The Saltport ATM

11. Third Time's the Glider

Prince Haydn reacts much faster than I do. He flings aside the beige curtains gently swaying on the far side of the room to reveal an open window.

"He must have kicked it open with his feet," Prince Haydn says.

"But the glass isn't broken," I question aloud.

"I mean from the bottom." Prince Haydn points to the broken latch at the base of the window. I stare at it for several seconds, wondering what on Earth Madame Sourbelle put into the legs merfolk purchase from her.

"He straight up donkey-kicked it open," I murmur. I join the prince, sticking my head outside the window. A narrow ledge runs along the roof all the way to a drainage pipe that descends to the ground.

"We need to find him before he does something stupid," Prince Haydn declares. He heads for the door, and I race after him. The Catonmousse brothers are on our heels. I can't figure out why they're tagging along. Perhaps they have nothing better to do.

Or perhaps they aided in Two's escape.

I spin around in a flash of irritation. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

Thomas, Right-Scar, shakes his head, but Jerrod just glares at me.

"Why do you care?"

"You helped him?" I nearly screech.

"Of course not," Thomas says, rolling his eyes. "We were with the police."

"Then why—"

"I don't answer to you," Jerrod says.

"Okay fine," I huff. My breath is growing short from talking and fast walking. "But no one invited you to tag along."

"Prince Tewen hired us for the next few days," Thomas says with a shrug. "So technically, he invited us."

I groan, turning around. Prince Haydn presses his lips into a smile that says 'I feel your pain.' On our way out, we pass Doctor Williams. Prince Haydn informs him of the situation, and the shocked doctor tells a nurse to call the police.

Wind and sun hit my skin at once as we exit the building. My blonde hair is swept sideways over my face, and I have to keep peeling strands away from my lipstick.

"Where do we look for him?" I pant, glancing up and down the street. Two is nowhere in sight, and there's little way to know where he went.

"Taxi!" Prince Haydn calls. A yellow cab that's passing by stops by the curb, and we file inside. Somehow, I end up sandwiched between Right and Left-Scar, while Prince Haydn rides shotgun.

"Where are we going?" the driver asks.

"We'll tell you when to stop." Prince Haydn flashes a smile that's about as relaxed as it could be under the circumstances. "We just want to see the sights."

The car rolls forward, rejoining the traffic clogging the streets. "Mind if I turn on some tunes?" the driver asks. Silence answers her question, so she flips on some heavy-metal band I've never heard before. The voices sound like nails screeching on a chalkboard, while the instrumental background is so low, I can barely distinguish pitch-changes. An ache pulses through my head, and I'm relieved when it finally ends.

"We interrupt this broadcast for a breaking news report," the announcer says. "A man in a white nightgown appears to be climbing up the side of the Empire State Building. He does not appear to be using any rope, only his hands and bare feet. A crowd has gathered around to watch this feat. Everyone is wondering who this mysterious person is, and why he hasn't fallen to the ground."