I laugh, understanding her. If Demetri was sneaking off to meet some girl from their family, I would want to be there in case I had to rip her hairout for attacking him. And if Imani is seeing scary psychic visions about us, I guess she wants to look after Malcolm.
“Do you work here?” I ask.
“No,” Imani replies. “I just help out sometimes. What can I start you off with?”
I look at the menu, but the prices are missing. “How do I know what everything costs?” I ask.
Imani gives me a warm smile. “You pay what you can afford. And if you can’t afford it, your meal is on the house.”
“Wow.” I grin. “I’m not really hungry, though.”
Malcolm digs into his pocket. He pulls out three crisp twenty-dollar bills, sliding them onto the table. “Give us two teas and a small taste of what’s to come.”
“That’ll be right out.” She winks at me and whispers, “I’d never date anybody with a rock head.”
I slump as embarrassment weighs down on my shoulders.
Laughing, Imani pivots on her skates and rolls to the kitchen, leaving us in a room filled with the voices of other diners and the clinking of forks against plates.
I lean back against the shiny blue vinyl and I tell Malcolm what I’ve learned about Sabine and her mysterious ravens. Malcolm listens intently, his beautiful hazel eyes studying me. When I’m done, he tells me about his talk with Billy.
“Malcolm,” I ask hesitantly, “do you think Billy’s right? Do you think we won’t be able to escape the Tether?”
“Beats me,” he replies. He leans in closer, and our hands touch on the table. I look at his full perfect lips. A volt of electricity shoots through my body. I lick my lips to distract me from the tingles I get from the feel of his fingers.
He speaks with a passion that ignites my heart. “But I know we’ve worked too damn hard to stop trying,” he insists. “We can’t give up now. Fear and frustration can’t stop us. Right?”
Smiling, I nod. This place was a wonderful surprise. Like his friendship has become.
Imani sets down two steaming mugs, their pink tiles reflecting thewarmth and love she puts into her tea. It feels good to know we have an ally in this. I wrap my fingers around my mug, seeking its steamy comfort.
“We have to figure out how to end the Tether,” I say. “I want to escape this curse and the circus.”And my family.Looking into his flawless hazel eyes, I add, “I wanna run away from everything so I can find me. Figure out where I belong.” Malcolm’s hand covers mine.
“Maybe you belong with me,” he blurts. He drops his eyes like he’s scared he shouldn’t have said that or worried hearing those words this soon will make me uncomfortable. But all the letters we’ve exchanged have made me feel closer to him. So I smile to assure him that it’s okay.
He grins. “Emma Baldwin, you are a star with or without the big top,” he declares, his voice swollen with belief in me. “Don’t let our circumstances dim your light. No matter what, you’ll get through this. It’ll be all right,” he says, but his eyes look doubtful.
“Pretty liar,” I tease, our hands still intertwined. “I appreciate the way we’re trying to end the Tether together… being here for each other. I know it would be easier to hate me. So thank you.”
“That would be impossible. Close your eyes,” Malcolm whispers. “And think of the future as you take a sip of this tea.”
Lashes closed, I savor the steamy sweetness of the tea. I imagine a future where Malcolm and I are free. We kiss and dance in the rain, far away from the circus and the curse and everyone that irritates us. In the bubble of my imagination, it’s just us, and our love shines brighter than any spotlight.
But as I part my lashes and gaze into the dark circle of my cup, there’s a different future—one where Malcolm’s eyes are filled with static and I’m stabbing him in the shoulder with a shard of mirror glass. I shudder.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
Sputtering my fear and guilt, I gasp. “W-w-was that the future? Really?”
“Yeah,” he says. “It’s a peek of what might be. What did you see?”
Afraid of his reaction to the truth, I lie. “I saw us. We beat this thing. What did you see?”
Malcolm looks sad and distrustful. Did he see what I saw? My outfit feels too tight—the high-waisted skirt and fitted blouse choking me uncomfortably again. Instead of dancing in the rain, we dance around the facts.
After a pause, he whispers, “I saw danger ahead. We need to be careful. The future is gonna be hard.”
I nod. For a second, my vision blurs red. I can almost see the blood dripping from the wounds I’d inflict on him if I ever gave in to my darkest urges. I can never let it come to that.
