The figure came to a stop, looked at me once, and then pulled back a curtain, letting bright light shine through. It walked through and held the curtain open for me. I followed, using my hand to protect my eyes from the light’s full glow, which shone from the massive chandelier hanging only feet in front of us. We emerged onto a balcony overlooking the Great Hall. The curtain dropped back into place, and I realized it was in fact a tapestry. A man and woman, both standing naked in a garden filled with lush greens and a radiant sunset. The girl coyly handed an apple to the cautious-looking man.
The cloaked figure held a finger up to its face, asking for silence, then pointed the same finger to the bottom level. I peeked over the railing, taking care not to put too much weight on it. It jostled easily back and forth and threatened to give with little encouragement. Down below sat Adam, bored as ever, head rested on his recliner’s back, mid-sigh. An Angel kneeled before him.
“She’s getting out of hand,” said Adam. “Why do I even keep her around anymore, to sit there with that vacant look and undermine me?”
“I know, Eve proves troublesome, but remember the two of you were the chosen, both brought here to create Eden. Is this not what you have been preaching for the past ten years?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah… no need to preach to the choir. I just question the usefulness of Eve.”
“She must carry your baby, a child of pure blood, who will help usher in the new era.”
Adam, as if hit by a surge of energy, jumped out of his seat. Grabbing the Angel by his shoulders, he shook him like a troubled kid. “Am I the only one aware of her mental state? How likely is it that she would bear a useful child? She’s not all there anymore.”
“That’s not a matter for us to worry over. What matters most is that she have a child, as soon as possible. After that, we no longer need her.”
Adam released the Angel and bid him to stand. This Angel was different than the others; his robe was decorated, woven with gold-laced symbols up and down the arms. I also noticed, as his hood fell down, that he had long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. As if he alone, outside of Adam and Eve deserved the right to grow hair, a sign of rank.
“I see no point! They follow me anyway. They would follow me into the pits of hell if I asked, and they all see her as a joke!”
“Our army would follow you into hell. But imagine the power you would hold with the child born of Adam and Eve, pure of blood and touched by the light of God, a savior in this new world. Imagine how many sheep would flock to your call just to stand in the light of the child. We could have converts by the thousands.”
“And if we don’t?”
“The ones we have now would have no problem slaughtering the unbelievers. They hold faith in you, but their belief lies in a future that you must usher in. A child will do that.”
“How is it they still have faith in me, sitting on my throne next to her?”
“They believe it is the words of God that drive her mad. It is only in your favor.”
“Fine, we will keep trying, but my patience wears thin with her. If she doesn’t bear me a child by summer, I will have her hanged.”
“Sir, if it comes to that, might I suggest… it would be in our best interest if she were murdered by the unbelievers. She would be a martyr. It would work in our favor.”
“Finally, something we can agree on!”
“But only if she does not bear a child.”
“Even if she does, we will still martyr her.” Adam laughed, hitting the Angel hard on the shoulder. He stretched and walked away into the dark recesses of the hall. The Angel stood for a minute longer. Then he looked up directly at me. His skeletal face made my stomach turn. Cold fear gripped my body. It wasn’t so much fear of being caught; it was something unsettling about him, so deep-rooted I could never explain. Everything in my heart said he was evil. There were men who killed and stole. Those men did it for sustenance and survival. Adam, on the other hand, did it for pleasure. He smiled and gave me a thumbs-up before walking away.
The hand that touched my arm almost caused me to jump over the railing. The cloaked figure beckoned me to follow. We walked halfway around the perimeter of the balcony, before ducking behind another mural, leading down a thin passageway, which led to a dead end. My guide felt along the stone wall, until the right spot was found. A brick went in half an inch followed by a stiff, grating sound, and a pool of light opened before us.
We walked through, into a bedroom; the figure pushed the bookcase back in place over the passage entrance. The bedroom was simple, small, though larger than anything I was ever used to. A large bed sat in one corner, covered in fresh linen; numerous fluffy pillows lay at the base of a finely carved headboard, and an obscene number of stuffed animals lay about, mocking me with their comfort. There was a desk and ornate mirror near a large window that overlooked the city. A book lay open. I glanced at the title: Sleeping Beauty.
I turned around just in time to see Eve’s cloak drop to her feet. Tussled hair, hungry eyes, and a broken smile. She wore a black bra and red panties. Her long, slender legs seemed endless, her tight stomach slowly inhaling and exhaling. More importantly, perfect breasts that begged to be let free from the constraints of her bra prison seemed to dance to the rhythm of her steady breathing. I opened my mouth, but no words would come. I tried to look away, but her body called to me like a silent song.
“We have to make a baby!” Eve said, leaping into my arms, the momentum causing me to stumble onto the bed. She straddled me and attacked me with an endless barrage of kisses.
he bed was soft under me, and I could already feel my muscles relaxing. How long had it been since I lay on something so soft? Eve was beautiful; it was hard to find reason to fight her off. This was all but perfect, wasn’t it? Soft bed, hot girl… ah, I couldn’t!
“What are you doing? Stop!” I don’t think I meant that. “What’s going on?”
