"What?" Andrew half chuckled, his eyes crinkling. His smile was deceptively warm and welcoming, but a torrent of untamed emotions hid just below the surface.
Grace's face was uncharacteristically solemn as she replied, "It's true, he's escaped. I-I saw him myself."
The fiery pits of hell themselves seemed quieted by her damning news. Muskaan gasped, her features concerned and unsure. Lauren silently lifted an eyebrow. Andrew looked as if he had been struck.
"How did this happen?" He asked, a hard edge to his voice.
Grace flinched and looked away, staring steadily at the ground in front of her. "You know how he gets. He charmed his way out of the cell, then tore out the hearts of the guards."
"I thought we had those removed ages ago," Lauren piped up.
"We didn't think the guards had hearts to remove. They were the most ruthless monsters we could find to watch him."
"Were?" Muskaan asked inquisitively.
"They're teddy bears now," Grace muttered, closing her eyes as if in pain.
Lauren hissed disgustedly while Muskaan nodded in resignation.
"Mr. King of hell, sir..." Grace stopped and inhaled carefully. "Andrew." They waited for her to continue, but her lips were pressed tightly together.
"What?" Andrew finally asked, impatient.
"I can't face him again. You know what happened last time."
Andrew shuddered, and not pleasantly. "We cannot allow him to see you."
They all nodded in agreement.
"I need to stay in your secret hideout until he's captured," Grace said pleadingly.
"What secret hideout?" Muskaan asked, her eyes wide. "The one behind the mirror?"
"No, that's just mine," Grace replied.
"The one in the kitchen with the extra snac-"
"No!" Grace said sharply. "That's not a thing."
"Then which one?"
"The one under Andrew's [my] throne," the other three said in unison.
Andrew tilted his head. "How do you guys know about that, anyway?"
Grace waved him off dismissively. "I watch your every move and Lauren knows everything." Lauren snickered evilly. "So I can hide there?" Grace asked hopefully.
"Well, get over here."
"Gracie, what're you gonna do if you see him again?" Muskaan queried.
Grace paused in her skip toward Andrew. "I don't know. I never knew what to do with a flirty Andrew."
"Me neither," said Andrew, scowling. "You two will have to stop him. Flirty Andrew is a menace."
