Chapter Eight
April
It was hard to concentrate on remembering what the place I went to as a child. I was mesmerized by everything here. The music, laughter, and even though it had a dangerous edge to it, I still found it exciting. In fact, its dangerous edge is what made it intriguing.
"So there's no cops that come here, no laws that control what goes on here?" I asked Malachi as we walked down the darkened street that had fewer people on it than the one we were just at.
"No, it takes care of itself. So there are no laws but the laws that the market makes up for itself," he said, looking down at me with his icy blue eyes. "Anything look familiar? We're kind of on a schedule here." He looked over his shoulder and back towards where we had come. "Seth and Nessa should have caught up by now." He gazed back with concern.
"It was a tent that we went into. I can remember that clearly because I thought it was beautiful." I looked around at the wood and stone buildings with trash strewn and cluttered to the fronts of the buildings.
Some of the buildings looked vacant, while others were busy and brightly lit with people, some wearing hooded coats that covered their faces, and others that dressed elaborately in silky, flowing clothes. Also, there were a range of different looking people-or I guess people. Dark skinned, light skinned, tattooed, long hair, no hair?it was a cornucopia of different nationalities all bartering, trading, purchasing or selling things illegally or legally.
"It also smelled of roses," I said, still taking in the night market scene.
"Roses?" Malachi questioned.
"Yeah, it smelled sweet," I said taking a whiff of the air. "Not like how it does now."
"Your mother could have put an enchantment on you. This place isn't exactly an amusement park for kiddies." Malachi tucked his hand around my elbow and looped his arm through mine. "Something's happened to Seth and Nessa." He tugged on my arm. "Come on, they might be in trouble or Nessa found something to look at-I hope it was the later of the two."
We went back the way we'd come, and weaved through the thickening crowd. The only source of light was what hung on the buildings or poured through the windows of the buildings. The ground was littered with bits of paper, and in some places slimy making it hard to keep up with Malachi.
"Do you think they maybe went the opposite direction and are on Center Street?" I asked. "Maybe we should go back?"
"No, I don't think they're there. Even though it's crowded at this end, it would take longer to go around the block the other way." Malachi looked grim. "Something's happened." He craned his head scanning the crowd as someone suddenly bumped into my shoulder.
I turned to see a woman wearing a burgundy cape with a hood so large, it covered her face. She stopped and placed her hand on my shoulder. I stood frozen in that brief moment as her face was illuminated by a ball of light she held in her hand. She gazed at me with her blue-silver eyes, and smiled at me with pointed teeth.
"Excuse me, April Snow," she said, and curled her way through the crowd.
"Malachi, she knew my name," I said, and pulled him in the direction she went.
"Who?" Malachi asked nearly tripping. "April, we have to find Seth and Nessa." He tried to stop me, but I let go of his arm and followed the woman that moved like liquid through the crowd.
She twisted and turned and I nearly lost her a few times. Her cape stood out like a bright flag among the dark-clothed people. Malachi caught up with me demanding that I stop, but I couldn't.
I reached for his hand, and latched onto it. "Malachi, she knew my name-it's her-the gypsy woman."
We popped out of the mass of people and to a field of grass that swayed in the wind. The moon hung like a pendant overhead as fluffy clouds lazily drifted by. The air was cool and sweet-like roses. A small tent etched in flickering gold threads, sat before us with a thin crack of light lining the opening.
Malachi and I stood there gazing at it as the crowd of the night market faded to the night sounds of the wilderness. Suddenly, a blast of light flooded the ground in front of us. Malachi pushed me behind him, and pulled out a dagger.
"Are you coming in or what? I've haven't got all damn night," said the woman with the burgundy cape, now off and revealing her black hair that curled around her shoulders like thick vines. "I've traveled far, so please, come in." She held open the flap for us and motioned with her hand to enter.
"Who are you?" Malachi demanded. "And where are we?" He pointed the dagger towards her.
She cocked her head to the side and smiled with her sharp teeth. "I hate knives and weapons." She flicked her hand and suddenly the dagger flew from Malachi's hand towards the woman. She casually picked up a narrow board and held it in front of her face just as the blade embedded into it. "You can have it when you leave, my young monster. And if it makes you feel any better, I go by many names, but you can call me Meena."
