“Knowing my mother, it will be something cute,” I mutter.
We get to the front of the line. “Names?”
“Seriously, Floyd?” Cordelia grumbles.
“No name, no entry.”
“Fox, Katsu, Cordelia, and Sebastian,” I say, growling at him.
Floyd makes a big show of looking down his clipboard until he finds our names. “Ah, our VIP guests. Lovely. Ms March will show you the way.”
Twelve-year-old Melody March smiles at us, her eyes gleaming as she tries to suppress her laughter. “This way, Alphas and Omega.”
“I hope you’re getting paid for this,” Cordie whispers to her.
“Better, I’m getting my very own dirt bike. Dad agreed to let me compete.”
Cordie and Melody bump fists. “Congrats, little speed racer. Remember me when you’re famous.”
“Will do. You’re supposed to go and sit on the cushions around that table in the middle of the room.” She points to the spot.
I scowl. The lights are on. It doesn’t look like much. Just a handful of pillows around a quarter of a barrel that is serving as our table for the evening.
We make our way over there and sit down.
After the last couple of groups are shown in, Floyd moves to the doors and stands there with a whole lot of pomp and ceremony.
“Your dinner is served.”
“Look, mate, I’m looking, but I can’t see nothing but this weird green lettuce thing. That ain’t a meal, it’s a snack.”
Floyd throws his nose in the air, spins on his heel, manages to ruin the total effect when he slips and has to grab the door frame for balance, and then finally leaves, plunging us into darkness when he slams the doors shut.
“Listen for chains. I know the back way out,” Clint says loudly.
Fox snorts a laugh.
“Shut up!” someone else snarls. “Monica is afraid of the dark.”
“Sorry, Mon. Truly,” Clint says contritely.
All at once, the room explodes into light, but not bright light, twinkling light. The entire ceiling is hung with fairy lights. There must be thousands of them. Soft pop music about kissing comes on, and I groan.
“This is why you don’t let your parents get involved in your love life,” I mutter in horror.
Katsu studies me with an amused smile. “It is a bit strange. She really wants to see you all matched.”
“She’s obsessed,” I grumble.
Cordie pokes the green lettuce thing. It shivers.
I lean back. “What the?” I shout as I scramble up and away, hauling Cordelia to Fox and stepping between the thing and them.
The green thing sizzles and hisses, and then the green dissolves. Katsu grabs Cordie and Fox, pulling them back further as Clint approaches, glaring down at it. I shift closer to the thing that is hissing and spitting red foam.
“What the actual…so they are trying to kill us? Is this like the War of the Geriatrics? I saw a movie like that. Weren’t all the old people aliens?”
I bite my lip so I don’t laugh at Clint, but I’d love to see Mum’s face when she finds out he called her a geriatric.
