ɴɪɢʜᴛꜱʜᴀᴅᴇ ~ kotlc

Chapter 5~ Sophie

So I promised less sokeefe but...

Chapter after next, ok??

Sophie's eyes fluttered open. They burnt from the sudden brightness of the Healing Center. It felt as though the ceiling lights were permanently embedded into her retina. But once she adjusted to the light, she saw out of the corner of her eye, Elwin pushing Fitz down onto his cot. Why was Fitz there? Was he okay?

Her hearing was slightly muffled, so she only faintly heard Keefe's footsteps rushing to her side. He grabbed her hand tenderly and lightly pressed his lips to her knuckles. He looked up at her and smirked daringly, his blue eyes sparkling. "I missed you, my Lovely Lady F," he said.

"Smoooooooooth," Ro snorted. Keefe' smirk wavered slightly as he looked to Ro. She gave him a pointed look, and Sophie didn't know what Ro meant by it. But she had a vague idea.

She blushed, trying to avoid eye contact with Keefe. She failed. Miserably.

She couldn't stop thinking about his deep ice-blue, glacier blue eyes that were peering into her own brown ones. His eyes were as blue as an unforgiving frozen tundra, yet warm and kind as a crackling and comforting campfire. The darker blue flecks in his eye were like shattered, shimmering sapphires.

Once Sophie realized what she was thinking, her blushing intensified. She attempted to cover it up with a gentle smile. "I-I missed you too," she stammered, her thoughts still centered around Keefe.

Ro groaned from the corner. "The Great Foster Oblivion strikes again!" she grumbled. Keefe ignored Ro, but his cheeks were slightly tinted pink. Whatever that meant.

Elwin cleared his throat, covering his mouth with his hand. But he was noticeably smiling mischievously.

Keefe was still holding Sophie's hand, and he didn't seem to plan on letting go. He sat down next to her, and Sophie had a sudden urge to lean on his shoulder again. But she quickly pushed the thought away. She couldn't do that, especially in front of Fitz.

"Are you feeling better, Sophie?" Linh asked quietly, her sliver-blue eyes timid and hopeful. Sophie nodded, but the action made her head throb. She pinched the bridge of her nose nonchalantly to try to subdue the pain.

No one else seemed to notice, thankfully. But Keefe did send claiming blue breezes into her mind. Sophie had to admit, they helped a lot. The throbs receded, and she no longer felt like she was seeing everything through a fish-eye lens.

Linh handed Sophie a small and dainty bottle. A blue liquid- so dark it was almost black- sloshed around inside of it. Sophie cradled the bottle in her hand. She knew she'd have to open it, having to pull her hand away from Keefe's in the process.

"What is this?" Sophie asked, and Linh bit her lip. Her cheeks looked pinker than usual, and her hair more limp. There were also bruises on her knuckles, making Sophie concerned, but didn't want to pry. Linh had been going through a lot of stress anyway. Besides, she had Tam to help her through it. Sophie didn't want to push Linh.

"It's Nightshade. It can heal broken minds, and I just wanted to give you that as a precaution. It only grows in the Wanderling Woods, and I ground them up to make an elixir." Linh paused briefly, gesturing behind her to Fitz's cot where he was sitting.. "I also gave some to Fitz."

Sophie glanced at Fitz, and she felt more guilt close in on her. She vaguely remembered Fitz trekking into her mind, trying to help her. But she had almost broken his mind in the process.

Before she knew it, she began to hyperventilate. The room felt like it was shrinking, trapping her inside. Without realizing it, Sophie pulled her hand away from Keefe's rapidly. wrapping her arms around her legs.