Her mental voice somehow carried her laughter. I think I’m good.
Hmm, that wasn’t very convincing. Apology poem it is! Imagine me clearing my throat now for dramatic effect, and… “Forgive me, Lady Foster. I never meant to make you mad—”
I wasn’t mad, Sophie interrupted.
Fine, we’ll switch it to “sad.” Is that better?
Sort of. It was more like… I don’t know. It just felt like you didn’t want to be my friend anymore.
Keefe sank deeper into his Cocoon of Shame. I know. I felt that when you left. And it totally killed me. I just… I didn’t know what else to do. I need a little more time to get control of whatever this ability is—then I promise I’ll be around so much, you’ll be trying to find ways to get rid of me. And I’ll be like, “NO WAY—TEAM FOSTER-KEEFE IS FOREVER.”
He could tell she was smiling when she said, I hope so.
So did he.
But they didn’t need to have his doubts in the mix.
So he told her, No need to hope, Foster. That will definitely be happening. I may even get us tunics that say “Foster-Keefe is back—and better than ever!” And—
Ro yanked back the blanket over Keefe’s head. “You’re doing that elf-y mind trick thing to talk to your pretty little Blondie, aren’t you? I knew it! It’s like I can feel the angst cloud lifting! So, I’m guessing you groveled enough to get her to forgive you?”
Keefe reluctantly nodded.
“THANK ALL THE SPARKLES FOR THAT! Now you just need to tell her you’re helplessly in love with her so she can be like”—Ro shifted her voice up an octave and clasped her hands against her heart—“ ‘Oh, Hunkyhair, I never realized you felt that way, even though it was ridiculously obvious to everyone else. And I’ve been in love with you forever—I just didn’t know it because I’m super oblivious. I’m sorry I wasted so much time crushing on Captain Perfect—come here, let’s do all the smooching ever!’ ”
She followed that with kissing sounds, and Keefe opened his mouth to tell Ro exactly where she could go.
But he caught himself at the last second.
“Gah, I almost had you!” She slumped into a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Get back to your little Blondie before she starts worrying that you’re ignoring her.”
Sorry, Keefe told Sophie. Ro distracted me again.
I figured. Everything okay?
Oh yeah. I’m just going to need to find some prank elixirs to punish her. I’m sure Elwin must have a stash somewhere.
I’d be stunned if he didn’t. What’s his house like?
Super Elwin-y in some ways. Mellower than I expected in others.
He almost added, You’ll have to see it sometime, but that would probably bring back the awkwardness.
So he went with a safer Definitely way better than being stuck with Daddy Dearest.
Yeah, I bet. And that reminds me… I don’t suppose you have any idea why your dad would get all weird about the term “merged abilities,” do you?
Nope. But what do you mean by “weird”?
It’s probably easier if I show you.
Her memories crashed into his mind in loud, vivid detail, and he found himself grinning at her snarky comebacks even as his stomach turned extra churn-y at the sight of his dad.
Keefe had always disliked his father—but that dislike was slowly morphing into fist-clenching hate. And he couldn’t decide if he wanted to grab his dad and shake him as hard as he could or punch him dead in the face.
“Everything okay, Hunkyhair?” Ro asked. “You’re getting a little twitchy. You haven’t wrecked things with Blondie, have you?”
Keefe shook his head.
To Sophie he added, Yeah, I have no clue what that was all about. But you can bet Daddio and I will be talking about it as soon as it’s safe for me to do that.
Or maybe before.
He definitely wouldn’t feel guilty about numbing his father—though his father was such a cold, emotionless shell, it probably wouldn’t make any difference.
You’ll let me know if you find out more? he asked.
Of course. Though… we’re not really focusing on him right now.
He tried not to let that “we” sting, but of course his brain had to remind him that she was talking about Fitzphie time.
But that was good. Fitz had botched things majorly, but he definitely still cared. So hopefully he’d get his act together and figure out how to be the kind of boyfriend that Foster deserved.
He had a way better chance of pulling that off than Keefe ever would.
