“Do you want any more, Zekie?” Cissy holds a French fry in one hand. I’m pretty sure she’s been hand-feeding him. Gross.
“No thanks, honey bunches.” Zeke pats his stomach. “Have to stay in shape.” They share an Eskimo kiss (aka rub noses), and then I’ve had enough.
“Hello, there!” Forcing a smile, I give my lunch tray a little shake. “Any room for a third?”
“Myla!” Cissy twists in her chair. “Where have you been?”
“Another Arena match.” I slide into an empty chair, grab a fork and dive into my monster-sized salad.
“That’s a lot of fighting lately.” Zeke rubs his dimpled chin. “Anything special going on?”
I freeze, my fork half-way to my mouth. How much should I say?
Cissy smiles sweetly. “You know you can tell us anything.”
I glance at their eager faces. Maybe Cissy’s right. These are my friends; I should trust them. Plus, it’s been a long time since the whole ‘Myla is obsessed with Zeke’ thing happened. They’ve probably forgotten all about it.
Dropping my fork, I take a deep breath and start babbling. “At Zeke’s party I met a thrax guy who insulted quasis and said Cissy looked like a dog in heat, so I’m not gonna dance with that! But today at the match, he turned out to be the crowned Prince of the thrax. He gave me a sword, but then he said I wouldn’t last against a real demon hunter.” I slam the tabletop with both hands. “Hells bells, I want to knock his block off.” And maybe kiss him a little bit, but I’m not telling them that. I let out a low whistle. “Honestly, what am I worrying about anyway? I’ll probably never see him again, right?”
There’s a long pause where Cissy and Zeke stare at me; their eyes ready to pop out of their heads. They both burst into peals of laughter.
So much for telling the truth. I set my face into my palms and moan. It’s been that depressing of a day.
“Come on, Myla. Be serious.” Cissy wipes a tear from her cheek, her tail wagging up a storm behind her.
“If you’re not ready to confide in us, it’s fine.” Zeke hides his smile under one hand. “We get it.”
Cissy and Zeke exchange a sympathetic look. Then, with a series of loud squeaks, Cissy scooches her seat closer to mine, while Zeke moves his farther away. “Is that maybe…Better?” She gives me a tentative grin.
Hells bells, they both think I’m still acting weird because of my supposed mega-crush on Zeke. I pause, taking a long sip from my can of diet soda. Actually, if it stops all the cuddling and pet names, they can think whatever they want. I give her shoulder a little pat. “That is better.” I sniffle, loudly. “Thanks so much.”
Zeke runs his palms over his blonde head. “By the way, I heard you talked to Aunt Cecily at the party.”
Lifting my fork, I spear a new bite of salad. “Aunt who?”
“Cecily. You know: old lady, gray hair, peacock tail?”
“Oh yeah, she was–” I search for the right words “–a good listener.”
Zeke kicks his legs onto a nearby chair. “She said you were asking about diplomatic stuff.”
I drop my fork again. “Yes, I was.” I wanted any information on who my father could be, not that I’m telling Zekie that.
“My house has all the old diplomatic archives from quasi rule. It’s in the main library.” He taps his plate with one finger, looking at me expectantly. “You could check it out.”
Cissy nods, setting her golden curls bobbing. “What a great idea! Doing some research would give you something else to think about besides…”
My lost love for Zeke. Riiiiiight. I swallow down some frustration with another bite of salad.
Zeke puts on his Mr. Smirky grin. “There’s more to do than the library, though.”
“Oh, yes.” Cissy blinks her tawny eyes madly. “The mansion has a hedgerow maze, a fountain, and a huge greenhouse with botanical gardens inside.”
Wait a second. I’ve known Cissy long enough to recognize her eye-blinking routine when I see it.
“This is a great offer and all, but I’m wondering one thing.” I fold my hands neatly on the tabletop. “Is there is something in particular you want from me in all this?”
Leaning forward in her chair, Cissy speaks in a hushed tone. “Since you mention it, if you’re at the house and all, I should probably be there too.”
My eyes narrow. “I see. You’ll be at the Ryder mansion to keep me company, not just to hang out with Zeke.”
Cissy smiles so hard, I’m shocked her face doesn’t crack. “Yes, that’s absolutely right!”
I smack my lips once. Okay, I can see where this is going.
Cissy gazes at the ceiling, her mouth screwing to one side of her face. “And if my parents ask what happens at Zeke’s house, you could say we’re together all the time. The three of us.”
I exhale a long breath. “But the two of you will really be doing what exactly?”
Zeke holds up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “Just watching television and hanging out, I swear. My parents will be around too.”