Dancing With Monsters

by M. M. Gavillet

  “I do apologize for my absence to greet you right away, but I was stuck in traffic downtown—accident.”

  She turned on some more lights and sat down a cloth bag that had groceries in it.

  “It’s off season so I didn’t have the usual stuff I keep in the kitchen and without any extra help…”

  “No need to explain. I know you opened just for me and I appreciate you doing so.”

  “No problem, we are happy to serve frequent customers.” She smiled as her blue eyes glistened and slick hair made tiny points at the ends that brushed against her rosy cheeks. “Oh, and to answer your question,” she looked at me. “This house is always under a glamour. Think of it like a picture taken of it a long time ago, and then take that picture and layer it over the present time. It is the same place, but two different points of time are occupying the same space. Monsters, angels and even demons can enter the time glamour that has transformed this house. This one I created several years ago, and it serves the enchanted community exclusively. That is the simplest way I can explain it, but it’s much more complicated than that. Did that kind of answer your question?”

  I looked at Ben. “Yeah, I think so. It’s amazing…I’ve never thought anything like this could exist.” I gazed around the room still trying to fathom two points in time occupied the same space, but only we can see it.

  “I’m glad you like it. It’s nice to be appreciated for the glamours I create. Sometimes I think it more of an art than just an ability one has.” She stepped closer to me and gazed at me with her sapphire eyes. “We are doing things backwards. My name is Eveie, and I’m the hostess and owner of The Ivy Inn.” She smiled.

  “I’m April.”

  Eveie nodded with a smile of her pink lips. “Let me take your belongings, and I’ll show you to your room.”

  Eveie was tall and thin, and also very quick to go up the stairs. She took us to a room encased in cherry wood paneling, marbled fireplace and a large puffy bed with a lace bedspread adorned with a matching canopy. The room was beautiful, but I felt nervous about sharing a bed with Ben.

  “Do you like your room, April?” She asked.

  I turned around and felt my cheeks flush. “Yes, it’s absolutely gorgeous.”

  “And I have your usual room ready for you, Mr. Marsh.”

  Good. Ben has his own room—no pressure.

  “I’ll have a light lunch ready in about an hour.” Evie stood at the doorway with a warm smile.

  “No need,” Ben said. “We’ll be going on a picnic.”

  “Alright, dinner will be at seven. Don’t be late,” she said with a click of the door.

  “Picnic—it’s like forty degrees out.”

  Ben smiled as he laid down on the bed. “Not where we are going.”

  “Where are we going? The Bahamas? Do you have a plane waiting to whisk us away?”

  He sat up. “No, a portal that will take us to another dimension where the weather is much nicer for picnics.” Ben got up and grabbed me by the hand tightly. My skin tingled under his touch. “Come on let’s go.”

  “Alright,” I said, agreeably.

  Other dimensions don’t exist, but I didn’t think real monsters, angels and the demons that followed me did either. I felt an overwhelming trust with Ben. I was like an abandoned pet that he’d found in the forest, took me in, and cared for me. No one has ever done that before, and I’d let Ben take me to the edge of the world if he wanted to.

  Among the hidden grandeur of the inn, was a portal that went to several places Ben said. He told Eveie we were taking it like we were going to borrow the bikes outside and tour the town, not go to another world to have a picnic.

  In an interior room in the house that had no windows, was were Eveie kept the portal. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and was surprised that it was a small platform made of what looked like solid glass.

  “It isn’t going to break,” Ben chuckled as he reached for my hand.

  “So how exactly does this work?”

  I stepped up as Ben wrapped his arm around my waist. “Hang on and find out,” he said as he pulled out what looked like a cell phone.

  It lit up as he ran his thumb over it. The air around us began to hum and I felt the platform vibrate under my feet. Ben held me tighter and smiled.

  “You’re going to love where we are going.” He whispered as my heart raced and I held onto Ben.

  The humming grew stronger as lights flashed like lightning through the milky haze. As quickly as the white and illuminated fog curled around us, it was cleared away by a sudden breeze.

