Into the Blue Beam

FOUR - TWO DAYS AGO

All his life, Keefe had sought attention—so it was extra hard to look unnoticeable in the crowded subway station. He'd always considered himself somewhat eye-catching, but what was more was the lack of tickets in his hands—one for the subway, and one for the airport.

He wasn't even sure where Amy's house was—or what her identity had currently been changed to. It was all a test of his preparedness, and gulons knew "prepared" was not Keefe Sencen's style.

But you need to learn, he thought. That's what this whole mission is about: learning how to plan, learning how to control my ability.

Even now, his stomach turned with the passing of a woman who was late to the station. Keefe's throat opened against his will, but before he could shout a command, he reached into his backpack and stuffed some sort of sweet confection he'd stolen a block away into his mouth.

He'd discovered the trick yesterday after escaping the Neverseen. He'd been hungry, but apparently things in the Forbidden Cities weren't given away on the trust that you had a gajillion-dollar birth fund resting in your account.

That was yet another thing Keefe had learned about the humans: money. It was all anyone cared about.

He didn't get it—because he was an elf—and the stark differences between the two cultures were starting to catch up to him. He was in way over his head.

Which was why he'd called for help.

Even though the whole point of running away was to be alone.

Just a few more days, and then you will be, he reminded himself.

A few more days to learn all he could, and then he was officially on his own.

Yet for some reason that idea scared him.

Keefe could sense his agitation growing among the various emotions the humans around him experienced at the same time. When he'd first arrived in London, that hadn't been possible—but he was slowly growing accustomed to Keefeing (as he'd temporarily dubbed his new ability).

He was getting better at his ability, but it was happening too slowly. He needed to function around humans now; he couldn't wait five years.

Maybe if he'd stayed in the Lost Cities...

Maybe.

But maybe wasn't a "yes." And he couldn't have taken that chance.

Which meant he had to take this chance.

"If he's even coming," Keefe murmured to himself.

"Oh, so you're speaking now?"

The voice came from behind him, and Keefe spun around with a grin on his face, even as he registered the tone of the question hadn't been pleasant. "You made it—without telling anyone, right?"

Suddenly the thought that Dex had somehow betrayed him made Keefe want to vomit. Then again, that could've been due to the group of children that barreled past them.

Dex looked out of place among the drab clothing (and expressions) of the Londeners. Even the red paint on the trains seemed dull in comparison to his friend's tunic and cape. Keefe would have been worried about startling people, but over the past few days he'd seen way weirder stuff than an elf lookalike.

Or, well, an actual elf. Not that people knew that.

"You got what I asked for?" Keefe said once he'd scanned the general area and found it Black Swan-free.