Keefe Pov: 

Devastated. That's what Keefe felt.

He was presently sitting with Biana, Dex, Fitz, Linh, Marella, Maruca, Wylie, Grady, Edaline and Della in a room in Havenfield.

They had been called early in the  morning to Havenfield by a very panicked Flori. Turned out, Sophie had been kidnapped without a trace or trail. 

Neither Sandor or Grizel nor Ro or Bo, or even Nubiti could sense any sort of smell or trail in Sophie's room. It was like Sophie had been snapped right out of the room. 

Edaline confirmed that conjuring a living creature was not possible. Whatever the Neverseen had done this time, it was smooth. There was no scent of ashes or something like that either.

And all they left was a freaking note. 

'Leave the quest of last island.' 

Somehow Keefe believed that Neverseen was not involved in this. Why would they care so much for a human island?  

But he could never be too sure. The Neverseen always seemed to be ten steps ahead of them.

Yesterday, when he heard the prophecy, he wasn't worried about it much. Prophecies take years to come true. But now, they have got Foster, he was ready to wring the living daylight out of them.

Edaline was sitting beside him, with not a single tear in her eyes. 

Numb, like how Foster had been when she came to knew about her human parents. That scared Keefe. Della was sitting beside her, trying to console her. Grady was upstairs, with Samdor, trying to access the trackers.

Alden had gone to inform the councillors and Dex's mom was there when he was informed of it, so Juline went to inform the collective as Squall. Keefe didn't knew how long he sat there, but after a while the collective came, in their disguises in case the councillors were there. And then, Grady came to call Dex up.

"The trackers are not all smashed. Some of them are still active, maybe the well hidden ones." Keefe looked up hopefully, "But they have put a scattering device nearby. See if you can do anything." Grady said, his eyes pleading that maybe they could find something. 

Dex immediately jumped up and went with Grady. Keefe also accompanied them. Grady glanced in his direction but didn't object.

They climbed up to Sophie's room. Sandor sat on the leaf covered floor, a device with imparter-like screen with tint golden circles on the border was put on the floor. Various golden discs with black swan cipher runes were scattered across the floor. He watched as Sandor put a disc in a slot in the computer thingy and a black buzzing image appeared. 

Sandor growled, "This one's blocked too." 

Despite the circumstances, Keefe noticed how funny Sandor's growl sounded, in his squeaky voice. 

"Sandor, if they have put a scattering device, none of the trackers would work." Dex explained.

"Then what do I do?" Sandor asked, dejected, all the anger draining from his face. "Miss Foster was my responsibility. I was appointed so that such a thing does not happen again. But she got kidnapped. Again. I should have resigned, after the shadowflux incident, but...its my fault, all my fault. I should have watched her better. I should have..." 

His voice dissolved as he put his head in his palm and cried. It was the first time Keefe had seen Sandor cry. Grizel came and sat beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

"Sandor, it would do no one any good if you beat yourself up. Sophie wouldn't want that."

They stood there in silence for a while with only the clinking sound of Dex working breaking the silence. By now, everyone had come to the room. 

Edaline and Grady were holding each other. Fitz and Biana were hugging and crying, Della was whispering something to Linh, probably consoling her. 

Linh probably had it hardest. She had lost her brother to Neverseen and the leader of the gang who had any chance bringing him back was kidnapped. But she had Della. Della had become a mother figure for her after Tam went.

But Keefe? He was alone. 

No one was there to console him. Why would they? 

Keefe always ended up spoiling everything. Because of him, directly or indirectly, Sophie always got hurt.

He knew Foster wouldn't want him to think like that. She would tell him that people care about him. Even though his family wasn't good, Sophie became his family. 

Keefe didn't know why he thought he had any chance with Foster. He didn't deserve her. 

Ro put a hand on his shoulder, and whispered, "Don't worry. We will find her. You aren't alone. Don't beat yourself up." 

Keefe once again marvelled at the uncanny ability for the orge princess to read his thought. He wiped his tears and did what he did the best. Hide his sorrows with a smile. Just then, Dex said, "Wait, Mr.Forkle, didn't you say that you had put sensors all over the world, so that we can get her rough location in case such a thing ever happens." 

