I motion to Dean. "I'll be fine. Prepare the soldiers."
He nods, but doesn't move.
I follow Ace through a small door, down an empty hallway. "When the Fae lost control," I ask, "how did you fare?"
"At first it was chaos. Fae slaughtering Shade and vampire in the streets. But once we understood the problem, I sent my best men to stop the uprising. I ordered them to capture whenever possible. The dungeons are full now, but I wish we could have saved more." He opens a door and leads me through.
Inside lie a variety of golden trinkets, old and dusty. Pots, platters, statuettes. But one trinket catches my eye immediately. "A mirror."
Ace grins. "Each prince keeps one in secret, for—"
"For emergencies, I know. So, where are we going?"
He grabs my hand and leads me forward. "A place you know very well, Princess."
***
We step out into a bathroom. The floor is dirty. The sink filled with snot. The walls… familiar. This is… "This is the bathroom at the Roxy."
"Yes. It's close enough to where we need to go." Ace adjusts his hair in the mirror, straightening it.
"Um," I point at his cape and gadgets. "You know you'll stand out, right?"
He frowns at me. "You're none better," he says.
I look down at my very medieval looking white gown and the two swords I carry. At least Yami is hidden as a dragon necklace. "You're right. I won't blend in either."
He freezes. "Right, well, I'll just say it's Halloween."
"But it's not."
He raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You can't just say it's Halloween. It has to be the actual day."
"Really? Your human customs are so strange."
He turns to the sink to wash his hands.
I sigh. "Okay, we can say we're part of a fantasy game reenactment. Cosplay. That should give us a good cover."
"Cosplay?" he says, holding the word in his mouth like a foreign thing he's afraid to taste.
"Yeah, it's when humans dress up like characters from their favorite… " Ace's eyes are vacant and he looks bored. I sigh again. "Nevermind. Just let me do the talking if anyone questions our choice of clothing."
He washes his hands, then gestures at the door. "After you."
I lead, entering a place I once called a second home. Everything is familiar, everything makes me feel welcome. Jesus eyeing the naked sculptures. The Neon signs. The baby bottles filled with milk for customers' coffee.
"Oh, Ari, sweetie. I didn't see you come in." Sheri runs up to me, wrapping me in a hug. "It's been so long. How have you been? And who's this dashing young man?"
Ace raises his cape in front of his eyes. "It's Halloween."
"No… no…" I shake my head and pull his cape down. "He's a friend. I'm just showing him the sights."
"You want to grab a bite to eat?"
I wear my best sorry face. "Actually, I just wanted to drop by and say high. We have a bus to catch."
"Well drop by more often, okay? You're family here."
"I will." I hug her quickly and smile as Ace pulls me toward the exit, but I pause for one moment, looking at Sheri, in case… in case it’s the last time I see her. "Thank you," I say. "For everything." And then we leave. It's night, of course, for the sun on this world would harm Ace. A light rain falls.
Ace leads me to an old apartment, where the walls are covered in graffiti and the air smells of vomit. He leads me up a flight of stairs to the second floor and knocks on a green door at the very back of the hallway.
An elderly woman opens the door, her grey hair wrapped in a bun, her face kindly. "Master Ace," she says, hugging him. "It's been so long."
He chuckles. "Too long. Is she awake?"
"Yes. Was just about to put her to bed."
"Would this be a good time?"
"Oh, of course, of course." She shuffles out of the way, letting us inside the apartment. The walls are painted red. A thick ornate carpet covers the floor. A brown plush couch sits in the living room, opposite a roaring fireplace. Clearly, this place is a step above the rest of the building. A few steps actually.
In the corner sits a little girl, around eight, stacking wooden blocks. When she looks up, her face lights up. "Uncle Ace!" She jumps up and runs into his arms, hugging him fiercely.
"Hey pumpkin," he says, kissing her cheek. "How have you been?"
"I've been great," she says with grand gestures. "Want to help me build a tower?"
"Sure," says the prince. And then he sits with the little girl, and together they build a tower out of blocks.
I try to figure out what's happening here, but this… this is the last thing I expected.
"Patricia," says Ace. "Patricia. I have someone for you to meet." Ace motions me over to the girl. To Patricia. "Patricia. This is Ari, a dear friend of mine. Ari, this is Patricia."
"So nice to meet you," I say, sitting down beside them.
"Nice to meet you, too," says Patricia. Her hair is long and brown and messy. Her eyes are dark brown. "You want to help us build?" I nod, and she continues. "I think we should make a castle next. But they are much harder than towers. We must make sure we have the proper foundation. Here. Let me show you how."