She will know, said Keefe's mind.

She can't know. I have to protect my secret. At least she's not here- She'll hate me, for being weird.

Sophie was tempted to say, "I'm never going to hate you, okay? How many times do I have to say that?"

I can't keep keeping this secret. I have to tell her someday. Maybe Ro would do it? That would be less awkward. And she might not run away screaming from Ro. I don't know. It's A good thing she's not in her head...

When should I tell her- His mental voice softened- That I like her?

She pulled away.

"You-"

Keefe cringed. "I didn't know that you were serious," He told her, his voice thick.

Sophie smiled. "I don't hate you," she said. "I-" "...will run away screaming? or-" "None of that. I also like you."

"Like as a big brother. Or just as a friend." "No. You know what I mean by 'like'." Keefe smiled sadly. "You still like Fitz." "No- I don't. I've already told you. He's dating Chan Dalle Eere."

Keefe snorted. "Right. Chandelier."

Keefe's POV

Keefe was grateful for the subject change. But Foster clearly remembered because she said-

"I meant what I said," She said. "and I'd repeat it if you still don't get it." "No, I get it." "But why?" Sophie wondered. "you're like the most popular guy in school-" "Not most," he interrupted.

"Fitz is. Then you." No. You could've seen the glare the girls gave me when I delivered your gift at the first end of the Midterm. It was even uglier than Fitz's one. And your thinking cap was overflowing with presents."

"You're all of that. And I'm the weird girl who-"

"You're not weird. You're beautiful, smart, powerful, and calming."

"That's what you are, too. And you trusted me enough to use your voice," She reminded her.

Uh-oh. Keefe covered his mouth. He forgot about that.

Foster pulled my hand away. "You have control," she said. "You're fine."

"I hope so," he said and wondering if he was making a huge mistake, he pressed his lips to hers. Then came the fireworks, tingling everywhere.

Sophie's POV-

Keefe. Was. Kissing. Me. Fireworks were everywhere, tingling. Sophie kissed him back, wondering how oblivious she was when all the weird looks from Ro came.

"Hello, lovebirds."

Keefe's eyes widened and broke free from the kiss. "Mom..." "Keefe. If you love her so much, would you guys be okay sharing a prison? Or, maybe if you guys think that you will get annoyed from each other easily, I could give you separate cells..."

Keefe jumped in front of Sophie.

"Keefe... Be careful..." She whispered. "I'd do anything I can to protect you. I promise."

Suddenly Ruy was there, trapping them in separate force fields. Keefe's mom strode over to Sophie's dome, and suddenly it disappeared. "You won't be much use to me," She said while producing a throwing star from her pocket.

"Sophie!"

"I-I'll be fine..."

Lady Gisela suddenly pressed the throwing star into her left arm, making a small trickle of blood form.

Meanwhile, Keefe was desperately trying to go and help her, but Ruy made the force field bend and stretch. "Now you'll tell me where the stuff you found from our hideout is," Lady Gisela said.

She pushed the blade harder.

Sophie gritted her teeth.

Suddenly, there was an explosion, and when she turned her head, she saw Keefe out of his force field. Ruy was frantically waving his hands, but nothing happened. Slowly by slowly, his hands blackened like they did when Tam was making his shadows seep in his skin.

"Enough!" said a figure behind then

Gethen.

"Just come with us, or else we'll torture the Vacker boy."

"Fitz? Fitz got captured?"

"Yes. If you don't come with us, we'll torture him." "Don't! We'll come with you. But can you let him go?" "No. that's nope in everything. But, brace yourselves. I'll take you to our hideout."

The next thing Sophie knew, there was a sharp Clonk! on her head, and there was blackness. Why did they have the rock in the first place? How did they know that they'd be here?

As she was fading into darkness, her last thought was, They prepared for this.

"Sophie? Keefe?" Sophie groaned and sat up. She winced as the bright light hit her eyes. "Fitz?" "Sophie!" They hugged. "Oh, barf fest," a figure behind them said. But at least he was awake.

"I-is your shoulder okay?"

"I guess so."

That was a lie. It felt like her shoulder was breaking her. Has Lady Gisela pressed that hard?

"Liar. It's killing you."

He fanned the air. "Good thing I bought pain killer," he said as she brought out a vial. "Thanks." She poured it in her mouth and the pain in her shoulder dimmed.

"Oh, Keefe and Sophie. You're here. I mean, awake. We want you to join the Neverseen.' "What?" Sophie asked. "Time for lesson Selfishness with Gethen. Come this way. After this lesson, The Vacker boy may leave."

"Okay, we just have to survive this," Sophie muttered.

"Don't worry. I'm always with you." Keefe said at one side of her.

She smiled weakly at him. "Thank you. For everything." "Anytime."

At Gethen's place

Gethen smiled. "Sophie. Keefe. And a Vacker boy." "I have a name, you know." "Yeah. The Vacker boy." Keefe smirked.

"Okay. Number one: So you have to sacrifice someone. Who do you kill? That Vacker boy, or Gisela's son? Kill one, or they're both dead." He handed Sophie a gun.

"Me?" Sophie asked, surprised.

"Yes, you. You have ten seconds. Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven..."

Meanwhile, Sophie was thinking. I can't kill either of them. I'm not a killer. They're defenceless.

"Five... Four... Three..."

Without thinking, she pointed it at herself and shot. "One!" Gethen said as the whole place dimmed.

Keefe's POV

"NO!"

He rushed over to her, his tears spilling.

Gethen, sounding annoyingly bored and disappointed, said "She gets a G minus on her report today." Keefe grabbed Gethen's arm. He felt an annoyingly spill of boredom and annoyance from Gethen.

"WHO CARES?"

"Okay, Okay! Give her this."

Gethen produced a vial of blue stuff from his pocket. "Pour this in her mouth, and she'll heal in two days."

Keefe really, really was ready two punch him. But he used his willpower, which, by the way, was very very hard. He poured the blue water inside Sophie's mouth, and he couldn't help noticing that the water was the same shade as his eyes.

"Okay. Now I'll levitate her into our healing room." Gethen started toward her, but Keefe blocked his path. "Actually, I'll do it."

"That way." Gethen pointed to a tunnel. "And go left, right, left and left."

It was a good time to say, "Wow, you guys have a lot of places" But right now was so not the time.

He did what Gethen instructed, and found himself-

In a smelly, tiny room.

Keefe plugged his nose.

"Ruy! This place stinks!"

"I Know. You have the gnomes to yourself, so too bad."

Keefe grabbed a set of bottles the sent of Calla's panakes blossoms.

He tossed it to Ruy.

He unbottled it and smashed it in the center of the healing cave.

'Hey!"

"Spreads the smell around."

Ruy stalked over to Keefe and squinted at Foster. "Yeowch," he said before gesturing to a bed.

Keefe dropped Foster on the bed. He also poured a bottle of Stone Softener on the bed- Keefe could tell that the bed was so not fit for a queen.

Not that Foster was a queen, even though Keefe thought that she was good enough to be a queen...

Now is NOT the time, he thought. I wonder if she felt this hopeless and despaired when I was the one on a bed, and all she could do was watch... He suddenly felt a rush of pity, sadness, and an ache that wasn't there before.