“I must be mad,” I muttered, knocking the side of my head. Or had I died? I hadn’t suspected the afterlife to be so beautiful, or perhaps this was reincarnation on some other world.
“Excuse me,” a woman said from behind me, her accent holding just a trace of Saki in it. “Where are—”
I turned to face her, and she gaped, her expression so similar to mine I was no longer certain . . . of anything.
“You!” Ariya snapped, her chest heaving with emotion. “What did you do?” She looked around at the landscape—so different than her world—her eyes widening. “Where did you bring us? What is this place? Where are my blades?”
She marched across the ground, her steps silent on the cushiony green growth, pausing when she was only a couple feet from me.
“What have you done?” she asked, jabbing her finger into my chest . . .
I brought my hand up to my now bare chest and shook my head. I glanced and then started patting at all of places I kept my weapons. Gone. All of them. Every frosted one.
“This is not my doing—” Rashi. I reached into my pocket, pulled out the silver piece of paper, and held it up. “You got one of these, too.”
She narrowed her eyes, staring at the invitation, and then the color leeched from her face. “You gave that to me? This is your fault! Every single time I try and be nice, rubbish happens.”
A gust of wind blew over us, and her skin prickled. She wore a similar skirt as the one last night, only this one was dark as the night sky. Her arms were exposed as was part of her stomach, but she’d probably had Zafi armor on as well. She wore two belts slung over her hips with several empty sheaths attached. Her red hair billowed with the breeze, and she grabbed at it, her expression a fierce glare as if the very wind were an offence.
“No, I didn’t give it to you,” I said, protesting her assumption. “I’m Maciji, but I don’t have magic.”
She wrangled her hair into one fist and snorted. “You shift into a viper. Pretty sure that’s magic.”
I shrugged; there was some merit to her argument unless she knew the details of my kind. “Fine. I don’t have that kind of magic.”
She frowned, the silver moonlight making her skin almost white, and then with her free hand, she pulled the crumpled parchment from a pouch attached at her belt. “What is it? I’ve never seen anything like it? The Monster Ball? What does that even mean?”
“Monster Ball?” I unfolded my piece of parchment. “Mine says Monster Celebration on the Night of the Dead, Witching Hour.” I tried to peek at hers, but she pulled it close. “Maybe it translates differently in Saki.”
Ariya cursed under her breath. “Like magic? So it’s a party?”—she glared at the sky—“I have no time for celebrating.” She huffed and kicked the grass, her brow furrowing as she looked at the ground. A moment later, she knelt and ran her hand over the growth. “So this is a real place?” she whispered. “I’m not dead . . . or dreaming?”
Her question was the perfect opening, and I couldn’t resist. “You’re only questioning the location, so you’ve dreamt of me before?”
I peeked out of the corner of my eye but couldn’t tell if she’d blushed. More than a few cycles had passed since I’d even wanted to flirt, and I probably sounded like a bumbling prepubescent boy.
“Har-har, big guy. So where are we?” She pointed at the castle that now appeared to float in the air with all the mist surrounding it. “Whose fortress is this? And most importantly, how do we—I get back home?”
Shifting my position, so I was standing next to her, I said, “No idea.”
The temperature dropped, and more mist scuttled over the ground. We weren’t anywhere near Sakari cold, but compared to Zafi—
As if on cue, Ariya rubbed her arms and said, “I’m freezing. And since you know as much as I do”—she waved her hand, still pointing, at me with a disgusted frown—“as in nothing, I’m going to head up to the gloomy castle and get some answers from someone who does know something.” She lowered her voice and muttered, “I hope.”
I blew out a breath and stared up at the sky. If there was a bridge like the ones we had from Sakari to Zafi, it likely moved on a schedule, and seeing that there was no one else out here, I hurried to catch up. “Ariya, wait.”
She stopped with her hands wrapped around herself and, without turning around, snapped, “Hurry—”
I caught up to her and touched her elbow. “Hey, maybe we should stick together. Just in case.”
