“Where is she? Where the hell is Daphne?” Demi demands.
“Apt question considering the circumstances,” Lexie whispers to me behind her hand. I’m confused for a second before I get that she’s making a hell reference.
Daphne’s mom places her hands on her hips, and I can see the resemblance to her Amazon warrior ancestors. She glares at Joe.
Joe takes a step back. “I thought you were on your way back to Utah?”
“You think I’d get on some bus to another state when I haven’t heard a word from my daughter after a natural disaster? I sat up all night at the shelter trying to call her until my battery ran out. Had to borrow a charger from some kid this morning, and when I saw that I still hadn’t gotten a response from Daphne, I started calling you,” she says the word as if it were a slap in Joe’s face. “I would have been here sooner if it weren’t for that crazy mayor of yours. She wouldn’t let anyone leave the shelter even though the storm has been over for hours. I had to bribe a security guard and spend a week’s salary to get something called an Uber to give me a ride back into town now.” She narrows her eyes at all of us, taking in the whisk Joe still holds aloft in his hand, dripping egg yolk on his expensive-looking shoes. “And how exactly did you all get back here so quickly?”
Joe stares at her, wild-eyed. He opens and closes his mouth in a way that reminds me of a fish.
“We . . . um . . . never left . . .” Jonathan says.
Demi’s eyes widen as if she realizes for the first time that Jonathan is in the room. I imagine that in her rage, she had her sights set specifically on Joe. “And what are you doing here?” she asks. “Do you know how many times I’ve called to see what happened to you when we got split up after the play?”
“Spotty reception . . . at the hospital?” Jonathan offers.
“Hospital? Is Daphne . . .” She takes in his bandaged shoulder and arm sling, and her expression goes from anger to concern. “What happened? Are you okay?”
Jonathan nods. “Just a mild case of . . . getting struck by lightning.” He chuckles as if it were no big deal.
Demi’s mouth drops open in shock.
Jonathan raises his hand to reassure her he’s fine. “I’m okay, really. Just a flesh wound. I went looking for Daphne after the play and had a minor run-in with a small lightning bolt. Daphne and Joe took me to the hospital. They make you turn off your cell phones . . . so that’s why you couldn’t get a hold of any of us.”
“Uh . . . yeah. Hospital. No cell phone,” Joe says, and then goes back to looking like a gaping fish.
“I’m glad you’re okay, but I wish one of you had thought to pick up a courtesy phone and give me a call. I’ve been sick with worry,” Demi says. “Where is Daphne now? I want to see her.”
Joe and Jonathan exchange a look—as if each is silently trying to convince the other to answer the question. Jonathan shakes his head vehemently, letting Joe know it’s his responsibility. In turn, Joe looks like he’s about to have a panic attack.
Demi’s expression starts to narrow again.
“Camping,” Ethan says. He steps forward and offers his hand to Demi. “I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself properly out front. I’m Mr. Bowman, Daphne’s humanities teacher.” He pulls his hand back when Demi doesn’t take it. “We’re just headed out on a school camping trip.” He points at his duffle bag. “Daphne already left with an earlier group. You probably still can’t get her on her cell phone because the reception is lousy in the mountains.”
“If Daphne is already in the mountains, then why are you convening in Joe’s house?” she asks, her expression becoming skeptical.
“Because . . .” I say. “Because . . . Joe volunteered to provide some snacks for the campers. We just stopped by to pick up the supplies. Isn’t that right, Joe?”
“Yesss, that’s right.” Joe nods. Without taking his eyes off of Demi’s glare, he picks up the box of waffle cones and grabs a can labeled “blue cheese stuffed kalamata olives” and hands them to me. “Here you go, kids. Have fun on that camping trip.”
“Thanks, Mr. Vince,” Lexie says, playing along. We all know that if Joe and Demi get into the truth while we’re all still here, we could very well miss our window for heading to the Skyrealm. That’s a fight that could last a century.
“Well, we had better get going,” Jonathan says, picking up Ethan’s duffle with his good arm. “We can get dinner on the road.”
He starts backing away to the exit.
Demi whirls on him. “Wait, you’re going on this camping trip?”
“Uh, yes. Joe wasn’t feeling well so I volunteered to take his place as a parent chaperone. That’s why I haven’t headed back to Ellis yet. I’m sorry, I thought I texted you all of this.”
Demi pulls a phone from her pocket. “Oh,” she says, looking unsure of herself for the first time as she taps at it. I remember Daphne mentioning that her mom wasn’t big on cell phones and technology because everything was within “shouting distance” in Ellis Fields. “I still haven’t figured out how to properly use this fancy phone Daphne sent me for Christmas. She said it would cut down on my long-distance bills . . . But I don’t know about this thing . . .” She looks up at Jonathan. “Wait, when did you guys have time to coordinate all this? And if you just got struck by lightning, why are you the one going camping?”
“Um, the doctor said that exercise and fresh air are the best medicine,” Jonathan offers.
“What?” Demi’s tone grows incredulous. “And why is the school going on a camping trip right after a natural disaster? Isn’t most of the town still at the evacuation shelter? And . . . And . . .”
We can all see the whole story unraveling, our chance to leave for the Skyrealm about to slip away.
“The trip was prepaid. No refunds. We’re bussing kids from the shelter. And now we had better be off,” Ethan says in his most authoritative teacher voice before she can ask any more questions. “I would offer to have you along, Ms. Raines, but there’s no more room in the car, and I am afraid you don’t have the proper footwear for hiking,” he says, indicating the thin sandals she wears. “And Lexie, why don’t you go get our other camper and help her out to the driveway?” He points up to the second floor.
Lexie nods and looks all too happy to extricate herself from this conversation as she heads off to collect Terresa from upstairs. Demi looks like she’s in shock and not quite sure how to respond.
“Sorry to run out on you, hon,” Jonathan says. “Joe will explain everything. And Haden, how about you go secure . . . I mean, see if our other parent volunteer is ready to go.”
“Other parent volunteer?” I ask.
“Your father. He’s coming with us, isn’t he?”
“Oh, yes, him.” A heaviness settles in my gut, and I worry I am about to get sick again. Or perhaps that feeling is the dread I feel at being in my father’s presence once more, even if he is under a sleeping spell. I nod to Daphne’s mother. “It was nice to see you again, Ms. Raines. I will tell Daphne you called and make sure she calls you back as soon as she is able,” I say, hoping I’m not lying. I want more than anything for Daphne to be able to call her mother.
“But what about . . . What about . . . ?” Joe trails off like he doesn’t even know what he was going to say. He looks more than stricken over the idea of being abandoned alone with Daphne’s mom.
She, on the other hand, looks completely confused as everyone rushes out of the room.
“Thank you again for the supplies, Mr. Vince,” I say, tucking Joe’s contributions under my arm. I lean in close and whisper to him, “Give us a head start, and then tell her. If she’s anything like Daphne, she’ll be able to handle it better than you think.”
I feel absolutely guilty leaving Joe behind, but also absolutely relieved that I won’t have to see Demi’s face when she hears the truth about her daughter’s whereabouts.
Even running headlong into the Skyrealm, to infiltrate its most safeguarded prison, seems like the highly preferable option.