“You heard them. They want to kill me. I need to be pregnant now!”
“It doesn’t exactly work like that!”
“It works how I say! You’re our prisoner. Do you want to escape?” She crawled off me, back up to her pillows, kicking the stuffed animals onto the floor. “You have to go through me.”
There was a loud crash outside; it almost sounded like a bomb shattering into thousands of shards of glass. We both jumped up, fully alert.
“Quick, under the bed!” she yelled.
I dove to the floor, crawling with great skill underneath the bed. The mattress sunk as she put all her weight on it. The door busted open, and two Angels came in.
“Eve, are you all right?”
“Of course I’m all right. Why are you here? I was having the best tea party with my friends, and you scared them away.”
“Sorry, we just had to check on you―”
“We would really like it if you didn’t disturb us again! Unless, of course, you brought crumpets… Did you bring any crumpets?”
“Sorry, no… we didn’t.”
“Mister Bear is getting angry!”
“We’ll be right outside if you need us.” There was a low growling noise, and then the door slammed closed.
I didn’t crawl out right away. I was wary of the guards waiting outside, but a strong hand dragged me out by my ankles. I turned over onto my back and looked up at Eve, who was standing over me with a determined look on her face.
“We need to get this over with quickly, how about we—”
“Hold on a second, what’s going on?” I found a place at the edge of the bed to sit. She sat down next to me, making no effort to respect my personal space. I tried scooting over, but she only followed. The sticky warmth of her body called my skin. I decided to stand up.
“Why do they want to kill you?” I asked.
She sighed, lying back on her bed, absently playing with a teddy bear. “Didn’t you hear? They don’t like me anymore. They just want me to produce, and I’m not producing.” She looked at me with wide eyes. “N
ot for lack of trying, the problem isn’t me. But Adam is too proud to admit it.”
“Wait… isn’t he your brother?”
“Ew! No! We lived in the same building; our parents were med heads. Daddy was rough. Adam promised to take me away. One day, daddy was too rough, and we never looked back.”
“And you guys found the cathedral?”
“God pointed us here. At least that’s what we like to tell people. He just likes having people follow him.”
“You don’t seem as… um, flighty as before.”
She sat up smiling, kissed her teddy bear and gently put it down on a pillow. “I just like giving him a hard time. I wish things would go back to the way they were, just me and him, but what can you do? We have sheep to lead.”
“And you think sleeping with me will help?”
“Why not?” She reached for my hand; I feigned an itch on my face.
“I mean, I am flattered, that you want me, I just―”
“Look around. All the guys here are basically bald, mindless drones who follow Adam around like sick puppies. None of them would dare look at me, let alone sleep with me. You’re basically the first man… well, first person close enough to a man I’ve seen in ages. Besides, you’re probably going to die anyway, right?”
“Thanks.”
She jumped up off the bed, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. Her eyes were so dark and wide it was hard to turn away. She leaned in close; a strong smell of flowers tickled my nose. And then her lips were on mine, not a delicate kiss, a mix of confusion and animal instinct. Her tongue forced its way into my mouth, I thought to fight her off, but the electricity running up and down my body kept me glued to her.
At first my hands were confused and aloof, but with a mind of their own they found their way to her the warmth of her skin sending pins and needles through them. Her fingers went for my inner thighs, up to my belt. She did a masterful job of pulling me toward the bed, as she unbuckled my belt and explored my mouth all at the same time.
I want this, I want it bad. I deserve it, this one win!
I was on top of her, pulling at her bra, struggling to get it off, I remembered a trick Dodger taught me… wait, Dodger. Crap, why was I thinking of Dodger… He was sick, maybe dying, I needed to be the hero. Dodge and Red depended on me. I had to be the hero, just this once.
“Wait!” I stood up, not straight, but with a hunch, my pants restricted from all the blood flowing between my legs.
“Wait, what do you mean wait? This is going to be the best three minutes of your life!”
“No, I can’t…”
“Oh, no, a lot of guys have that problem… it’s completely normal.”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just I came here for a reason.”
“Yes, I know. To die. Just do this, and then you can go about getting killed. I’ll even slit your throat if you want.” She growled. “Maybe even during if you’d like.”
“I… thanks for the offer, but I would prefer not dying and walking out of here in one piece. And sleeping with you seems like a guaranteed death sentence.”
“Yeah, but wouldn’t it be worth it?” She smiled, squeezing her shoulders together, making her breasts appear more ample than before.
“Let’s make a deal.”
“A deal? I’m letting you sleep with me. You win, I lose. You have nothing to bargain with.”
“Bull, you need me to do this so they won’t kill you, and let’s face it, you’ll have to figure out a way to keep me around long enough, to keep performing, until you are sure you are pregnant. If not, they kill you, right?”
She frowned and sighed in defeat.
“I need to get some meds to my friend; I promise I’ll stay here. Hell, you can even get them out to him by messenger. Then I’ll stay and sleep with you all you want!” I didn’t plan to stay or maybe I did. I wasn’t thinking completely with my brain. “But not before we get the meds to him.”
“What does he need?”
