KOTLC After Stellarlune-A Sokeefe Story

The Scare

The weeks passed in a haze of excitement, planning, and lots of alone time at Aeternum. Before they knew it, it was time to resume Foxfire.

"Time to get up, Foster," Keefe murmured softly, stroking her cheek. "Bronte may like you now, but he'll still chew you out if you're late for your Inflicting session. And I'm not sure playing the pregnant card will get you any sympathy from him."

Sophie groaned. "No, probably not." She sat up slowly. That "sleeping for two" comment Keefe had made a few weeks ago was proving to be very accurate. She was perpetually exhausted. And was starting to deal with some nausea too, though that hadn't been too bad. She still remembered Silveny sharing her morning sickness memories and was thankful she didn't feel that bad. "But I'm so tired."

But something about the way Keefe wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her drove her exhaustion from her mind, at least temporarily. And he knew it. His smug grin told her he was definitely turning her focus on other things in order to make her forget how tired she was--and that he'd known it would work.

Because he knew perfectly well the effect he had on her.

Sophie sighed. "Okay, but now I'm tired and distracted. And suddenly much less interested in leaving this house today."

Keefe smirked. "I'm all for skipping classes, but I have a feeling you'll regret that. But if we can get there early enough, we can swing by the Healing Center and get an elixir from Elwin to help you feel less sleepy."

"I think if I can just get up and make myself get going, I'll be okay," Sophie decided. "Maybe a quick shower. Sometimes that helps wake me up." She pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail, not wanting to take the time to wash it this morning.

But the shower proved to be a mistake.

She hadn't been in there long when the world started spinning and her vision started going dark around the edges. She barely managed to shut the water off and sink to the floor of the shower, dizzy and nauseated and panting for breath.

The world just wouldn't right itself. Sitting provided some relief, but not much. The longer she sat there, the more she began to worry that the shaky, dizzy, clammy feeling wasn't going to go away.

"Sophie?" Keefe's voice called out from outside the shower. "You shut the water off several minutes ago but haven't come out yet, are you okay?"

"I don't feel right," Sophie said, shocked at how weak her voice sounded.

Keefe was by her side in an instant. He crouched down beside her, his eyes scrunched together in concern. "You look really pale, Sophie. Maybe I should hail Elwin."

Sophie shook her head. "He can't see me like this! I'm not even dressed."

"Livvy, then."

"If I could just get up and dressed..."

Keefe helped her up and wrapped her in a towel before guiding her back to the bed. "I'm going to grab you a bottle of Youth and hail Elwin, okay? I'll just tell him what's going on and see what he wants us to do."

Sophie nodded.

When Keefe came back upstairs a couple of minutes later, it was with a bottle of Youth and a bowl of fruit. "Elwin suggested you eat and drink something and then see if you can make it to the Healing Center," he told her softly as he sat down beside her. "If not, he said he'll come here."

Thankfully, the food and water helped. She still felt weak, but capable of getting dressed.

But the way her stomach clenched and her abdomen seemed to cramp really freaked her out.