Keeper Of The Lost Cities Stellarlune Quotes

she was really starting to like the thought of Team Foster-Keefe.

Won't you need my help with the cache?' Fitz asked her. It felt very good to tell him, 'I don't see why.' Ro snickered.

No, I mean it. You balance each other. He helps you lighten up, and you help him focus. He boosts your confidence, and you keep his ego in check. You both dive headfirst into danger, but somehow you’re able to help each other play it a little smarter. And you both act more like yourselves when you’re together.

(And, hey, you can always go back and reread chapter 42 if you need to fill the days between now and book 10!)

But because I knew she’d try to kill you if I didn’t. I chose your life over everyone and everything else—and I’d do it again if I had to. Some might think that makes me a hero. But it also makes me a villain.

He would’ve run off even faster,” Ro finished for him. “Probably left a Keefe-shaped hole in one of the walls.

promise, someday I’ll tell you all about my adventures in Humanland, including a particularly awesome anecdote involving a giant spider and a horrible paste called Vegemite.

Keefe closed the distance between them. And then… everything was new. The soft press of his lips against hers. The way their breath seemed to fall perfectly into sync while her heart and her brain screamed, FINALLY! Some tiny part of her had always wondered if kissing could really be as great as everyone claimed. But kissing Keefe was So. Much. Better. He

You’re basically Sophie’s telepathic backup, aren’t you? Is that why you’re so bothered about what happened at the storehouse? She was supposed to need you, and she didn’t?

She couldn’t do an exercise with him that required total honesty five minutes after kissing his best friend!

Keefe closed the distance between them. And then... everything was new. The soft press of his lips against hers. The way their breath seemed to fall perfectly into sync as her heart and brain screamed FINALLY! Some tiny part of her had always wondered if kissing could really be as great as everyone claimed. But kissing Keefe was So. Much. Better. He was the one to finally pull away, leaning back to study her in the shimmering light. "You're okay, right? No regrets?" She grinned. "Absolutely none." His relieved smile was the sweetest thing she'd ever seen- but it faded a little as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I don't want to mess this up," he whispered. "Please don't let me mess this up." "I won't," she promised, tilting her chin up to steal another quick kiss.

Is that what you want? To be the official Keeper of all the Lost Cities’ secrets?

Isn't that how it always goes?" Rayni countered. "We're all willing to believe that everything is perfect and shiny and wonderful here in the Lost Cities- until something happens that forces us to admit it's not.

I'll still check the house when I get home and let you know if I see your boy. If he's there, I'll hide him in my room and feed him some Rice Krispies or something.

Keefe would honestly be… … … …a really awesome boyfriend. He was thoughtful. And supportive. And he could be incredibly sweet—when he was actually being serious instead of joking around with everybody. Though… maybe some of his jokes with her hadn’t just been teasing. Had some of it also been… flirting?

His eyes shifted to the vibrant red of her tunic—then quickly away. Sophie felt her cheeks warm. “You could’ve taken me with you, you know. Or at least left me another note telling me where you went.” They both froze.

incredibly sweet—when he was actually being serious instead of joking around with everybody. Though… maybe some of his jokes with her hadn’t just been teasing. Had some of it also been… flirting?

