"The Lodestar is used with shadows?" Dasher asked, looking confused.
They were having lunch at school in a booth this time, avoiding everyone else. Dasher and Keefe sat on one side while Cienne faced Keefe.
Keefe was trying to tell them how Wylie had used a Neverseen cloak to hide himself and how Sophie had discovered a strange device, which was used to travel.
"Not exactly," Keefe tried to explain what Sophie had told him again.
"Wylie- Prentice's son- the Neverseen tried to kidnap him, using a mirror in one of the elite towers," Keefe explained.
"The mirror couldn't be used with a shade," Cienne added, catching on to what Keefe had said, and probably from what Naseem had told her.
"And Naseem was their shade," Dasher looked like he understood it now.
"But- they already have a shade," Dasher looked at Cienne for confirmation and she nodded. "Why would they use Naseem?"
They both looked at Keefe.
"Alvar said they wanted to test her out, but they overestimated her," he remembered.
"I think there's more to that," Cienne said quietly.
"What?" Both Keefe and Dasher asked.
"I wish I could tell you guys! It's just that I promised Naseem I wouldn't tell anyone. She gets to choose when to tell you."
Keefe sighed in frustration.
"You know Cienne? It's suspicious that you're hiding something from us that could be essential."
Cienne looked offended. "It's hard to talk about and it's Naseem's business!"
"Oh, sure!" Keefe stood up and left, feeling angry again. He didn't really know why, and he felt like his outburst was very extraneous, but he needed some air.
Dasher ran after him at an impossible speed, probably using his chronokinetic abilities.
He appeared in front of Keefe.
"That wasn't very nice of you," he said to Keefe.
"Yeah, I guess," Keefe grumbled and tried to sidestep Dasher, but that was impossible.
"What wrong?" Dasher asked, "and don't tell me it's just this."
"It's just-" Keefe hadn't admitted this to anyone, not even himself.
"I could be doing a lot more, if I wasn't going to a human school. I wanted to be with the Neverseen, not their children. At first it was good, but now- there's a lot of stuff I'm missing. A lot of stuff I could've done if- if Cienne hadn't asked for me to come with you guys. Naseem- she probably knows more than we do!" He at Dasher, who even though was older than Keefe, and a bit tall, Keefe still beat him.
"I see," Dasher looked thoughtful. "How about we ask Alvar to get you to talk to the Neverseen about helping them with some other mission, besides the Sophie Foster capture."
Keefe tried not to flinch at her name, but it didn't work, and Dasher gave him an understanding look.
"You're like fifteen. Stop worrying about those kind of problems," he gave Keefe a pat on the back.
"What problems?" Keefe asked as Dasher grinned.
"Just- you still have a little childhood left," Dasher said and he sped back to Cienne, who was looking sadly at them, but not before he said "go outside and take a break- and please try not to get into any fights."
It wasn't until a few weeks until Keefe got his hopes up. Fintan wanted to take him on a "field trip." To different places of the world.
"Elementine will come with us as well," he said on a Sunday, as he and Alvar had both visited them.
_
Keefe and Elementine were up by 4 am.
They were wearing Neverseen cloaks and were trying to stay awake.
Fintan took them by the arms and for a second, Keefe didn't see anything.
Then, he was on a very steep hill. So steep that Elementine tripped and almost fell if Keefe hadn't caught her.
"Thanks," she grumbled.
"No problem," Keefe winked, which made Elementine roll her eyes.
"Alright," Fintan said, "Follow me!"
Keefe hoped they would do something that would reveal major secrets, but all they did was walk around and talk about the humans that would pass.
"If you could save only one person out of all that we've seen, based on your emotions," who would you save?" Fintan asked Keefe.
Keefe felt chills down his back. He couldn't just choose one person. All humans were special. But an emotion making him feel more relaxed caught his attention.
"Probably that girl over there," he said, pointing at a little girl who was laughing.
"Why?" Asked Fintan.
"Because- she seems the most happy," Keefe explained.
"Hm, and you wouldn't refuse to having Elementine zap all of them just to save that little girl?" Fintan asked.
Keefe shuddered at the thought.
"I- would honestly find it a little hard," Keefe admitted.
"I see," Fintan wrote down something on a piece of paper.
"Elementine, since you are the most advanced at zapping, how'd you like to zap the girl Keefe pointed at, but gently."
Elementine looked excited as she closed her eyes and moved her hands toward the girl.
Keefe stared considering what he could do before the little girl giggled loudly, shuddered, and fainted.
Her mom ran over to her, covered in cloths. For some reason, only her eyes showed though them.
All of a sudden, Fintan gripped their arms and took them somewhere else.
They did this again, in different places with different people, for several more hours.
Elementine gave big yawn once they were done.
Keefe was upset, since he hasn't learned anything valuable.
That is, until Fintan pulled him aside when they arrive at the human house.
"What did you think of today?" He asked Keefe.
"How do you not worry about doing violent things that elves are usually against?" Keefe asked.
Fintan grinned as if he was waiting for someone to ask him.
He turned around so that Keefe couldn't see him and mumbled a word Keefe couldn't hear.
He turned back and showed Keefe something familiar, but not quite.
Fintan had a cache full of dark secrets.
Keefe had to steal it.