Keeper of The Lost Cities: Book 9: Showdown

Chapter 7 - Keefe's POV

The next week whirls by between classes, helping Liam with house chores (shut up. I'm a nice person), and, as much as I don't want to, I can't stop myself from dwelling on Mr. Forkle's words. Liam tells me about this thing called The Tube that they have in London - I guess it's kind of like a plane, only it goes underground instead of aboveground?  It's so cool, though.

On Saturday, two weeks after I came to London and met Mr. Forkle, it's snowing and Oxford is closed for this holiday humans call Christmas. I did some research and basically, you get a tree - which Liam has already selected and put in our (I guess it's his) living room - and you decorate it with these ball-shaped things called ornaments (they're kind of pretty) and you buy presents for everyone and you give them to everyone and you drink this drink called eggnog and you have fun and you make snowmen. There are two weeks left for Christmas, and I'm taking The Tube to this department store called Harrods. I had to do a lot of research, and I decided on buying these luxury watches. I'm going to buy Dr. Daniel a Rolex, and Liam a Patek Philipe. They don't cost too much luster-wise, but I read somewhere that they are really expensive - like I-can-barely-afford-this-if-I'm-not-a-celebrity expensive, so I think it'll be appreciated. It was watches or a car - and Liam already has this sleek short thing, so I don't think he needs a luxury car.

During my shopping trip, I end up buying a bunch of presents - including a new coffee machine, since the one Liam has sounds like a dying komodo dragon, a lot of ornaments for the tree, and - ok, fine, I'll say it - new phones for both the Daniels. Latest model. And, even better, I got phone cases for both of them - platinum for Dr. Daniels, and 24 karat gold for Liam. And all that's just a small portion. I ended up burning through two lusters. I hail a taxi so I don't have to go through The Tube with all my expensive stuff, and so that I can get home early. After dumping all my findings in my room and collapsing onto the bed. I hear a knock. It's not Liam, he has a key. I groan and roll off the bed, then go to open the door.

I was not expecting who it was at all.

In fact, if I had to make a list of everyone who would visit, he would have been the last person on my list.

So I was very surprised when I opened the door. Surprised enough to speak.

"Tam?"

He smirks his usual smirk - excuse me, that was my job - and shoves into the room. "Nice to know you're alive," Tam says as he makes himself comfortable on the couch. He looks around. "Nice place."

"What happened? What are you doing here? How did you find me?" Questions tumble out of my mouth as my mind scrambles to go through every worst-case scenario.

Tam holds up his hands in surrender. "Woah, calm down, nothing's wrong, I'm doing something here which you will learn about in a moment, and I found you through Mr. Forkle, no, he does not know that I know where you are. And-" he shoots me a warning look. "I intend on keeping it that way."

"Why are you here? You, of all people?" I grip the counter.

"Yes, me of all people. And I'm here because..."

"Because why, Bangs Boy? If you're going to ask me to come back to the Lost Cities, the door's over there." I point to the door for a second, then go back to gripping the counter.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I'm here because everyone's worried about you." Tam wrings his hands and stares at the floor.

I grip the counter even harder. "And... who's included in 'everyone'?"

Tam sighs and stares at the floor. "I think your dad's gone mad - no, he's gone insane. Fitz is doing that thing where he doesn't sleep and acts like he's ok when really he's not ok. Alden's... not taking it well either." he looks up at me, silver meeting ice-blue for the first time since he's come here. "Sophie's been the worst. I haven't visited her yet, but I overheard Linh and Marella talking. She's not ok."

I let go of the counter and stalk to the dishwasher, anxious to do something to keep myself in check. So I start unloading. But Tam's not done.

"But that's not entirely why I'm here. There's been..." he shakes his head, apparently not finding words. "Something's happened. You remember when Sophie went all rage monster on the Neverseen hideout and burned the place down and Glimmer got her stupid cat statue back?" after I nod, he continues. "Well, it took the Neverseen long enough to figure it out, but they did, and... they did a bunch of things.

"They want everything that we took from the hideout back... they made death threats against you... and... "

"And what?" I practically snarl.

"And they took Dex and Biana as hostages."

"WHAT?"

"Yep." Tam pops the "p" and stares at his hands nonchalantly. "I came here to check on you. No one knows I'm here, but we do know that they have surveillance on you, and you could be in serious danger."

"Remind me why you're concerned about this."

"Don't you understand? Your life's on the line." He stands up and wrings his hands, then throws them in the air. "You don't care about that?"

"If it will protect others, it's something I'm willing to do."

Tam seethes and looks at me. "And then we have Mr. and Ms. Oblivious."

It's my turn to throw my hands in the air. "What's that supposed to mean? And who's the 'Ms.'?"

"JUST ACCEPT IT ALREADY! YOU LIKE HER, SHE LIKES YOU!"

"WHO ON EARTH IS HER?"

"YOU KNOW WHO!"

"NO I DON'T!"

Tam buries his head in his hands then stares at the ceiling. "I'm talking about Sophie, you pathetic excuse of a genius! Unless you like someone else, who would I be talking about?"

"What are you, my new personal matchmaker or something?"

"I'm someone who just happens to be so much like you and I can't tolerate your obliviousness anymore! If you're not going to come back, do it for Sophie! She's not what she used to be! As much as---"

"I RAN AWAY FOR SOPHIE! WHATEVER I DO I DO FOR SOPHIE! WHY DON'T YOU GET THAT INTO YOUR THICK BONED SILVER AND BLACK COVERED MOP OF HAIR THAT COVERS YOUR DAM SKULL!"

Tam knocked back a step, and for a second I thought I had gone too far. He turns away and stares out of the floor-to-ceiling industrial windows highlighting the London Skyline. When he does speak, it's barely above a whisper, so much so I think I only moved his lips. "Sophie," he says. "You called her Sophie. By her first name."

"Why is that so shocking?" I go back to unloading the dishwasher.

"No reason." ugh. Silver-banged people these days. "Listen, if I stay any longer, Linh's going to wonder where I am. So, will you please keep your Imparter with you? So that... so that I don't have to send Ro here."

"You'd do that?"

"If I don't think you are going to be safe, then yes, I would."

I sigh. Tam's too much like me. Sometimes I wish it weren't true. "Ok, fine, I'll keep a silver square that isn't human technology in my pocket with me while in a human city."

Tam nodded and smiled. "I knew you'd do it."

As Tam turns to leave, I call back out to him. "Tam?" when he turns around, I continue. "Thank you."

Tam nods solemnly, then the light whisks him away. 

A/N: Hello! Thanks for making it this far! Lemme know in the comments what you guys think of it and what I can do to make it better! 

Also: Get this, Showdown is #3 under #ritzcracker! 

I have no idea how that works but WOOHOO!