Illusions
Page 42
“Really,” Laurel said, feeling awkward now. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“So, do you mind if Tam and I eat lunch with you? You guys always eat outside, right?”
“I like it there,” Laurel said, feeling vaguely defensive. “Um, sure you can join us. If you want.” This is what we’ve been working for, she reminded herself.
Tamani and Yuki went off to get their lunches and Laurel turned back to her locker. Her headache was getting worse. She was glad it was lunchtime. Getting out of the school for a few minutes usually helped.
“You okay?” David asked, locking his locker, his lunch tucked under his arm.
“She’s going to notice how I eat,” Laurel said. “Why didn’t Tamani stop this?” But she knew why. It was worth the risk. Probably.
David didn’t answer, just put an arm around her shoulders as they walked toward the doors.
Chelsea and Ryan and a few of the other regulars were already sitting and pulling out their lunches when Laurel and David arrived, moments ahead of Tamani and Yuki. The group hardly looked up when Tamani and Yuki sat down; they often had people come and go. Yuki sat down right beside Laurel. Tamani sat next to Yuki.
So much for low-key, Laurel thought. Three high school students sitting in a row, eating nothing but fruits and vegetables. Perfect. That shouldn’t draw any attention at all. Laurel hesitated before opening her salad. At least she’d had some extra time this morning to make her lunch; her colorful salad looked more like a meal than the usual half cup of spinach with a couple strawberries, or piece of fruit and small bag of carrots. She pulled out a can of Sprite and made a bit of a show of opening it and taking a long swallow.
Yuki didn’t seem the least bit self-conscious as she pulled out her own lunch. Laurel couldn’t help but stare at the small Tupperware containing a pale, oblong, sandwich-sized mound with dark green strips tied around it.
“What is that?” Laurel asked, hoping it sounded like a friendly question.
Yuki looked up at her. “Cabbage roll,” she said simply.
Laurel knew she should leave it alone, but she had never eaten anything resembling the thing that Yuki was currently biting into and her curiosity overwhelmed her caution. “What’s that stuff wrapped around it?”
Yuki looked over at her in surprise. “Nori. Um, seaweed, basically. You’ve probably seen it on sushi.”
Laurel turned back to her own lunch before she drew too much attention to their meals. She felt suddenly lonely as she watched Yuki, eating her cabbage roll and drinking her cold green tea. What would it be like to have a faerie friend who lived in the human world? Someone who could swap camouflage secrets and lunch recipes? She realized just how well she and Yuki could get along. If only she could know Yuki wasn’t a threat—to herself or Avalon.
“Aren’t you eating?” Yuki asked.
Laurel looked up, but Yuki wasn’t talking to her—she was talking to Tamani, who was sprawled casually on the grass. He shrugged. “I’m fine. I usually go out, but I wanted to keep you company today,” he said with a winning smile, touching her knee.
Laurel turned away from Yuki, her warm feelings melting away.
“Do you want some of mine?” Yuki asked.
Laurel didn’t turn, but she listened, wondering how Tamani was going to get out of this one.
“Oh, no thanks. I’ll be all right. I don’t really like green stuff.”
Laurel almost choked on her Sprite. She saw that Tamani was watching her with laughter in his eyes. She placed one hand on David’s thigh and looked pointedly away from her impish guardian.
* * *
Tamani felt uncomfortably like a teacher as he stood in front of Laurel and her friends before the dance. He’d asked them to come to Laurel’s house early, while Ryan was still at work, so that they could all talk freely. “First, I wanted to warn you guys about the troll we found—”
“Laurel said it was a dead troll,” Chelsea interrupted, her face paling a little.
Tamani still wasn’t quite sure what to make of Chelsea, but she seemed to have her heart in the right place. “By the time I was done with him he was dead, yes,” Tamani confirmed.
He nearly smiled at Chelsea’s satisfied head-nod. He’d never talked to her specifically about her experience last fall, but he suspected being kidnapped by trolls was a pretty traumatic introduction to the supernatural.
“But there was one that got away. And the fact that we found them at all is a clear sign they are either getting sloppy, or bold. Either way, we need to be very careful tonight. Especially with Yuki and Ryan along.”
“Have you seen Klea yet?” Laurel asked.
Tamani pursed his lips and shook his head. “No, but Yuki mentioned seeing her the other day. So there’s a possibility that either Yuki is slipping away from her sentries—which doesn’t seem likely—or Klea is sneaking past them—which seems even less likely. Probably Yuki is just lying, but I don’t know why. I don’t know what to think there.”
“Forgive me for pointing out the obvious,” David said in a tone Tamani didn’t much like, “but couldn’t we just call Klea? I mean, Laurel’s got her number. Hell, I’ve got her number.”
“And say what?” Tamani asked, admittedly glaring a little. “That she should come join us for tea?”
“We could make something up. Pretend Yuki needs her.”
“And then she would arrive, discover that Yuki is not in need of assistance, and ask why we lied. Then what?” He paused only long enough to highlight that David didn’t have an answer before continuing. “As concerned as I am about Klea, I’m more concerned about Yuki at the moment. Once we discover how dangerous she is or isn’t, Klea goes instantly back to first priority.”