This time, when Ariya stared at me, I could feel her crawling examination. Not only measuring my abilities and skills but the weight I might carry into battle as well.
“You’re missing your weapons, too, but you had a lot more than when I saw you the other night, judging by your sheaths. Where were you when you got . . . transported?”
“Uh,” I said and then swallowed. The truth? How could I say it without revealing too much? “Zafi.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, don’t tell me. Let’s see what we find out when we get up to the castle. I may have saved your life the other day, but thus far, you haven’t shown me that my decision was a good one.”
“What?” I said, throwing my hands up into the air as guilt washed over me. “What have I done that makes you think saving me wasn’t the best decision you’ve ever made?”
She raised her eyebrows, her green eyes lit from within as a ghost of a smile crossed her lips. “One,” she said, flicking up a finger. “You’re not being honest. Two,”—she put up another finger—“you came back to Datti last night. And,”—another finger—“I saw you in the alley—when Heval was there. Need I go on?” She shook her head. “You’re lucky he’s an idiot, or you’d be dead.”
“He is an idiot,” I grumbled. “And that was only two reasons—you can’t count the same thing twice.”
Ariya continued to stare and then said, “I’m starting to think you’re an idiot, too.” She jerked her head toward the castle. “Come on. Let’s go figure out how to get back to Zafi.”
Only now, I wasn’t in such a hurry. In fact, I needed to figure out how to keep Ariya away from Datti . . . or she’d be killed. I walked up the hill next to her, cracking my knuckles as I tried to formulate small talk. Not really my specialty. “What’s life like in Datti?”
She stopped walking and licked her lips, the muscles around her neck tightening. Turning toward me, her eyes narrowed and wary. “Really? Haven’t you been scouting it out the last couple of days? Or were you there visiting your lover?”
“What? I— N-no,” I stammered, blushing when I thought of her kiss. “I meant for you—not the general population.” Her actions and words not only reinforced her distrust, but vacillated from teasing banter to borderline hostile. Did she really think I owed her my life? I could’ve destroyed Heval, or even a dozen of his pathetic kind, so I didn’t really owe her. But then what was this freezing tightness in my chest? “Yes, I was scouting through your city. No, I wasn’t visiting my lover. And I was hungry, so thanks for your bread and cheese. You seem to live with an abundance in Datti.”
Ariya shook her head and started toward the castle again. “Then looks are deceiving.”
“Are you denying it?” Maybe she wasn’t trustworthy.
We got to the top of the hill where a large stone wall surrounded the castle’s courtyard. A stone archway was the only entrance, and Ariya marched through on the path as if there was nothing to fear. She stopped and looked up at something I couldn’t see from this side of the wall.
I jogged up to her, irritated with her non-answer, and snapped, “Do you have a problem with honesty?”
Whoa. I skidded to a halt and stared up at the twinkling purple lights? What world was this that had purple stars?
She spun and smacked my arm. Hard. “No. I do not. You’re being insufferable, and that’s the honest truth.”
I heard a deep throaty laugh, and my attention went from Ariya’s wide green eyes to the surrounding area, scouting for the threat. O
nly there was nothing there. Or rather, nothing alive. We were at the entrance to the castle; two steps led to a terrace and—on the opposite side from where we stood—an arched entrance flanked by two massive stone creatures, the likes I’d never seen before. A faint bluish light flickered from inside the archway, but it was otherwise empty.
I turned to Ariya, but before I could ask, she did.
“Who laughed?” Her attention skipped past me and into the darkened grounds.
“Bronx, stop scaring the guests.”
The man had a strange accent, and his diction was nothing like I’d ever heard before. He must have been standing just inside the doorway because there was no one else outside besides Ariya and me.
I inched forward and then froze, dumbfounded as the large statues—a mixture of winged rodent and lizard—transformed from stone to man. The two imposing figures were almost identical, their skin the color of rich umber, and both hair and eyes the color of ink. Both of the men were cleanly shaved, except for a neatly trimmed circle from their upper lips around their mouths and covering their chins. One wore a shiny red coat, and the other wore a black coat.
