Page 16 of King of Liars

But then where are they? Why can’t I see anyone she talks to?

Her face shifts, the way it does sometimes when she speaks for the knights.

“Don’t let them talk,” I beg her. “Please, the knights scare me, Katherine.”

She opens her eyes. “Scare you? The knights are here to help you. To help us all. They are calledknightsbecause they want to protect us.”

“But you make funny sounds when you talk like them…and your face does weird things.”

She laughs, a playful, fun laugh that reminds me I’m safe with her.

“All right. What if I ask them to let me stay in control of my body? Would that be all right?”

I nod.

She closes her eyes again and breathes…keeps on breathing…

Her hands are soft, and her breath smells like mint.

“Oh, you have something very bad that clings to your spirit, Little Prince.”

“What? No, no!” I hug myself, gripping my arms tightly. “Katherine, I’m scared! What is it?”

Her face turns serious, the way Mom’s does when I’m in trouble. Her eyes open again, and now she looks worried. “Nick, I can help you, but it will take time. Do you want me to help you?”

I keep nodding. “Yes, please!”

“Come, get in my bed with me, Nicholas. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Your bed?”

“As I said, it will take so much time. Come on, Little Prince. Don’t you want me to protect you? I’ll protect you from all the bad in the world.”

Yes, she’s my friend.

I sleep in bed with Mom sometimes too.

“Can you make the nightmares stop?”

“Eventually, they will. But I will have to get my knights to help me break you free of the evil that binds you.”

“What is it doing? Why is it doing it?”

She laughs. “Oh, Little Prince. Stay near me, and you will never have to fear evil again.”

She guides me to her bed, which is so much bigger than mine. I slip into it, and she pulls me in close, holding me, just like Mom would do.

“What do we have to do?”

“I will tell you everything as each time arises, but I have rules, and you must promise to follow them, or I can’t help you. If you ever break them, you’re on your own again, and you’ll suffer for the rest of your life.”

“I won’t break them! I promise! Please, just make the evil monsters go away!”

6

Boss

The coffee shop was packed that afternoon. Jeff and I worked speedily to take down orders while Liz and Dominic fixed the drinks. Despite how slammed we were, thinking about meeting up at King’s place made all the rest seem trivial.

---