Page 20 of The Shadow Prince's Ruin
I need to be bold if I intend to escape my banishment and take him as my Dark Companion. I might be jumping into the abyss of the unknown, but what is life without a bit of risk?
Chapter 7
Sylvan
Ishudder with humiliation when my stomach growls again, not only making my insides tremble but also cutting through the buzz of the engine. Unbelievable. At this rate, my promised might decide I’m gross and unworthy of his time.
I pretend it didn’t happen and instead focus on the paper map as the vehicle shakes on the uneven road. “Go right,” I say, sinking deeper into the seat. Hawk insisted on traveling down the least frequented routes we could find, so I have to remain alert and tell him the way. Fortunately, map-reading is a skill that doesn’t differ much across the realms.
There are dense woodlands wherever the eye can see, but the road we are about to enter is covered by asphalt instead of gravel, which will be an improvement.
“You okay? Don’t know about you, but I really need coffee,” Hawk says as I shift away from the sun’s rays darting inside through the window. After Hawk told me black clothes absorb the heat of the sun, I changed into Mrs. Moore T-shirt. The newgarment is white, with flowers printed at the front, and hugs my body, unlike most of the shapeless garments the humans seem to prefer. And while I do feel less hot now, my skin is pink and burns from too much exposure to the damn star hanging in the sky.
Hawk, on the other hand, seems unaffected by the bright glow and whistles happily when he points at a road sign. “Gas station! We might just get some food!”
“How are you this cheerful when we have so little?” I sigh in exasperation, fanning myself with the map. I’m not made for this weather, but I refuse to show him all my weaknesses. I’m already worried the only reason he’s talking about food is because he heard my stomach growling. Then again, yesterday, he did eat enough for four, so maybe someone his size needs more nourishment.
“See, I never had much, sweet cheeks, and now that I have a car, a boy at my side, and enough money to buy gas and lunch, I feel that’s plenty,” he says, winking at me.
I suppose he cannot understand how difficult it is to lose one’s rights and status, so I bite my tongue and adjust Mrs. Moor’s pink sunglasses, which help me deal with all this brightness, but I still try to focus my eyes on shade.
It takes us another fifteen minutes to reach the isle of civilization buried in the endless sea of trees. As young as those woodlands seem in comparison to the forests surrounding the Nocturne Court, I’m surprised by their vastness all the same. A small home with laundry hanging in the garden stands on one side of the large parking lot surrounding the gas station. There’s just two more cars around, other than ours, and a single truck parked in the very back of the lot, which makes it less likely for anyone to identify our stolen vehicle.
Hawk is rummaging through the glove compartment as I slide out, stretching my legs and seeking refuge in the shade. Heemerges moments later, with the bottom of his face covered by a fabric mask featuring a cartoon bear and hearts. Between that, the baseball cap, and the huge shades, he’s unrecognizable. Save for his sheer size of course.
I consider my words, but I am no stranger to conflict, and he doesn’t seem skittish. “Are you ashamed to be seen with me?” I ask, standing straighter even though my ridiculously bright top doesn’t lend me any dignity.
“Why would you think that?” he asks and offers me his hand.
Now it’s me who hesitates if it’s appropriate to walk hand in hand, but I eventually allow it. “The mask confused me.” I do wonder if I can afford a better hat myself. I left the straw one in the car, too embarrassed by how it looks, but now I worry about getting blisters on the parting in my hair.
The air smells faintly of gasoline, but the nature around us, and the elusive aroma of the hot ground overpower it as we walk toward the shop. A family with two teenage kids sits by a wooden picnic table at the side of the building, all eating hot dogs, but when one of the young girls nudges her sister, staring straight at us with a small smile, I feel self-conscious.
Since coming to this realm, I have learned that some humans have an unhealthy focus on other people’s love lives, and their attitudes toward men and women who prefer their own gender vary in ways I find unpredictable.
A giant bear carved in wood flanks the door to the gas station on one side, but at least the interior is pleasantly cool. I wonder how far my twenty dollars and thirty cents will stretch. I will need to study all the prices before I make my purchases, as I’ve learned the hard way that the tax added at the counter can inflate the cost substantially.
“I need to assess the offerings,” I tell Hawk as I slip my fingers out of his grasp. He does have such nice hands. Thick, warm, slightly hard to the touch in places.
“Sure,” he says as we enter the small shop which has everything. A claw machine stands in the corner next to tourist brochures, but there’s also basic groceries, and even a small selection of hot foods on offer.
The proprietress of the establishment zeroes in on us with a frown, and Hawk releases the raspiest, most unhealthy-sounding cough I’ve ever heard. She clears her throat, appearing flustered, and grabs a remote before raising the volume of the small television mounted behind the counter.
I struggle with some of the foods in the human realm, so establishing which ones might be to my liking is difficult. I don’t like when they’re too greasy or too spicy, but also too mushy, like porridge. I also dislike soup, but only if it’s hot. Warm drinks are acceptable as long as they don’t havebits. My co-worker at BBB introduced me to cold tomato soup, gazpacho, one time, and I appreciated him for it. He had made fun of me for being a picky eater, but then also made a game out of trying to find foods I like, which was kind of him.
If I were to say what Idolike, it’s things that are salty and crunchy, like pretzels, natural cereal, all types of waffles, hard vegetables and fruit, but also crispy meats. I also love milkshakes and smoothies as long as they're completely blitzed, which I discovered while working at BBB. The Nocturne Court also offers a whole variety of sea foods I enjoy that don’t exist here.
Oh and bat wings. How I miss crispy bat wings with grief salt.
Even beginning to explain my tastes can become awkward, so when pressed, I do just eat what’s offered and bear it.
I begin to rummage through the shelf filled with packaged snacks, looking for something that has the chance to appeal to me. I discreetly squeeze some bags to check if the food is hard or soft.
Close by, Hawk lets out a laugh, which he then follows with more coughing. “Look at this. Perfect for a prince,” he says, showing me a children’s play set featuring a tiara with fake blue gems, a plastic necklace, and a scepter topped with a heart.
I’ve been in the human world long enough to recognize that while plastic can sparkle, it is easy to destroy and of little value.
I raise my eyebrows. “Truly? Is it?”