Edwin

Keefe?' Amy repeated, her lips curling into a grin. 'He's the supercute blonde guy you picked up cookies for, right? The one who keeps staring at you all intense when I met him, like you were the only person that mattered to him in the entire universe?' Someone coughed near the doorway. It was probably Grady, maybe Edaline too, but Sophie decided she would rather not know who was eavesdropping. 'He doesn't stare at me like that,' she said, hoping her cheeks weren't blushing too badly. It didn't help that Ro kept cackling beside her. ... 'I swear, you have no idea how lucky you are, getting to be around so many gorgeous boys all the time. I don't know how you haven't dated any of them--or have you?' 'She tried with Fitzy,' Ro answered for her. 'But then she realized he was too boring, so they broke up.' 'That's not what happened!' Sophie argued--over lots more coughing from the doorway. 'We didn't really date. We just sort of... liked each other... openly. But then it got super complicated, so we decided to focus on being friends. ... Why are we talking about this?' Sophie asked ... 'Because it's fun watching you get all red and fidgety!' Amy told her. 'Plus, there's a chance our boy is somewhere nearby, listening to this conversation,' Ro added before she raised her voice to a shout. 'Hear that, Hunkyhair? Get your overdramatic butt back here! Your girl is single--and the great Foster Oblivion is over! This is what you've been waiting for!' 'Hunkyhair?' Amy asked, raising one eyebrow as Sophie contemplated smothering herself with her blankets. 'Great Foster Oblivion?' 'Never mind,' Sophie mumbled, sinking deeper into her blankets.

Separating me from my charge and withholding information will only cause Sophie harm. Secrets hinder my ability to protect her.

Captain Perfectpants.

You know what's funny? We're not that different, you and I. But I didn't have a brother who stuck by me and took care of me. And it wasn't Sophie Foster and her little Black Swan buddies who showed up and brought me into a group that promised I'd be able to help them fix all our world's problems. Crazy how that goes, right?

So she tilted up on her toes and leaned forward, meeting his eyes as she lined her lips up with his—careful to leave a tiny wisp of space. A chance for him to change his mind. Keefe closed the distance between them.

Maybe he could help her make sense of it. Or maybe he’d run away screaming. Or maybe she’d die of embarrassment. Or maybe he’d take her hand, and she’d stare into his ice blue eyes as he stepped even closer and… “STOP!

No, I kept my promise to someone who’d made me feel like I mattered at a time when everyone else just wanted me to go away. Someone who gave me a place to stay and made it feel like a home after mine had been ripped apart. I know that doesn’t erase the things she’s done, but it meant too much for me to totally ignore it. I did owe her.

Keefe was Fitz’s best friend—and Fitz’s temper could be… challenging.

Is everything okay?” Sophie asked as she tugged at her hair and wiped her mouth, wondering how badly her face screamed, I’VE BEEN KISSING KEEFE.

Keefe?" Amy repeated, her lips curling into a grin."He's the supercute blonde guy you picked up cookies for, right? The one who kept staring at you all intesnse when I met him, like you were the only person that mattered to him in the entire universe.

You realize,” Keefe breathed, and his ice blue eyes seemed to shimmer as they reflected the twinkly light, “that if we do this… it could get very messy.

I like this girl,” Ro decided. “Just don’t call me a ‘thing’ again.

Team Foster-Keefe will always be cooler!

Will this help?” Keefe asked, taking one of her hands and shifting their positions so they were now walking side by side—and she couldn’t answer because KEEFE WAS HOLDING HER HAND!!!!

 ‘You mean a lot to me, Foster. More than you’ll ever know.’ ” Sophie lunged for the paper. “Nope! No destroying the evidence—and don’t even think about telling me you don’t know what he meant by that, Blondie! Your cheeks are way too red!” Sophie tugged her hair forward. She’d been so thrown by the rest of Keefe’s message that she’d forgotten that part was in there—and her brain honestly had no idea what to do with it. It almost felt like Keefe was trying to tell her… But he couldn’t mean that.

Iggy’s fur and Ro’s hair were now deep shades of purple, blue, and gray, with each color fading into the next in an ombré effect. It reminded Sophie of the night sky, right before the stars appear—and it was definitely an improvement from the weird mermaid-tiger thing Iggy had going on before. But… Keefe’s final gift was gone. Just like him.

Even if he tries to keep his head down, people are going to notice how good-looking he is—by human standards,” she quickly clarified, feeling her cheeks burn. “I lived with humans for twelve years, and I doubt I’d be able to hide there without ending up with Child Protective Services or something. He could get himself arrested. Or hit by a bus. Or—” “I’m not saying you’re wrong,” Grady jumped in. “But… I think you’re also forgetting that Keefe’s not exactly safe around here.

your brother told me stories about your temper too—and you don’t even have a good excuse.

