what happened after unlocked

chapter fifty-seven ~ identities

Sophie felt like she might pass out when she saw Lady Gisela, who had taken her last breath several minutes ago. Her skin was red and raw and burnt in places, her face was blue, and her eyelids had turned purplish-black.

Keefe let out a choked sound when he saw his mother, holding tight onto Sophie's hand. Sophie could feel his battling emotions pulsing through his veins.

Biana, Tam and Fitz had revived Linh, Marella, and Wylie themselves, but the Neverseen members woke up before the others. They both glugged down a few bottles each of a foul-smelling violet potion while avoiding the others.

Both of them seemed to know what would happen if they left, so they stayed – but also because they knew Sophie and her friends were safe.

"Do you guys all want to stay a bit longer?" Biana asked them gently. "And we can take you mom with us if you want, Keefe."

Keefe opened his mouth, only to abruptly closing it again, not knowing what to say.

"We can leave," Sophie said for him. "Just make sure they don't get away." She eyed the members of the Neverseen.

Linh helped up Marella, who was shaking with over-exertion. Wylie put a hand into his pocket and lifted a small empty vial, walking over to where Lady Gisela lay.

They all crowded around her body, even the Neverseen pair.

Wylie knelt down, reached out, and plucked a hair from her scalp, directing it into the vial. Keefe wrapped one arm around Sophie, burying his head into her shoulder.

Sophie and Keefe stood up when everyone else looked at them. The Neverseen members reluctantly held onto Linh's shoulders as she held up her crystal, taking them all away from the hills and leaping them to a very long, very steep-looking staircase in the clouds.

"Maybe we should just go to Everglen," Fitz suggested, gesturing at the stairs, which no-one looked particularly keen to ascend.

Sophie held out her crystal, beckoning for everyone to come in contact with her. The crystal glinted, glowing brighter, and then they leaped away again, arriving in the expansive pastures of Havenfield.

Almost immediately, the Neverseen members threw off their hoods.

Sophie, Keefe, Wylie, Fitz, Biana, Marella, Linh and Tam simultaneously looked at them.

Because none of them actually knew about their relevance to the Neverseen, they weren't very shocked at their appearances.

The taller one, a male elf, had glorious caramel skin, eyes like glittering midnight-blue jewels, and a thick smattering of freckles across his nose. His attractiveness was like a second sun, beaming bright on them all. Sophie was completely shocked for a second; how was someone in the Neverseen this beautiful?

The female elf was slightly different in appearance - she had warm, chocolate-brown skin, violet eyes, matching eyeshadow, and dramatic black eyeliner. Her short raven hair was so dark it was almost blue, and something about her gaze on them all was entrancing. Sophie's breath caught in her throat.

Both elves, while looking young as the friends, had sharply pointed ears, indicating that they had been living for a while.

"Who are you?" Biana commanded.

"I'm Izabella," the raven-haired elf said, in a sharp, raspy voice that made them all focused. "That's Nico. We're siblings."

Nico waved shyly at them all, nodding. "And...um...maybe tell them about the other thing?"