That night, Tam slept soundly, restoring the energy he'd gone through. Sophie came to visit the next day, and immediately demanded they take another day off when she saw Tam still having to help Keefe to stay standing. The three of them, along with Linh, Marella, and Wylie, spent the day eating mallowmelt and chatting. Much to Sophie's disappointment, Keefe still wouldn't tell the story of the Great Gulon Incident.

"The time hasn't come yet," he said. "You must be patient with the Keefester."

"Well the time better hurry up," Sophie replied impatiently. "What does it take?"

"Apparently more than Keefe and Tam getting along," Wylie said.

"We never said we were getting along," Tam stated. No one was convinced.

"You're sitting next to each other without looking like you want to scramble to the opposite side of the room or strangle each other," Marella noticed. "I think you've reached that point." Keefe and Tam both turned red.

"Darn," Keefe said. "Our secret's been revealed."

"I wonder how that came about," Linh speculated.

"I guess forcing them to be alone together actually worked," Sophie deduced.

"What happened in your private sessions for this to occur?" Marella inquired teasingly.

"True horrors that will never be revealed to you," Keefe answered.

"Was it really that bad?" Wylie asked.

"I mean, not really," Tam replied. "But it definitely hits the max level of awkwardness."

"Wait, do you have to hold hands?" Marella concluded excitedly. Tam's mind went into panic mode.

"No," he and Keefe responded unconvincingly.

"Liar," Sophie said. Keefe looked at his wrist and saw Sophie was holding it.

"Oh come on!" he protested. "Not fair, Foster! Just because you know the little Empath tricks doesn't mean you can just use them to expose me and Tam—" Ro gasped.

"He said Tam," she exclaimed. "Oh, you definitely were holding hands. Lord Hunkyhair and the Angst Machine were holding hands!" Tam and Keefe buried their faces in their hands as the conversation blew up into theories about what else had happened during their training sessions.

After the humiliating conversation finished, Sophie had to leave with Sandor to take care of something she wouldn't tell them about. Keefe and Tam went back to their room and flopped face-first onto their beds.

"I think it's safe to say that was the most embarrassing moment of my life," Keefe said, his voice muffled from his face being shoved into his pillow.

"That was demeaning," Tam agreed.

Keefe had nightmares of his mom that evening. She had taken him back, forced him to use his ability against his friends only to discover he couldn't use it without Tam balancing his power. Lady Gisela had then captured Tam as well, put the binders back on him. Together, they were forced to destroy everything they ever knew.

Tam shook Keefe awake just before the explosion happened.

"You good?" he asked. Keefe wiped the sweat off his forehead before slowly nodding.

"I'm fine," Keefe lied. Tam's eyes narrowed apprehensively, but he said nothing, instead holding his out his arm to help Keefe out of his bed.

Keefe couldn't focus during training that day. Everyone else but them and Ro, who was patrolling the grounds, were gone on separate matters. After almost a dozen failed attempts at using his ability, Tam led Keefe to a nearby bench.

"Okay," he started as they both sat down. "What's happening?"

"Nothing," Keefe grumbled.

"Keefe, you're stealing my spot as the angsty one and I want to know why."

"Why would you care?" Tam thought about his answer.

"Because… I do," he said, placing his hand on Keefe's shoulder. Keefe looked up at him. "Besides, I can't have you stealing my thunder, Egomaniac." Keefe raised his eyebrows, then burst out laughing.

"Is that seriously one of the ones you came up with?" he asked. Tam nodded, smiling slightly. Keefe laughed for a little while longer before he regained his composure, his face serious again, "I had a dream about my mom."

"She forced you to do things you didn't want to do, didn't she?" Keefe nodded.

"I destroyed everything," Keefe whispered. "We both did."

"I had to be there for your ability to work," Tam concluded.

"Yeah, it sucked."

"Because I was there?" Tam asked.

"No, because you had to get dragged into it. I wasn't strong enough to use my ability without you."

"Hey," Tam squeezed Keefe's shoulder. "It's only a dream."

"But it could still happen."

"It won't," Tam assured him. "We won't let that happen."

"Really?" a voice called from behind them. "How cute."

Keefe and Tam turned around just in time to see Glimmer's figure before she created a flash of blinding light.