KOTLC After Stellarlune-A Sokeefe Story

Break

The journey to Exile was as unpleasant as Sophie remembered.

But then, it was supposed to be. Exile was an unpleasant place, and they had an unpleasant task before them.

Before beginning their descent down the staircase, they stopped to wait for Grady's arrival. He appeared just moments after them, and immediately went and wrapped his arms around Sophie.

"You okay, kiddo?"

Sophie squeezed him tightly. "I think so. I just want to get this over with. I'm glad we aren't waiting now that I know I have to do this."

"Sometimes it's hard being your dad," Grady whispered with a laugh. "So much I have wanted to protect you from since you came to us, and most of it, I couldn't."

"But you supported me through it, and that's what has gotten me through," Sophie whispered back as she pulled away.

Grady smiled at her, then moved to place a hand on Keefe's shoulder. "How about you, son? Are you okay?"

Keefe shrugged. "If Sophie and Fitz are okay, then I'm okay. Just...frustrated that all of this is being brought back up again, you know?"

Grady nodded, understanding, as his eyes flickered to Oralie and back to Keefe.

Before Grady let go, Keefe looked steadily at him and said "I'm glad you're here...Dad." He said that last word with a slightly self-conscious smile.

Grady smiled back at him, clearly pleased, before clapping Fitz on the back. "Look after my girl in there," he told him.

Fitz grinned. "Will do."

"Okay," Oralie said quietly. "Let me fill you in on a few details. We had one of our Probes--well actually, it was Alden--break Gethen recently. We have been questioning the Neverseen agents periodically since their arrest. But we know Gethen was chosen for his skill as a Washer, and we don't know who all might have had important memories washed." Keefe trembled a little bit at the reminder. "Gethen is unfortunately very skilled at hiding information, and even when Alden broke his mind, we aren't sure we got everything. Rather than having you perform a healing to interrogate him and potentially just break him again, we opted to order a memory break on Gisela first, since mostly he was acting on her orders. And we want to make absolutely sure we stand the best chance of getting any vital information. If anyone has memories that have been washed without their prior knowledge or consent, they need to know."

"So that's what we are searching for? Any orders Gisela may have made to have peoples' memories washed?" Sophie asked apprehensively. What if they found more instances of Keefe's memories being washed? What would that do to him? There were still things they had never gotten answers to, and while he struggled wondering exactly what his mom had made him do--and then made him forget--they had also decided that maybe it was best they didn't know. They had accepted it and moved on.

And now it was all being brought back up.

Oralie offered a quiet, "yes" while Keefe placed his hand in Sophie's and squeezed it.

"Don't worry about me, Foster," he told her. "I'm ready for anything. We'll handle it together."

So Sophie looked at Fitz, who smiled softly at her. "I'm ready when you are," he assured her. And we can decide together what we share with who, and when, he added. If we find information about Keefe it's only fair that we tell him first.

Agreed, Sophie responded before saying aloud "then let's do this."

They made their way down the stairs, ready to enter The Room Where Chances Are Lost.