Book Two: KOTLC One-shots and More

The Green Pill (Keefe POV)

A/N: @TheHugMaster requested Keefe's POV of Sophie's ability reset during Legacy. This will be told in two chapters.

"Hey, how soon can you get to Havenfield?" Dex asked Keefe through the Imparter. "Sophie has decided to let Mr. Forkle reset her inflicting ability to make it stronger—"

Keefe sighed, shaking his head ruefully. "I knew she'd change her mind about that." Sophie wasn't one to play it safe. "I'll come now."

Sophie was going to need him. And he'd already told her he'd be right there with her if she decided to go ahead with it.

Keefe couldn't avoid his dad on his way to the Leapmaster, but thankfully, his dad didn't try to stop him once Keefe had briefly explained the situation.

He was also thankful his dad didn't try to go with him. Lord Nosypants was the last thing Foster needed today.

When he and Ro reappeared in the pastures at Havenfield, they saw Foster under the Panakes with Biana and Stina, making some sort of makeshift bed out of pillows and blankets.

He felt a sting of jealousy that Stina was part of this now. If it hadn't been for his mother, he would have been appointed to that team alongside Foster. Instead, she was stuck working with Stina Heks. She didn't even like Stina, and Stina definitely didn't like her.

As he approached, he could hear snippets of their conversation. And Keefe found himself smiling in spite of the situation when Foster shrugged and said, "There's never a good time to almost die."

"Okay, someone needs to get that embroidered on a tunic for our Mysterious Lady F immediately!" He called out.

She spun around at the sound of his voice, and he enjoyed just a second's pleasure at the way her mood shifted slightly upwards in response to his arrival.

Then he noticed what she was wearing.

She had on that ridiculous 'happy shadow thoughts' tunic again.

He knew Linh made it for her, not Tam, but still. And he couldn't even tease her for it because...Tam was gone. Being held prisoner—by Keefe's mother.

So he refrained, choosing instead to ask Biana about the exploding chandelier he'd heard her mention.

Biana told him about their adventures in Loamnore and he looked over at Foster. "That sounds like our Lovely Lady F," he teased. "Can't take her anywhere without her trying to blow something up."

"Uh, excuse me, the explosion was Wylie's doing, not mine," she argued. "And Biana was the one who suggested we search the Grand Hall."

"And it's a good thing I did!" Biana noted.

"It was. We'll have to check in with Nubiti tomorrow and see if she found anything else."

"No, we'll have to check in with Nubiti tomorrow," Biana corrected, gesturing to herself and Stina. "You will be getting lots of rest."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. I've done this before, remember?"

Oh, I definitely remember.

"Uh, yeah, and as someone who was there the last time you did this and saw you rocking the whole sweaty, slightly green look, I'm pretty sure you're gonna need to chill for a bit, there, Ms. Go-Getter," Keefe reminded her, in full agreement with Biana on this one. "Especially since they're probably not going to let you take any painkillers for the first twenty-four hours."

"I forgot about that," she replied, her gaze falling to the ground as she kicked some Panakes blossoms, seeming discouraged now. "Why does almost dying have to be the worst?"