Ivy: Daughter of Alice

by J. A. Armitage

  She and Dr. Lapin left, accompanied by Gaia and Genie, who were dining at another restaurant on Third Avenue.

  “Shall we?” Chesh asked.

  “We shall be along directly,” Raven answered before I had the chance to say anything.

  Chesh looked at me for a moment, before Pearl tugged at his arm. “Come on, Chesh, darling,” she said. “It is an absolutely magical evening. Let’s take a scenic walk to the restaurant. We’ll see you there, Ivy.”

  Finally, the door behind them closed, and I breathed out, letting my head bow for a moment before I turned to Raven.

  He was watching me cautiously. “Are you alright?” he asked. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

  I swallowed. Raven had taken my relief for disappointment—that Chesh was taking Pearl to dinner, not me. I started to shake my head. “No, no, no…” I waved a hand, trying to get my thoughts in order. Then I took a deep breath. “I’m perfectly well,” I said, taking his hand firmly. “Yes, I’m looking forward to our date.” I lifted my eyebrows. “What exactly are we waiting for?”

  “Them to leave,” he replied, then winked at me. He fetched a large box from the entry. “I brought this for you,” he said and set the box in my hands. There was a hint of nervous anticipation on his face.

  The box was light in my hands. “What is it?”

  “Open it,” he replied.

  I did as I was bid and opened the box. Inside was a hat. I lifted it out and held it up to study it. It was a black top hat, but around the brim was a set of goggles, rather than ribbons and bows, along with a series of small wheels and cogs that looked like they might have a place on the inside of a pocket watch. The metal detailing gleamed copper against the black felt of the hat.

  “This is beautiful,” I said. “I love it.”

  “Let me help you with it,” Raven stepped closer and fixed the hat on my head. He stepped back, studying me. His look was calculating and critical as he stared.

  Then he nodded once. His eyes sparkled, and his smile widened into one of complete pleasure. “Yes,” he whispered. “I’ve found it.”

  “My perfect hat?”

  I smiled, touching the brim of the hat. It sat easily on my head—not too heavy, not uncomfortable, not awkward—made for me. Even better, the way Raven’s eyes danced as he looked at me gave me a warm feeling inside.

  I caught sight of myself in the long mirror in the hall. “You’re right.” I smiled, putting a finger on the brim. “It’s perfect.”

  He gave me a slight bow then offered me his arm. “Shall we go, my lady?”

  The city was busier than usual—far busier.

  Raven and I walked slowly down the boulevard, making our way towards our assigned restaurant. We were not in a rush, but there were so many people in the streets that it was impossible to move at any speed. People moved in pairs, or groups, and spilled from the footpaths onto the roads. Drivers sitting on top of steam carriages yelled at the people dashing across the roads, but even they had to accept that the crowds wouldn’t allow for any speed through the city.

  Along the way, we saw evidence that the unbeautiful of the city had heeded the call to show their faces for the Big Night Out.

  Raven’s fashionable cane tapped on the cobblestones as we walked.

  “Why do you carry a cane?” I asked as we walked. “Don’t tell me it’s just because it’s fashionable?”

  “I am very old,” Raven raised an eyebrow at me, then winked.

  I gave him a look. “You don’t need a cane.”

  “They are very fashionable,” Raven protested. “I wouldn’t want to shame you by presenting at less than my best.”

  I gave him a sideways look. He’d certainly made sure to dress for the occasion, and I couldn’t fault his attention to detail—he was perfectly put together.

  “You know I don’t care about fashion,” I said. Raven smiled and patted my hand.

  “I know, but…” A shadow passed over his face. He looked over his shoulder. “I didn’t want to give anyone an excuse to judge me poorly tonight. I have a feeling we’re going to attract enough attention already.”

  As he spoke, he tipped his hat to another couple that he appeared to know from the tunnels. As we made our way along the streets, he wordlessly greeted couple after couple—we’d passed vampire couples, couples who were tattered and torn, even in their best clothing, and those who were scarred and disfigured, yet walking with their heads high.