“Antibiotics. It’s for Red. Her daughter needs it. She’s really sick with―”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t listening. What is it you need?”
“Antibiotics!”
“Calm down, no need to yell… jeez….” She thought for a while, it dragged out to a couple of minutes of uncomfortable silence.
“…sorry I yelled?”
“See, now was that so hard? Apology accepted. Let’s go.”
She put her robe back on and painstakingly replaced her fallen stuffed animals on the bed, I smiled with great pride. I, Twist, had used sex to my advantage! I had emotionally blackmailed a girl who was way out of my league by withholding sex. I was in charge and making all the decisions. I was the hero!
“Are you going to stand there all day or follow?” she asked, standing next to the secret passage.
“Oh, sorry.” I followed her into the dark passage, which led out onto the balcony. The railing was now gone, and so was the chandelier. We both peeked over the edge to see it shattered on the ground below, Angels scurrying back and forth, trying to clean up the mess. I gave her a questioning look, but knew it was what we heard earlier. She only shrugged and led me to another painting down at the end of the balcony.
Through the darkness, the series of tunnels we walked all looked the same. I couldn’t keep track of all the turns. I tried counting steps at first, but it was pointless. My fate lay in Eve’s hands. It was a monotonous trek; the only changes were the sounds of our feet hitting different textured tiles, carpets, and stone floors. At some point, there was a decline, I leaned back, not wanting to slip, for fear of tumbling down into Eve and sending us into a heap of chaos.
We walked out into the open. The moon shone brightly above, stray stars speckled across the sky. The night breeze was warm over my skin, but, most of all, I noticed the smell of flowers; the same smell that came off of Eve. We were in a massive garden. At its center, the nose of a long abandoned airship poked out of the remains of what looked to once be a stone fountain. Half of the garden was out in the open and the other half was concealed in the shadow of the balloon that draped around the edges of the torn out roof. Around us were endless rows of flower beds. Reds, blues, yellows, and greens surrounded us. Little flickering lights floated around the closest flowers, like lost stars trying to find their way back up to the heavens. One landed on my shoulder, and I realized it was a bug. It flickered off into the distance. Eve watched me with great pride as a butterfly landed in her hair.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.” I wanted to explore every inch of the garden, a whole new world, vibrant with life, colors, and warmth.
“It wasn’t much when we found it, just a couple of flowers here and there. I always liked flowers. Once when I was little and I hid from my parents, Adam found a rose. He gave it to me hoping to cheer me up. It did, it was so beautiful. It gave me hope there was a better place for us. When we found the airship crashed into this garden, I took it as a sign. This was home. That’s when he started calling this place Eden. Everything else kind of snowballed.”
“Why are you so open with me?”
“You’re the first regular person I’ve spoken to since I can remember, and besides… our secrets will die with you.”
“They will. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
“No, really. They will most likely die with you.
She led me around to the nose of the airship. A set of stone steps which led to a hatch door had fallen on its side due to the aircraft’s angled position. “We kept all the meds inside,” she said, grabbing onto a hand railing within the door and pulling herself in.
“How come you guys haven’t run out?”
“We tell everyone it’s a holy shrine; no one is allowed inside but us. Blind faith quiets curiosity. We only use what Adam and I need, and only in really bad cases. We’ll suffer the flu before we touch the stash. Other things we use as bargaining pieces. For instance, Red needed antibiotics, so we offered it to her in exchange for a favor,
which she refused, so we cut her off. Guess she had something you wanted if you’re her dirty work.”
She helped me climb in after her.
“Don’t you feel bad?” I asked. “I mean you guys are sitting on something that can help so many people.”
“To what end? If we started handing stuff out, it’d be gone in a week. A big part of power is supply and demand.” The inside of the fuselage was at a ninety degree angle. We marched up an aisle like we were climbing uphill. It was an empty space, with shattered windows on either side. Creeper vines which had climbing in created an eerie jungle like feel. A steel door with a rounded lock waited for us toward the back. “Half of our converts are the sick who stumble in here because they heard a rumor; we nurse them back to health with promises. Eventually, everything out there will be gone, and, once it is, everyone will be knocking at our door for an aspirin. And that’s how we get the ones who aren’t willing to believe.”
“So what’s the point in the baby?”
“Hope. Hope is the strongest inspiration.” She turned the lock and opened the door. A rush of air and dust hit us. We walked inside to find shelves and shelves of supplies. Endless rows that went so far back, I was fooled by the outside; it was definitely bigger on the inside.
“How big is this place?”
“You can’t tell from the outside, but I’m sure if you had a bird’s eye view you could appreciate it. It took out the whole back part of the cathedral. We keep everything beyond the garden off limits. The way the balloon is situated, it looks like the ship is only its nose, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
I began searching through the shelves, taking stock of all the different medications they had. It was a habit―take what you could at the time and make a mental note of what’s to be taken in the future. Eve grabbed my arm and dragged me down an aisle, to a shelf with a glass door. She opened it, taking out two small boxes and handing them to me. “This should last her for a while, after that… I don’t really see a point in going through all this trouble.”
The Artful (Shadows of the City) Page 12