  Blue skies, rolling green hills dotted with lush trees, and the sweet scent of flowers surrounded us. A warm wind gently blew as colorful birds flew overhead. Sunbeams pierced through the puffy clouds to the emerald landscape below.

  “Are you going to get down or just stay on the platform?” Ben asked with a smile.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said as he helped me get down.

  The grass was thick, like plush carpeting and cushioned each step. It was as if I had walked into a painting with vivid colors, and perfectly spaced trees that were all the same height.

  “Where are we?”

  “This is one of the gardens of Avalon. We are bordering Sidhe Hills in the world of the Faes. They have several gardens that many visit from all over. The Fae created this world by magic and it’s been here for a long time.”

  “Fae—you mean like fairies?”

  Ben wrapped his arm around me. “Not the butterfly-winged, delicate, flower-hopping fairies you’re thinking of. They are just as tall as us and have no sparkling wings. They are actually producers high-grade weaponry used in many different realms.” We stopped beside a tree on top of a small knoll. “And this, April, is the city of Avalon.”

  In the distance was a cityscape of glistening buildings. They looked like diamonds in a necklace that sat in a blue, velvet lined jewelry box. It sparkled, shimmered, and shined so much, it didn’t look real. But it was real, and I was here in another world with a man, or monster that saved me from who knows what.

  “April.” Ben’s voice questioned.

  I turned around and looked at him. He took his thumb and smeared a tear away. His soft, brown eyes seemed to draw me closer and nearly matched the grass and trees surrounding us.

  “This can’t be happening to me. I escaped from an institution for runaway and crazy kids…and,” I shook my head. “I’m here—with you, and everything in my past makes insanely sense now.”

  Ben took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around me as we looked at the glistening city. “What’s insane and sane depends on what realm you are in, and you, April Snow, were in the wrong realm.” He turned me to face him. “But you’re here with me. I saved you and brought you where you need to be.”

  Ben did save me, and I owed him a lot, otherwise, where would I be? I felt a veil, dark and suffocating, had covered me too long. I always thought it was me who was wrong, flawed, and cursed by the darkness that made me different and forced my mother to give me away. Like a curtain opening before an audience, my life was filled with light and hope. I had been given a chance.

  Ben’s eyes gazed into mine as if he was reading my thoughts. I brushed my fingertips across his cheek and he closed his eyes as if savoring my touch. I closed my eyes and gently kissed him.

  He ran his hands over my shoulders and down my back. I felt a connection with Ben that rooted its way deep into me. I’ve never been with a boy, much less a man before. Something was different, because I was different, and Ben was different. Human rules didn’t apply to us—we were monsters.

  Like a delicate summer breeze, Ben pushed me away and smiled. “Shall we,” he said, pointing to the blanket and basket that waited for us under the tree.

  “So do the Fae just leave a picnic basket under every tree here?” I asked sitting down.

  Ben opened the basket and pulled out a bottle of wine. “No, I ordered it and told them when to deliver it.”

&nbs
p; He poured the wine and gave me a glass. “How many different realms do you travel to? To me, it’s like you’re some celebrity who has connections everywhere that open their Bed and Breakfast for you at a moment’s notice and arrange a picnic at your whim.”

  Ben raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat. “Well, to answer your first question, I mainly travel to three: earth, Iethia, and here in Avalon. I can go to about any realm, but you have to be cautious as to where you travel—just like anywhere. And as far as the hospitalities I enjoy,” he smirked. “I have several connections that I’ve acquired throughout my travels and as far as being a celebrity, that depends on how you define it.” Ben pulled out a plate that had cheese and grapes on it. “Ah, perfect. You must try this, it’s the best Avalon has to offer.”

  I took the slice of marbled cheese that Ben handed me. Its tangy flavor and the sweetness of the grapes were a perfect match that I had never tasted before.

  “That’s really good,” I said as Ben poured me some more wine.