  Regular citizens stared at these unfamiliar faces on the streets of the city, but we endeavored to act as though everything was completely normal. They also stared at us—though neither of us, as individuals, were out of place on the streets of Melfall, it was unheard of to see a vampire and a human woman walking about together.

  I realized Raven had brought his cane, not for need or for fashion, but so as to blend into the crowd as much as possible. He’d been under no illusions about what we might face tonight.

  On the other hand, I found myself blushing under glares from other people. Now, I could really sympathize with those who were physically disfigured. No wonder many of them had chosen to live their lives in hiding, rather than face such obvious stares and disapproval.

  The city guards were to be found on every street corner, making their presence known. I witnessed one man walk up to a guard and demand he “do something” about the presence of a man scarred by the pox. The guard cheerfully replied that the city streets were open to everyone.

  Raven and I didn’t speak much. I spent most of the walk scanning the streets for evidence that the Big Night Out was going as planned. Not only that, but a heavy sense of anticipation was building inside me as we drew closer to The Menagerie.

  It was one thing to walk down the street with a vampire, but quite another to gain entry to a fashionable restaurant.

  As we walked up to The Menagerie, Raven leaned down toward me and whispered, “Are you ready?”

  I didn’t risk answering him in case my voice trembled, but I lifted my chin and nodded, staring at the door to the restaurant with a sense of newfound determination.

  If the unbeautiful people of this city could work up the courage to come out of hiding to show the city what the aesthetic laws had done, then I could be brave too.

  As we approached, I saw a city guard striding down the street. I recognized him from my visit to the wall—it was Captain Walsh. I smiled and raised my hand in greeting. The captain saw me, and his eyes lit up in recognition. He gave me a salute and stopped beside us as we approached our assigned restaurant.

  “Any trouble?” he asked.

  “Not yet,” I murmured, glancing at the doorman who was looking at Raven and me hesitantly. “Any reports of disturbances elsewhere?”

  “A few minor scuffles, but don’t worry yourself with that. They’ve been dealt with in accordance with our orders.”

  “I’m pleased to hear it,” I replied, turning my attention to the doorman as we stood in front of the door.

  The large wooden door was set into an ornate doorframe, with flaming torches set into each side. I hadn’t noticed as we’d approached, but now I could see that the doorframe was carved with gargoyles, their mouths open to display their fangs. The shadows cast from the torches made the monsters look as though they were screaming at us in warning. The door itself was carved and set with mother of pearl to look like dozens of pairs of eyes staring out of the darkness at us.

  “A table for two, please,” Raven said in answer to the doorman’s question.

  “For two?” the doorman asked, his eyes flickering to Captain Walsh, who was still standing next to us.

  “For two,” Raven confirmed.

  The doorman looked at me, then glanced behind him. “I’ll have to check whether we have any available tables.”

  “I can see several empty tables through the window,” Captain Walsh said firmly, giving the doorman a glare. “Any one of them will be quite suitable.”

  The doorman shuffle
d his feet, glancing again at the captain before pushing the door open. “As you wish.”

  He reluctantly held the door open, and we stepped through the darkened doorway and entered The Menagerie.

  The contrast couldn’t have been more acute—outside the door was dark and menacing. Inside, I wanted to look everywhere at once—the room was a riot of light and color. Near the doorway, there were tables that bloomed like red mushrooms with white spots, with seats shaped into caterpillars, hunched and crawling, or carved to look like snails. The walls were held together at each corner with fawns, hooves on the floor while their human-shaped upper bodies held the domed roof on their shoulders. In the center of the restaurant was a pool, and, as though waiting in the water, a walrus sat on a rock, complete with long-pointed tusks, a curled mustache, and a top hat.

