Page 22 of Voyage of Fury and Fate

“Supposedly,” Fynn answers. “There are stories of people being touched along with disembodied voices floating all over the internet and ghost shows.”

“That’s super cool!” she answers with the enthusiasm of a child. We load into the SUV and leave the fort behind.

Ten minutes later, Fynn pulls into an already busy parking lot next to the white sandy beach. Families are filling rolling carts with floats, towels, chairs, and coolers, ready for a day in the sun. “I need a beach day,” Luna announces, climbing out of the back seat.

“We should split up,” Amelia says. “We can cover more ground and draw less attention that way.” She turns toward me. “Luna? Elsie? Why don’t you come with me? We’ll let the guys do their own thing.”

“Sure.” I send Thorne an apologetic look. He follows Topher and Micah, heading toward the water and leaving me alone with a hybrid and a lycanthrope.

We move toward the restaurant area. “I thought thethree of us together might draw some attention if you know what I mean.” Amelia winks.

“I know what you mean,” Luna answers. “I’m gonna shake what my mama gave me.”

Being on the run for two centuries, I’ve never had the opportunity to have a friend. Being with others has always felt awkward, making me feel out of place. Being with Luna and Amelia feels natural and relaxes me slightly.

The three of us enter the restaurant, quickly finding the hostess at the stand. “Are you here for the Pirates and Princess breakfast?” she asks, looking between the three of us.

“We are,” Amelia lies.

“You’re in luck.” The woman smiles. “We have three spots left.” We follow her upstairs to an outdoor seating area on the roof and overlooking the water. She seats us at a picnic table not far from the stage. “The show is about to begin.”

“This is perfect!” Luna says, looking around at the patrons. “There’s nothing but kids up here.”

“This would certainly be the perfect hunting ground for a new immortal child,” Amelia agrees.

“Do you think Patrice is one of the guests?” Luna asks.

“I doubt she’d be dumb enough to hunt in the same place twice. Plus, immortal children are hard to control, especially young ones. If she’s already taken two, I doubt she’s in the market for more,” Amelia answers.

“Ladies and gentlemen,”a woman announces from the stage.“Our pirates and princesses would like to tell you all how much they’re enjoying having you here today and they hope you will eat until you can eat no more.”

Teenagers dressed in cheap Halloween costumes wave from the stage before exiting the sides and moving toward the patrons. “Was that the show?” I ask, not sure what I just witnessed.

“It appears that way,” Amelia answers with a laugh.

I watch as the performers make their way around the tables, greeting children and parents alike. A young girl dressed as Princess Anna stops at our table, giving us a strange look. “Are you ladies into pirates and princesses?”

“We are!” Luna answers, wearing a wide smile.

“We’d like to ask you a few questions if you don’t mind,” Amelia interrupts.

“Sure,” Anna answers.

“Were you working the day the two children disappeared?”

The young girl looks down, taking a braid from her wig into her hand and fidgeting with it. “I told the police everything I know.”

“Do you mind sharing what you told the police with us?” I ask, plastering a fake smile across my face.

She makes eye contact with all three of us and sighs. “I saw them here, at breakfast. The kids. They were with their families.” The timbre of her voice becomes sad at the memory. “The little girl was sosweet and happy to be here. Anna is…was her favorite princess, and she talked to me a lot that morning.”

“Do you remember seeing anyone watching the children while they were here?” Amelia continues the questioning.

“No. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Was there an adult eating alone?” Remembering the description Elijah gave, I describe her hair color to the girl.

She shakes her head. “No one was alone, but there was a woman with dark hair who had a kid with her.”

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