by Emery Skye
As we drove down the valley of buildings, on what I assumed was Main Street, I stared out at the city lit up by a million different twinkling lights hanging like a canopy over our heads. The city was a stark difference to the long, dark drive.
Strange creatures filled the streets. Lots of the creatures nearby appeared to be drunk: they swayed back and forth down the sidewalk. I recognized a few of them from my Fourth Dimension: Intro to Otherworld Creatures class.
A little, powder blue girl with neon blue hair had electric eyes gleaming like bright orbs in the night sky. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. She twirled and skipped down the street in a sort of dance that put me in a trance.
Nathan leaned over and said, “Nymph.”
A nymph.
“She is beautiful.”
“And a charlatan. You have to watch your back, always. Never forget that, Anna. Demons aren’t the only ones that are dangerous.”
Then I saw a very short, fury man. His hair was reddish orange, like the inside of a grapefruit.
“What’s that one, Nathan?”
“That’s a Dever,” he said with a smile in his voice.
I’m sure I looked like a little kid on Christmas morning to him. The one-eyed Dever wasn’t nearly as gorgeous as the nymph, but he was beautiful, in his own way.
I continued to watch the creatures stroll up and down the streets. Some were blue, red, or orange. Some were short, tall, fat or small. Some had three eyes; some had fur, some with hair. They were all magical.
Even the buildings were from another time and place. They were so diverse. Some were big and some were small. They were attached together and shone a million different colors and shapes. One of the buildings was shaped like my boot.
My mother never let me read fairy tales, but I found one in the attic once. There were times when I would sneak away to read the stories of the princesses, dragons, castles, and long hair that could act like a rope. I knew those were all just silly stories, but this was a new kind of fairy tale.
I thought for sure I was dreaming, or my eyes were playing tricks on me. I pinched myself. It hurt. This was real.
It was my reality and my fairy tale, and I shared it with my baby sister.
“Can you believe this, Anna?” Amalie’s voice was raspy.
Her eyes reflected a million smiles. I grinned from ear to ear, happy that I could share this with her.
“It’s pretty great, isn't it?”
“I don’t know what you think is so wonderful.” Taylor injected.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I'm from Langweilig. It’s just like here. Everything's pretty, sure, but no one's nice. They all hate The Powers, and, well, pretty much every angel.”
“Why?” I said in shock. How could anything or anyone hate angels? We protected our world and humans in theirs.
“The Powers control everything. It’s not exactly the happy refuge and freedom they promised the otherworld creatures,” Taylor said.
Politics. I really needed to start paying better attention.
I knew in the war, the otherworld creatures had fought on the wrong side in the beginning, but once they saw who was winning they made a treaty with The Powers. Refuge in return for help. This was the first I’d heard that the creatures weren’t happy about the outcome of the treaty.
Taylor was going to continue, but Lucas interrupted.
“The hotel is up ahead. Why don’t I let you guys out at the door, and I’ll find a place to park?”
I didn’t think parking would be difficult because I didn’t see any cars, but Lucas sounded vaguely concerned, which was humorous. I thought Lucas was unconcerned about everything. He was the biggest free-bird flake in the world.
“No one walks alone in this town,” Nathan ordered.
“I’ll go with Lucas!” Taylor howled and fluttered her lashes. I sighed.
Nathan’s jaw tightened. “Fine. Taylor can go with Lucas. I’ll get the rooms situated.
The hotel was like every building in Asceta, completely original. It resembled a cathedral, Holiday Inn, and a cottage all at once. The arched entrance had a majestic quality; the building had more windows than I had time to count, and a balcony at every window. The colors weren’t quite neon, but they were definitely not matte. It was a peaceful building. Even as I took it in, my eyelids became heavier.
How bizarre. I don’t remember being this sleepy before.
Amalie, Nathan, and I jumped out of the Fliegendes and walked toward the entrance: two metal doors that mirrored our reflections. The trim had elegant roses. The thorns on the stems of the roses protruded off the frame like tiny knives, sheathed in the door itself. I made a mental note not to lean on anything. The iron door had green serpents.
When Nathan touched the handle, it moved. Amalie shrieked and jumped back. I fought the urge to jump with her. Nathan ignored the movement and held on. The doors slid horizontally into the walls, and the light from the main corridor flooded out onto us. I don’t know what I expected, but it definitely wasn’t this.
Walking into the main corridor was like walking into a different world, and that was saying something.
The first thing I saw clearly was an octopus hanging in the center of the room with lights on each of its feet like light bulbs for toenails. It had a similar quality of a chandelier. I thought the floor was yellow ceramic tiles, but they were too slippery for me to be sure. Like someone cleaned them with pine-sol. A big cleaning no-no. There were wrap-around and diagonal skywalks as high as the eye could see. They thinned out the further up they got, until they looked like stars on the roof. Railings were snakes and vines. It looked almost too organic to have been built.
I found Amalie admiring the same thing. Her jaw hung low, and her eyes bulged, like a pug puppy. I followed her gaze to walls covered with flowers and grape vines. Suddenly, a bell rang. A girl with long, red hair and big, neon green eyes stood behind the counter. She looked human enough, but I knew better.