We stood looking at her as she gazed back at us. "If you want this back, little monster," she said holding up the board with Malachi's dagger sticking from it, "then you better come in and listen to what I have to say." She pulled open the flap and motioned for us to go in.
Malachi leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Is this her? Because I do have another dagger," he patted the outside of his jacket.
"She knew my name, it's her." I stepped forward and towards the tent.
Inside was brightly lit with rows of glowing balls that encircled the edge of the tent floor. The dark walls had gold and silver threads looping through one another without pattern as if they were sewn randomly. A silver, circular rug sat in the middle of the floor, and Meena motioned for us to sit.
"I've got other appointments to keep, so please sit," she said, taking a spot on the rug.
Malachi and I sat down with our backs towards the opening. This seemed to bother Malachi as he glanced over his shoulder and sat sideways on the rug.
"Don't worry, Malachi, no one is going to sneak up behind you. My tent is protected, and I only allow who I want in here. Besides, you have another dagger in your left pocket-Seth gave it to you for your birthday last year." She smiled at Malachi with a twinkle in her eyes.
His mouth trembled slightly as he looked surprised. "How did you know that?" Malachi asked with a hinder mistrust.
"Well, first of all, I can hear the slightest whisper in the air, and," she sat the glowing ball of light she held in her hand on the rug between us. "I have to confess, Seth bought that dagger here at the market at one of my shops here in Nethopania. I can always sense them, and they are a very good blade. But I'm not here interrupting my schedule to talk about daggers." She shifted her eyes to me. "April needs the final touches on her hexmark if you are going to even attempt to win any battles with demons, angels, or any other creature."
"Did you put it there? I remember coming with my mother and?"
Meena waved her hand and smiled, revealing her pointed teeth. Her appearance should have been frightening to me, but it wasn't.
"Please listen to me, both of you," she said, extending her gentle gaze to Malachi. "Demons, the bad ones, are gaining strength in their army. They no longer need the shadows to survive. The serum was a failure when consumed by humans, but it isn't when consumed by demons. It took them some time to figure it out because they don't need to consume anything to exist. The only problem they have is that there isn't enough to go around."
"How do you know this? You're just a gypsy." Malachi questioned with a slightly amused, but insulted laugh from Meena.
"You young monsters think you know everything, especially given a task by a monster that is practically a celebrity. Did you ever think Hesediel sent you because he didn't want to risk anyone of importance to him?" She unrolled a small, velvet pouch in front of her. "No, I didn't think you did by the look on your face."
"You don't know our mission, and what's involved." Malachi gazed steadily at Meena.
"I know lots
of thing, lots of people, monsters, angels, and a few demons. The one in the stone that Seth carries around wants out, and is calling for her clan as we speak."
Malachi stood up as if he had just remembered something important. "Seth and Nessa!" He went over to the door and tore open the flap.
A gust of wind and a blast of light poured in knocking Malachi backwards to the ground.
Meena got up and tied the flap shut.
"That isn't the night market out there. Where are we?" Malachi demanded getting up.
"Time is of the essence for me, so I'll be blunt. We are in a pocket inside a portal that I use, or actually, in fact own. I travel all the time, so I needed something to make my days or nights go by a lot faster. Don't worry, little monster, I'll have you back in time to find the rest of your party, but first," she extended her open hand towards me, "I need to finish something I've been working on for some time."
Gazing into Meena's eyes, I extended my arm. With a flick of her fingers, a thin, silver wand, almost like a needle, came out between her thumb and index finger. She ran her hand over my mark and stared at it for a few seconds before deciding where to start.
"You have done two Takings. That's good, but the second, a girl monster, clings to you, but is no threat. You have more strength in you this time, and I won't have to add much."
Meena gently glided her needle-wand across my skin. I prepared myself for the sting and burn that I remembered as a little girl, but it didn't hurt. Instead, I felt something stir inside me, a strength that was being filled and something finally being connected. Just like links in a chain that join together to make a full circle.
"There," Meena said, with a flick of her fingers retracted the wand. "My masterpiece is done." I leaned back as I gazed at the delicate lines that swirled nearly reaching the inside of my elbow and wrist. "Though it was always there, so I can't stake claims totally on it, but I've added to it, and it is one of my best."