You have a funny definition of ‘hurt’ if you thought it was okay to turn my brother into her little Shade puppet.

Sorry,” she mumbled as she crashed into his back and clung to his shoulders like a Sophie-koala.

All I care about is how you feel,” she whispered. “If you’re only doing this”—she held up their clasped hands—“because you don’t want to hurt my feelings—

But her eyes landed on Keefe again, and he whispered, “I’m ready for anything.

You elves like to talk about ogres as if we’re these cold, brutal creatures. But I’ve never seen anything as cold and brutal as the way you treat your son.

Amy nodded and slung the ugly dress over her shoulder. “Bye, sis. Flirt with all the cute boys for me!” “Yep, definitely a fan of that girl,” Ro said

Delicious food mysteriously appearing from nowhere—now that is an elf-y talent I can get behind,

Let him go, Lord Cassius told her. He’s better off where he is. And he can handle himself. How can you be so sure? He sighed, and his mind rumbled again—shaking and shaking and shaking, until several dim memories rose up from the shadows. Sophie’s chest tightened as she watched the scenes from Keefe’s childhood. So many tears. So many lectures. So little warmth or support or love. I’ll only say this once, he told her, and I’ll deny it if you ever bring it up again. But… if there’s one thing I know about my son, it’s that he’s a survivor. And if he could endure more than a decade at Candleshade with his mother and me, he can handle anything the humans throw at him. Let him take care of himself. He’s been doing it his whole life.

SOPHIE WASN’T SURE HOW LONG she sat there staring blankly at her empty doorway. Could’ve been minutes. Could’ve been hours. It didn’t matter. No amount of time was going to quiet the chaos in her head. All it did was raise a whole lot of terrifying questions. Because even if Ro was right about Keefe’s feelings—and Sophie decided she wanted to see what would happen—this was so much bigger than just the two of them. Like… What would Grady and Edaline think? Sophie still didn’t know if she was actually allowed to date—much less date That Boy. And even if she was, there would surely be all kinds of annoying new rules and restrictions to deal with. Plus, Edaline would probably follow them around with a sappy, embarrassing smile, and Grady would make them sit through a series of horrifying Dad Talks. And what would her friends say when they found out? There’d been a time when Sophie had wondered if Biana had a crush on Keefe—and even though it seemed like Biana had gotten over it… what if she hadn’t? Better question: How would Fitz react? Keefe was Fitz’s best friend—and Fitz’s temper could be… challenging. The possibilities for drama were endless. Sophie’s insides twisted into knots on top of knots as she imagined the awkward conversations. And the stares. And the gossip. There would be So. Much. Gossip. She wanted to hide just thinking about it—and Keefe would probably love the attention. Did that prove they weren’t compatible? Or was she just looking for an excuse because she was scared? And why was she so scared? Keefe would honestly be… … … …a really awesome boyfriend. He was thoughtful. And supportive. And he could be incredibly sweet—when he was actually being serious instead of joking around with everybody. Though… maybe some of his jokes with her hadn’t just been teasing. Had some of it also been… flirting? If Ro were still there, she probably would’ve been nodding and shouting about the Great Foster Oblivion. And maybe she was right. Maybe Sophie had been too insecure to let herself see what was right in front of her. Or too distracted by her crush on Fitz. The last thought made her inner knots twist so much tighter. She’d liked Fitz for so long that she’d never even thought about liking someone else—and she was still trying to get over all of that. But… Did she want to risk missing out on something that might be… really great? Keefe’s face filled her mind, flashing his trademark smirk.

Keefe?” Amy repeated, her lips curling into a grin. “He’s the supercute blond guy you picked up cookies for, right? The one who kept staring at you all intense when I met him, like you were the only person that mattered to him in the entire universe?

