by Shelly Crane
I took a tentative step and though my legs shook, I could keep myself upright. I stepped on the first stone and determined it was solid. I went on slowly and when I reached the last one I swallowed hard, knowing this was the definition of a leap of faith. The water looked normal below me, but I knew it wasn't and I knew it would carry me to another place.
You can't think with your eyes here, Eli had said. I closed them and without waiting to over think, I jumped with both feet straight out below me.
Seventeen
I landed with my feet firmly planted on the hard ground below me, but teetered and tipped forward with the momentum. I held my hands out to catch myself from the hard ground, but instead got a hard chest. I peeked my eyes open to find Enoch with his arms around me, my nose pressed into his shirt. I jerked back and almost fell again.
He growled and gripped me tighter. "Will you just wait for Captain Bleeding Heart before you hurt yourself? I’m not going to bite you."
"I've got her," Eli said from behind me and pulled me to him. I looked around over his shoulder. The sky was pitch black, not a star in sight. It didn't remind me of a beautiful night sky to watch and lay under, it looked empty and evil. He leaned back to look at me. "You good?"
"Yeah." I looked back at Enoch. "Thanks."
"I didn't want you to smash that pretty face," he sneered.
"Aw, you think I'm pretty?" I said smartly, causing him to glare at me.
"All right," Eli said, always the moderator. "Cavuto, come on."
The bird flew to his shoulder once more and Eli looked around as if looking for something specific. Then he pulled my hand for me to follow him. There was a large stone and stucco wall, and he searched for something along the surface. There was a sliver of light and Eli gripped the edges of the opening quickly with both hands. He pulled and the sliver opened further. It groaned and complained under his strain. Eli's face was red and shaking as he moved his head for us to go through as he held it. Enoch pushed me forward with hands on my back as we ducked under Eli's arm. Once we were through, Eli bolted through and turned back to watch the wall close with a groan.
We were in an alley of some sort. He gripped my hand tightly and gave me a hard look. "You can't be human here. You can't be smart mouthed. You can't show that you're sick right now and you can't, under any circumstances, leave my side. Understand?"
"Yes," I said and that was all. I knew this was serious and he was worried that I was going to cause trouble. Kind of like I almost did at the Consumed Club. I grumbled at myself.
"Ok," he softer and lowered his voice. "Remember, if I treat you different here, it's because I have to. Let's just find what we need and get out of here and go home, ok?"
"You had me at get out of here and go home."
He smiled. "Good girl." He turned. "Finn- Where's Finn?"
Enoch shrugged. "He was already gone when I came through." Then his face hardened and he looked at me before settling back on Eli. They stared at each other with a silent understanding. "Something smells fishy and it ain't the Sushi Bar."
"Finn was always out for himself," Eli pondered and bit at his tongue ring. "Maybe he just used us to get a stone so he could come in?"
"Doubtful." Enoch moved closer. "What if it has to do with the Horde?"
"He wouldn't…" Eli's face fell. "He wouldn't."
"Let's go, Eli. Let's find the Soothsayer and go."
"Soothsayer?" I asked.
"Like a…fortune teller or oracle," Eli said distractedly. "She's the only one who can tell us how to fix you."
We started walking without another word. Enoch flanked me on my other side and it was as unnerving as it was comforting. We emerged from the alley, and I gasped silently at the amount of people there. It was a market, tables everywhere, people yelling and haggling over prices. Creatures, some I recognized from the club, some not, were scattered in every direction. They offered us things as we moved through the throngs.
A tall older woman offered me a cup of something green. My tongue was suddenly dryer than the Sahara and I reached for it without thinking. Enoch grabbed my arm just before reaching it and gave Eli a look. Eli pulled my arm and put me against his side. "You can't take things from people here."
"Why not? I'm thirsty."
"Because if you thought the Elf smoke was bad, that will take you to the moon, Clara."
"It's drugged?" I said conspiratorially.
"No. It is a drug. Don't eat or drink anything here."
I nodded. We pushed on through the people and I tried not to focus on any one thing or person. It smelled horrible with all the mixed scents of food and spices and smokes. My sense of smell must have been whacked up, too.
Eli pulled us to a little door and knocked - no lie- fourteen times. A peek hole opened up high and then closed. Another peek hole opened lower and then closed. The door opened, but there was no one there to usher us in. I gripped Eli's hand tightly and tried not to think or feel. Just breathe.
Eli pulled us through a hallway and knocked on another door. "I need to see Anastasia."
"What fer?" an annoyed voice barked. "She ain't in need a no company!"
Eli cursed softly and then gave me a grave look. He implored me with his eyes, but I didn't understand why. He said loudly as he stared into my eyes, "I need to offer her a proposition."