  As I stared around me, the chatter in the room fell to a hush. All eyes in the restaurant turned to stare at us as though we were more interesting than the interior of the restaurant. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, even as I squared my shoulders and walked determinedly between the tables. The doorman pointedly led us past several empty tables at the front of the restaurant, to make our way towards the back.

  Near the window, Chesh and Pearl were already seated on chairs shaped like fish standing on their tails at a table that was shaped like a starfish arched upon its points. Chesh turned to look at me as I walked past. He raised a hand as though to wave me over. I gave him a small nod, which he returned with a smile, but I continued to follow the doorman to the back. As we passed, I didn’t miss the glare he turned on Raven.

  We wound through the restaurant before being seated in the back corner at a table that was crammed into a small space between the wall and the doorway to the kitchens.

  Raven pulled out my chair for me as I sat down. Our table was shaped like an upturned tulip, with seats made to look like leaves.

  “Well, this is cozy,” he said, though there was a strained expression on his face.

  I glanced at my surroundings as Raven settled himself opposite me. Though it was inside, the restaurant had the feel of a courtyard, and all of the tables were arranged around the central water feature—the walrus that gave the appearance of overlooking proceedings with an air of aloof superiority. In the water around the walrus, dolphins and whales were carved from stone, water spurting from their blowholes. The water sparkled gold, reflecting the light of the hundreds of tiny lamps shaped like fireflies that hung from the ceiling. Above, the domed glass ceiling, the night sky glittered with thousands of tiny stars.

  As I looked around at the restaurant, Chesh caught my eye again. I gave him a quick smile then turned back to Raven once more.

  Raven seemed to have seen my exchange with Chesh, and he looked uncertain before reaching across the table to take my hand. I tensed, feeling the eyes and the judgment of every other patron in the restaurant.

  “Relax,” Raven said, squeezing my fingers. “Nothing is going to happen. We’ll eat. We’ll drink some wine. We’ll go home. Just like any other couple.”

  I nodded. “I know.”

  “You’re not embarrassed?”

  “Why?” I asked, pretending not to know the reason he asked.

  Raven raised one eyebrow, clearly not fooled by my act. “To be seen in public with a vampire. With me.”

  I shook my head. “It’s not that.”

  Raven’s mouth flattened into a line. “Really?” he asked, his tone soft.

  “I just don’t like being stared at.”

  Raven gave me a half-smile. “That surprises me. You are a beautiful woman. I wonder that you don’t attract glances more often.”

  I felt myself blush. “Even if that’s true,” I said. “Being beautiful in a city full of beautiful people is not notable—especially with a sister like Pearl.”

  “Meaning?”

  “She is stunning. I’m used to the unflattering comparisons between us.”

  Raven frowned. “She is beautiful too, I don’t deny that, but you are strikingly unforgettable.”

  “That’s very kind,” I murmured.

  “Not kind at all. Simply the truth.”

  There was a sudden disturbance several tables away. I glanced over to see Chesh and Pearl following a waiter, who hurried to clear and reset a table only two seats from us. It was shaped like a frog, set with six seats around it shaped like tadpoles. Pearl beamed at me and gave me a wave.

  “That other table was entirely unsuitable,” she said, loudly. “Do you know who they sat next to us? I was staring at a man missing an eye and a scar down one side of his face! Chesh demanded that we be moved to a table with more pleasing surroundings.”

  “Shhh,” I hissed at her, looking around to see if anyone else had heard. Then I put a hand over my eyes, trying to ignore the blush that was burning two spots into my cheeks.

  I glanced at Chesh, who was glaring at the spot where Raven and I were holding hands. I fought the instinct to snatch my hand away, and instead, reached over to take his other hand again and tighten my grip on his fingers.

  “Now, we’re closer to you!” Pearl gushed.

  “This table will be more suitable,” Chesh said, clipping his words as he sat down.

  My heart sank. They were in earshot of our entire dinner conversation. The feeling of being watched increased.

