Page 1 of Hilarina and the Ogre

Part One

Hilary

Chapter one

The Whale

“I love your necklace, Annette.”

It was the tone Hilary reacted to. Varda only pitched her voice up like that when she wanted something.

His mother smiled. “I thought pearls were old-lady jewelry.”

It was another evening with his girlfriend. It seemed like she was at his place all the time, though it was only once a week. Mostly, it was himself he hated during these dinners. It was worse to be that version of Hilary at home.

“Not at all!” Varda cooed. “They’ve come back into style, though I don’t know why they ever went out of fashion. You’re both luminescent.”

Hilary had to suppress a snort. Varda was putting in genuine effort. Luminescent, indeed.

Annette wasn’t immune to the flattery. Her hand went to the necklace. “They were my grandmother’s. She wore them every Saturday. That was when she and my grandfather had their dates.”

“How romantic!” Varda set her chin in her palm. She’d probably have liked to blush, but she couldn’t do that on command. “They must have been crazy about each other.”

Hilary and his father traded looks across the table. Dangerous. If either of them laughed, they’d both be in the doghouse. But the truth was, his grandparents had been horrible to each other. Gramps had been manipulative, Grandma had been a drunk, and the weekly dates had been more a testament to old habit and the mutual love of ballet than any true connection. The pair had been dance partners, and Hilary was sure that had been part of why his own mother had never dated her dance partners. When she married, it had been to an electrician—the furthest thing from a dancer she could find. In any case, Annette still wore the pearls, and never went a day without them.

Hilary’s father muttered it under his breath. “They were crazy, alright.”

The man might have gotten away with it had his wife’s ears been less sharp. “Albert.” When she said a name like that, so even and calm, you knew you were in trouble.

Albert tried not to wince. “Yes, darling?”

“Come and help me with dessert.”

Varda waited until both parents were in the kitchen before revealing the scheme. “Those pearls would be perfect for the dance.”

It was almost a relief to hear such a superficial reason. The once-a-week dinners were already more serious than he wanted of their relationship.

“Why do you need pearls for the dance?”

“Don’t be slow. I mean for my costume.”

“Monsters wear pearls?”

“They are if they’re a mermaid vampire—obviously.”

The theme for the dance was Monster Mix, and everyone was supposed to be some kind of monster hybrid. “Are mermaids monsters?” Hilary asked.

“They drown sailors, don’t they?” Varda was growing annoyed. She didn’t like being questioned. “Can I borrow them or not?”

“Not.” But Hilary smiled, trying to make it friendly. “It’s legit one of the few things she has from Grandma. I wouldn’t ask if I were you.”

But Varda did ask, making the request when she was supposed to be putting her shoes on. As expected, Annette tensed up a little, her hand going up to the necklace as if to protect it. But then she said, “Just for one night?” And Varda barely concealed her triumph.

“Just one. But if it’s too much…”

Annette fingered the pearls. “You’ll be careful with it, right?”

Varda set a hand over her heart. “I’ll guard it with my life.”