Chapter 27 Lukas
Lukas
When I neared the book shoppe in Larkshollow, I quickly realized what was trapping Elsie.
I parked a few blocks away, then realized that it wouldn’t be helpful.
Instead, I drove around the back alley of the strip that contained Birdwell’s.
Parking the car illegally, I jumped out, and left the car running.
I yanked on the handle of the back door of the bookstore, and of course, it was locked, so I ran around to get to the front door.
Crowding the bookstore entrance was a mass of journalists and reporters, all yelling for Elsie. They were holding cameras and voice recorders, hoping to get a statement from her about her father, and pressing their faces against the glass to get a glimpse of her.
“Move,” I shouted as I pushed my way through the back of the crowd.
There were at least twenty people here, which raised the question of how they found her so quickly.
The article about her father hadn’t even been out for two hours, and already they’d located her and spread information about her whereabouts.
It fueled the rage I felt as I shoved reporters aside. “Back up!”
Ugly glances and shouted curses came my way, and I barely paid attention to the flashing of cameras as I forced my way to the front door.
It was locked, which I was incredibly thankful for.
I used my body to force the reporter at the door aside, placing myself at the seam of the door and banging on it.
After a few moments with no response, I pulled my phone out and called Elsie, tucking my elbows in tight in the crowded space.
Still, the journalists and photographers were yelling, asking me why I was here, who I was, why Elsie was hiding, and a plethora of other questions I ignored.
Elsie didn’t answer the phone, but I saw a short woman in glasses poke her head out from behind a shelf, her eyes scanning the windows.
When they landed on me, I signaled to her to let me in.
She disappeared again momentarily before she ran to the door with… a spray bottle.
“Name!” she shouted from the other side of the door, looking me over.
“Lukas!” I shouted back, loud enough that she could hear me over the rest of the crowd.
She nodded slightly, looking down at the door handle.
I instantly understood what she wanted, so I moved again, widening my stance to cover where the door would open so that no one could slip inside without having to push past me.
The press all noticed that she was going to open the door, so they were pushing in, shoving me against it.
“Back up,” I yelled, turning my head to glare with as much menace as I could.
I wished I could pull my wand out and use a spell to stun them or force them back, but that was illegal…
unfortunately. With a hand on the door handle, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and nodded to the woman.
She unlocked the door, and I pulled it open just enough to slip through, but someone else was there trying to tug it open.
I put my hand on the inside handle as I squeezed through, trying to keep it from opening even more.
It was proving to be an arduous task with everyone else trying to worm their way closer to get through the door.
And that was when the small woman reached over my arm and started spraying people. The shock of it was enough to make the closest people flinch back, giving me and the woman enough time to yank the handle shut. I held it shut while she relocked it.
She stood at the door, glowering through the glass while holding the spray bottle up again. Then she flipped them off and turned away.
“That’s just water, right?” I asked as I followed her.
She glanced my way with a smirk that gave me absolutely no clarity about the contents of the bottle.
“Where is she?”
“This way,” the woman answered softly, still gripping the spray bottle like the weapon that it truly was. She led me to a back room, out of sight of the front doors, and knocked gently before opening the door.
Elsie sat in the corner of the back room among stacks of unopened shipping boxes. Her blue eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, but her tears had long since dried up. She held her arms across her chest, making herself smaller. When our eyes connected, she gave me the faintest smile.
I rushed across the room, passing the break table that was cluttered with books and coffee mugs. Kneeling in front of her, I gave her enough space to make sure she felt comfortable, but placed my hands on either of her arms.
“What happened?” I asked softly, hearing the door click behind me. Her eyes wandered over my shoulder before looking back at me. Those eyes were now filled with tears again as she reached for my hands and pulled them into her lap.
“After I left Vane’s office, I went for coffee and then came here for a bit.
I was browsing and planned on grabbing a new book.
Got to chatting with Katherine—the manager—and suddenly there was this man who came into the store with a camera.
He was taking pictures of me and asking questions about my father, accusing me of helping him.
Then, he was crowding me. Katherine…” Another smile crossed her face.
“Katherine started spraying him with water, I guess, and shooed him out, but there were already more coming, so she locked the door and brought me back here. We hoped they would go away, so I waited thirty minutes and tried to leave, but they were waiting around the corner for me. I had to run back in, and now I’m guessing they’re all still at the front? ”
I nodded, stroking the backs of her hands with my thumbs. Then I reached up and brushed her falling tears away.
“I’m okay; it just scared me.”
“I know, baby. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Can we go to your house, please?” She gave me such an earnest look that I had to pull her closer, wrapping my arms around her.
“Of course.”
“I doubt I’ll be able to get near my house with all the press.”
I pulled back, standing up and looking around the room.
“Yeah, unfortunately, I doubt you’ll be able to get close. I’ll call Henri and see if she and Ivy can bring you some clothes, and I’ll order you anything else you need. Are you okay here while I let Katherine know I’m taking you?”
When Elsie nodded, I left the room and easily found Katherine sitting behind the checkout desk. The weaponized spray bottle was sitting within her reach as she held a book in her hands.
“Thank you, Katherine. For helping us. Helping her.” My chest warmed as she looked up at me, smirking.
“Never liked people like the leeches outside. You can take her out the back door. I’ll walk with both of you in case any of them are hanging around the back.” She laid her book open-side down on the counter and grabbed her spray bottle. “Let’s go.”
I allowed her to lead once again, and we went to the backroom where Elsie was now standing, looking ready to take on whatever was next.
Pride swelled within me at the strong look on her face, but I knew that no matter if there was press outside or not, she wouldn’t face this alone.
I wouldn’t allow them to get close to her.
“Ready?” Katherine asked Elsie as she put a hand on the doorknob on the back door. Elsie quietly nodded, reaching for my hand and gripping it with steely strength. I pulled her behind me, making sure my body was shielding her.
As soon as the door was opened, chatter began.
There were, or course, five reporters waiting for us.
Instinctively, I reached for my wand in my back pocket, but stopped myself.
If anyone dared to get close to her, I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t punch them, which was why I swapped which hand was holding Elsie’s, so that my right hand was free.
I blocked her from their sight, at least for a bit, as I stepped through the door, keeping her close behind. She stayed glued to my back.
“Elsie Clarke! Your father has been arrested for harming the witnesses in the Love Potion Trial! Did you help him?”
“Elsie! Do you have any statement to make about the Love Potion Trial and your father’s involvement?”
“Lukas! Why are you involved with Elsie? Have you two been colluding this entire time? Does Alicia Vane know about this?”
The reporters yelled at us as we pushed out the back door and started moving toward my car. But one voice became louder.
“All of you vermin! Back! Get away from my business!” Katherine scolded the reporters like they were small children, spraying them with her bottle and forcing them to take steps back. “Away!”
Elsie giggled as we raced to my car, both of us looking over our shoulders to see the short, gray-haired woman fighting off the press with a spray bottle.
When we reached my running car, I yanked open the passenger door and helped Elsie inside before rushing around to the driver’s side.
As soon as I was in the seat, I put the car in reverse and fled the alley.