Red Coat grinned, and his already fierce appearance became feral. “Welcome to the party, Vipers.”
Chapter Six
Ariya stiffened, all except for her red hair billowing in the wind. With her fists clenched, she snapped, “Don’t call me that.”
Black Coat grunted. Pointing at me, he said, “You call him Viper.”
“It’s not the same thing.” She shook her head as if trying to clear it.
Not that I could blame her. My mind reeled with the bizarre turn of events. It was clear the men had no intention of hurting us. Their lax stance and open expressions held none of the warning triggers of attack, but the strangeness of this place set off all my internal alarms.
“If you say so,” Red Coat said and then chuckled. “Seems like a double standard, if you ask me though.”
“Right?” Black Coat asked, turning his attention on me. “How you holdin’ up?”
His question made no sense, and I shrugged at the odd vernacular, unsure how to answer. “Where are we?” I held up my silver parchment and added, “Is this the Monster Celebration?”
“The Monster Ball,” Red Coat replied. He extended his hand to Ariya and asked, “Do you have your invitation?”
She narrowed her eyes, her hands drifting toward her empty sheaths. “What if I don’t? Will you send me back to Zafi?”
Red Coat looked at Black Coat, and they both laughed.
“Do you have pockets hidden in that little number?” Black Coat asked, pointing at Ariya. “Because you couldn’t have gotten here without the invitation, and I need to see it before I let you in little Viper.”
“And if I don’t?” Ariya asked, her hands balled tight.
What the freezing pits? What was running through her head? I reached forward and yanked the piece of parchment from the pouch at her belt. “It’s right here,” I said, giving her a pointed look. “Ariya is feeling a bit chilly after her unexpected journey.”
Even an idiot like me could tell these guys weren’t the coordinators. I handed both of our invitations to Red Coat, and he handed them back without even glancing at them.
“Where exactly are we?” I asked and then hurried to add, “I mean what world is this? And what language . . .” I wasn’t even sure how to ask the question, since I could understand their words, even if the meaning wasn’t always clear. “I apologize if I’m being rude; I’m freezing confused.”
Red Coat chuckled. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, the magic of The Monster Ball will make it so everyone here can understand each other. And when the night is over, the hostess will send you back.”
Ariya stepped forward and asked, “What if I want to go back now?”
“Not happening.” He continued to stare at Ariya as he said, “And here’s a tip, not everyone in there”—he jerked his head at the doorway, and his coils of hair swung with the movement—“is as sweet as me and Lex, Viper. You might want to get your manners out, or someone might pull them out of your cute little ass.” His attention shifted to me, and he said, “The vampires are usually the ones to pick fights with shifters.”
I grimaced. “Vampires?”
“Blood suckers,” Black Coat said. “Wicked tempers and a bit unforgiving.”
Ariya sucked in a breath, but before she could say something else to add to her trouble, I grabbed her arm and yanked her through the doorway, calling, “Thank you,” to the men as we passed.
The blue light grew dim the farther into the passageway we walked.
After a dozen steps, Ariya yanked her arm away. After a few more steps, she snapped, “Don’t you ever do that again.”
Just like with the monster-men who’d stood guard, I had no idea what she meant, but this time I merely kept my hands to myself and said, “Of course.”
A few more steps, and the light faded to the darkest night, and I pushed my Maciji vision forward. A faint thumping reverberated from farther down the hallway, and I could smell the sweat of hundreds of people.
“I don’t think I want to go in there,” Ariya said, her voice just above a whisper. “This place is all wrong.”
I could smell her trepidation, sharp and spicy, stronger than anything else because of her proximity, and my own uncertainty was almost as great. “I’ll be right beside you . . . if you want.”
Her anxiety dropped but only a little.
“I would say thanks,” she said. “But I’m still not sure I can trust you.”
She was not an easy person to get close to. “You’re welcome,” I replied and then shook my head and added, “And for the record . . .” This was not the direction I wanted to take with her. I pulled to a stop and faced her. “Listen, I’m not going to fight you. And even if you consider me an enemy, right now, here, we’re on the same side, all right?”
