Within minutes Elwin had arrived to treat any burns, cuts, scrapes, and bruises they’d picked up during their various escapes. But nothing could ease the shock that had settled over everyone.
No one wanted to answer the questions Grady and Edaline kept repeating. Even Sophie could only cling to her parents and let her silent tears soak their tunics. But when Alden arrived, looking equal parts worried and relieved, Sophie knew it was time to speak.
She held tight to Grady’s and Edaline’s hands as she gave a brief summary of the havoc they’d caused in Ravagog. The adults’ eyes seemed to widen with each dangerous detail. Their fear turned to fury when she moved on to the further chaos with the Neverseen, and Sophie pulled Grady closer so he wouldn’t try to go after Brant. Alden hailed the Council and asked them to send someone to extinguish the Everblaze and start cleaning up the toxins that would’ve leaked into the valley from the ogres’ tainted river. Then he hailed Mr. Forkle-As-Sir-Astin and told him the Collective should gather at Havenfield.
Sophie decided to wait until everyone had arrived before revealing the devastating truth about the gnomish cure. But Alden deserved to receive the news about Alvar in the privacy of close friends.
“There’s something else I have to tell you,” she mumbled. “But first, I need you to promise that your mind is strong enough to handle it.”
Alden glanced at Fitz and Biana before he nodded.
“Wait,” Elwin said, handing Alden a vial filled with clear liquid. “This will take the edge off reality, if you need it.”
“Surely the news can’t be that bad,” Alden said.
“It is,” Biana whispered, reaching for her dad. “Alvar’s part of the Neverseen.”
The vial slipped from Alden’s hand, hitting the grass with a soft thud. Elwin tried to hand it back to him, but Alden waived the elixir away. “You’re sure?” he whispered.
“Positive,” Fitz mumbled, tearing out chunks of grass by the roots. “He was also one of Sophie’s kidnappers.”
Alden wobbled as the words hit him, and Biana helped him sit on the grass. Elwin tried again to make him take the elixir, but Alden waived the medicine away, calling Fitz to come closer. The three Vackers clung to each other and cried.
Dex turned to Sophie with a look like, Do something.
Grady and Edaline looked just as helpless. Even Tam—who could’ve been smug, since he’d never trusted Alvar—wiped tears from his silvery eyes and held his sister’s hand.
Keefe, meanwhile, wandered away from the group, sitting with his back pointed in their direction. Sophie joined him.
“Alvar was my hero,” he whispered.
She reached for his hand, wondering how many betrayals Keefe could survive. “It’s not your fault for believing his lies.”
“It still makes me an idiot. Plus . . .” Keefe stared at the sky, which seemed too pink and peaceful as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. “Last night, when Alvar slept in my room, he said I reminded him a lot of himself.”
“He has good qualities too, Keefe.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think that’s what he meant. I think he was trying to recruit me.”
“They tried to recruit Jolie too, remember? All that means is he thinks you’re talented.”
“Maybe,” Keefe said, still not looking at her. “He even told me to reach out to him if I ever needed anything. Said he thought of me like a brother.”
“He’s not all bad. No one is. That’s what makes villains so scary. They’re not as different from us as we want them to be.”
“Villains,” Keefe repeated, saying the word like it tasted sour. “And they think I could be one of them. Gethen even made it sound like my mom planned for it . . .”
“So? When have you ever done what either of your parents wanted you to do?” She’d hoped that would earn her at least half a smile, but Keefe shook his head.
“Are you worrying about what Fintan said?” she asked. “About your mom . . .”
“I don’t care what happens to her.”
He must’ve cared a little, though, because after several awkward seconds he asked, “What do you think Fintan meant about bartering for her freedom?”
“I don’t know. But the Neverseen are never going to do anything to help us. It’s all a trick, just like the cure. That doesn’t mean we give up hope, though. There are lots of things we haven’t tried.”
“Like what?”
Sophie couldn’t think of any, but she knew they existed. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”
His shrug wasn’t really an answer.
“Sophie?” Alden said, waiting for her to turn around. He looked pale, and the tight lines in his features added years to his face. But he didn’t seem ready to shatter as he said, “I’ve often wondered how the Neverseen knew we’d found you. I never considered that I’d told Alvar when Fitz returned from San Diego. He used to be part of the search so I thought he deserved to know . . . I owe you a huge apology.”