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Chapter 13 - Sophie

"I think we're both here for the same reason, so I'm only going to ask you this once. Where's Keefe?"

Sophie gritted her teeth. "I don't know."

She tried to suppress the anger boiling up inside of her. Lady Gisela was the source of every problem. It all led back to her, one way or another. She was the one to blame for everything.

Two other Neverseen members flocked on the sides of Keefe's mom, each holding a melder. They had their hoods up so Sophie couldn't tell who they were.

"I know the Vacker girl's with you," Lady Gisela sneered. "She might as well come out."

Biana didn't reappear. Sophie wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"She's not here," Ro said, stepping in front of Sophie protectively. "Just us."

Lady Gisela tilted her head. "Continue to lie if you like, it will only make this harder. Now I'll ask you this again, where's Keefe?"

"I told you, I don't know!" Sophie shouted. She took a deep breath to steady her swirling emotions. "Neither of us wants a fight, right?"

"I know I do," Ro snarled, drawing a dagger.

Sophie glared at her. "No. We don't."

"Then tell your vanisher to come out," Lady Gisela said.

Suddenly the Neverseen member standing on Lady Gisela's left doubled over like he'd been punched in the gut. He cried out in pain before he was pushed to the ground by an invisible force. His head hit the concrete with a deafening crack. The wind blew his hood back, revealing an all too familiar blond telepath.

Sophie gasped. "Gethen."

Before anyone could react, the melder Gethen was holding floated into the air, and the next thing Sophie knew Biana had Lady Gisela in a headlock with the melder pressed up against her neck.

The other Neverseen member drew their melder and pressed it up against Biana's back.

Sophie stared at the three of them horrified. Biana had knocked out Genthen. Ro let out a low whistle.

Lady Gisela raised her hands but Biana didn't let go. She just wished Keefe's mom looked a little more surprised instead of amused about their current situation. She smiled coyly, her ice-blue eyes dulled down to a distant grey.

"Let's all calm down," Lady Gisela said. Her voice was flat, free of any emotion. "Trix, lower your melder."

The Neverseen member on her right—apparently Trix—didn't move. "But—"

"Lower your melder."

Trix hesitated before pocketing his weapon and stepping back.

Sophie had never fought Trix face to face before—at least not knowingly—only heard his name. He was a Guster and one of Wylie's kidnappers, that much Sophie knew, but that was all.

"Now, Biana." Lady Gisela said her name like she was spitting poison from her teeth. "Lower your melder."

"Or what?" Biana snarled.

Lady Gisela didn't answer.

After a deathly long silence, she said, "Shoot me."

Biana's face grew pale as shock danced across her features. "W—What?"

"Shoot me," Keefe's mom repeated. Her voice didn't quaver.

Biana got over her surprise and pressed the barrel of the melder deeper into Lady Gisela's neck. "Whatever game you're playing, you can give up now."