“Oh, so I’m not invited to London now?” Keefe asked, lunging to steal back his notebook—but Sophie was faster.
She tucked the silver book into the inner pocket of her cape. “No, you’ll be staying here doing something way more important.”
“If you say research—”
“Nope. You’ll be adding to these.” She put the brown, gold, and green notebooks into his lap. “This was a good plan, Keefe. I mean… I wish you’d lay off the fathomlethes. But cataloging your memories already worked, so keep at it! Plus, you’re making some seriously gorgeous art.”
“Oh sure, now you want me drawing until my hands cramp! What happened to the whole ‘I could’ve helped you project your memories’ thing, with the sad eyes and the ‘Why don’t you trust me?’ I guess you’re fine with me working alone now that you found a reason to ditch me?”
“The boy does make a valid point,” Ro noted.
“I’m not ditching you.”
“Good! Because, to quote Gigantor”—Keefe shifted his voice into an uncanny impersonation of Sandor’s squeaky tone—“I go where you go.”
“I don’t sound like that,” Sandor huffed.
Ro snickered. “You totally do.”
Sophie sighed. “I’m not trying to ditch you, Keefe.”
“Awesome, because there’s no way you’re investigating my past without me.”
“It won’t be without you. You’ll be working harder than any of us. Kinda like how Dex works on his own when he’s doing his Technopath thing—”
“Yeah, because Dex never feels left out.”
“Okay, but Dex is… sensitive.”
“You were going to say ‘pouty,’ weren’t you?” Ro asked.
“Hey, don’t dis the Dexinator!” Keefe told her. “He’s my hero. Master elixir maker, ultimate gadget manipulator, and he scored a Foster kiss before Fitzy.”
Ro’s eyes widened. “He did?”
“It’s not what it sounds like,” Sophie mumbled. “It was… never mind—stop trying to distract me, Keefe! Working alone doesn’t make what you’re doing any less important. And I’ll keep you updated on everything. I’ll check in as many times as you want me to, answer all your questions—I’ll even project everything I learn into a memory log so you can see it all for yourself. It’ll be exactly like you were there, only better because you’ll be safe.”
Keefe whistled. “Wow, you say that like you honestly expect me to go along with this plan. It’s like you don’t even know me.”
“Oh, I know you,” Sophie said through a sigh. “I’ll just never stop hoping you’ll decide to play things smart for once.”
“See, but ‘smart’ really isn’t my brand. I’m more ‘reckless dream guy without a care’! It’s part of my whole ‘bad boy’ image.” He tossed his hair. “And don’t think I won’t tackle you to get my silver notebook back—I will.”
“Okay,” Ro jumped in, before Sophie could respond. “Fun as it is to watch you two try to make each other’s heads explode, I had big plans for napping before some serious pranking this evening. So how about I settle this for you guys and you let me get my beauty rest?”
“If you’re still on the ‘lock me up’ plan, that’s never gonna happen,” Keefe warned.
Ro sauntered closer and pinched both of his cheeks. “You’re so cute when you think you’re being all tough and rebellious. But let’s get real for a second, shall we? You get away with the things I let you get away with, because I don’t care enough to fight you on them. And ignoring solid intel that someone’s threatened to murder my charge? That’s a big bodyguarding no-no. I may not care that much about what happens to you, but if you get yourself killed on my watch, it makes me look bad—especially if I had advance notice. So, I can’t have that. Plus, I can also demand something fun from your little girlie while I’m at it!”
“Wait—what?” Sophie asked.
“Uh, yeah, my help doesn’t come for free. I can take care of your Hunkyhair problem. But it’ll cost you.”
“If you’re about to propose one of your ridiculous bets—” Sandor cut in.
“Not a bet,” Ro assured him. “I’m talking about a straight bargain. Miss F gives me something, and I give her an obedient Keefster.”
Keefe snort-laughed. “Good luck with that.”
“See, but I don’t need luck. Because you still owe me a dare.”
The color drained from Keefe’s face.
“Thaaaaaaaaaaaat’s right, Hunkyhair! You lost our last bet—and what were the terms again? Oh, that’s right! If I won, I get to dare you to do anything I want, and you have to agree. So if I dare you to stay away from the Neverseen, guess who’s not allowed to go near the creepy cloaked dudes? And yes, that does include places they might be.”
“You realize, by that logic, I can’t go anywhere,” Keefe pointed out.
“Hmm, I guess you’re right. Maybe I should drag you off to a cave, then. Oh! Or to my dad’s palace! No one’s breached the security there in centuries.”
“Sounds fun,” Keefe retorted. “I can teach King Daddy The Ballad of Bo and Ro!”
“Not if I lock you in the dungeon. The palace has a really awesome one. And given your delicate elvin senses, I’m betting the smell would break you in less than a day. Face it, Funkyhair—you have two choices: You can cooperate, and still get to leave the house to see your friends occasionally. Or I can finally get out of sparkle town and take you back to Ravagog with me—and before you go getting too smiley, Miss F, don’t forget that you haven’t heard your side of this bargain. You don’t think I’d trade in my prizewinning dare for something easy, do you?”
“What do you want?” Sophie asked, and her mind made a quick list of possible demands.
But she definitely wasn’t expecting the ogre princess to plop back onto the chaise, pat the cushion next to her, and say, “I want you to tell Auntie Ro why you looked ready to spew all over the floor when I asked what’s been keeping you so busy lately.”
“Seriously?” Sophie and Keefe both asked.
“Why?” Sandor added.
Ro shrugged. “Because I’m curious. And I enjoy meddling. It’s the only fun I get to have here in elf land, and I have a hunch that this is the kind of secret that could be a game changer.”
“It’s not,” Sophie assured her.
“Well then, I guess you’re getting the deal of the century, aren’t you? Oh, but if you lie, I’m sure Hunkyhair will call you out on it.”
“I will,” Keefe agreed.
“You realize she’s bargaining for your freedom, right?” Sophie reminded him.
“Yup! But I can’t stop her, so I might as well let her take you down with me.”
Sandor leaned closer, whispering in Sophie’s ear. “Admit it. You’re tempted to let the Neverseen have him now, aren’t you?”