“So, do you mind if Tam and I eat lunch with you? You guys always eat outside, right?”
“I like it there,” Laurel said, feeling vaguely defensive. “Um, sure you can join us. If you want.” This is what we’ve been working for, she reminded herself.
Tamani and Yuki went off to get their lunches and Laurel turned back to her locker. Her headache was getting worse. She was glad it was lunchtime. Getting out of the school for a few minutes usually helped.
“You okay?” David asked, locking his locker, his lunch tucked under his arm.
“She’s going to notice how I eat,” Laurel said. “Why didn’t Tamani stop this?” But she knew why. It was worth the risk. Probably.
David didn’t answer, just put an arm around her shoulders as they walked toward the doors.
Chelsea and Ryan and a few of the other regulars were already sitting and pulling out their lunches when Laurel and David arrived, moments ahead of Tamani and Yuki. The group hardly looked up when Tamani and Yuki sat down; they often had people come and go. Yuki sat down right beside Laurel. Tamani sat next to Yuki.
So much for low-key, Laurel thought. Three high school students sitting in a row, eating nothing but fruits and vegetables. Perfect. That shouldn’t draw any attention at all. Laurel hesitated before opening her salad. At least she’d had some extra time this morning to make her lunch; her colorful salad looked more like a meal than the usual half cup of spinach with a couple strawberries, or piece of fruit and small bag of carrots. She pulled out a can of Sprite and made a bit of a show of opening it and taking a long swallow.
Yuki didn’t seem the least bit self-conscious as she pulled out her own lunch. Laurel couldn’t help but stare at the small Tupperware containing a pale, oblong, sandwich-sized mound with dark green strips tied around it.
“What is that?” Laurel asked, hoping it sounded like a friendly question.
Yuki looked up at her. “Cabbage roll,” she said simply.
Laurel knew she should leave it alone, but she had never eaten anything resembling the thing that Yuki was currently biting into and her curiosity overwhelmed her caution. “What’s that stuff wrapped around it?”
Yuki looked over at her in surprise. “Nori. Um, seaweed, basically. You’ve probably seen it on sushi.”
Laurel turned back to her own lunch before she drew too much attention to their meals. She felt suddenly lonely as she watched Yuki, eating her cabbage roll and drinking her cold green tea. What would it be like to have a faerie friend who lived in the human world? Someone who could swap camouflage secrets and lunch recipes? She realized just how well she and Yuki could get along. If only she could know Yuki wasn’t a threat—to herself or Avalon.
“Aren’t you eating?” Yuki asked.
Laurel looked up, but Yuki wasn’t talking to her—she was talking to Tamani, who was sprawled casually on the grass. He shrugged. “I’m fine. I usually go out, but I wanted to keep you company today,” he said with a winning smile, touching her knee.
Laurel turned away from Yuki, her warm feelings melting away.
“Do you want some of mine?” Yuki asked.
Laurel didn’t turn, but she listened, wondering how Tamani was going to get out of this one.
“Oh, no thanks. I’ll be all right. I don’t really like green stuff.”
Laurel almost choked on her Sprite. She saw that Tamani was watching her with laughter in his eyes. She placed one hand on David’s thigh and looked pointedly away from her impish guardian.
* * *
Tamani felt uncomfortably like a teacher as he stood in front of Laurel and her friends before the dance. He’d asked them to come to Laurel’s house early, while Ryan was still at work, so that they could all talk freely. “First, I wanted to warn you guys about the troll we found—”
“Laurel said it was a dead troll,” Chelsea interrupted, her face paling a little.
Tamani still wasn’t quite sure what to make of Chelsea, but she seemed to have her heart in the right place. “By the time I was done with him he was dead, yes,” Tamani confirmed.
He nearly smiled at Chelsea’s satisfied head-nod. He’d never talked to her specifically about her experience last fall, but he suspected being kidnapped by trolls was a pretty traumatic introduction to the supernatural.
“But there was one that got away. And the fact that we found them at all is a clear sign they are either getting sloppy, or bold. Either way, we need to be very careful tonight. Especially with Yuki and Ryan along.”
“Have you seen Klea yet?” Laurel asked.
Tamani pursed his lips and shook his head. “No, but Yuki mentioned seeing her the other day. So there’s a possibility that either Yuki is slipping away from her sentries—which doesn’t seem likely—or Klea is sneaking past them—which seems even less likely. Probably Yuki is just lying, but I don’t know why. I don’t know what to think there.”
“Forgive me for pointing out the obvious,” David said in a tone Tamani didn’t much like, “but couldn’t we just call Klea? I mean, Laurel’s got her number. Hell, I’ve got her number.”
“And say what?” Tamani asked, admittedly glaring a little. “That she should come join us for tea?”
“We could make something up. Pretend Yuki needs her.”
“And then she would arrive, discover that Yuki is not in need of assistance, and ask why we lied. Then what?” He paused only long enough to highlight that David didn’t have an answer before continuing. “As concerned as I am about Klea, I’m more concerned about Yuki at the moment. Once we discover how dangerous she is or isn’t, Klea goes instantly back to first priority.”