Nathan walked to her while avoiding eye contact.
“Don’t look at her eyes,” he ordered.
Amalie obeyed. I followed suit. It was difficult, but better than the alternative, I assumed.
“We need a room,” he said, gruffly.
A room. Sharing a room with four other people wasn’t exactly a dream come true especially when one of the people was Taylor.
Her voice was haunting.
“One room? For how many?”
“Three.”
I wondered why he lied.
“What business do you have in Asceta, Warrior?” She purred.
“No business. Just passing through.”
“To where?” She stretched her arm, reaching for Nathan.
“Another town north of here.” Another lie.
“Is it true what they say, about Bethel?” she asked quietly. “That war is coming.”
What? A war is coming? Alyosha’s letter leaped to the forefront of my mind. Why weren’t the noviates being briefed about any of this?
Because The Powers do not want you to know. They must not want you involved. Don’t ask questions. Do what you’re taught.
“Just a room,” Nathan growled.
“Alright,” She took a key off the wooden rack behind her. She dangled it seductively on her middle finger, trying to entice Nathan. He stared at her, nonplussed, until she put the keys down. She seemed momentarily offended. “Fifty sheelings, please,” she smiled. Sheelings were the money in the otherworld.
The inside of her mouth was hideous. She had no teeth; her gums were rotten. How could something so beautiful have a mouth like that?
Nathan paid. Seventy-five. He took the key and walked away.
“Elevator’s on the right,” the girl informed us.
“We’ll take the stairs.”
We walked toward a wall. We stood in front of it for a long time. I wondered if Nathan had lost his mind entirely. You had to be a little crazy to become a Legite, but this was a
little more than crazy.
“Why are we just standing here? My feet hurt,” Amalie murmured impatiently.
Then, some vines moved, revealing a keyhole. Nathan inserted the key, and the vines further parted, revealing a steep staircase.
“Amalie, you go first. When you see a door, don’t try to open it. Wait for me.”
This process was more difficult than it should be. Amalie stepped forward. I stopped her with a raised arm.
“I don’t think so. I’ll go. She can follow me.”
He sighed.
“No. She has to go first. She's the youngest.”
I waited a moment, hoping for some explanation. He gave none. I let her pass with an exaggerated huff.
She started up the stairs. Nathan made me go next. Each stair would disappear and reappear randomly and quickly, like flickering lights. I had to hurry to keep from falling.
Why the hell didn’t we take the elevator? It had to be easier than this. Maybe it wasn't. Nathan hovered behind me the whole way. Amalie jumped onto a landing. There was a door. I jumped next, then Nathan. All the stairs disappeared. Nathan used the key again. The door opened. There’d be no way you could break into a building like this. It gave a whole new meaning to security. He pushed Amalie through, then me. He was the last one in.
There were two beds side by side, a bookcase with a few dozen unfamiliar books, a coffee maker, and a bathroom on the right. That was our room. The door opened again, and Taylor and Lucas walked in. Lucas carried five bags in his hands and Taylor carried two bags overflowing with food.
“Two beds? Is this a joke?” snapped a pissed off Taylor. What’s new?
I thought about it. One entrance. One exit. We'd be safe.
“It’s no joke,” I said.
She rolled her eyes. After a few seconds, she trotted to the bed nearest to the window and looked at Lucas.
“This is our bed, hottie.”
Lucas strolled toward her with a hungry glint in his eyes that gave me goose bumps.
Nathan blocked his path.
“Lucas and I will sleep on the floor,” he cocked a brow at Lucas, who smirked. Something about him that just felt…off. “The girls can have the beds.”
“Fine with me. I get this bed, alone.” Taylor looked at Amalie and me with a 'don’t-even-think-about-arguing' gleam in her eyes.
I rolled my eyes at her.
“I get the bathroom first,” Amalie grabbed her bag and dashed into the bathroom.
These girls work fast.
“Next,” I said.
“Fine, you both need showers, anyway,” Taylor laughed and threw herself onto the bed.
When I finished showering, I shuffled through my stuff. I only brought tank tops and basketball shorts to sleep in. Great.
I put on my skimpy clothes and looked in the mirror. It had taken me a while to scrub the dried blood off my shoulder and neck. Its absence was obvious and jarring. Those bags had done a number on me. I arranged my now combed blonde hair to cover my shoulder and walked into the bedroom.
“Finally,” Taylor groaned and shoved past me as she strutted into the bathroom.
Amalie passed out on the bed. She was so spread out on the bed, that not even a mouse would have room to sleep. Lucas was asleep on the floor with a blanket pulled up over his face. His legs stuck out. I couldn’t help but laugh. I searched for Nathan. He was nowhere to be found.
The balcony.
I opened the door. He was leaning against the railing, head low and his forearms on the railing. I walked to him. He recoiled and raised his fist. When he realized it was me, he brought his hand down.
“I’m sorry. You surprised me,” his voice melancholy.
“I don’t want to be alone with Taylor,” I tried to lighten the mood, but he didn’t smile.
