice cut out and she cleared her throat. “But I want them safe more than I want them close. I want to
know they can run away if they need to, not be trapped under a mountain like sitting ducks.”

Councillor Emery sighed. “Give us a moment.”

He closed his eyes to moderate the telepathic debate.

Minutes ticked by and Sophie tugged on her eyelashes. After all she’d been through, she deserved a nervous habit.

“I can’t believe we’re going to do this,” Emery eventually announced. “And we do so only if you agree to our conditions.”

“You must check on Silveny daily,” Bronte jumped in, “and give us a report so we know what’s happening. And if any of us see any signs that this new arrangement is too dangerous, you must do everything in your power to help us bring the alicorns back to the Sanctuary.”

Sophie glanced at Keefe, glad to see him nodding. Grady and Edaline seemed to approve of the plan as well.

“Deal,” she told the Council.

She tried to celebrate the victory—cling to it as proof that she and the Councillors could work together. But a wave of sadness tried to drown her when Councillor Emery hailed Jurek and told him to bring the alicorns.

All too soon the massive gates swung open, and the blast of bright sunlight made Sophie’s eyes burn. Or maybe that was her tears when she spotted the two glittery winged horses galloping toward her.

Her head filled with an endless stream of
SOPHIE! SOPHIE! SOPHIE! KEEFE! KEEFE! KEEFE! VISIT! VISIT! VISIT!

Yes—I’m here!
she transmitted as a familiar tall figure with long dreadlocked hair approached.

Jurek held the alicorns with thick golden ropes tied loosely around their necks. He didn’t smile as he bowed to the Council. “I’m hoping I misunderstood your instructions.”

“So am I,” Councillor Emery said.

Silveny trotted closer, nuzzling Sophie’s shoulder. The female alicorn had always been stunningly beautiful, between her gleaming silver wings, wavy silver mane, and the swirled silver-and-white horn in the center of her forehead. But she seemed to be benefitting from that famous “pregnant glow.” Her fur looked almost opalescent, and her brown eyes shined.

Greyfell looked far less excited. Sophie could see the tension twitching in every muscle of his body. And his blue-tipped wings kept flapping nervously.

It’s okay,
Sophie transmitted.
Trust. Friend.

Greyfell whinnied, but he kept right on twitching. Silveny, meanwhile, had switched to nuzzling Keefe, and had finally coaxed a real smile out of him.

“Hey there, Glitterbutt,” he said. “Glad to know you missed me.”

KEEFE! KEEFE! KEEFE!

Sophie choked back a sob as she realized this could be the last time she ever saw Silveny. The alicorn could ignore her transmission, or fly so far away she couldn’t reach her, or . . .
worse things she was trying very hard not to think about.

SAD?
Silveny asked.

Yeah,
Sophie admitted.
But it’s going to be okay.

She willed the words to be true as she did her best to explain to Silveny and Greyfell what was about to happen. They didn’t seem to understand, until she told Jurek to untie the golden ropes, leaving the alicorns able to fly away if they wanted.

Free,
Sophie told them.
Fly free.

Silveny glanced back at the Sanctuary.
STAY?

Sophie shook her head.
You guys will be safer on your own.

STAY,
Silveny repeated.
SOPHIE. FRIEND.

Safe is more important,
Sophie promised.
You need to protect your baby.

The final word ended Silveny’s resistance.

Greyfell stretched his wings and stared at the grayish blue sky. It wasn’t as beautiful as the rainbow sky inside the Sanctuary, but it was the first real sky Greyfell had seen in decades. Sophie watched his brown eyes glint and knew she was making the right choice. The alicorns deserved to be free. They could take care of themselves.

She brushed her fingers down Silveny’s nose and patted Greyfell’s side.
Better get going before the Council changes their minds.

Silveny nuzzled her again, releasing a whinny that broke Sophie’s heart. Then she flapped her wings and launched into the sky.

Greyfell followed immediately, and they circled above, climbing higher and higher with each rotation.

“Let’s hope this isn’t a mistake,” Councillor Terik murmured.

Sophie was making the same wish.

Keefe’s hand reached for hers, and together they watched the alicorns dive, racing toward the ground so fast they split the sky.

Right before they disappeared, Silveny transmitted,
SOPHIE. FRIEND. ALWAYS.

But the best words were her last two:
VISIT. SOON.

S
O WHAT NOW
?” Keefe asked after the Councillors had leaped away and Jurek had closed the Sanctuary’s gates. “You off to Everglen to check on the Fitzter?”

“I thought I’d give them a little space.” She’d probably hail him later to make sure he was okay. But she knew they’d need some time. “This is a family thing, y’know?”

“I guess.” Keefe kicked a pile of snow, sending it scattering. “So you’re going back to Havenfield, then?”

“Yeah. Why, what are you up to?”

“Nothing,” he said—a little too quickly.

“So . . . do you want to come over, then?” she asked, fidgeting with the necklace he’d given her. “I thought I might try to
make starkflower stew to give to Calla’s tree—and I know that sounds
super
exciting, but . . . you could make fun of me. And then you could stay for dinner, and—”

“Foster, you don’t have to take care of me.”

“Maybe I just like you,” she said—then realized how that sounded. “I’m just . . . worried about you.”

