We walked along the ditch littered with garbage to avoid being seen. Uncle Hes told me to make as few encounters with humans as possible. The mission I was completing for him was the most important one he had—I couldn’t let him down.
“That mark isn’t helping you, is it?” Nessa asked suddenly as she walked beside me.
Another car was coming and we laid down on the icy ground until it passed.
“It isn’t working, is it?” She repeated.
I took in a deep breath. “No,” I couldn’t lie. “It isn’t working.”
“She’s weakening though. I could feel it when we were caught in the portal.” Nessa ran to catch up with me.
“Look,” I said in a stern voice. “We need to concentrate on finding our contact first.”
“Don’t you think your girlfriend haunting you is sort of jeopardizing our mission?” Nessa was like a fly that kept humming around my head.
“I have it under control, and look,” I said, stopping in front of a large green sign that sat imbedded in the ground by two metal poles and illuminated by a tall light overhead. “We are entering Tuscany with a population of eleven hundred.”
It’s almost disturbing how much this human town of Tuscany resembled the many small towns and villages of Iethia. Though is shouldn’t surprise me, monsters and humans are bound by blood—even if it is a distant relation.
It was a quiet town with one main road running through it. Most of the businesses huddled together along each side of the street marked Main Street. Houses lined the side streets, and were illuminated by yellow lights. The clock that hung in one of the store windows showed it was one in the morning. It would be midmorning in Duneloc. I wondered if it was Tuesday morning here or Monday morning.
“Why are we stopping in the middle of the street right under a light?” Malachi asked pulling me to the shadowed sidewalk. “We can’t be seen remember?”
“It’s Ezra isn’t it?” Nessa pounced in my face. “Look, you’re going to have to ignore her because I’m not going to get caught in this world by some angel or demon from the hold she has on you.” She pinched me on the arm.
“It wasn’t her!” I jerked my arm away and hovered over Nessa as she scowled at me. “I was wondering what day it was here. Are we a day behind or ahead from Duneloc?”
“The day isn’t important, and I think Nessa is right.” Malachi looked steadily into my eyes. “Ezra has a hold on you even though she isn’t with you. You are still haunted by her until she passes from the Shadowlands.”
I didn’t want to believe him, but knew he was right. And more importantly, I didn’t want to let down Uncle Hes or get my friends hurt. I already endangered them when we went through the portal. Ezra was suffering in the Shadowlands waiting for me to join her, but it wasn’t my time to pass.
I took in a deep breath and saw lights from a lonely building flooding the corner of the street. “There’s a business up ahead with its lights on. Let’s go see if they have a phone.”
We went inside the brightly lit establishment that resembled the market place in Duneloc. It had all kinds of caned beverages in tall coolers, packaged goods, and other incidentals one might need. I walked in first followed by Nessa and Malachi.
“Excuse me, we are in need of a phone,” I said to the clerk behind the counter.
She was an older lady with short hair that had a defined line from brown to the grey strands close to her scalp. Her wrinkled skin around her eyes deepened with more wrinkles as her blue eyes glared at me with suspicion.
“We don’t let the public use our phone,” said the clerk. “Don’t one of you kids have a cell phone you can use?” She placed both hands on the counter, squared her shoulders, and began to tap her fingers on the counter. “Are you buying anything or what?”
Despite her small stature and age, she looked like a human that would fight if provoked. I also knew she wasn’t going to let us use her phone. I had to do something instead of wasting time, and by the looks of Malachi and Nessa browsing the store, they weren’t helping me much.
I quickly grabbed her wrist and stared into her shocked eyes. She tried to pull away and get the wooden bat under the counter.
Why didn’t I just pull it out when I seen them kids come up to the door looking like they were up to no good…and at this hour. I could read her thoughts easily, and tried to calm the woman.
This job isn’t worth eight dollars an hour! She was mad over the position she was in rather than the danger of a stranger grabbing hold of her. This perplexed me, but I needed to use the phone without causing too much of a disturbance.
“Agatha,” I said her name softly and her angered eyes met mine. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to use the phone to call a friend.”
“How do you know my name?” She asked calmly.
We stood facing on another with my hand wrapped around her wrist. Her hand was relaxed and she stopped trying to pull away. My ability to compel, had worked on a human.
Being a monster meant you had gifts. Mine was the power of compelling, but I was taking a chance of it working on a human, and by the look on the woman’s face, it was working well.
“We need to use your phone,” I repeated staring into her eyes.
“That will be five dollars.” Her eyes didn’t blink and her words slowed, but she still retained her ability to fight back. “It costs five dollars to use my phone—local or long distance.”
“Nessa,” I yelled out keeping my eyes locked with the clerk’s. “Malachi,” I said and heard their footsteps come up behind me.
“Having trouble?” Malachi asked standing beside me.
“I need some currency.”
“Currency?” Nessa questioned with a snicker.
“Yes, I have her compelled and she will see whatever I give her as five dollars. Any piece of paper will be fine.” I felt my grip weaken on the woman. My spell wouldn’t last for long. “Hurry or she’ll be swinging a wooden stick at us soon!”