Plus, there’s a chance our boy is somewhere nearby, listening to this conversation,” Ro added before she raised her voice to a shout. “Hear that, Hunkyhair? Get your overdramatic butt back here! Your girl is single—and the Great Foster Oblivion is over! This is what you’ve been waiting for!

Ro grinned and held out Ella—the bright blue elephant that everyone knew Sophie couldn’t sleep without. “Figured you were going to need something to snuggle—unless you want a real hug.” She stretched out her other arm, looking anything but cuddly in her metal corset and spike-rimmed metal diaper.

She’d been faithfully practicing with Hope every night like Ro had shown her—and maybe the process really was forming a bond, because the added weight against her shoulders felt oddly soothing, and her fingers kept itching to reach back and grab it. Or maybe all the waiting just made her want to stab something.

UGH, SCROLLS ARE SERIOUSLY THE worst,” Sophie grumbled, wrestling with a particularly stubborn piece of paper that kept rolling back up the second she tried to smooth it out on the kitchen table. “Why do we still use them? Even humans moved on a few centuries ago. Now they have this handy thing called Google Maps—you should really check it out.

[WAIT—IT WON’T LET ME REDACT THESE LITTLE SUBHEADING THINGS? THAT’S SUPER ANNOYING!] [FINE, I’LL JUST GIVE YOU MY SUMMARY.] [SO, WHOEVER WROTE THIS WAS ALL BLAH-BLAH-BLAH-STELLARLUNE-SOMETHING-SOMETHING-LEGACY. BUT SERIOUSLY, NO ONE WANTS TO READ ABOUT THE CREEPY STUFF MY MOM DID BEFORE SHE GOT PREGNANT WITH ME! (AND WE’RE ALL SUPER SICK OF HEARING ABOUT MY “LEGACY,” AMIRITE?) SO, LET’S JUST LEAVE IT AT THIS: MY MOM IS EVIL. SHE THINKS SHE’S WAY SMARTER THAN SHE IS. AND NOTHING SHE DID IS GOING TO AFFECT MY GENERAL AWESOMENESS, OKAY?] A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY: [WOW, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH SUCH A CLEVER TITLE?!] [AND YEAH, I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY. NOT SURE WHY ANYONE CARES. BUT IT DOES COME IN HANDY DURING MIDTERMS AND FINALS.] AHEAD OF THE GAME: [BASICALLY: I’M A GENIUS. I SKIPPED LEVEL ONE AT FOXFIRE. YES, YOU SHOULD BE IMPRESSED.] UNREASONABLY HIGH STANDARDS: [GOTTA ADMIT, I WAS TEMPTED TO LEAVE THIS ONE ALONE, SINCE WHOEVER WROTE IT ACTUALLY GOT THINGS PRETTY MUCH RIGHT. I GUESS EVEN THE COUNCIL KNOWS MY DAD’S A JERK WHO FREAKS OUT ALL THE TIME BECAUSE I’M NOT A LITTLE MINI-HIM. WHO KNEW?] A POWERFUL EMPATH: [UGH, THAT’S THE BEST YOU COULD DO FOR THIS SUBHEADING???] [HOW ABOUT “LORD OF THE FEELS”? OR “TRUST THE EMPATH”! OR “HE KNOWS WHAT YOU’RE FEELING—AND YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF”?] [OOO! I’VE GOT IT! “HE KNOWS FOSTER BETTER THAN YOU DO! BETTER THAN SHE EVEN KNOWS HERSELF!”] [THOUGH… KEEPING IT REAL? THE FOSTER OBLIVION CAN BE KINDA NOT COOL SOMETIMES.] THE HEART OF THE MATTER: [I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU GUYS NAMED A SECTION OF MY FILE AFTER MY FATHER’S SUPER-BORING BOOK—AND THEN RAMBLED ON FOR TWO PAGES ABOUT HIS SUPER-BORING THEORY!!!!!] [YOU DON’T NEED TWO PAGES ON IT. YOU DON’T EVEN NEED TWO SENTENCES. HERE’S ALLLLLL YOU NEED TO KNOW—BESIDES THE FACT THAT HE’S TOTALLY NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO COME UP WITH THIS (JUST THE ONE WHO LOVES TO TAKE CREDIT): OUR HEADS AND OUR HEARTS SOMETIMES FEEL DIFFERENT EMOTIONS, AND WHAT’S IN OUR HEARTS IS PROBABLY STRONGER.] [THAT’S IT!] [WELL… OKAY… I GUESS HE ALSO GOES ON A BIT ABOUT HOW EMPATHS PROBABLY ONLY READ THE EMOTIONS FROM THE HEAD.] [AND THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT HEART EMOTIONS BEING PURER BECAUSE NO ONE CAN CONTROL THEM.] [BUT THAT’S IT.] [AND DON’T TELL LORD BORINGPANTS I READ HIS DUMB BOOK! I MOSTLY SKIMMED.] PRANKSTER AND TROUBLEMAKER: [100 PERCENT ACCURATE. ALSO, I’M LEAVING YOUR LITTLE ATTACHED DETENTION RECORD BECAUSE IT’S THE GREATEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!!!!]

