Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-44907704-20200201232939/@comment-44907704-20200202232540

There was a moment of awkward silence between them before Lord Cassius sighed and wiped a trickle of sweat off his face, another good indicator that he had more secrets to hide. "Please come inside, Miss Foster. We have much to discuss — not concerning my love life," he said with a hint of pride, stepping aside to let Sophie enter.

​​​​​​The usual swagger and edge of coolness had returned to his stride, as well as the slightest drop of bitterness and frustration. She found herself amazed with how a person could feel that much at once without needing to concentrate on one emotion, but maybe it was different for Empaths. Shuddering at the thought of who she'd be if she was an Empath, she pretended to channel her thoughts to Lord Cassius's with the repeated phrase You're not real​​​​​.

​​​​​​If everyone else found every part of her unusual, it was definitely another reason for Lord Cassius to focus on her emotions — especially when her thoughts were somewhere else. She found herself clearing her throat as she took a cautious step into the watery domain as if it were a movie scene. "You have no reason to worry," Keefe's father smirked reassuringly. "My home is not rigged with booby traps that will temporarily immobilize you and land you in Elwin's Healing Center — that is, if you trigger them."

Just to be extra annoying, he added a subtle wink at the end.

"I'm guessing that's Ro's handiwork," she said shakily, not knowing what to feel.

"Actually, no. It was Keefe's — and I figured because it had the scent of gulon farts from an earlier dare his bodyguard gave him. Keefe and his games."

"What is it with Keefe and the gulons?" Was she really desperate enough for details of what happened in the Great Gulon Incident to ask Lord Cassius, who Keefe wouldn't give a single bit of information to?

Somehow she couldn't bring herself to notice the jewels and the mother-of-pearl walls — they only brought out the darkness of Keefe's traumatic childhood.

The truth.

​​​​Which they apparently didn't deserve, in such a world of lies.

The Council.

The Black Swan.

​​​​And now and always, Keefe's parents.

She looked up at Lord Cassius expectantly, and he gawked back before nodding hesitantly. "I know what you need."

Every word she ever knew vanished from her mind. Bile rose up in her throat and she felt a sickly, syrup-like concoction being brewed up in her throat as she spat the words out — she knew they weren't true, but they would lead her to the truth —"You loved Lady Gisela."

And the word "shock" brought on new meaning to her as his face flushed with shame and he whispered, "Yes."