Adrift (KotLC PJo Crossover)

✨Chapter 16✨

Keefe

Keefe sat on his bed, working on another drawing. It was their kiss. His first real kiss. Nothing could beat the feeling of Sophie telling him she loved him. He'd thought he didn't have a chance. He never would have confessed if she hadn't. He knew it would probably ruin his relationship with Fitz.

His thoughts wandered. He knew he should try to get some sleep, but nerves kept him awake. He set down his drawing materials, and opened the door of his bedroom.

Of course, Sandor was blocking his path.

"Where do you think you're going?" He demanded.

Keefe rolled his eyes. "I'm just going outside. I need some fresh air. I'll be fine, Gigantor."

Sandor narrowed his eyes. "You won't run off, right? I'll be watching." He stepped aside, and Keefe made his way outside.

The cool air helped clear his scattered thoughts. He sat down on the stairs, and put his head in his hands. He tried hard not to show how distraught he was about Sophie's disappearance. That just made it all the worse when he was alone. He'd had less than an hour with her after their kiss. The universe definitely has it out for him.

Thunder clapped, and Silveny dropped out of the void, landing in front of him. She whinnyed, trotting around restlessly. Keefe ran over to her,  trying to calm her.

"Hey, hey what's wrong?" Keefe asked in a soothing tone.

SOPHIE! NEED! HELP! The nervous alicorn transmitted into his mind.

That settled it for Keefe. He immediately jumped on Silveny's back. She launched into the sky, then dove, and entered the void. A split second later, they were flying above a dark forest. Silveny dove through the thick canopy and landed right in front of Sophie.

Immediately, he knew something was seriously wrong. She was sitting up against a tree, hyperventilating, and staring up at nothing. Even though his Empathy was broken, he could feel her waves of terror and panic.

Keefe jumped off Silveny's back and sprinted over to Sophie. He shook her shoulders. "Foster! What happened?! SOPHIE!"

SOPHIE! MIND! HURT! Silveny transmitted.

What does that mean? He thought. Keefe grabbed Sophie's hand, feeling the power of her Enhancing.

Idrk how to accurately describe when Keefe sends those breezes of good feelings or whatever, but here we go. I think it kinda works like inflicting.

Keefe gathered every drop of happy, calm feelings he could. He gathered them in his mind, until he shoved all of it into Sophie's mind. Again and again, until her breathing slowed, but her gaze never shifted from the empty stare. That look... It reminded him of when he saw-No.

He refused to make the connection. He shoved the thoughts away, but one slipped through.

Prentice.

No, no, no, no. Keefe picked Sophie up gently. Her head lolled back, still with that unblinking gaze. He walked back over to Silveny, who had knelt down so he could climb on her back.

"We need to get back to Elwin." He told the alicorn. Silveny spread her wings, but froze when they heard horse hoof beats approaching.

"Sophie!" Two people. They came closer, and he saw a man and teenage girl on horseback.

"Who are you?" The girl asked. Then she gasped. "What happened?"

Silveny danced nervously as the girl carefully got off the horse and approached slowly.

"Are you... Keefe?" She asked cautiously. "I'm Annabeth. Sophie's my friend. We won't hurt you guys."

Keefe narrowed his eyes, then got off Silveny's back. Annabeth rushed forward. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. I just found her like this. Did somebody do this to her?" Keefe responded.

Annabeth hesitated. "It might be something that she did. She told me that elves don't respond very well to violence. She... killed a monster."

Keefe stared in shock. She'd killed a monster? Was this why she looked like Prentice had when his mind was... No. Sophie was stronger than that.

"Chiron, come look at her. I'm not sure what's wrong with her." Annabeth waved over the man still on the horse. As he came closer, Keefe saw that he wasn't on the horse, he was part of the horse. 

"What are you?" Keefe held Sophie out of Horse-Guy's arm length. He wasn't about to hand his girlfriend over to a horse-dude.

"I promise, I mean you no harm. I am a centaur. I know all about the elves. I am not your enemy. I simply wish to help Miss Foster." 

Keefe reluctantly handed Sophie to Chiron, then Chiron said, "We should take her back to the Big House. If you would prefer to bring your alicorn-" He was cut off when Silveny spread her wings, shot into the sky, and teleported away, sending one final message.

SOPHIE! SAFE!