The Hotel at the End of Time

Chapter 18 - Vain does not understand how phobias work.

Vain exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Roman was close; close enough to point at, even without being able to see him. Only a few miles away, and again like a stable rock in her head. She sagged with relief.

She and Emma had followed the slow, steady pull from Roman for about a half a day. Vain had expected to find him with the Wyatts. Instead, the highway signs pointed them towards Minneapolis. He'd run to the twins. If he was there, it meant he had escaped.

How, though? She ran through scenarios in her mind. After she fell, everyone probably stopped for a moment to admire how awesome she was. The Wyatts must have talked about how she beat them and how they were dumb, stupid losers. Roman used that time to ninja-roll away. Maybe he shimmied down a rain gutter, or something.

It made sense. The Wyatts would have been like, "even though Vain kicked our asses and we're total morons, she's also the best." Roman, agile gymnast that he was, would have scaled down the side of a five-story building. Once he realized she wasn't a squishy corpse on the sidewalk, he'd understand what the Padlock did. Roman was so smart. Knowing she was safe, he came to Minneapolis to wait for her and maybe say hi to the twins and Charm. It was literally the only scenario that made sense.

"Is this it?"

Vain blinked. Beside her, Emma was a pale, exhausted mess, her skin the color of expired yogurt. The past few days had been difficult for her. She fell into that world without asking for it; but then again, none of them had asked for it. As far as Vain figured, life represented a non-stop series of problems that needed solving. Some required a subtle approach, but for most, punching did the trick. Either way, when the problems stopped, it meant you were dead.

"This is it." Vain motioned towards the restaurant. The name on the front read 'HBC Bar and Grill'. Cute. Emma parked a couple of spots down and they hopped out of the car. She'd have to figure out what to do with it later; they couldn't keep driving around in a stolen Wyatt vehicle.

"We'll find help here?" Emma asked. "Your friends?"

"Yep." Vain ignored the nervous flutter in her stomach. "Great friends. Chums. Real buddies. Certainly not a shred of unresolved animosity, if that's what you think, Emma. That's quite forward of you, why would you say that?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Don't worry about a thing." Vain couldn't take her eyes from the restaurant. Roman was in there. She felt him. Charm would be in there, too. "I like Charm," she said, in case Emma had doubts.

"Like, the cereal? Lucky Charms? What?"

"Okay." Vain clapped her hands. Her voice was too loud. "Let's go visit my good friends who will be happy to see me."

Emma sighed at her, but Vain was getting used to that. She suspected Emma had undiagnosed asthma and made a mental note to talk to her about it.

They shuffled through the front door into the din of the crowded restaurant. Cheery faces filled the tables; families with kids who drew on placemats with worn-down crayons. These were people who seemed happy and relaxed, as if they were not being chased by psychopathic rejects from an alternate earth. She couldn't relate.

"Table for two?" An aggressively cheerful young girl with a brown ponytail approached them, holding out two menus.

Vain flinched. "Charm, Blunt or Hush. Get one of them. Now."

The young frowned. "Is that a reservation? Under Charm Bluntenhush? Am I spelling that with a 'C' or a 'K'?" She looked at her reservation sheet. "Is that, um... Orthodox?" She smiled helpfully at them.

"Get the owners of the bar," Vain enunciated. "And tell them Vain is here."

"Are you with the health inspector? Should I get the chef?" A look of concern crossed her face.