You okay? Sophie asked, and Keefe tried to shove those thoughts away, hoping he hadn’t accidentally let her hear any of them.
Yep. All good. So, what are you and the Fitzster working on?
He wished he hadn’t asked when she told him, Well… we really need to find Kenric’s cache.
It was the mistake that kept on giving.
The betrayal Keefe never seemed to be able to fix.
Got any good leads? he asked, pretty sure he already knew the answer.
Not really. But… we’re going to try talking to Glimmer tomorrow. Maybe she’ll know something.
She didn’t sound convinced.
Keefe couldn’t blame her for that. But… who knew? Maybe Glimmer would surprise them.
He wasn’t sure he believed that Glimmer had truly turned against his mom, but his mom was also pretty creepy and evil, so maybe she finally scared Glimmer off.
Will you let me know what she says? he asked.
Of course. Anything you want me to ask—or tell her?
Oh, he had quite a list—most involving words that would make Foster’s innocent little ears burn.
Nah, I’m sure you and Fitzy have it covered. Just… keep me in the loop.
Will do.
They fell back into slightly painful silence before she added, What are you going to do tomorrow? Draw more memories?
He probably should.
He needed to sketch what happened in Loamnore, see if it helped him figure out what was happening to him right now.
But he wasn’t in the mood to relive it all yet.
You know what might help? Sophie asked. Maybe you should try writing about the memories after you draw them. I remember learning that words and images are processed by different parts of the brain, so using both might help you discover new things.
She went on for a few more sentences about the power of words, but Keefe spent most of the speech imagining how she looked as she was saying it. She was so adorable when she was trying to get him excited about something.
I guess I can give it a try, he agreed when she finally finished.
You should. And you should also get some rest. You sound… tired.
So do you, he noted. And that was probably his fault. I think you need a Wynn-and-Luna snugglefest tonight.
I’m actually with them right now.
UM, EXCUSE ME—YOU’VE BEEN CUDDLING WITH BABY ALICORNS THIS WHOLE TIME AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME? I NEED A MENTAL PICTURE OF THIS IMMEDIATELY.
Okay, hang on.
His mind filled with what might’ve been the cutest thing he’d ever seen—Foster leaning against the Panakes’s trunk with Wynn’s head resting in her lap and Luna lying on her back beside her, getting a major belly rub. Flowers drifted all around them, and the sky was that perfect dusky purple, with tiny stars just starting to break through.
Wish I was there, he told her, hoping it wasn’t too sappy of a thing to admit.
Sophie’s reply was a soft, sweet whisper. Me too.
For a second, Keefe could imagine himself right there beside her, with her head resting gently on his shoulder—but he shoved that thought away as fast as he could, hoping she didn’t notice.
Get some rest, Foster.
I will if you will.
Keefe smiled. Deal.
He wasn’t sure how long their minds stayed connected after that, but at some point he drifted off to sleep—and he didn’t have a single n
ightmare.
* * *
“He looks so peaceful—I feel bad waking him,” someone said—a voice that sounded familiar, but Keefe’s snoozing brain couldn’t recognize it.
“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have any problem with it,” someone else added, followed by a bone-shaking shout of “WAKE UP, HUNKYHAIR!”
Keefe bolted upright, struggling to catch his breath as his heart slammed against his ribs and the room sharpened into focus.
Ro grinned. “Looks like I need to start calling you Droolyhair.”
Keefe gave her an I-will-make-you-suffer-later glare as he reached up to wipe his chin.
“Oh… hey,” he mumbled when he noticed Dex hiding in the doorway—then sucked in a sharp breath and clamped his hand over his mouth.
“HE SPEAKS!” Ro shouted. “And once again, the world did NOT end! MORE! MORE! MORE!”
Keefe gave her a less-than-friendly gesture instead.
Dex laughed. “Sorry. Elwin sent me up here to wake you. My dad and I stopped by with a few things we wanted to test to see if they help.”
Keefe was on his feet immediately, wobbling as his body adjusted to being vertical.
“Hang on,” Ro said, putting out her arms to block him. “Shirt first. And maybe do something about that morning breath?”
