On the flip side, assuming that she didn’t know about it, would she be upset if she found out later that I knew and hadn’t told her? Our betrothal was essentially a business deal, but – that aside – Myshtal and I were pretty close. We’d gone through an ordeal together on Caeles that had created a rather tight bond between us.
Ultimately, I decided to simply play it by ear and then called Myshtal. It was definitely late (or early, depending on your point of view), but I had no doubt she would be expecting my call. (I hadn’t been exaggerating when I told the Caelesian guard that we talked every day.) She answered on the first ring.
“Hey!” she gushed. “How was the party?”
“Which one?” I quipped, then gave her a brief overview of the evening.
“Sounds like a lot of fun,” she stated when I finished.
“And the opera?” I asked.
“It was fantastic!” she exclaimed, and I could practically see her beaming through the phone. “The costumes, the scenery… It was amazing.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“I did.”
“Well, please tell Monique I said ‘Thanks’ for taking you.”
“Will do,” she assured me.
Monique was my cousin, the sister of Avis. For the first couple of parties on the West Coast, Myshtal had gone with me. She had seemed to be having fun, but it was Monique who reminded me that – as a princess – Myshtal had probably gone to more parties with the rich-and-famous than she could count. She’d insisted that Myshtal needed exposure to more of Earth’s culture than she could get on TV and social media, and could probably benefit from some female bonding.
Long story short, Monique convinced me to let Myshtal come spend some time with her. I was all for it – especially since, with my immediate family gone, it was just me and Myshtal living in a huge mansion. (Also, as I had explained to the Caelesian guard, I think Myshtal and I both recognized that it wasn’t good for her to simply follow in my wake everywhere I went.)
All of this was flitting through my mind when I suddenly realized that Myshtal was still talking to me.
“So what do you think?” she asked.
“Huh?” I murmured, unsure what we were talking about.
“Monique said she wants me to stay a few more days,” she stated. “Are you okay with that?”
“Sure,” I said. “Stay as long as you want.”
“Hmmm,” she droned. “You agreed to that pretty quickly. Are you trying to get rid of me?”
I laughed. “Of course not. I enjoy having you around, but I do know it’s important that you meet other people and have experiences that don’t include me.”
“All right – as long as you know you’re not getting rid of me that easily,” she teased. “And speaking of new experiences, we got mugged today.”
“What?!” I exclaimed.
“Well, not exactly mugged,” she clarified. “Some guy tried to snatch Monique’s purse while we were having lunch at an outdoor café.”
“What happened?”
“After he grabbed her purse and started running, Monique threw her fork at him. It hit him in the calf and he went sprawling, screaming and grabbing his leg. While he was pulling it out and trying to get back on his feet, she just walked over and picked her purse up from where he’d dropped it.”
“Wow,” I intoned. “That had to be scary.”
“Yeah, but that’s not even the best part,” she said. “After Monique got her purse back, the mugger pulled out a knife. But before he could do anything, the blade just melted. He dropped to his knees, screaming and holding his hand, while Monique just casually walked back and asked me if I wanted dessert.”
“Ha-ha!” I laughed. “That sounds just like Monique.”
“Yeah, and it was super exciting. I can’t remember the last time my heart pounded so fast.”
Her comment triggered something in my brain, causing me to become immediately somber. I suddenly had an inkling as to why the Caelesian guard had decided to make her presence known (as well as remind me of my obligation to keep Myshtal safe). Had I been thinking, I would have let the guard know that my cousin Monique – although she relished being a housewife – was a formidable super in her own right with remarkable powers (as the would-be-mugger had found out) and fully capable of protecting Myshtal, if necessary.
That said, I decided against telling her about my rooftop rendezvous at the diner. She seemed to be having such a good time that – even if she was already aware of the guard’s presence – I didn’t want to be any kind of Debbie Downer.
We talked for a little longer, but bearing in mind how late it was, the conversation didn’t last long. After agreeing to speak again the following day, we said goodnight and both hung up. I then went to the bed and stretched out on it for a moment before returning my bodily systems to normal. Exhaustion hit me like a sledgehammer, and I was asleep within seconds.
Chapter 6
I was awakened by my phone ringing. I grabbed it off the nightstand and glanced at the time.
Six a.m., I thought. Early. I then noted who the caller was and bolted awake.
It was Electra. My girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend.
I answered with a perfunctory, “Hello.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” Electra asked without preamble.
“Huh?” I muttered, not sure what she was talking about.
“This picture of you and Vestibule in the Lifestyle section of the paper.”
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, wiping my face with my hand. “What picture are you talking about?”
“You and Vestibule in matching outfits at some party last night.”
“I guess I haven’t seen it yet. It’s still early out here.”
“Out here?” she repeated. “You’re still on the West Coast?”
“Yeah, why?”
There was silence for a moment, then Electra said, “I guess you must have had a really good time if you were too tired to teleport home.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m actually out here visiting relatives. In case you forgot, my mother and grandparents are off in