"In exchange for what?"
"The whereabouts of the Soothsayer, Magenta."
The door creaked open and a grotesque old man opened the door halfway. "Which one of ya?"
"Me!" Enoch said quickly and stepped forward.
The man opened the door all the way and a woman who could only be described as the most gorgeous woman I'd ever laid eyes on stepped out. Her dress was medieval, her hair braided down one side of her neck and hanging almost to the ground in front. Her perfect lips formed a smile as she looked at Enoch.
"Not that one." Her bright eyes turned to Eli and my blood ran cold in my aching veins. "That one."
Eli hissed under his breath and then smiled at her. "Anastasia."
"Devourer," she said, as if in awe.
"Lady," he said smoothly and bowed.
"You wish to find Magenta. And in payment for my knowledge you will lie with me?"
He nodded stiffly, but smiled.
She gasped. "Can you feel how badly I want-"
"Not yet, lady of the house," he said calmly and smiled at her in a way that was a full on blinking sign of what was to come. I felt my throat closing with anger. He turned to us. "I'll...be a while."
He turned to go and I gripped his hand tighter. He stopped and cocked his head. I didn't know if I was blowing our mission or not, but I had to say something. "What are you doing?"
"I am going with this woman and you will be quiet," he said harshly.
"Eli," I breathed and felt my heart sink. Did he know this was what would have to be done? Did he just not tell me because he knew I would refuse?
"Enoch, take Clara to get some air," he replied softer.
"Is that your mate?" Anastasia asked haughtily. I looked at her and her eyes blazed with jealousy.
"She is," Eli confirmed.
"Someone should teach her some manners," she hissed.
"Quite right." Eli glared at me openly and I shrunk back hitting Enoch's chest. "Go outside and wait for me…or I swear to you I'll dump you back in the po-dunk town I found you in!"
That was it for me. I turned so he wouldn't see the tears forming. I was utterly confused by what was happening. My only assumption was that he was either drugged, which was unlikely, or he was literally willing to do anything to save my life, regardless of what it was. Was this something I could forgive him for?
I hadn't even realized that Enoch was hauling me out into the street. He moved me to lean against the wall with my back and blocked me with his body from passing eyes. The bird had followed us out and sat near my feet.
Enoch had tried to take his place. When she emerged from the room, Enoch had said it was hi
m seeking the information, but she refused him. I looked up at him as my fingers caressed the bracelet. Such a sweet gesture given not hours ago. "Why did you do that?"
He didn’t pretend not to understand what I was asking. "Because it hurts me for you to be in pain." His face was strained and darkened. "Will you just close your eyes and rest? He'll be…done soon and we can get out of here. Stop looking at me. I can't stand it."
I wanted to make a snide comment, but it just wasn't in me. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. That movement caused my tears to drip from my chin. Eli had been really angry with me. For him to say those things…
I sat there expecting to wait for him for ages, when he emerged in the door next to us. He pushed Enoch out of the way and grabbed my arm. He dragged me down the street, my feet tripping over the cobblestones, to another alley. He pressed me against the wall and held his hand up to Enoch. Enoch seemed to get the message as he held his hands up and turned to block the alley to anyone else.
"I didn't," Eli muttered and held my head in his hands as he pressed his forehead to mine. "I didn't, I didn't."
"What?"
"I didn't," he repeated. "I wouldn't do that. I'm so sorry, baby. Please forgive me for the way I spoke to you."
I didn't really know what to say. My insides were warring with me.
"She thinks she's a Siren." He shook his head against mine. "She trades secrets and information for…acts of service." He grimaced. "But as such, she's very easily persuaded. Her kind's minds are even more easily manipulated than humans- no offense."
"You…" I pushed him back a bit so I could see his face. "You just persuaded her to think that you…"
He nodded. "And then she told me where Magenta was. She's here, at The Wall somewhere, which is what I had hoped."
"So you didn't…"
"I didn't lay a lip or finger on her," he begged. "Believe me."
"Why couldn't you just have just said…" Crap. I knew why. There was no time. I remember the look he gave me when he realized what needed to be done. He hadn't anticipated that from her. I bit my lip.
"I said those things so you'd leave," he said, his voice harder. "Looking at your face, knowing you believed that I actually wanted to… I was about to break down and ruin our only chance of finding her. I had to get you away." He held my face again and looked at me closely. "Please forgive me."
I blew a breath and wanted to cry again. "You're forgiven, Eli. I'm sorry that I was so dense I didn't see what you were doing."
"You've been a little distracted," he said and rubbed a vein protruding from my arm. "I'm sorry."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt his sigh of relief as I said, "I just want to be done with this."
