AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The outside of the diner was faux stone and beige stucco with a sign on the door proclaiming truckers welcome. Someone had sloppily painted the windows with reindeer, Santa’s, and large wreaths. Inside, they were seated without a second glance by a stout older woman with carefully groomed white hair. Ethine stared at her lined face with undisguised fascination.
Kaye slid into the booth, letting the familiar smell of brewed coffee wash over her. She didn't care that it stank of iron. This was the world she knew. It almost made her feel safe.
A cute Latino boy handed them their laminated menus and poured their water.
Luis drank it gratefully. "I'm starving. I pretty much finished all my protein bars yesterday.”
"Do you really have more power over us if we eat your food?" Corny asked Ethine.
"We do," Ethine said.
Luis gave her a dark look.
"So I—," Corny started, but then he opened his menu, hid his face, and didn't finish.
"It fades," Ethine said. "Eat something else. That helps.”
"I have to make a call," Kaye told Corny.
Corny leaned down to plug the cord into an outlet sitting underneath a painting of happy trees and a moose. He sat back up and handed the slim phone to Kaye. "As long as you don't jerk it out of the wall, you can use it while it's charging.”
She dialed her mother's number, but the phone just rang and rang. No voice mail. No answering machine. Ellen didn't believe in recorded messages that she would forget to check.
"Mom's not home," Kaye said. "We need a plan.”
Corny put his menu down. "How can we make a plan when we don't know what Silarial's going to do?”
"We need to do something," Kaye said. "First. Now.”
"Why?" Luis asked.
"The reason that Silarial wanted me to come to the Seelie Court is because I know Roiben's true name.”
Ethine looked over at Kaye, eyes wide.
"Oh," Corny said. "Right. Shit.”
"I managed to deceive her about what his name is for a while, but now she knows I played her.”
"What a typical pixie you are," Ethine said.
She might have said more, but at that moment the waitress walked over, taking her pen and pad out of her apron. "What can I get you kids? We have an eggnog pancake special still going.”
"Coffee, coffee, coffee, and coffee," Corny said, pointing around the table.
"A strawberry milkshake," said Luis. "Mozzarella sticks and a deluxe cheeseburger.”
"How would you like that cooked?" the waitress asked.
Luis looked at her strangely. "Whatever. Just cook it.”
"Steak and eggs," Corny said. "Meat, burnt. Eggs, over easy. Dry rye toast.”
"Chicken souvlaki on a pita," Kaye said. "Extra tzatziki sauce for my fries, please.”
Ethine looked at them all blankly and then looked at the menu in front of her. "Blueberry pie," she said finally.
"You kids been to that Renaissance Faire up in Tuxedo?" the woman asked.
