“We are,” said Fernand, turning to a giant silver mirror on the wall.
Sylvie watched Fernand gaze into it.You’d have to be awfully fond of your own reflection to have a mirror that big.
He seemed to realize what she was thinking. “It’s not that kind of a looking glass.” He tapped his Blade against it, and the mirror suddenly came to life, images flashing across. “Super fine pastry sugar mixed with liquid silver. I had it made last year, sees everything. Now, it’s impossible for anyone to cheat.”
Sylvie spotted Arjun handing a stack of pies to a woman wearing a fur hat.
“Your mother’s skybox hadn’t launched yet. She was still prepping, which means this is the fastest way to locate her.” He rapped his Blade against the mirror and the scene changed. A girl holding a French flag took a gulp of hot chocolate. Sylvie stared at it and tried to moisten her lips.
“Are you thirsty?” Fernand pointed to the soda machine. “We buy so many FizzleFott’s products, they gave me one of their soda dispensers for free.” He kept one eye focused on the mirror as he filled glasses.
Tap!
There was the Italian woman, still waving her bundle of laurel.
Tap!
Jasper Rose slid a pan of meringue rosettes onto a table. Bright red buds and stems armed with thorns shot up. They twisted into the air, pulling down a stack of pots.
Sylvie continued to stare, searching for her mom.
A glass floated toward her. Bright bubbles danced inside, like flecks of starlight.
“Moon Mist.” Fernand sent two more sailing.
Fuzzy bursts tickled Sylvie’s tongue.
“It’s a zero-gravity soda,” said Fernand. “So, hold onto it tightly.”
Georgia snatched one from the air. “Zero-gravity? Once I tried a bacon-flavored soda, but this is definitely cooler than fried pig.”
Fernand nodded. “Of course, last week I wouldn’t have agreed with you. I had three Moon Mists in one day … spent an hour floating up to the ceiling. Luckily Camille came in and got me down.”
Sylvie took another small sip and set down her glass. The last thing she needed was to turn into a loose balloon.
“I should’ve realized a few weeks ago when Josephine came to see me that she was going to stir up trouble.” Fernand poured himself a glass. “Though I never imagined she’d take things this far.”
“So, you kept in touch? I mean, not that it matters. I … was just wondering.” Sylvie silently scolded herself. She’d made a simple question sound weird.
Luckily Fernand seemed too busy surfing through the images.
Tap!
A man with stars and stripes painted across his face waved aGOUSA banner. Sylvie’s eyes narrowed. Even with the paint obscuring his features, he looked like …Guy Fabre?Sylvie tried to steal another glance, but the banner was now blocking his face.
“We hadn’t spoken in ages,” Fernand continued. “Suddenly, there was Josephine, standing at my door. Friendship is funny. Some have an expiration date. Others are timeless. I tried to hold on to ours. But after the loss at the Golden Whisk, a rot crept into it.”
Sylvie was trying her best to focus, but her mind was still on the man she’d seen.How many people wear an eye patch? Did it have a fleur-de-lis on it?It all happened so quickly. Sylvie wasn’t sure.
“I don’t know who was responsible for sabotaging our ingredients.” Fernand stared at the framed photo on his desk. “I told Josephine I’d moved on, and so should she.”
Sylvie glanced at the picture.
A blonde woman with the same slender features as Fernand smiled proudly. A baby, who Sylvie assumed was Fernand, was nestled in the crook of her arm. Balthazar LeGrande stood next to them. His round features drooped as he stared into the camera.
“My father could be a cruel man. He wanted to punish us for losing.”
The images from Godard’s memory ran through Sylvie’s mind.