Malachi and Nessa rummaged through their belongings and bickered at one another as they did. Up until now, I had complete confidence in my friends, but I was beginning to have second thoughts.
“Hurry up,” I warned through gritted teeth.
“Here,” Nessa said shoving a dark brown, rectangular shaped piece of paper in front of my face.
I looked at the bold letters that said Hersey’s. I took it and handed it to the clerk who put it in her pocket and pulled out a boxy looking device from under the counter with a circular panel that had numbers on it. Phones weren’t like this in Iethia. I had no idea how to use.
“Dial this number,” I commanded to the clerk as I handed her the piece of paper with Ayil’s number on it.
She handed me what I assumed was the earpiece that had a knob at each end and was making a buzzing sound. I held it close so I could hear when the ringing stopped.
“Hello,” a female voice said at the other end.
“Ayil Archer?” I asked pressing it to my ear with a pause at the other end.
“Yes,” she finally replied.
“Hesediel Grayson sent…”
“I’ll be right there,” she said as her voice was replaced with a continuous buzzing sound.
“Ayil,” I said her name and then looked at the earpiece.
She had hung up and was coming, but how did she know where we were at? I handed the earpiece back to the compelled clerk who put it away and stood waiting for another command. I would release her with no memory of us being here when Ayil arrived.
“You’re not going to believe this,” Malachi said, coming up behind me with a canned beverage in his palm. “I think we’re too late, they are packaging up the serum and distributing it.”
I looked at the black can with a burst of color behind the word Monster.
“They’re not even disguising the name.”
“Where did you get it?” I asked.
“In the cooler.” He motioned behind him. “They have about a half of
dozen different kinds back there just sitting on the racks and cases upon cases in the cooler.”
I took the can from Malachi and shoved it in the clerks face. “Who distributes this to you?”
She looked at the can and then at me.
“I said who is giving you this to sell?” I raised my voice.
“It comes in a truck and Pete…he comes every Thursday,” she said with my eyes bearing down on hers.
Not only could I compel, I also could also sense lying when I had someone compelled. And she wasn’t lying, at least not to her knowledge. She knew no more than that it came off a truck every Thursday.
“Tell me, do other establishments carry the same beverage.”
She nodded her head. “We have only five kinds though.”
I gave Malachi a grim look as the door suddenly burst open. A petite woman with long grey hair that was neatly pulled back came in and waved her hand over the clerk’s face. The clerk’s eyes closed as the woman guided her to the ground.
“You shouldn’t have compelled her. It doesn’t always work well on humans.” Her brown eyes gazed at me steadily. “I’m Ayil, and you must be Hesediel’s nephew.”
I nodded my head.
“Good, then come with me.”
She turned and I tugged on her shoulder. “Wait, we found something.” I showed her the can.
Ayil looked at it and then gave me a crooked smile. “Nice, isn’t it?”
“Nice?” I questioned.
“It isn’t what you’re looking for. That is what humans call an energy drink. It won’t turn them into anything but a bundle of energy. Now, come on, I’ve been expecting you.”
April
“The clothes you got me fit,” I said running my hands over the denim jeans Ben had gotten me. “It’s been a long time since I’ve worn jeans. I almost forgot how they feel.” I stood at the end of the bar in the kitchen and looked at Ben sitting in a chair in the living room. “Thanks,” I said, after a few moments.
He was smothered in the morning sun that streamed in through the windows and warmed the house by what felt like ten degrees. Ben tipped the book he was reading so he could see me.
He gazed at me for a few moments and then smiled. “You’re welcome.”
I sat across from Ben who turned his attention back to the book.
“Yolanda said she’d be back in a week to get us.” I leaned closer to him. “So where is she taking us? You haven’t told me anything, and now I’ve been attacked by I think more than one demon.” I shivered, still feeling the cold air that surrounded me. “My encounters had never been like that before.”
“You’re right, there was more than one demon, and I’ve put a protection spell around the house to weaken them.” Ben appeared confident and acted as though it was a normal thing to have demons invading your house.
He gave me a quick smile, and then started reading his book again. He wasn’t answering any of my questions.
“Hey,” I said taking my finger and tipping the edge of the book down so our eyes met. “Where is Yolanda taking us?”
Ben’s eyes twinkled. “Here,” he sat the book he was reading on the floor and walked over to his bookshelf, “better yet, how about I show you.”
He pulled from the top shelf a large book about the size of a road atlas.
“I got this from the night market in Nethopania and it is a moving picture book of an angel sanctuary. It’s kind of like a children’s book, but it was designed so it could be understood by the literate and well as the illiterate.” He sat next to me on the floor as I leaned over the arm of the chair.
“Netho-what…angel sanctuary…” I raised my eyebrows. “I’m sort of a newbie to all of this.”
Ben looked up at me. Our faces were close again, close enough for a kiss. Caught in that awkward position again, I pulled back. I barely knew him, but why did I feel so close to him, like I was connected somehow?
Ben cleared his throat. “Alright, newbie,” he smiled. “Just listen, and I’ll explain everything to you.”
