Keeper of the Lost Secrets

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: It's Only Perfect if it's 'til the End

Elven Nights was a rundown cafe on the very edge of Mysterium, a place I knew that no one important to me would enter. The sign was too small and too loopy, and was engraved in beryl crystal, blending with the regular blue of the sky overhead. I stepped in feverishly and took a seat on a table for two right against the window.

Other than the chatter of employees behind the counter and the infrequent ching of the register, the only sound that filled the room was my tapping foot. I kept my eye out on the window, praying that Keefe wouldn't forget our date. A girl in a uniform shirt, made of a flimsy material stared at me a few seconds too long. I hoped that she didn't recognise me.

"Why so nervous?" Keefe entered and plopped down on the seat, grinning widely. Dressed in a white T-shirt paired with a patterned purple vest and black earrings reaching to his chin, he looked like the star of a human rock band. I breathed a sigh of relief and stared at him with sparkling eyes.

"You came!" I said, huffing out a breath. He stared at me quizzically.

"Of course I did." He stared at the numerous rings on his fingers. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Ah. There it is again. Keefe making me red in the face. "You dress differently than I would expect outside of school. Not that I'm complaining."

He grinned. "What can I say. I'm a fashion icon. I thought the hair made it obvious."

I rolled my eyes and stared at the menu. "What would you like to eat?"

The two of us peered at the neatly printed list of desserts. To my utter shock, on the same list there was Lushberry juice, Mallowmelt and Bottles of Youth was human desserts such as ice-cream, croissants and brownies.

"I have no idea what the half of this is?" Keefe squinted at the menu as if it would answer him.

"I do, and I think you'd enjoy blondies." I grinned. "Your choice though."

He smirked. "Blondies it is."

I grabbed his hand, and we went to the counter to order our food. An employee stared at us two would confusion, but she raised no concerns. Holding up the menu with a smile, I placed the order. I decided to get some mint-chocolate chip ice cream, and Keefe ordered his blondies.

"I'm curious," I asked the girl. "How come you have human desserts on the menu?"

She stared at me before snapping back into reality. "Oh. This cafe was open when humans and elves still knew about each other. The human food was the attract the elves who wanted new things, and the elven food was to attract humans. The cafe was first called 'All Desserts', but rebranding was necessary after elves wanted nothing to do with humans."

I nodded and thanked her. I turned back to walk to our table, but she spoke. "Wait!" I turned around and her face flushed, but she switched her gaze from Keefe and I continuously. "Are you here on a . . . date?"

I looked at Keefe and he gave me the smallest nod. I hesitated bit I answered her with a nod myself. She bit her lip and smiled. "Good to know I'm not the only queer person in the Lost Cities."

A grin splayed across my face, cheeking aching from how it wide it was. A quick glance and Keefe told me he wore the same giddy expression. I dipped my head the girl. "Good to know."

I sat back down at the table and held my face in my hands, my eyes on Keefe. He spoke about how he almost got by his mother as he left. I had only met Lady Gisella once, but I knew no matter how eerily similar she looked to her son, they were nothing alike. Nothing about her ice blue eyes were warm. Nothing about her blonde hair was free flowing. Nothing about the expression she wore was loving.

"She stopped me and said something about how she has high expectations for me." He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Typical. And she won't tell me what they are! Insane, right?"

"For sure." I nodded. I thought about my father in that moment. My heart sunk in my chest. The weight of all I was and all I was doing was a sudden weight that just fell on me. I couldn't be queer. Not in my family, not ever. And I sure couldn't match with Keefe.

"Uh oh. You look like you've seen a ghost." Keefe said, reaching his hand out and squeezing mine.

"Only the ghost of my dead body after my family finds out I have a boyfriend." I muttered, but I shot him a small smile in thanks. His worried expression instantly melted. We both knew the worry was familiar to him.

"I get it." He whispered. "You look up to your parents. You care about what they think. I guess that makes it harder. I mean, I would never tell my parents I'm bi, even I don't care about what they'd say. It's terrifying, realising who you are and having to think about people trying to change that."

I looked down at the wooden table, biting my lip. He was now just sitting there, not waiting for me to say something. Not saying anything. The silence was complete.

The desserts arrived, the girl from earlier, flashing us a content smile, lifting my spirits instantly. We thanked her and she headed to the counter, wiping it down and doing a poor job of pretending she wasn't spying on us.

Keefe grinned. "A blondie for a blondie." He took his fork and shoved the large slice into his mouth. He chewed it and swallowed it down before shrugging his shoulders. "Eh. It's alright, I guess. Not much flavour, but that's just human food. How your iced cream?"

I chuckled. "My ice cream is fine. Just what I thought it'd be. Do you want to try some?"

Keefe grinned, grabbing his spoon. "Oh, do I?" He grabbed a small scoop of ice cream, eyes widening it as it touched his tongue.

"Oh, it's cold." He said, swallowing in one gulp. "Not bad, though. Good choice. It kind of matches your eyes."

"I know, that's why I picked it." I spoke. Keefe looked at me, not shooting back with his usual snort or sarcastic comment. Instead, he took my right hand and kissed my knuckles, I laughed, but my laughter was cut short by the sound of footsteps and an imparter clicking.

I looked up to a red-faced Biana, in a bright blue gown, diamonds hanging off it, and hair running down her back, seething. She held her imparter, a picture of Keefe kissing my hand and my all too excited expression.

"You are so dead."