But somehow they felt like too much and not enough all at the same time. So she tilted up on her toes and leaned forward, meeting his eyes as she lined her lips up with his—careful to leave a tiny wisp of space. A chance for him to change his mind. Keefe closed the distance between them. And then… everything was new. The soft press of his lips against hers. The way their breath seemed to fall perfectly into sync while her heart and her brain screamed, FINALLY!

He twined their fingers together and shook his head. “Trust me—this is what I’ve wanted from the moment I first saw you, wandering through the halls in the middle of session covered in alchemy goo. I knew right away that I’d just met someone incredibly special—and every minute I’ve spent with you since then has proven how true that is. But is this really what you want?” He squeezed her hand, and she could feel him shaking a little when he admitted, “I can’t tell what you’re feeling—and it’s seriously terrifying.

Whatever happened between you and Keefe yesterday—and I know something happened, so there’s no point trying to deny it—are you going to talk to him about it? And I mean really talk to him and tell him how you feel?” Sophie twisted free. “I don’t—” “Yes, you do,” Edaline insisted. “You don’t even know what I was going to say!” Edaline smiled. “Pretty sure I can guess. And I understand the instinct to hide these kinds of feelings—sometimes even from ourselves. But… I know they’re there. And not just for you.” She pointed to Sophie’s new stuffed elf as evidence—and Sophie could’ve sworn its little smile turned a bit smug. “I’m definitely not trying to tell you what to do or who to choose or put any pressure on you in any way,” Edaline assured her. “I also know that what I’m asking you to do isn’t easy. Having an open conversation about feelings with someone can be really scary. Especially when they’re also your friend. It’s natural to be afraid of getting hurt—or of ruining all the good things you already have. And I can’t guarantee that won’t happen. But”—she reached for Sophie’s arms again—“it’s still super important to have that conversation. Because it’s way too easy to jump to the wrong conclusion. So just… talk to him, okay? I’m not saying right this moment. But don’t let it go too long, either. And I know you’re going to tell me you have all these huge things going on and you need to focus on them, but… this is important. I can tell Keefe is important to you. So just… do what you always do when you’re getting ready to face some epic showdown with the Neverseen.” “You’re comparing this to a battle?” Sophie had to ask. “Why not? Sometimes relationships feel like that. So put your shields up if you need to. But don’t let that stop you from charging headfirst into the unknown. Be bold. Be brave. Be honest. And be you. You’re Sophie Foster. I know you can do this!