Ben flipped the pages filled with colorful pictures showing landscapes of jagged mountains, brilliant skies and fields filled with wildflowers of rolling hills. Each one came to life with movement as he turned each page.
“You see, guardian angels made a realm for themselves and the ones they chose to protect. Sanctuary is a secure place guarded by angels, ran by angels, and made by angels. By me giving Yolanda my serum, we will get to go here and live out our lives.” He shut the book that showed the last picture of a waterfall surrounded by a lush forest and colorful flowers. As he did, I caught the sweet scent of those flowers and even a faint mist of the rushing waterfall. “And demons can never penetrate the pristine lands of sanctuary. Our earthly woes can’t follow us there.” He looked at me with his brown eyes that nearly matched the rocks around the waterfall in the picture book about sanctuary. Again, I was pulled closer to Ben, and again, I pulled away.
“Yeah, but will Yolanda come back?” I asked crossing my arms. “You already gave her the recipe for the serum. She has what she wanted, so why would she come back for us?”
“Because she’s a guardian angel of earth, and once an angel makes a promise, that promise is always fulfilled.”
I nodded my head, and shifted my eyes back to Ben. Who was more gullible, me or him?
“Really, Yolanda is true to her word.” Ben defended himself from my uncertain gaze. “If she doesn’t come back, then something terrible happened to her.” He jumped up and put the book back on the shelf.
“You mean get killed? Can angels die?” I asked.
“No, not die like in the way of humans. Humans have souls, angels are powerful entities and once that power is gone, so are they.” He grabbed his coat and threw a grey sweatshirt at me. “Come on, it’s time to test out any monster abilities you might have.”
“What?” I stood up as Ben went out the door.
I put on the jacket and followed him outside, but he was nowhere in sight. It was like he vanished into thin air. I called out his name and my voice echoed back at me. The air was cool, but the sun warmed my back as I walked out farther into his front yard. I called his name again only to have the cawing of several blackbirds answer me.
I was getting frustrated with the game he was playing when suddenly, I felt a twinge inside of me. Something invisible to my eyes towered over me. I felt it like the sun had been covered by a dark cloud, and the warm rays cut off by whatever hovered behind me. I turned around quickly hoping to catch it off guard, but there was nothing there.
My breath fogged in front of me as the air chilled even though the sun was out in full warming the autumn landscape. It had to be a demon.
A gust of wind swiftly went through the trees disturbing the crows that were enjoying the warm sunshine. I twirled around watching the squawking birds fly away.
“Coffee?” A voice asked behind me as I turned and smacked the cup from Ben’s hand with a swift kick of my foot.
It flew through the air as Ben disappeared in a flash, caught the cup and held it out in front of me. I stood with gaping mouth as he smiled at me.
“If you don’t like coffee, I have tea inside.” He took a sip from his cup. “Good thing I put a secure lid on it.” I gingerly took the white Styrofoam cup from him. “Hurry and drink it before it gets cold. The Java Hut makes the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.”
“You…How…” I shook my head.
“April, we both know I can move fast. You shouldn’t be so amazed,” he said in a teasing voice.
“I know, I know, but it’s not that.” I glanced all around. “Something was here.”
Ben looked around and then took in a deep breath. “There is nothing here but you and me. The protection spell is strong, I can sense it.”
“No,” I pressed my concern. “Something was here, and I felt it.”
Ben wasn’t as shaken up as me, and that bothered me. He was use to and understood the things that have haunted me since I co
uld retain memories. The things that went bump in the night didn’t faze him, but they still made goose bumps run up and down my arms.
“You may have sensed something, but the demons can’t get you through the spell.” He took the last sip of his coffee. “I know what you need.” Ben pointed his finger at me and went inside the house.
“What?” I asked following him. “How do you know and what is it?”
Ben opened the closet and pulled out a wicker basket filled with hats and gloves.
“You’ll need these to protect your skin from the air.” He tossed me a black ski mask and a pair of leather gloves. “Yolanda left those gloves here last time, and I keep forgetting to give them back to her.” He motioned with his eyes at the soft, black, leather gloves.
They were feather-light, and soft, like a baby’s blanket.
“I’ve become accustomed to the extremities of temperature when traveling as efficiently as I do.” Ben smiled. “It’s important for you to keep all of your skin covered for now.”
“You mean I can run as fast as you?”
He laughed as we went out the door. “Well, you can kick like a mule so we’ll see what you can do, but,” he locked the door, “any monster can develop any of their abilities with a little instruction and a lot of practice.”
We went to a barren field nestled between tree-lined gullies. It was covered in short grass and outlined with a hotwired fence. The field was on a hill and overlooked the blue-grey waters of the Mississippi.
“Is this your ground or are we trespassing?” I asked pointing to the sign that clearly stated no trespassing and all who do would be prosecuted.
Ben glanced at the sign that hung crookedly on the tall hedge post, and was weathered with red letters turned pink and black ones turned grey. But it was still readable, and I didn’t want to get caught by the owner.
“No, this isn’t my land, but the person who owns it won’t even know we are here.” He grinned with a raise of his eyebrows. “We’ll be moving too fast for anyone to see us, and besides, no one is out here this time of year.”
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