Sandor clapped his hands and stood up hopefully. "Yes! You can access it, right?"

Dex nodded. He sat down and quickly started working. When he was working, Granite who was sitting downstairs to keep watch, said that the councillors have arrived.

"I think we should down." Grady suggested. They all went down leaving Dex behind.

They came in front of the councillors but Keefe was proud to say that none of them bothered to bow. Some of the councillors looked miffed about it but didn't say anything.

"Well, tell us what happened?" Alina said.

Keefe put on a smirk and did what he did the best- hid his cracking voice, "Didn't Alden already told you?"

Councillor Alina gave him a dirty glance, and said, "He did. But the council wants to re-check the information."

Edaline came and stood next to Keefe, sliding a hand through his hand, and for the first time in...well, ever, he felt a motherly love through her fingers, "Whatever Alden said is right. We trust him."

Della came and took his other hand. Keefe felt similar feelings of warmth and strength through her fingers, and said, "Yes, and the council should trust their employees enough to not want to re-check."

Biana came and took hold of Edaline's hand and Linh took Della's hand.

Emiry tried to dispel the tension between them as Alden took Linh's and Grady took Biana's hand, by saying, "Its been an ancient process to recheck, nothing against you all."

"But the ancient process was started by the council, wasn't it? " Squall asked, as she took Alden's hand. The other members of the collective took Squalls hand, and Ro went and took the hand of Grady. 

It was all unplanned, on the spot. But it felt natural. It was high time the council realised where it went wrong. Keefe could feel the hope and courage spreading in the link throught his empathy. 

Maruca, Marella and Wylie joined Mr.Forkle on the line. Wylie looked particularly determined. Keefe realised that it was finally now that Wylie realized the reason his father became exiled was because of council, not because of Alden. 

Grizel, Woltzer, and others took Ro's hand and even Bo, though reluctantly, joined the chain.

"Says the woman who is hiding behind ice." Alina hissed.

Keefe felt Edaline's emotion change from determination to anger, so he squeezed her fingers reassuringly and held her tighter.

Edaline replied evenly, "She wouldn't have to hide if you had accepted black swan." 

"Why are you so pissed about it. Is she someone you know?" Zarina said.

"Yes, she is someone I know. She is Squall, head member of the organisation that actually does something for the society. We are united, unlike the council. We may have our secrets, but we are united and we trust each other, despite whatever our past and our family."

Oralie and Bronte looked like they badly wanted to join them too, but Keefe understood why they couldn't. It was better that the council didn't doubt them and they stayed there.

"So, you are saying that you don't need our help in finding your little moonlark?" Alina asked with a little smirk.

"No" Dex said as he came down the stairs, "any time the council has ever helped us? We have to help ourselves anyways. When me and Sophie got kidnapped, the black swan was the one who found us, and we came into the society because of Sophie."

Biana added, "When Alden's mind was broken, you are the one who just announced Sophie malfunctioning, and declaring Alden dead. When 'our little moonlark', even under pressure, not only saved Alden by taking an ounce of limbium, which she is allergic to, but also saved your reputation by preparing Silveny on time, but you just discussed sending her to exile for hurting Silveny."

"During the funeral of Kenric, Sophie was the one who said the truth to Dimitar, when none of you had the guts to say it, and what did you do? Stopped her powers, which led to our major loss in the mountain fight." Keefe said. 

Bronte opened his mouth to say something, but Della cut him, "And then, when the freedom and lives of the gnomes were threatened, you just made a big scene and dumped it all on the gnomes. You would not even have called the meeting if the gnomes hadn't revolted."

Flori continued, "And it was Miss Foster who went to the orge headquarters. And when Calla sacrificed her life, what did you say? We were searching all around the place, but we had the resources with us? Resources?"

"When Sophie tried to warn you about the Vespera prison break, you turned deaf ears, and look what happened." Alden said.

"When Sophie's parents were kidnapped, who helped us? We had to help ourselves." Wylie said.

"So, what makes you think we want your help now?" Marella asked. 

Author's note:

I feel so warm and bubbly right now.