Page 78 of Welcome to Fae Cafe

Cress watched from where he leaned on the wall. His mouth curled into a devilish smile like an invitation.

“Come here, Cress. I’ll get you to pour the flour.” Grandma Lewis waved him over and Kate watched in dismay as the fae Prince glided across the room and took the measuring cups from her grandmother. “Oh, and I forgot to mention, Katherine,” Grandma Lewis turned around, “Cress has taken over your room. Not that you need it, but I just wanted you to know in case you go in there and see… well. Boyish belongings. You know.”

Kate’s heart thuds doubled. “What? He’s been sleeping here?”

“Oh, relax, Katherine.” Grandma Lewis rolled her eyes. “I’m a good judge of character. You know that—”

“After what happened?” Kate interrupted with a shrill voice.

Cress glanced up from the measuring cups. He looked between Kate and Grandma Lewis.

“Are you fussing about that again? That was a long time ago, Katherine. You need to let it go—”

“That man could have killed you, Grandma!” Kate shouted. “How could I let it go?!”

Cress stole a look at the living room. His face hardened ever so slightly, but he pulled his attention back to the measuring cups.

Kate swept over to Grandma Lewis and whispered, “You’re too trusting. Not everyone is as good as they seem.”

“Oh heavens, Katherine!” Grandma Lewis huffed. “Even after all the therapy, changing your name, and turning your hair purple—”

“It’snotpurple, it’s red!”

“—you still can’t seem to move on from those troubles of the past. Stop letting the few bad days ruin all your good ones!”

Quietness dragged through the kitchen as Kate stared into her grandmother’s eyes. She didn’t have the will to clear her throat—it felt like it would take up too much of the room’s space. Her voice came out cracked when she spoke again. “I’m cleaning out that stranger’s stuff from my room, and you’re going to send him away right now,” she decided, pointing at Cress.

Kate marched up the stairs, listening to Grandma Lewis’s loud sigh in the kitchen. When she reached the top, she shoved the bedroom door of her teen years open.

She slowed her march as she scanned her room, finding everything exactly the way she’d left it. Not a single belonging was out of order; the bed was made, the books were straight, and there weren’t any traces of that fae Prince downstairs.

“How long has he even been staying here?” she mumbled to herself.

The door slammed shut behind her and she whirled to find Cress leaning back against it. “Over a week,” he answered.

Her hands tightened to fists. “I’ll kill you. I don’t care if you’re a fae or a prince or an assassin or whatever!” Kate promised. “You shouldnothave come here.”

“You think you can kill me?” The corners of Cress’s mouth twitched up.

“I can do anything I put my mind to,” Kate assured.

“Yes, I know,” he said.

Kate’s mouth closed again.

Cress peeled himself off the door and stood tall. He folded his arms. “I know all about the lengths you’ll go to for your grandmother, and what you’ll do for a measly female neighbour you don’t even know, and the sympathy you’ll show an old woman crossing the street with her paper bags of human food, and the other things you do for others when you think no one will notice. I know everything about you, Katherine Lewis. I know all about Lily Baker, too. I know your grandmother’s real name, and your brother’s. And yours.”

Heat trickled into Kate’s chest. She stepped back, her shoes sliding over her bedroom carpet.

“I know why you’re afraid of the sky’s anger. I know why you changed your name. I know what you’ve lost, what you cherish, and each of your little habits. I know you enjoy the colour yellow, and that you scribble painfully adorable little notes in your books. I know that your favourite soap contains sweet, fragrant powders. Like I said, I know everything about you.” Cress stepped forward, and Kate’s back hit her bedpost.

“Why are you telling me this if you’re just going to kill me?” she scratched out.

Cress’s mouth twisted to the side. He glanced at her neck tattoo like he had the first day she met him. The butterknife warmed in Kate’s sleeve.

She held the fae’s gaze as she let the utensil fall into her fingers. Before he could say anything else, she thrust the butterknife at him.

His hand flashed up and wrapped hers, stopping the knife inches from his shoulder. Kate’s eyes widened as his fingers turned rough and white like pale stone, locking her hand to the dull blade.

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