Corny put his menu down. "How can we make a plan when we don't know what Silarial's going to do?”
"We need to do something," Kaye said. "First. Now.”
"Why?" Luis asked.
"The reason that Silarial wanted me to come to the Seelie Court is because I know Roiben's true name.”
Ethine looked over at Kaye, eyes wide.
"Oh," Corny said. "Right. Shit.”
"I managed to deceive her about what his name is for a while, but now she knows I played her.”
"What a typical pixie you are," Ethine said.
She might have said more, but at that moment the waitress walked over, taking her pen and pad out of her apron. "What can I get you kids? We have an eggnog pancake special still going.”
"Coffee, coffee, coffee, and coffee," Corny said, pointing around the table.
"A strawberry milkshake," said Luis. "Mozzarella sticks and a deluxe cheeseburger.”
"How would you like that cooked?" the waitress asked.
Luis looked at her strangely. "Whatever. Just cook it.”
"Steak and eggs," Corny said. "Meat, burnt. Eggs, over easy. Dry rye toast.”
"Chicken souvlaki on a pita," Kaye said. "Extra tzatziki sauce for my fries, please.”
Ethine looked at them all blankly and then looked at the menu in front of her. "Blueberry pie," she said finally.
"You kids been to that Renaissance Faire up in Tuxedo?" the woman asked.
"You guessed it," said Corny.
"Well, you all look real cute." She smiled as she gathered their menus.
"How horrible to be dying all your life," Ethine said with a shudder as the waitress walked away.
"You're closer to death than she is," Luis told her. He poured a line of sugar on the table, licked his finger, and ran it through the powder.
"You're not going to kill me." Ethine lifted her cuffed hand. "You don't know what to do. You're all just frightened children.”
Kaye tugged abruptly against the other end of the cuff, pulling Ethine's hand back down to the vinyl-covered booth seat. "I heard something about a duel. Silarial agreed to give you her kingdom if Roiben won. What's up with that?”
Ethine turned to look at Kaye in confusion. "She agreed?”
"Well, maybe she got distracted during all the kissing that preceded it.”
"Whoa," Corny said. "What?”
Kaye nodded. "It wasn't like he threw it in her, but there was some definite pitching and catching of woo." Her voice sounded rough.
Ethine smiled down at the table. "He kissed her. That pleases me. He does have feelings for her, even still.”
Kaye frowned. She tried to think of an excuse to tug on the cuff again.
"Back to what you know about the duel," prompted Luis.