Keefe glared at her.
But she had a point, so he grabbed the nearest tunic and pulled it on before chugging some Youth to rinse his mouth.
Dex snorted. “Nice pajamas.”
Keefe hadn’t even noticed what he was wearing, but it must’ve been something Elwin had given him. The bright blue fabric was covered in colorful murcats, which had all been dusted with glitter.
He shrugged, dragging a hand through his wild hair as he followed Dex into the hall.
“Uh, just so you know, it’s about to get really loud,” Dex warned. “My dad thought it would be a good idea to bring the triplets for this, so…”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence.
Keefe could already hear the screaming.
“DAD—LEX KEEPS LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW!”
“IT’S NOT YOUR WINDOW!”
“YES, IT IS—I’M STANDING IN FRONT OF IT!”
“SO AM I!”
“NOW YOU’RE NOT!”
“DAD—REX SHOVED ME INTO BEX. AND SHE SMELLS LIKE ROTTING FLOWERS!”
“YEAH, WELL, YOU SMELL LIKE YOU’VE BEEN ROLLING IN POOP!”
“HE WAS!”
“NO, I WASN’T!”
“OW, DON’T POKE ME!”
Dex rubbed his temples as they headed downstairs. “My mom keeps promising they’ll calm down when they get older, but they’re twelve now, so I don’t think it’s going to happen. And I’m pretty sure they’re going to beat your detention record this year.”
“Not if I can help it,” Ro jumped in. “Hunkyhair and I still have plenty of chaos to cause, don’t we?”
She held out her hand for a high five, but Keefe kept right on walking.
He couldn’t imagine life ever being that normal again.
“Over here!” Elwin called, gesturing for them to join him in the center of the giant main room, where he stood with Kesler in front of the swiveling armchair.
The triplets were way on the other side of the room, making different shadow animals in the multicolored light filtering in through the windows—which was good, since Keefe could already feel crackly waves of their enthusiasm slamming against his senses.
He was going to have quite the headache when they got closer.
“Sorry we woke you,” Kesler told Keefe. “I was hoping you’d already be up.”
Keefe shrugged, trying to tell Kesler it wasn’t a big deal.
“Okay, take a seat.” Kesler patted the armchair. “I’ll try to make this quick. It’s hard to know if I’m on the right track with something until I see how the elixir actually works—and these formulas are so specific to what you’re dealing with that I have to test them on you.”
“I thought it’d be smart to test my prototype, too,” Dex added, pulling something small and silver out of his pocket, which kind of looked like a tiny metal egg. “I’m sure it still needs some tweaks, but I’m hoping I’m close.”
He tapped the top of the egg, and the gadget split open, revealing all kinds of cogs and circuitry neatly arranged inside.
Ro whistled. “You made that in one night?”
Dex shrugged. “It’s not as complicated as it looks.”
Keefe doubted that. And when he studied Dex closer, he could see dark shadows under his eyes.
Dex must’ve stayed up all night working.
And Kesler and Elwin looked just as exhausted.
“You okay there, Hunkyhair?” Ro asked.
Keefe nodded, but his eyes felt a little watery.
He wasn’t used to people making those kinds of sacrifices for him—and he could feel their concern drifting through the air, with no trace of any pity.
“I should probably explain how this is going to work,” Kesler said, pointing to three vials on the small table next to the armchair—one green, one purple, and one orange. “The plan is—”
“GIVE IT BACK!” one of the triplets shouted, followed by a whole lot of squealing.
“DAAAAAAAAAAAD!”
“STOP CRYING TO DAD ALL THE TIME!”
“I’M NOT CRYING—YOU’RE CRYING!”
“I’LL MAKE YOU BOTH CRY!”
“AHHHHHH!”
Kesler sighed as Rex, Bex, and Lex charged past them like a strawberry-blond stampede. “Sorry. I know the triplets can make things a little chaotic—”
“A little?” Dex cut in.
