Her Imperfections

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Well of course I'm going." Keefe snorted.
Ro echoed his snort and put a rather threatening hand on his shoulder. "No way pretty boy."
As Keefe struggled to shove off Ro's arm, Sophie turned her gaze to the council. They were all talking telepathically and from the pinched looks on their faces, it wasn't going well. And Sophie....
She didn't know how to feel. A gut instinct wanted to drag Keefe to the Neverseen just to save Amy, but Sophie couldn't do that to him. Every time she tried to imagine handing him over a bitter, trapped feeling made her breath catch. She hadn't figured out how she felt about Keefe, truthfully, and it was messing with her head.
Biana sputtered at the silence, "Don't even think about it, he can't go." Biana caught Sophie's cringe and winced, "I mean we'll find another way. I promise."
Fitz nodded along, "Just lie and get their location. We'll show up and take your sister."
This time Councillor Emery cut in, signaling the Council's decision was made. "Mr. Sencen?"
Keefe looked up from under Ro's meaty hand that was on top of his face. "Yeah?"
"You won't be going."
Sophie exhaled. Of course the Council wouldn't let him go. Amy was her sister and not their priority. They had to put Keefe's needs before Amy's.
"But," Emery paused, "We will send some goblins and Councillors to join Miss Foster. She will get the Neverseen's location and take a team to rescue her sister."
They.....
Helped her.
It was the first time Sophie had been given help by them with no strings attached or persuasion needed. They were taking a risk for her.
"Thank you." Sophie whispered.
"Councillor Nolan and I, along with our bodyguards, will join you."Councillor Bronte added. Sophie was surprised to find a quiver in his voice. She wasn't sure but Sophie guessed that Bronte actually liked Amy. It almost made her laugh.
"Thank you," Sophie paused, then wrapped her arms around him. She whispered again, "You don't understand how much this means to me."
Councillor Bronte leaned down, "I do."
"So when do we leave?" Councillor Nolan asked, clearing the awkward silence with a cough.
Bronte straightened his cape and they released from their hug, "As soon as possible. Can you get the location now Miss Foster?"
Sophie nodded, closed her eyes, and followed the well tread path to the mind limbo. Gethen's presence was hanging there.
Where do we meet you?
I'll transmit the locations, but we need to be sure you won't betray us. Gethen's voice was too.....
Prideful.
It made Sophie even more uneasy.
What do you want? And how do I know you won't betray me?
Fintan needs a...... (that word).
Sophie paused, And what was that?
We've gone ahead and injected Any with a poison. A lethal poison.
Sophie felt the moment before a roller coaster drops fill her. She could see what was going to happen and it made her stomach twist.
Gethen continued, And as you can imagine, only we know what it is. We have the antidote. Your sister has at most half an hour before she dies. I'd hurry if I was you.
Sophie slammed her mind into Gethen's but he was already gone. No no no no no, she couldn't do this. Amy would die before they could come up with another plan. And they were not handing Keefe over. Sophie panted in the mind limbo and took a movement to think. No, She wasn't going to tell the Council about Amy. They would keep the plan. But she had to make one call before they left.
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Minutes after Sophie closed her Imparter, Gethen flushed her mind with the location. Sophie's eyebrows crinkled with confusion and she suddenly gripped the soft couch she was sitting in a little harder.
She didn't expect it to be there.