It dawned on me. This change in emotion was coming from Claudette. Bollard had done the same thing to my family and me. No technology involved, it was her trying to charm me, to hypnotize me. Any appeal I had found in her before vanished. I saw clearly for the first time since I sat down.
“You can go,” I said to her.
“What?” she asked, her smile replaced with anger, and all her charm and ease evaporated. The dark current from last night returned.
“I have it. The king wanted to meet with me,” I said, and heat rose from Claudette’s direction. I stared at my plate, fearful of what would happen if our eyes were to meet. Claudette threw her napkin on the table and stormed over to the bar.
When I figured she was far enough away, I braved looking up.
“Well.” The king faced me with the warm smile of an old friend. “You look so much like Helena. Thank you for seeing me.”
“I can’t believe I am meeting Grandma’s prince. I have heard about you so often.”
“You have?” He sounded happy to know that.
“Oh yes, she spoke of you many times.”
“Did she? Helena was one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever met.”
“She’d love to be here now.”
He shook his head. “I have my doubts; the terms on which we left each other were not pleasant.” He looked at his hands. “She was the love of my life, Waverly. I never cared for any other person half as much as I loved her. She was intoxicating and sweet, like none of the other Merrics, and even if we didn’t part well, I would be negligent in my duties... I owe her this. If I…” The king faced the direction of the bar. I turned too and saw Claudette, legs crossed, stirring a drink. This conflicted him for a moment; he didn’t want to say what he was about to say. “I need to tell you something. The Merrics are dangerous. Your grandmother left for a reason. You must go back to your world. It’s too dangerous here.”
“Grandma sent me here though. She’s sick.”
“I can help you get home. I’ll try to protect you but—”
A boom shook the restaurant, sloshing the water in the glasses onto the table.
A man rushed by the front window at top speed, followed by a woman, and then another man. A sharp whistle blew three times, and then whole crowds were running by.
Claudette returned to the table with an odd smile on her face. Rudolf opened the door and put his arm out to stop one of the runners, but they were so alarmed, several passed before a man finally stopped. Sweat running down his face to his brown work suit, the man breathed one wheeze, followed by another. His words came out in gasps. “Galvantry! Fire at the docks.”
Rudolf turned, his eyes full of fear. “We have to get Waverly to L’Autre Bête.” Naugle and Wilbur had me to my feet before he finished the sentence.
“Go out the back!” Hincho called.
“No!” Claudette yelled, and to my surprise, she had my arm.
“No!” The king grabbed my hand.
Claudette took my other wrist, and she yanked me away from him. Naugle and Hincho grabbed for me too, but Claudette already had me out of reach and through the front door.
“Run, Waverly!” the king called. “Get away; I’ll find you.”
Claudette pulled me onto the street and into the crowds. Flanked by guards, we ran with the people in a pack until Claudette interweaved between the panicked runners. Hincho, Wilbur, and Naugle were left behind. At first, two people separated us, then there were five people between us, twenty. The guards yelled for us to slow down. Claudette only went faster. If I wasn’t mistaken, Claudette wanted to lose the guards, but that would be stupid. The crowds were screaming and scary, and as far as I could tell we needed the guards because something was wrong.
Then I lost sight of my guards, and it was just Claudette and me. Zooming and weaving. Zooming and weaving. Somehow, in the crowds of people, Claudette dropped my hand.
“Wait!” I screamed.
Claudette turned, her eyes narrow, her lip curled in disgust. She interweaved again and again, and then I was alone.
The crowds ran on and on. I dropped back. I needed to find one of my guards. Hincho, Naugle, Wilbur, Rudolf, anyone. I needed help, but all I saw were frightened people. There was no one to ask on the street, and what would I say to them even if they were there?
The crowds pushed past my slowing body. Somehow the guards and everyone had passed me. I was alone on the street. No shoppers and no stampeding crowds. I had no idea how to get back.
Thick black smoke billowed into the sky a mile high. Wisps of gray fell overhead. The column of smoke pouring over the city. I had to get to some place safe. If I found the restaurant, the owner would help me. We’d run straight down the road; I could return in the same direction and locate the restaurant.
The street was eerily silent. I saw no one for a few blocks until a random boy zipped past me on a bike. “Wrong way!” he yelled in a huff.
I knew that, but I didn’t know what else to do. Up ahead was the koala I had seen earlier. He clung desperately to the branches. I reached my arms up for him, but he only hissed and climbed higher. If I found help, I’d send them back. I just had to make it inside, and someone would help, or at least discover me there. Or I could use a phone to call. They had to know how to get in touch with