Keefe stepped closer. “I know. It’s one of the things I like about you.”

Her stomach filled with fluttering things, which flitted around even more when she noticed how close they were now standing. The toes of their boots were almost touching, and his breath felt warm on her cheeks.

Someone cleared their throat, reminding them they weren’t alone. When Sophie turned, she found Grady glaring and Edaline smiling that goofy smile again. She couldn’t decide which was worse.

“We’re heading home—” Grady started.

“But you don’t have to leave with us,” Edaline finished. “Just make sure you let us know where you are if you decide to go somewhere.”

Grady started to say something else, but Edaline created a path of light and whisked him away.

“That was weird,” Sophie mumbled, sure her face was bright red.

“Yeah,” Keefe said, his cheeks flushed too—but that was probably from the freezing wind.

“So you really don’t want to come over?” she asked. “Even for a little while?”

“I . . . can’t. But you should go to Dex’s. Or go hang with my buddy Bangs Boy.”

“Still refusing to call him Tam, huh?”

“Some things should never change.”

“What about
you
?” Sophie pressed, wondering why it seemed like he was trying to get rid of her. “Where are you going?”

“What makes you think I’m going anywhere?”

“I don’t know. You’re acting really weird. You keep avoiding the question—don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“I’m fine,” he promised.

“That’s
still
not a real answer.”

He reached up and mussed his hair. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, I swear. I meant . . . I’m dealing with something right now.”

“You’re really worrying me now, Keefe. What is it?”

Keefe looked away. “I’m just going to see someone. It’s not a big deal.”

“Can I go with you?”

He shook his head. “Please forget it, okay?”

She watched him shuffle from foot to foot, his fingers twitching, twitching, twitching. “I don’t know what you’re up to, Keefe—but you promised you’d let me help.”

“I know. But this is something I have to do by myself. It’s fine, though, I swear. It’s all going to be fine.”

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

“Remember when we were at the Black Swan’s ocean hideout, and you ate the drugged cookie and left me all alone with Silveny?” he asked. “I trusted you. I’m just asking you to do the same.”

“I seem to remember almost dying that day . . .”

“And I’m saving the near-death experiences for you and Fitz. I like being alive.” He stepped closer then, so close she could count the snowflakes in his eyelashes, which were much longer and darker than she’d realized. “Please just trust me, Sophie.”

She chewed her lip. “You’ll hail me later and let me know you’re okay?”

“I’ll hail you as soon as I can.”

That wasn’t the answer she’d been looking for, and it definitely added to her worries. But she couldn’t think of anything else to say except, “Okay.”

He grinned at her then, a real Keefe grin, and she let herself believe she was making the right decision.

She managed to stay convinced as they said a quick goodbye—even as she pulled out her home crystal and held it up to the light.

But then she noticed the crystal in Keefe’s hand and realized it was pale yellow—the same color as the crystals that went to the Neutral Territories.

Without thinking, she lunged and grabbed Keefe’s shoulders, letting the light carry her with him as he glittered away.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Keefe yelled as they reappeared by a bloodred lake, surrounded by stark, misty mountains.

Sophie recognized it from the memory she’d seen in Mitya’s mind. “I should ask you the same question. Are you serious right now? Were you actually thinking of breaking into an ogre prison by yourself?”

“Go home, Sophie.”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

He grabbed her home crystal pendant and tried to hold it up to the light, but she wrestled the pendant away.

“Please,” he begged. “You have to get out of here.”

“So do you!”

“I can’t.”

Round and round the arguing went, and Keefe lunged for her home crystal again. It flew out of her hand, splashing into the red lake.

Keefe was shaking now, tearing through his pockets, searching for another crystal.

“You don’t have your home crystal with you?” she asked. “How were you planning to get back?”

“He wasn’t,” a familiar voice said behind them.

Sophie studied Keefe’s face, noting that he didn’t look the least bit surprised as she turned to find Alvar, Fintan, and Brant.

T
HIS IS A
trap, Sophie realized. But it didn’t seem to be the Neverseen’s doing.

Somehow, some way, Keefe had set this up.

So what was his plan?

And why hadn’t he told her?!

“I must say”—Fintan raised his hands, ready to call down flames—“you’ve really outdone yourself, Mr. Sencen. Miss Foster is an excellent addition to our bargain.”

Keefe jumped in front of Sophie. “She’s not supposed to be here.”

Brant’s scarred smile crawled straight out of Sophie’s nightmares. “Then we’ll consider her an excellent bonus.”

Sophie hadn’t noticed that Alvar had vanished until she felt
his arms wrap around her. She screamed and thrashed and kicked, but he was too strong. He pinned her arms behind her with one hand while he ripped her Black Swan pendant off her neck and tossed it to Brant.

“Let’s leave the fires to the professionals, shall we?” Brant asked as he crushed the monocle under his heavy black boot. “I’ll take yours, too.”

Keefe jerked away as Brant yanked the pendant off his neck.

“Must we really do this again?” Brant asked, snapping his fingers and creating a sphere of Everblaze.

“Not if you let her go,” Keefe said.

“I’m finding it rather hard to believe your commitment,” Fintan told him. “Surely you’ve realized that switching sides means betraying your friends.”