  I took a sip knowing my head was already starting to spin and I wasn’t sure if I could get up without tumbling over.

  “I’m glad you like it, because you deserve it, and so much more.” He gazed at me for a moment with a distant look in his eyes. “But I didn’t bring you here to just let you visit another realm and sample the best wine and cheese it has to offer.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, blue velvet box.

  I held my breath, because was he…?

  “April Snow, we hardly know each other, but I know you are right for me, and I’ve searched many places throughout my travels to find a companion.” He held the box in front of me, and with grinning eyes he opened it. “I want you to be my mate for as long as we live.”

  Staring back at me was a square stone that flickered with shades of blue and white.

  “What…you mean like marry?” I lifted my eyes from the ring as my mouth felt like cotton balls had been shoved in it.

  Ben chuckled. “Yes, April Snow, will you marry me?” He took the ring out as it sparkled violently, almost like it was on fire with blue flames. “Be my wife, my companion, and as monsters call it, my mate for all of our time.” His voice was sincere as he held the ring for me to take.

  I gazed at it. Marriage—that’s something you do when you’re older, not seventeen. But I wasn’t a normal girl, I was a monster, and I belonged to a different culture, a different race, and there was no place for me in this world anymore. Ben, I saw it clearly in his eyes, he cared for me and longed for someone to care for him.

  I held out my left hand and smiled. “Yes, Benjamin Marsh, I will be your mate.”

  Seth

  “What sort of disturbance have you been alerted to?” I asked Ayil as we sped down the road.

  “One concerning our serum chef,” Ayil said with her eyes steadily on the road. “The head of this district was alerted to demon activity in Brumbriar at the address,” she picked up her phone and quickly scrolled through her messages. “345 White Street.” She shoved her phone back into her pocket.

  “Demons,” Ezra said, sitting between Ayil and me. “They can be powerful.” Even through the darkness, Ezra’s eyes were filled with worry. I squeezed her hand.

  “How powerful are the demons causing the disturbance? And more importantly, will we have anyone helping us?” Malachi asked leaning forward.

  “No, no one will be assisting us as I said,” Ayil glanced back at him. “This is a sleeper area district. Disturbances aren’t supposed to happen, but they are.” She set her eyes back on the road. “As far as the strength of the demons, all I can do is guess, and if they are in Brumbriar and have set off the alarms, I’m going to guess very strong.”

  “That could mean there is more than one,” Nessa said, leaning forward beside Malachi.

  “Or just one big, ugly demon rather than a whole party of them,” Malachi said. “Then we don’t have to chase them around like spoiled children.” His tone was passive, and I knew out of all of us, Malachi had encounters with demons once before and feared them the most.

  “We took no weapons, so how are we to fight them?” Malachi asked.

  “There are no weapons we can use on them from any realm. That is why the angels cursed them so they would have to stay in the shadows or die. But a few managed from time to time escape, gain strength, and are now a nuisance.” Ayil’s lip curled into a grin.

  “Yeah, but how are we going to kill it, or are we just going to go and play with it?” Malachi said with a chuckle from Ayil.

  She didn’t answer Malachi, but instead, continued to chuckle and mumble to herself as if he had told her a joke. I glanced back at him. His nothing-bothers-me attitude was slowly dissolving.

  “With this,” I said, holding up the glistening orange-yellow stone. “The light from Iethia.” I tried to sound confident even though I had no idea how to use the stone.

  Malachi shifted his eyes to me. “What are you going to do, throw it at them?” His sarcastic tone covered the fear I could see clearly.

  “Not throw it, use it against the demon.” Ayil said as we passed a sign welcoming us to Brumbriar.

  I looked at the tiny stone that was no larger than the size of my palm. “I’ve no experience with this, Ayil,” I said as we turned down a house lined street. “Please tell me you can instruct me to some degree on this.”

  Ayil glanced blankly over at me as we stopped in front of a large house. “It’s a part of you, and when the time comes, you’ll know what to do. I may not know the stone’s secrets, but I know enough about it that it is yours and it will guide you when needed.”

