She met her eyes in the mirror as they filled with tears. “What’s happening to me?”
“How much longer do we have to wait?” Jen asked. She felt like a kid on Christmas Eve, waiting for the sunrise to come so that she could wake her parents and open the presents. They were going to see Sally. It had only been eleven days since she’d disappeared, and yet it felt as though it had been months.
“I told you we wouldn’t leave until they were two hours out on their hunt,” Peri said with a slight edge to her voice.
Jacque stood looking every bit as eager as Jen but somehow managing to hold her tongue. Finally, fifteen minutes later, Peri grabbed both their arms and flashed them from the Romania mansion. They reappeared on the stoop of a quaint looking building. The moon was high in the sky but no stars could be seen, unlike in the forest of Romania.
“What time is it here?” Jen asked.
“They’re seven hours behind us. So we left at seven a.m. our time, and here it is twelve a.m. of the same day. If we’d left at six a.m., we would have arrived here yesterday their time.”
“Is this where she lives?” Jacque asked as her eyes drank in the surroundings.
“Yep,” Peri confirmed. “But we won’t find her here at this hour. She’s still at work.”
Jen clapped her hands together and rubbed them. “Does this mean we’re going to a bar?”
“Keep your clothes on, Jennifer,” Jacque growled at her.
Jen shook her head. “I make no promises and” —she held up a finger— “I declare that anything that happens in Oceanside, stays in Oceanside.” She tapped her head. “That means we need to be careful what we let the fur balls know.”
Peri turned and started walking down the sidewalk and the two girls followed. As they were walking, the high fae began laying out thedosanddon’ts.
“You two are going to use your real names,” she began. “Jericho and I have already had an encounter and so he will recognize me. So I’m going to alter my appearance and change my name. For the time being you guys will need to call me…”
“Matilda,” Jen offered.
Peri frowned. “No, not Matilda.”
“Ursula,” Jacque chimed in giving Jen a wink.
“Eww, no, not Ursula,” Peri said scrunching up her small nose.
“I’ve got it,” Jen announced. “Lunesta.” She smiled proudly.
“That’s a sleep aid drug you dip,” Peri growled.
“Well, there are times when we’d rather be asleep than deal with your difficult butt. So it’s totally appropriate. Right, Red?”
“Totally,” Jacque agreed.
Peri narrowed her eyes at Jen. “Why, exactly, are you using up oxygen right now?”
Jen laughed. “Because I’m hoping if I use it all up, you’ll pass out.”
“What about Franny?” Jacque said, interrupting their banter.
“What the hell is wrong with you two?” Peri growled. Her hands were on her hips as she glared at them. “A normal name, quit trying to give me a stupid, ugly name.”
“You need to apologize to all the Frannys, Ursulas, Matildas, and Lunestas of the world,” Jacque told her.
“There are no Lunestas of the world.”
“All the more reason to use it,” Jen grinned. “It’s original, like you.”
“My name is Stacy. Call me Stacy,” Peri said flatly.
“Boo,” Jen called.