Kesler rumpled Dex’s hair, making the resemblance between the two of them even more noticeable. “Okay, fine—a lot more chaotic. But that’s why they’re here.” His periwinkle eyes focused on Keefe as he said, “I need you to get overwhelmed. I won’t know if anything’s working until you start to lose control—and for the record, I won’t mind at all if you end up numbing my kids. I might even have you leave them that way. I could use a little quiet.”
“Relax,” Elwin said, blocking Keefe from getting up. “If all goes well, no one will end up numbed—and if they do, it’s totally painless, and you already know how to fix it.”
“Rex, Bex, and Lex also know what might happen,” Kesler added, “and they’re good with it.”
“YEAH—DO YOUR WORST!” one of them shouted. “YOU’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO NUMB ME!”
“OR ME!”
“OR ME!”
Keefe shook his head, even though he could definitely feel their conviction.
“I know there’s a chance you might end up giving a different command,” Elwin told him, before Keefe could figure out how to convey that exact argument. “That’s why I’ll be wearing earplugs, so I can step in if needed.”
“So will I,” Kesler promised.
“Me too,” Dex agreed.
“Me three!” Ro winked when she added, “And I’ll happily smack you around to snap you out of it.”
“And yes, we realize there’s still a small risk,” Kesler admitted, “but… that’s pretty normal for us.”
“Yeah, my dad’s always making us test his Slurps and Burps elixirs,” Dex explained. “One time he made all my hair fall out and gave the triplets explosive farts. And my mom got stuck with bloodred teeth for a week.”
“Ohhh, I might have to try that bloody teeth one!” Ro cut in, puckering her red lips.
“And let’s not forget that Dex has almost electrocuted me several times,” Kesler noted, “not to mention that hole in the roof.”
Dex shrugged. “It happens.”
“So see? Nothing out of the ordinary around here,” Kesler added. “No need to look so worried.”
Keefe shook his head again.
He could definitely tell from everyone’s emotions that none of them were the least bit concerned by this plan they’d come up with. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t
a super-bad idea.
“LOOK HOW SCARED HE IS!” one of the triplets shouted as the stampede charged closer.
“YEAH, WHO KNEW THE GREAT KEEFE SENCEN WAS SO BORING!”
“HE’S NOT BORING! HE’S CUTE!”
“EWWWW, BEX LIKES KEEFE!”
“SO WHAT IF I DO?”
Keefe had never been so relieved to not have to come up with a reply.
Especially when Rex and Lex started making a bunch of really loud kissy noises and chanting, “BEX WANTS TO SMOOCH HIM!”
Dex snort-laughed. “Welcome to my life. Try not to be envious.”
Keefe grinned at the joke. But honestly?
When he looked at the crinkly smile on Kesler’s face and the way he rested his hand on Dex’s shoulder, Keefe was envious.
He would’ve fit in so much better with a loud, chaotic family. Instead, he’d been stuck with—
His thoughts were cut off when the triplets sprinted over, hitting him with such a strong blast of excitement, smugness, and pure energy that Keefe felt his eyes start to glaze.
“Okay, let’s get this going,” Kesler told everyone. “Earplugs in!”
“Remember, this is the best way to find something to help you deal with this. It’ll be okay,” Elwin promised before popping two glittery blobs into his ears.
Dex and Kesler did the same.
Ro sighed and crammed hers in too. “Even your earplugs are sparkly. You elves have serious issues.”
Kesler clapped his hands. “All right. We’ll start with the green and go from there. You guys remember what to do, right?” he asked the triplets.
“YEP!” they all said in unison, and the three of them lunged for Keefe with flailing arms, like some sort of mutated kraken.
Keefe jolted as Bex grabbed his hand and the two boys each grabbed his shoulders—but it wasn’t just from the emotional bombardment.
One of the boy’s hands felt like ice searing his skin. Bex’s grip felt weirdly squishy. And the third boy’s touch was… Keefe didn’t even know how to describe it.
There was something hollow about it.
Or maybe “empty” was a better word.
All Keefe knew was, he didn’t like it.
Unlocked 8.5 (Keeper of the Lost Cities) Page 38