*Chapter Nineteen*

BIANA squinted through the greenish haze. "Let us go!" she demanded, trying to refrain from crying. Chill, Biana, she told herself firmly, You need to stay calm for everyone.

Beside her, Fitz was grunting and attempting to cut his ropes free. Tam and Linh were bound together. And Dex was staring at his ropes like they'd somehow magically break free.

"Guys...," Biana whispered, her eyes flicking over the group, "where's Sophie?"

Fitz's head snapped up. "She's not with us?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"No." Biana shook her head, frowning.

Linh sighed, leaning her head back against Tam's, her silver-grey eyes shimmering with a sadness beyond her years. "They took her captive. She is the Moonlark, after all, guys." Tam nodded, squeezing her hand tightly, his gaze glowing with brotherly protection.

"We need to stay strong," Biana said fiercely. "For Sophie."

"For Sophie!" they shouted.


"Get up, Keefe. Rise and shine at 'em!" Sarah grasped her brother's shoulders and sharply shook. She groaned. "C'mon! We need to formulate a rescue plan! Your precious Foster's been taken captive along with all your other friends and you dare sleep in?"

"I was tired," Keefe mumbled, turning over, his back to his snappy sister.

Sarah narrowed her ice-blue eyes, the ones that were uncannily like Keefe's. "Hey, don't go and ignore me. Look, I didn't ask for this weight to be put on me; but obviously you can't be the responsible one. I hate being responsible, it's sooo boring, but when the people I care about's lives are at stake, I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"Yeh" was all that came out of Keefe's mouth as he rolled over in the dewy grass.

"Talk about disrespectful," muttered Sarah. "FINE!" she yelled, crossing her arms atop her chest. "If you're not gonna get up, I'll go rescue them myself!"

"I'm up, I'm up," scowled Keefe, pulling himself up to his knees. "Jeez, warn a guy."

"There's no time to 'warn a guy,'" Sarah said, holding up her fingers to quote him. "Right now we need to save our- your friends." When she corrected herself, a sad expression glinted in her eyes.

Keefe yawned, putting a gentle arm on Sarah's shoulders. "I'm kinda tired right now; can we think of a plan later? After we can think rationally and have food in our stomachs?"

Sarah hurriedly pressed a hand to Keefe's forehead.

"What are you doing?" Keefe sleepily asked.

"Checking to make sure you're okay. Ohhhh no." Suddenly Sarah groaned and reached for her ripped satchel, rummaging inside.

Confused, Keefe glanced from Sarah to the satchel. "What is it?"

Sarah gritted her teeth as she ransacked the bag, pouring out all its contents. A few healing balms, some yeti pee in a jar, one half filled bottle of Youth and some foil as remnant from the sandwich she'd fed Keefe tumbled onto the ground. "We're out of rations," she mumbled.

"What?" Keefe blinked, bolting upright. "What did you say?"

Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose. "I said, we're out of rations."

Keefe nodded but his face was blank.

"Dude, are you okay?" Sarah waved a hand in front of his eyes.

He stared right through it. Then his eyes zoomed in on the overturned satchel. "You sure?" he asked. "We can always lick the wrapping." He pointed at the aluminum foil Sarah had tossed into the bag after unwrapping the sandwich she'd given Keefe.

"Eww, no way, man," Sarah shook her head. "That's just wrong."

"Would you prefer the yeti pee?" Keefe wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Gross! You're disgusting," Sarah said, biting her upper lip and picking up the foil slowly. "Wait- there are some crumbs on here," she cried miraculously and started to lap at the plastic, trying to eat all the bread crumbs left.

"Hey! Leave some for me," argued Keefe, rushing over to his sister and sticking his head out, headbutting Sarah. She was shoved back and now Keefe was devouring the tiny bits of lettuce remaining, purposely chewing some of the aluminum.

"Oi! Uncool, bro!" Sarah yelled, crawling back to the foil and licking voraciously.

"Oh wait- I think we're forgetting something," Keefe stopped trying to eat the wrapping itself now and sat, wrinkled forehead in perusal.

"What?" Sarah enquired curiously.

"We're at Everglen." Keefe jabbed a finger in the grand house's direction, which wasn't that far considering they were basically in its backyard.

Sarah's eyes widen. "We've been so stupid!"

"Exactly." Keefe nodded.

"We need to go replenish our hunger and then think of a plan on how to rescue our friends," Sarah concluded.


A/N: This week I've been pretty productive on FF because I've been putting off schoolwork, hehe, but anyways, hope you liked this ALSO FILLER. I promise I'll get to the plot as fast as I can, but for now, I guess I'm lazy so yeah.