"Ditto that." He pressed his lips to my ear, and even in my current state of sickness and upset, I shivered as he said, "Clara, the look on your face when you thought I wanted that thing's hands on me…" He took my hand and put it on his chest. "No one is allowed to touch me every again. No matter what happens, I'll always be only yours."
I got his meaning; even if I didn't make it through this.
I got a sudden urge deep inside my gut to react to the moment. I pulled his mouth to mine and devoured him. I felt every emotion he gave me, I opened myself up to accept it and absorb it. It was like breathing your favorite perfume, eating your favorite dessert, being sung to by your favorite singer.
I fed from his love for me and his want for me. I was the one who groaned and gripped him, but he soon joined me. I felt the wall at my back as he left no space between us. I didn't know how long we stayed that way, but someone walked up behind us, their shoes clacking on the stone. I assumed it was Enoch.
Wrong assumption.
The man was tall, with a large brown Derby on his head and a cane that perfectly matched his leather shoes. He smiled. "Devourers skulking in the alleys for food. What has the world come to?"
Eli harsh breaths skated across my cheek as he looked at the stranger. Then he slowly put me behind him and pushed me with his hand on my stomach. "We aren't here to see you, Franz. We're here to see Magenta."
"But what's a little bet among friends?" He smiled wider. "Come on. My doors are always open to you."
"No thanks."
I turned to go and bumped into Enoch's chest. He had been coming to my rescue I guess. "What's up?" he asked Eli.
"Franz," he explained.
Enoch stilled and titled his head. The bird had made its way to Enoch's shoulder now. "We might can use him, you know."
"No," Eli growled.
"If we have to keep using cash, then you'll need some extra money." He grinned. "I'm game if you are. Some unsuspecting suckers are always easy game."
"Enoch, Clara is sick-"
"Yes!" he yelled and then lowered his voice. "And do you think that you can just get an easy fix from Magenta and take her back to Hillbillyville to finish up high school? No. This is far from over with the Horde. Get your head out of her butt and start thinking. We can go with Franz, win a Deuce, easy, and then we'll go to Magenta, get what we need from her and hit the road again." Eli sighed so Enoch threw out the last punch. "You know we won't outrun them without the cash. You're saving her only to kill her anyway."
"Maybe I could go to a bank in the next town and make a large withdrawal? Get out quick and hit the road," he ventured.
"Too risky and you know it. We need to get out of Dodge, a.s.a.p."
Eli looked at me, knowing full well I had no idea what they were talking about. "Pit stop," he told me. I knew whatever it was would be important so I just nodded.
"Franz," Eli called and the man immediately stepped from the shadows. Eli chuckled without humor. "Wow. I really am a sucker, huh?"
"Not a sucker," Franz offered. "A winner. A winner who plans to make a load of money tonight, along with me."
"Fine. We're in, but the girl comes with us."
"Excellent," he said and led the way. Eli walked silently with his hand wrapped around my waist. Enoch walked behind us. I kept looking up to Eli looking at his face to gauge his mood. He seemed determined, but reluctant. I was getting an emotion of regret from him which seemed weird.
"I'm fine, love," he whispered and smiled down at me. "Look, where we’re going is dangerous. Franz is the leader of the rebels. They hold fights and games for betting."
"Fights?"
He nodded slowly. "Enoch and I use to come here to fight a lot. We were quite a spectacle back then." He smiled as he remembered. "We were an unbeatable match."
"Who did you fight?" I asked heard the horror in my voice.
"I said we were unbeatable," he said softly. "Don't worry. We used to fight anything that fought back. Elves, Trolls, Pixies."
"Pixies?"
He gave me a wry look. "They aren't all as sweet as they look."
"What else did you do besides fight?"
"Card games, dice, animal races. Basically anything that we could bet on, we did."
"What are you going to do now?"
"No idea. Whatever they have going on."
"Is this why you have so much money?"
"Mostly. I had to make my own after I left my parents and Enoch was all too happy helping me to beat on something for sport."
I shivered in disgust. I didn't know if I could watch him do this or not. The memory of Tate beating that guy at the match…over and over… I shook my head.
"Let's figure out what we're doing before we get distraught, ok?" he said gently.
Franz spoke then, condescending and mocking. "You are very sweet to that human girl. I wonder what you've gotten yourself into, Thames."
"I thought it was the rebel's motto to mind his own business?" Eli shot back, causing Franz to laugh.
"Indeed. No judgment here, Elijah. That's our motto."
Eighteen
We walked behind all the shops and I turned my eyes from the monsters prowling the corners. They left us alone and I was thankful. We arrived at the backdoor of a shack soon
after we left and Franz held it open for us. The inside seemed bigger when we entered. There was a wide open space in the middle of all the bustling people looking for action.