  “You mean we have to depend on Seth’s intuition?” Nessa asked as Ayil got out of the car.

  “Come on, we can’t let the demon win.”

  The cold and pungent smell of smoke filled the air. Everything was still in this little, oblivious town. Humans, most of them, had no idea of the danger that sat quietly in the darkness and would overtake them if we didn’t stop it.

  “The house is under a glamour,” Nessa said, looking up at the two story house. “The Ivy Inn—it’s a bed and breakfast?”

  “Good perception, now let’s go and say hello to the little demon,” Ayil said as she crept up the stairs.

  Nessa was behind her and I held Ezra close to me.

  “Seth,” Malachi whispered behind me, and grabbed me by the shoulder. “What if it isn’t a little demon?”

  Malachi with his dark hair and strong stature, truly looked like a warrior—and now, like a frightened warrior.

  “Little or big, a demon is a demon. We have Ayil, who seems kind of eager to get to it, and,” I pulled out the stone that glowed with an amber light in my palm. “We have this. It feels powerful to me,” I said more to myself. “Don’t worry, Malachi, I don’t know how to explain it, but this little gem is very powerful and with Ayil guiding us, we’ll be fine.”

  Malachi looked up at the house and let out a sigh. “Let’s go before it comes out here.”

  To humans, this house was abandoned, but to anyone in the enchanted community, it was a beautiful bed and breakfast guarded by spells and a glamor. It was richly decorated with items from many different realms: Spherical orillions glowed with soft light overhead, paintings of the beaches from Atlantis with its blue waters and pink sands hung on the walls, and in a sitting room off to the side sat an opened bottle of wine from Shangri-La with two glasses beside it.

  I picked up the full bottle and looked down at the two clean glasses. Someone was here celebrating—could it have been demons? The alarms had been set off and the house was dark and empty. The demon could be gone or was hiding in the shadows waiting for us.

  Ayil led the way as we followed behind. The only sound was the ticking of the clock and the only light was from the dim orillions overhead. Then suddenly Malachi, who was ahead of me stopped.

  “Blood, lots of it,” he whispered covering his mouth. “Monster blood mixed with demon…there was a fight.” He poi
nted to the table that had been knocked over and the wallpaper that looked like claws had ripped through it.

  Ezra ran her fingers over the claw marks and looked up at me. “Demon, strong too, I can feel its lingering energy.”

  “Lingering, meaning as in gone I hope,” Malachi said shifting his eyes to me.

  “In here,” Ayil announced as a light flicked on through an open doorway.

  We went inside the kitchen, or what was left of it. Nessa and Ayil stood over a body of a man lying face down. He was dressed in a long, black wool coat and splintered bits of wood along with other kitchen rubble surrounded him.

  “What was he doing? Cooking up a batch a serum when it exploded?” Malachi examined what was left of the oven.

  “The demon has been gone for some time—I can sense it,” Ezra said stepping beside Ayil and gently touching her on the arm.

  Ezra looked at her with her dark, brown eyes. “Are you sure?” Ezra nodded. “I guess your Shadowland senses are to be trusted. Come on; let’s see who this gent was.”

  Malachi and I flipped the man over. His skin was bruised with a large gash across his cheek and a deep one across his chest. Black blood pooled on the floor.

  “He’s a monster, but I can smell demon blood too.” Malachi stepped away wrinkling his nose from the smell only he could sense.

  “Wait,” Ayil shoved the light she held in her hand closer to the man revealing another person underneath.

  “Is it the demon?” Nessa asked standing beside her.

  “No,” Ayil replied removing some of the debris.

  Malachi and I stepped closer to see it was a young girl dressed in a silver dress.

  “It’s a girl,” Ayil’s eyes shifted to the man. “They look like they were on a date or something of the sort by the way they are dressed, not making serum,” she said flipping the man’s coat open and examining the pockets. “Nothing on him,” she announced as she stood up.

  “Do you think he’s the one we are looking for?” Nessa asked.