The Keefe Sencen Protection Program ✧ kotlc¹ [DISCONTINUED]

00 prologue

Sophie Foster was reeling.

Her hands shook as she clenched the note in her hands, her eyes wide and her body frozen. The words echoed in her head. My list of mistakes. I'm just trying to make sure I don't hurt anyone. I can't control them. Hiding the same way the Black Swan hid you.

Love, Keefe.

Actually that was the part that seemed to scream at her the loudest. Not just that Keefe had run from his problems again, because apparently that hadn't gone wrong enough last time. Not just that he thought that his very existence put all of their friends in danger—when this entire situation was Gisela's fault, not his. All of that was bothering her, of course, but the way he'd signed it...

Love, Keefe. Yes. She knew and she'd known for a long time. It was such a tiny little word, 'love'. Her memories flashed through her head; every touch, every little moment, every time Keefe had sacrificed something to protect her. Keefe Sencen wholly and undoubtedly loved her, and that wasn't something she was ready to face. Her own feelings weren't something she was ready to face. She just wanted all of these problems to go away and never come back, so she could go live somewhere peaceful all alone in the Bahamas or something and forget about elves and the Neverseen and love. Unfortunately, the universe didn't think Sophie was worthy of such an easy life and so here she was.

She was surprised when she started to sob. It started out small, a few rogue tears dripping down her cheeks, and then it was a waterfall, a cry of despair as she fell to her knees on the soft flower-petal carpet in her room. Because Keefe was gone and she knew no one would let her go after him, everyone would be there to stop her, saying that it was too dangerous and the Moonlark's job was here in boring Sparkle Land. She had never felt so lonely and she had never felt so powerless.

She heard footfalls and knew immediately who was behind her.

"You saw him."

Grady didn't respond.

"You were home when he came. Weren't you." It wasn't a question. It didn't need to be. She was right.

"Sophie."

She spun suddenly. "You let him LEAVE! He's hurting and no one CARES! EVERYONE ACTS LIKE A BUNCH OF TEENAGERS CAN HANDLE THEMSELVES IN A WAR OF REBELS, BUT WE CAN'T!" Her arm flung outward and knocked several books off her shelf. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

"Sophie!" Grady snapped, bringing her back to reality. "Keefe can make his own choices. You need to learn to live with them. I understand how you're feeling. He needs to find himself, alone. This isn't a time for you to be impulsive." He was right, of course. Sophie was getting angrier by the second. Her vision blurred, she stumbled around her room until her hand landed on her Imparter, muttering incoherently to herself.

She took a steadying breath. "Hail Mr. Forkle."

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

What have I done? What have I done what have I donewhathaveIdonewhat—

The Forbidden Cities weren't as beautiful as the Lost ones, but they had a sort of busy charm. Keefe stood in the middle of a bustling city square filled with colorful shops and fast-moving, chattering humans. Emotions pummeled him from every direction as he made a slow turn in awe. Sure, it smelled like sewage and pollution and factory emissions, but it was alive and full of people. Keefe started to cough. He was going to have to get used to this. Guilt and regret filled his heart, but the other emotions, that weren't his, reminded him why he had to do this. It was for the good of everyone he cared about. He was just going to have to remind himself that a few times a day.