The Autumn Prince

42. Ties That Bind

Thirty minutes after leaving Meridian, I parked in the lot outside Kato's Corner, a divey, artsy coffee shop popular with most of the students. I received several text messages from Katherine and Becca both asking where I was, but I replied only that I stepped out to run an errand without being specific, and they followed up with several admonitions for me to be careful. I promised and slipped the phone back into my pocket.

Gloria sat at a table far from the door, her fingers hugging a large latte mug. I slipped into the chair across from her, but she didn't seem relieved to see me.

"Hey, Gloria, are you alright?"

"Is Kath with you?" she asked without introduction, glancing at the door.

"No, just me. You said someone was following you?"

She looked back down at her cup without letting her eyes cross mine. "You'll think it's stupid."

"Trust me, you couldn't possibly say anything that will sound stupid to me." That was mostly true. I'd seen so much weirdness in the past few weeks that I couldn't take any statement, no matter how strange or idiotic, for granted. Gloria hesitated as if she didn't quite trust me. I wondered if it had anything to do with our last encounter.

"It's a feeling more than anything," she sighed. "I've been... I see things, like, out of the corner of my eye, but when I turn to look there isn't anything there." She took a sip of her latte and went on, "It happens to everyone, right? Like, no big deal. I'm not crazy. I'd normally just brush it off, but in the last couple of days it's all the time. I feel like someone's behind me, watching me. Following me."

I considered my words carefully before responding. I couldn't launch into an explanation of the Veil and the Fae, even if she was being tailed by one of the Courts. Most people weren't like Becca.

"Has anything else happened? Anything specific, or is it just the feeling?"

She sighed again and finally met my eyes, looking more disappointed than scared. "I really wish you brought Kath with you. She'd understand what I'm trying to say."

"Why are you so convinced you'd get her by calling me?"

"She's not living with you?"

I didn't answer, but not because I was at a loss for words. I wanted to see where she'd take it, to get some idea of what people had been saying since Katherine left the dorm.

"I guess I just figured—" Gloria stopped and shook her head. "It's not important." She set her trembling hands on the table, leaning slightly closer to me and I sat back, tucking my own hands in my lap to avoid touching her while she went on. "Yeah, you could say the past couple days have been weird. I think someone's been in my dorm for one. Rachel never should have left. It's not the same there without her, not the same without Kath. Do you know where they are?"

I evaded her question again. "Did someone break into your room?"

She seemed nervous, like she couldn't focus on one thing for very long. "I don't know if I can explain it." Another long pause followed while her brow creased in thought, and then, 
"Can I show you something?"

"Uh, sure, I guess."

"It's back at the campus. It'll be easier if you see it for yourself."

I'd arrived in Rachel's Jeep, and the last time Gloria saw Katherine, she'd been the one behind the wheel. If she saw it parked in the lot, it wouldn't be hard to put the pieces of that puzzle together. Once again, I hadn't thought far enough ahead.

"Tom?" she caught my eye when I didn't respond, "I can drive if you want, my dad's in Denmark on business and he's letting me use his car."

"Oh, uh... yeah, Glory, that'd be great."