Her shoulders dropped. “Okay. Sorry, I’m a bit on edge. I just . . . I had a feeling we were going to be . . . Never mind.” She took a deep breath and then said, “I’m going to do what I can to get back to Datti tonight. Nothing against you, Jäg, I just need to get home—to my family.”
I blinked, unable to say anything without making her even more frantic. “Let’s see what we can do.”
We continued in the darkness, and the thumping became the deep call of music, reeling us closer. The rich beat entwined with other instruments, creating a melody unlike anything I’d ever heard and then a silky voice pierced through the harmony, taking the composition from alluring to sensual. Faint blue lights danced in the darkness ahead of us, beckoning to come closer, like a flame promising warmth. My gaze dipped to Ariya, and I swallowed as the attraction I’d felt when I first saw her flared anew.
The hallway ended, and I followed Ariya into an enormous room, stopping just inside the doorway as I tried to absorb the extravagance before me. Dark stone walls, sumptuous couches in leather, and dim lights glowed from within twisted iron sculptures hanging from the ceiling. I squinted at the lights and noticed tiny glowing creatures dancing through the fixtures, adding a myriad of colors. On either side of the doorway, long bars were lit in purple hues, bottles and decanters lining the wall.
The blue-haired beauty crooning an arousing tune was practically nude, and the men accompanying her weren’t Saki, Bidi, or Maciji. I looked up, away from the swaying singer, and noticed the corners of the room were draped in a rich black cloth, and nestled within was a circular platform near the ceiling. Suddenly, a woman leaned out through draped fabric, glancing over the edge, her lips pushed out in a pout. A moment later she disappeared.
“Did you see that?” I asked Ariya, turning to see if she was as shocked, and bumped into someone. “Excuse me.”
A man turned, his blue eyes flashing red for a moment before he forced a smile. “No worries . . . dog.”
He waited, as if to see if I would take his bait, but I merely shook my head. His attention
shifted, and I rolled my eyes at his pathetic insult. I didn’t need a fight to prove my worth to anyone—only cowards acted thus. My sigh of relief caught when I noticed Ariya wasn’t next to me anymore. Rashi. “Ariya?”
The musky scent of lust and pheromones hung heavy in the air, and I rose up on my tiptoes as I scanned the crowd of writhing bodies swaying to the music. I looked left, but couldn’t spot her red hair. My gaze stuttered over the raised dais a brief moment because the man playing the set of drums had hair almost the same color as Ariya’s, but their differences were obvious. I turned right and darted toward the bar where she was talking to a sharp featured man with icy blond hair. He smiled at her, a look that took in far more information than a naïve young woman would suspect, and the longer I was with Ariya, the more I believed she was far more innocent than she initially seemed.
I sidled up to her, slipping my arm around her waist just in time to hear her question.
“How can I get back to Datti?”
The man stopped shaking the silver container in his hands and frowned. “Why would you be looking to leave already? You just walked through those doors, luv.” He glanced up at me, taking in my proximity and contact, and added, “Did the two of you have a lover’s quarrel?”
“No,” we both said in unison.
With a grimace, Ariya pried my hand from her waist and nudged her elbow into my side. “I barely even know Jäg. And we most definitely aren’t lovers.”
A slow smile pulled at the corners of the man’s lips, and I noticed his ears were pointy.
“Well, the night is young,” he replied with a wink. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I don’t want a drink,” Ariya said. “I just want answers on how to get out of here. I don’t want to be at”—she waved her hand back toward the room behind here—“whatever this is. I want to go home.”
His silver eyes darkened. “Sorry, miss. I can’t help you with that. I’m pretty sure no one has ever been returned home before The Monster Ball is over.” He tapped on the bar and held his hand out to another man yelling his drink order. “Only one way in and one way back. You can leave here if you want, but you’ll be stuck at the bottom of the hill until the evening is over. The host doesn’t allow guests to just leave.”
The Monster Ball: A Paranormal Romance Anthology Page 34