Chapter 13: The Fight

"C'mon," Keefe said. "I don't want to be here longer than I have to."

"Were not even there yet," Sophie reminded him. "Besides, we haven't checked on your dad in weeks. You can deal with one visit. We'll be in and out. Hopefully."

She turned away so he wouldn't see how worried she was, even though he could probably sense it. Sophie knew Keefe didn't want to interact with his dad, but she was worried about what would happen if there was something wrong.

They arrived at Candleshade. The door was unlocked.

Keefe pushed it open, revealing a silent entrance hall. They walked into the living room, there footsteps sounding like giants were thundering through in the silence.

"Um...Lord Cassius?" Dex called.

"Hello?" Biana whimpered.

They made their way to the 4th floor, where Lord Cassius's bedroom was. This was only room in the house that seemed disturbed.

The bed covers were rumpled. A picture of Lady Gisela and him was shattered on the floor. A box was open and papers were spilling out. Sophie felt like she could hear the echo of a scream, as if Lord Cassius was still there.

But he wasn't.

The team began to examine the room. Sophie and Keefe knelt over the papers on the ground, shifting through them.

Sophie skimmed through most of it. They were letters to him, probably from Lady Gisela, from the looks of the words.

But them Keefe let out a gasp just as Sophie saw the signature.

It read:

Lots of kisses,

Peggy Luna Lanly

Sophie covered her mouth and the world seemed to stop as she turned her head slowly to Keefe.

He looked grim. Angry, almost.

"He had a girlfriend." He said calmly.

"Keefe..."

"He was married,"

"I..."

"Cheating and divorce was only a myth, a thing for humans, until..."

He looked at her.

"Until you came."

Sophie's words were lost in her throat. She felt an actual pain in her chest, as if someone had punched her in the gut.

Keefe stood up from his crouch position.

"This world was peaceful until you came along."

Fitz was beside her now. Dex was behind her. Biana was hovering hesitantly in between Keefe and Sophie.

Until you came.

You came.

You.

Sophie wasn't usually the person to get mad. But something inside her fired up.

"Until I came?" She said quietly. "You think I was the root of all this?"

"Yeah," Keefe snorted.

She stalked closer. "Well, I'm sorry you think that. But wake up, Keefe. The council has been having problems like this forever. I just woke you up from your little day dream!"

"Well, maybe I wanted to stay there!" Keefe shouted. "It may not have been perfect, my life, but it was better than now! My mom's gone, so is my dad, and apparently, he has a girlfriend! This was unheard of 'till you showed up!"

"So, you wish you had never met me?" She shouted.

"YEAH!" Keefe yelled back. "My life was easier without you."

Sophie closed her mouth, the sudden fire gone. Her eyes filled with tears and she turned to Fitz, who glared at his best friend while holding on to Sophie.

Keefe's eyes filled with pain and anger as he stalked away.