concern crossed Evonna’s face. “I’ll get it out soon as I can.”
Arthur brought us drinks. Emma got water, while I stuck with ale. She sipped at it slowly, as if worried it might set her digestion off.
“Are you sure you don’t need to leave?” I asked.
Emma grimaced. “It’s okay. It’ll subside soon. My health’s like this— on and off. Just have to wait it out.”
Emma’s eyes traveled upward, and I turned around. Two people wandered by our table holding hands— Finlay and Amantha.
“Hey, you two!” Emma exclaimed. They paused, eyes gleaming with recognition when they saw us. Finlay glanced at me, but instead of the jealous look he typically gave, he seemed relaxed.
“What’s this about?” Emma gestured to their joined hands in a teasing way.
Amantha blushed. “We’re… kind of a thing now.”
Finlay smiled, and an excited look spread across Emma’s face. “Really? That’s amazing!” Emma paused. “Do people date across Factions?”
Her question was valid. Amantha was a griffin Marked, and Finlay was a wolven shifter. They were a bit of an odd couple.
“Sometimes, after mates are rejected or pass away,” Finlay explained. “And we’re pretty much in the same situation.”
Amantha nodded. “Both of us lost our mates. We’ve found a way to comfort each other.”
“You can say that again,” Arthur called across the room as he carried a tray. Finlay flipped him off.
“I’m really happy for you two,” Emma said. “Looked like everything worked out.”
“For you guys as well, I see,” Finlay added. “At least we’re all getting some.”
Amantha nudged him playfully, and they took a table on the other side of the room. I leaned forward. “Doesn’t seem like there’s any hard feelings between you and Finlay.”
She shook her head. “No. And I’m relieved it’s that way. I didn’t want to lose any friends.”
I could care less about Finlay hanging around Emma now. She’d chosen me, and for that I trusted her.
Our food came out a short time later. Evonna placed some sort of pie in front of me. I cut into it— the pie was filled with ground beef, quartered potatoes, and sauerkraut. Smelled fantastic.
I took a bite. The crust was buttery and flaky, and all the contents of the pie melded together to create a savory combination. I’d rarely tasted anything so delicious, not even at the palace.
“What is this? It’s amazing.”
“It’s a pasty. It’s a Northern Michigan thing. My mom makes the crust from scratch,” Emma explained. Emma started in on her tomato soup, and her cheeks warmed in pleasure.
“Well, it’s fantastic. Tell your mother this is excellent.” I had almost a quarter of the pie gone already.
“She has a lot of Michigan food on her menu. Coney dogs, Detroit-style pizza, reuben sandwiches, even Mackinac Island fudge,” Emma said. “It’s the only place in Malovia you can get authentic American food, not that thing you Malovians like to call a cheeseburger.”
I didn’t care enough to think of a comeback. I was too busy enjoying my food.
When Arthur was clearing away our plates, I heard the sounds of chants outside. Arthur froze— his eyes darted to the window, where he watched a group of people walk by with signs. Their voices grew louder and louder as the crowd increased in number, repeating the phrase, Elijah Zlodia is not our king!
The patrons around the restaurant immediately stood up. Most were right in the middle of their meals. They threw money on the table and left as quickly as they could, faces ashen. Soon, the only guests left in the restaurant were Emma, Delmare, Stefan, Finlay, Amantha, and myself.
Evonna came running out of the kitchen. She took a look outside the window and paled. “Emma, Arthur, both of you need to go back to campus.” Evonna bustled around, shutting drapes over the windows. “It’s not safe here.”
“What’s going on?” Emma’s eyes scanned the various signs, most of them written in Malovian. She couldn’t read the signs— but I could, and what was written on them wasn’t good.
“It’s a protest.” Evonna glanced out the window again before she pulled the last shade shut. “They have a habit of getting out of hand.”
“What are they protesting?” Emma asked.
“The king’s policies.” Evonna waved us over. “Leave out the back. Quickly.”
We wasted no time. The six of us followed Evonna to the kitchen. She opened a door to the back alleyway, and locked it behind us once we left. Arthur led the way, gesturing we had to follow.
We left the alley, but apparently the protest was bigger than we thought, because the organizers