Fitz let out the world’s longest sigh before he held up the silver fluffy gadget and told her, Let’s go on three. Sophie nodded. He counted down, and she pushed with all of her strength as Fitz did the same, and… 1,012. They both just stared at the reading. “Think we should test it again, just to make sure it’s not a fluke?” Fitz asked. “Definitely,” Sophie told him. And this time… 1,016.

Maybe she assumed we’d blame Trix,” Sophie suggested. “Or maybe all her injuries from Loamnore weakened her too much and she needs to start using the ability. Or maybe her plans are close enough to coming together that she’s ready to reveal it now.

but

Nothing

Did you ever have them work together?” Sophie asked, remembering what Tiergan had told her about how he and Prentice could’ve been Cognates. When Wylie shook his head, she said, “I think you should give that a try. You trust both of them—and they trust each other—and that level of confidence may be exactly what your mind has been waiting for.

We need to foster confidence in our leaders.

sophie mumbled

Won’t you need my help with the cache?” Fitz asked. It felt very good to tell him, “I don’t see why.

They

Magnate Leto

Flori mentioned it—but I haven’t had a chance to go looking for it. She was trying to convince Sandor to bring Grizel here for a date, since it’s so romantic.

But… I wasn’t lying when I said my mom will try to use anyone I care about to hurt me.

You’re a bunch of rude, judgmental

Hang on! How are we not talking about this?” Ro pointed to a sentence near the end of Keefe’s letter.

You mean a lot to me, Foster. More than you’ll ever know.’ ” Sophie lunged for the paper. “Nope! No destroying the evidence—and don’t even think about telling me you don’t know what he meant by that, Blondie! Your cheeks are way too red!” Sophie tugged her hair forward. She’d been so thrown by the rest of Keefe’s message that she’d forgotten that part was in there—and her brain honestly had no idea what to do with it. It almost felt like Keefe was trying to tell her… But he couldn’t mean that. …Could he? “Whoa.

Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this? It’s going to be so adorable when you two finally…” She made a disgustingly loud smooching sound—and Sophie hated her brain for imagining it. Hated how sweaty her palms felt even more.

I’ll only say this once, he told her, and I’ll deny it if you ever bring it up again. But… if there’s one thing I know about my son, it’s that he’s a survivor. And if he could endure more than a decade at Candleshade with his mother and me, he can handle anything the humans throw at him. Let him take care of himself. He’s been doing it his whole life. SIX LET

Hear that, Hunkyhair? Get your overdramatic butt back here! Your girl is single—and the Great Foster Oblivion is over! This is what you’ve been waiting for!

horrible paste called Vegemite.

Several beats passed before he transmitted, Maybe it is. I just… think you should wait for a plan that everyone agrees with this time. You mean a plan YOU agree with, Sophie corrected. Well, yeah—I’m a part of this too. That doesn’t mean everything revolves around you. I never said it did—and for the record, it doesn’t mean everything revolves around YOU, either. Just because you’re the moonlark doesn’t mean you’re smarter than everyone. You still have a LOT to learn. You think I don’t know that? Fitz sighed. I think you’re scared. And angry. And you want to end this quickly. And I get that. But sometimes it feels like you don’t realize that it’s only a matter of time before something you do gets someone killed. Sophie’s jaw fell open.

hope

kiss

Keefe.

Taking the lead only matters at the finish line.

You don't make a bad choice just because you don't have a any good ones.

I’m not a child. And I’m not pouting because I want to stay home and play video games or something.

He’d been so many colors at that point, she wasn’t sure if anyone remembered what his natural fur even looked like. But he was always happy about each change—and he really seemed to love this one. He kept spinning in circles, trying to admire himself from every angle.

FORTY-TWO

They why did Empress

We didn’t really date. We just sort of… liked each other… openly.

No—but you don’t make a bad choice just because you don’t have any good ones,

Fitzphie?” Tiergan asked, then shook his head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.

countered.

Won’t you need my help with the cache?” Fitz asked. It felt very good to tell him, “I don’t see why.” Ro snickered.