  “Perhaps we should order wine?” Raven suggested, turning his attention to the menu. He leaned forward. “The wine comes from the blowfish,” he nodded his head at the opposite corner of the room where a bloated fish with pointed spines all over its body squirted a ruby red liquid from its mouth into a large bowl.

  “You mean, that’s wine? It’s drinkable?”

  “Look,” Raven pointed as one of the waiters dipped a carafe into the sparkling red liquid pouring out of the mouth of the fish, before hurrying over to deliver the carafe to a table and pour it into wine glasses.

  I grinned. “I’m game to try it.”

  Raven raised a hand to get the attention of the nearest waiter.

  She ignored him, stopping at Chesh and Pearl’s table to take their order instead. My mouth went dry, hoping the waiter had simply failed to see us.

  When she walked past our table again, my stomach sank. Raven’s smile wavered. He indicated to the woman again. Finally, unable to ignore us any longer, she slammed down two menus onto the table, then strode away without speaking. Raven wasn’t smiling now. His mouth was set into a thin line.

  Next to us, a family who had just sat down at a table started speaking loudly to the waiter. They were demanding to be reseated, but I could see that there weren’t any other tables in the restaurant, which was now full. A moment later, they were gathering their things and left.

  I felt myself stiffen in my seat and swallowed down a lump in my throat. Trying to ignore the feeling that everyone’s eyes were on me, I reached out to pick up the menu and opened it.

  “Do you have any recommendations about what’s best to eat?” I asked Raven.

  Raven raised one eyebrow. “I always order a bloody steak, so I’m not sure that I’m the best one to advise you.”

  I froze, staring at him with wide eyes before I burst out laughing. His serious expression broke into a grin.

  “Better a rare steak than taking a bit out of you, eh?” he added.

  Then both of us were shaking with silent laughter.

  Tears of laughter streamed down my cheeks before I noticed a figure standing next to our table.

  I dabbed at my eyes with my handkerchief, expecting to see the waiter had returned to take our order.

  Instead, Chesh was standing at the table, his fists bunched by his sides, glaring at Raven. His curly hair, which had been groomed into a neat ponytail with gel, now stuck up at an unusual angle, as though he’d dragged his hand through it.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed, glancing around at the other tables whose occupants were now openly gawking at us. Even Pearl was looking at him, her blue eyes wide, and her mouth t
urned down slightly at the edges as she gripped the edge of the table with both hands.

  Raven started to stand, as though to address Chesh when Chesh leaned over and grasped him by the cravat tied around his neck in an elaborate knot.

  Chesh hauled Raven forward, dragging him across the table towards him, while Raven resisted and grabbed Chesh’s arm, as though trying to loosen his grip on his shirtfront.

  Chesh bared his teeth, and pulled back his other arm, about to swing a fist at Raven.

  “No!” I pushed out my chair so hard that it fell backward as I got to my feet, throwing myself between Chesh and Raven. There was a sickening crunching sound as Chesh’s fist connected with Raven’s face. I reached out and caught Chesh’s arm a fraction too late, but pulled him back anyway, away from Raven.

  Raven had his fingers on his nose, his head bowed so that his black hair hung loosely over his face.

  “What are you doing?” I glared at Chesh, raising my voice—no longer caring who was looking. Behind him, Pearl stood up and moved hesitantly over so that she was standing just behind Chesh. She tried to reach out for his arm, but he was looking at me and reached out with both hands to lay them on my shoulders.

  I was shaking my head, gritting my teeth, and I shrugged off Chesh’s hands as soon as he touched me.

  “I heard what he said about you,” Chesh started. He ignored Pearl’s attempts to take his arm. He reached out again, this time to touch my face, but I jerked away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, but it made me so angry. He should never speak so to you. To threaten you that way.”

  “It wasn’t a threat—” I said as I shook my head.

  “He said he would hurt you, bite you,” he continued, his voice hardening.

  “You’re—”

  “No, listen to me. He doesn’t deserve you. You shouldn’t be here with him—”