I moved closer, and he looked at me, I mean really looked at me. His eyes invited me in, for once. I saw how the green sparkled around the pupil, and his pupils dilated in the darkness. I leaned closer. He reciprocated.
“I don’t mind the company.” He looked back at the view. “Sorry about what I said earlier.”
I assumed he meant the whole 'demons-slaughtering-us' speech. He sighed, “It’s just... I'm...” he raked a hand through his dark hair.
“You’re just what?”
He puffed out some air. I waited.
“Do you wonder if you’re making the right decision?”
Ah. We were back to this. Was I making the right decision?
As an angel… no. Definitely not. At least, according to The Law, this was probably the worst decision I could have made.
As a sister, I had no clue.
“I’m doing what I have to,” I repeated what I’d said when we drove home from the hockey stadium.
He nodded curtly.
“Do you?”
He glanced up and jawline stood out against the darkness of night.
“I’m doing what I have to as well.”
“For your brother,” I added.
He didn’t say anything. He looked back at me and leaned closer. My heart beat violently in my chest. He might actually kiss me. His head dipped lower.
“Is it hard?”
“Huh,” I mumbled, dumbfounded. “Is what hard?”
“Doing what you have to, always for someone else.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“It’s not always for Amalie,” I said.
He chuckled.
“So maybe, most of the time, it is, but not always,” I commented.
“Tell me one thing you’ve done for yourself,” Nathan asks.
“When I choose to be a Warrior, that’ll be for me and no one else.” I looked away.
God, the stubble on his chin made his jawline look even better. That five-o’clock shadow should be illegal.
“No matter what, whenever and wherever she needs me, I’ll be there. Even if she hates me. I’ll always be there for her.”
“What do you mean?”
I shifted uncomfortably.
“Well, ever since Alyosha and her got close, it’s like she’s been distancing herself from me.”
He gave me a one-sided smile that squeezed my heart.
“She loves you.”
“I know. It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?” he asked, honestly curious.
I took a deep breath.
“You have a little brother. You know what it’s like,” I paused. “I'd do anything for her. I'd give my life to save hers... It’s just, sometimes, I wish I could trust her to take care of herself. She isn’t like other noviates. Amalie has always been so reckless, carefree. Sometimes I’m afraid for her.
“Don’t get me wrong, her spirit is something I love, but...I want her to be safe more than anything, and lately, I can’t trust her to use her brain. I hate that feeling.” I confided while looking at the bleeding horizon.
On one hand, 4-D differed completely from the human world; on the other, it was so similar.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” His eyes crinkled at the corners and he frowned with his brows making him appear older than I’d ever seen him.
“What's it like, having Alyosha for a little brother?” I’d kill myself, I thought.
“He’s a good kid. A great kid. Our parents…died, when we were young...” he paused. “We both had to grow up fast. Alyosha rebelled and found trouble everywhere. He was a disaster magnet...” he spoke with warmth in his voice that I understood too well. “Until he met your sister.” He smiled and a glint appeared in his eyes that only a kid with a younger sibling could truly appreciate. “It was like Alyosha finally grew up when he met Amalie. He started acting like the man I always knew he could be.”
I stared, confused. Since they'd started dating, my sister had become a hellion, but Alyosha had matured?
He must have known what I was thinking.
“Since school started he’s been acting strange though. I’ll admit it.”
“What do you
think it is?”
“I don’t know. He told me to stop worrying. He said he had it under control,” Nathan held the balcony railing with a white-knuckled grasp.
“Had what under control?” I wondered aloud.
“I asked the same question. He told me there was something ‘big’ happening, ranting about how the Council was corrupt, and other crazy things. Things we shouldn’t think about.”
“That’s not so crazy,” I mean the council was super important, but they weren’t perfect, but I understood what Nathan was saying. Speaking out against the council was suicide. Treason. A crime punishable by death. Against my better judgment and all my training I said, “Look at all the missing noviates, Nathan. There has to be something going on.”
His eyes shined, but he quickly turned his head and stared out onto the city.
“Do you think he knew something that got him in trouble?” I asked. Saying these things aloud was like playing with fire, but I trusted Nathan.
He glanced at me. My stomach lifted, and my heart did that fluttering thing that I began to accept rather than shun.
“I don’t know,” He glanced down. “What happened?” His voice was full of concern as he stared at my gaping wound.
I rearranged my hair re-covering my injury.
“It’s nothing.”
Nathan pulled me close again, unconvinced. He gently moved my hair, stroking my shoulder.
His warmth wrapped around me like a blanket.
“It's not nothing. What happened?”
“Amalie leaned on Taylor’s bag while I carried it, and the strap dug in.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“I didn’t think you'd care,” I opted for honesty.
“You don’t get it,” He looked back at the town. We were almost ten stories high—even though it didn’t seem like we climbed that many stairs—and the town below looked like a jungle frenzy. The twinkling lights emitted a halo of color around the buildings. Various creatures walked, hopped, and danced up and down the streets.
“Please, tell me what I don’t get,” I pleaded. I’d call it whining. I felt so right with Nathan, like we could conquer anything, so why couldn’t we have a normal conversation?