As they entered the library, Sophie was immediately hit by the familiar smell of old books and the sound of rustling paper, enveloping her like a hug. The place was silent save for the sound of ancient computers humming and an air conditioning unit chugging away near the back of the building.
This building had been rather familiar to her as a child; it was a place of escape, providing her with relief from the thoughts of those at school and at home. Quiet and still, not many people bothered to come to the library, making it the perfect place to study undisturbed.
They ventured further inside, wandering aimlessly through the maze of books. Sophie stopped when they reached the junction between fiction and nonfiction.
"This seems like as good a place as any to start looking."
Keefe turned to Sophie. "How are we supposed to find the... what are we retrieving again?"
"He didn't tell us." Sophie sighed, running her hand through her hair.
"Figures."
"Well, the reason you came was because you're an empath. Can you... empath sense anything?"
"'Empath sense'?"
"You know what I meant."
Keefe huffed and closed his eyes. The silence that followed was broken only by the rusling of pages and the clack of ancient computer keyboards. Keefe remained stock still, eyes screwed tight and brows drawn, as though he was attempting to remember something very important.
Then he slightly tilted his head and absentmindedly pressed a hand to his chest.
"I feel something... it's not... recognisable. But it's emotional," he opened his eyes and looked at her, "It's not like your emotions, or any human emotion I've ever felt. I think... I think this is it."
Sophie followed him as he drifted through the shelves, hands brushing over the books. She slammed into the back of him as he drew up abruptly with a sharp intake of breath.
She stared at him, eyes wide. "What? What is it?"
He pulled a book off the shelf, turning it's cover upwards.
"The Care and Maintenance of Lawn Mowers," Sophie read aloud.
"What's a lawn mower?"
"It's... not important. Are you sure this is the right book?"
Keefe gazed steadily into her eyes. "I'm positive."
"Alright then, I trust you. We should get this back," she said, slipping the book into her satchel.
He grinned, any trace of seriousness gone. "Race you outside!"
"Wait! You can't run in here! This is a library... and he's gone," Sophie sighed the last part to herself, beginning to jog after him.
What an idiot, she thought fondly to herself, navigating swiftly through the shelves in an attempt to keep up. I wouldn't have him any other way.
Rounding the final corner, she barely made it one step before slamming straight into a robed figure bearing the symbol of a white eye on his sleeve.
.•°'°•..•°'°•..•°'°•..•°'°•.
The alley smelt of rotting vegetables and car exhaust, and it looked about a hundred times worse.
A small group of four Neverseen had found them, and Sophie had no idea how.
"Let go of me," Sophie yanked her arm in an attempt to free herself from her captor. He responded quickly and silently, striking her across the face. Sophie hissed in pain.
Keefe let out a strangled noise, kicking and thrashing against the two Neverseen restraining him. "HEY! Don't touch her!"
"Shut up," their leader spat, stalking towards Keefe and tilting his chin up to meet his eyes, "We don't have the time for this nonsense. Tell us where it is."
Keefe kept his mouth shut firmly and Sophie could sense the man's impatience. Keefe's danger.
"Where what is? We don't know what you're talking about," she cried, knowing it was pointless. Playing dumb never even worked in movies, the villans usually responding with something like, 'dont play dumb, what do you think I'm stupid?'
"Don't play dumb, what do you think I'm stupid?" Huh.
"Where is the item you were sent here to retrieve," he turned his attention to his associates, "Did you search them?"
"Of course we did. We confiscated their leaping crystals, their weapons, and a book written in a human language," he held up The Care and Maintenance of Lawn Mowers.
Sophie made eye contact with Keefe as the Neverseen continued to argue.
We need a plan, she transmitted, we have to get that book.
He nodded, blinking several times and moving his mouth in a funny way.
...Was I supposed to understand any of that?
According to the look on Keefe's face, she was.
Okay, okay. Open your mind to me, I'm sure we can figure this out if I can just understand what's going on in your head.
Keefe just winked at her.
Keefe. Don't you dare do anything stu--
Keefe turned to the Neverseen holding his right arm and stomped on his foot. Hard, apparently, as the man clutched at it, completely freeing Keefe's arm. Which he then used to punch the man on the left. In the face.
If Sophie had time to think about all of this, she would have found it incredibly hot. She did not, however, have time to think anything, instead focusing her energy on retrieving the book and the leaping crystals.
She had to make the best of the situation, even if it wasn't the best plan. Even if she resented it a little bit.
She ducked away from the struggle, grabbing the book that, in the confusion, had fallen to the ground alongside their leaping crystals.
Scrambling to her feet, she spotted Keefe, cornered by all four of their captors.
She knew what had to be done. Keefe wasn't going to like it.
Forgive me, Keefe, she transmitted, gathering her focus and engaging her least favorite ability.
Sophie had never... mastered inflicting. She had no one to train her, and though she knew how to use her power it was unpredictable and dangerous on the best days. Mr. Forkle had deemed it fit for use only in the most dire of situations.
Sophie supposed this was one of those situations. She pushed her pain and fear outwards, and everything went foggy.
Taking deep breaths, she blinked her vision clear to see Keefe crumpled alongside the Neverseen, on the filthy ground of the alley. She darted forwards and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm so, so sorry, Keefe, but I need you to get up. Can you walk?"
He nodded, groaning and bracing himself on the wall as he struggled to his feet.
"We have to hurry, they won't be incapacitated for long."
Keefe huffed a weak laugh. "The lovely Miss F, using big words no matter what. You're cute when you're smart."
Well. At least he was feeling like himself.
Supporting his weight, she helped him limp out of the alley,moving as fast as they could with him still weak with the aftershocks of her power.
Not fast enough.
A stiff breeze swirled around them, whipping Sophie's hair around her face, blowing ever stronger. Lifting them off the ground.
Sophie looked back, and her fears were confirmed. "They have a guster," she yelled over the howling of the wind that was boosting them higher and higher into the air.
Keefe clung tighter to her as the wind swirled around them, tearing at their clothes and hair as the rose above the tops of buildings. Sophie slung an arm around her waist and dug in her bag for a final option.
She grasped the leaping crystal. "Can you focus enough to make a leap?"
Keefe shook his head, mumbling something that may have been I'm sorry.
"Not your fault."
Time seemed to freeze as the noise, which had reached a deafening level, cut of almost instantaneously.
The wind stopped battering them from all sides.
The wind stopped lifting them. Stopped supporting them.
Then, all at once, they began to fall