Chapter One

"Sophie?" Keefe looked at her questioningly as the danger drew nearer. "What do we do next?"

"There's only one thing we can do." She answered, dread growing in the pit of her stomach. One glance at the approaching shadows told her the only viable solution.

"Run."

He turned with her, and they both flew across the terrain, arms and legs flying as the swift breeze blew past them, headed in the opposite direction. She could hear his light panting beside her, but he showed no signs of slowing down. So they doubled their speed and ran on, the cliff nearing in sight.

They both channeled energy into their legs to sprint as fast as possible, but the speeding dark shapes behind them grew closer and closer, slowly taking on the shape of elves. Two of them.

And as Sophie and Keefe fled, the elves sprinted past them. One snapped his fingers and encased the two in a force field, whilst the other began pacing in front of said force field in preparation for inflicting his mind games upon them.

"Failing to flee. I would've expected more from two capable young elves such as yourselves. Let alone you, Miss Foster." The second one began, still pacing.

A shiver ran down Sophie's spine at the voice, which she was much too familiar with. "Gethen."

"Glad you recognized me." He purred, methodically lowering his black hood so they could see the malice gleaming in his icy pale eyes, and the impenetrable chains of metal circling his head, keeping his thoughts protected.

"Don't I get a reveal?" The first Neverseen member mock-pouted as he stopped behind Gethen and brushed off one shoulder of his cloak with his opposite hand. "We have to keep things interesting, after all."

"That would be most welcome, Ruy. Although we wouldn't want to see your ugly face, since you look better with an addler and a hood." Keefe snapped, staring him down through the cowl of the elf's hood.

"Ugly? Nah, you spend way too much time in font of the mirror wishing you looked better." The Psionipath returned coolly with an invisible grin.

"Maybe not on the outside, but on the inside." Sophie interjected calmly and trying to keep the conversation afloat and the two distracted.

"What is this, a lesson?" Ruy scoffed, folding his arms self-importantly.

Sophie shrugged, keeping her temper in check. "If you want it to be."

"Enough with the banter." Gethen interrupted, silencing Ruy with a not-so-discreet look.

"Then get on with the show." Keefe invited, running a tentative hand through his carefully styled hair as his muscles tensed up, ready to spring into action through a force field.

"I didn't presume you of all elves would be so anxious." Gethen went back to them both in interest, steps and gaze calculating as he visually pursued them.

"And why would that be?" The moonlark wanted to know, preparing for the worst.

A leer grew on Gethen's face as he told them, specifically Keefe, "Your mother's alive."