"You mean I was born with a hexmark?" I asked as Meena's eyes slid from my hexmark to my eyes.
She smiled. "You had an insufficient one that your mother knew it was and brought you to the best to make it not only whole, but beautiful as well."
"You knew my mother?" I asked.
She studied me for a moment before answering. "No, not really," she said. "I've heard of her kind, but I didn't know her personally. April," she breathed my name. "If it is family history you are searching, you've come to the wrong place. I've none to offer. That is something you must do by yourself."
"What do you know of the serum?" Malachi asked cutting off my next question. "Who are the demons that have consumed it? Where are they?"
Meena shook her head. "My, my, my, you have a lot of questions, but unfortunately, I can't answer them for you. I've given you all the information that I know, and I believe it's more than you had when you came to me." She stood up and gazed down at us with her hands on her hips. "I've got other engagements that I need to attend to. But I'm not going to leave you stranded." With a wave of her hands, the flaps to the tent opened and pulled back with a tight snap. "I'm leaving you on Textile Street at the night market in Nethopania. There you'll find at the end of that street, the answer to both of your questions, and your missing companions who I think are in a better predicament than you both are."
"Why not just tell us now?" Malachi stood up and demanded. "You know more than you let on and many things hang in the balance that can affect you as well."
Meena laughed with amusement. "Oh, little monster, things have "affected" this world and "hung in the balance" since the beginning of time. It's up to you to keep winning."
"I know nothing of my mother; could you please tell me anything about her?" I pushed Malachi out of the way, and begged without so much as a twitch of concern or understanding. Meena ignored me.
She raised her hands as her black hair curled around her face and shoulders like snakes. "Now go little ones, and seek the answers you need to find!"
White light and flecks of gold glitter exploded behind Meena, as Malachi and I were jolted off of our feet and through the now large tent opening. I expected to hit the ground with a thud, but we didn't. I felt Malachi slip his hand in mine as my eyes focused on our surroundings. Just like Meena had promised, we were back at the night market, and it was still busy. Except this street wasn't garbage-lined or filled with questionable looking people. This looked like a market.
Bright panels of material were draped over poles, strands of lights crisscrossed the walkway overhead, and venders displayed dresses, shirts, scarves, and bolts of material of every color and texture imaginable.
"What's at the end of Textile Street?" I asked standing next to Malachi as he examined his pockets.
"I've never been down it-never had the need to." He pulled out his dagger he had thrown towards Meena. "Well, at least she gave me back my dagger as promised."
"We should hurry," I said, pulling on Malachi's sleeve.
"Wait," he said, grasping onto my hand. "It could be a trap, and we don't want to walk into one of those. Meena might have given us information and," he flipped my arm over exposing my hexmark, "she added to your mark, but we can't just trot down the street blindly expecting nothing to happen." He smiled at me with a raise of his eyebrows. "You're a greeny, spell-struck, and too trusting. What if Meena is using us to pay off a debt to someone or is working for demons? But, I guess I can't expect you to know of such things. You are just a mindless girl monster, and one who doesn't pay attention to her surroundings. You-"
That did it. I slapped him across the face in one quick motion that got the attention of few peddlers. I've never done that to anyone, much less a boy I barely knew. My expression said otherwise as I squared my shoulders and glared at Malachi who put his hand to his reddening cheek with a look of shock.
"I've spend years in institutions and foster homes." I stated. "I think I know a few things about paying attention to my surroundings, and if we are going to stand here and talk about it, we are only going to draw attention to us. We might as well shout out our names and let them know we are here. What we need to do is blend in."
Malachi slowly released his hand and glanced around as the on-looking peddlers went back to their business-the show was over.
"Fine," Malachi hissed grabbing hold of my wrist as he glared at me with his blue eyes now darkened. "Textile Street is a long winding one filled with clothes-try not to get distracted, and keep up," he said with a tug.
I knew I shouldn't have slapped Malachi, but he struck a nerve with me. I didn't have a childhood-I survived a childhood and think I know a few things. I didn't tell him, but I knew we could trust Meena. I don't know why I did, and Malachi was right about going into things blindly, but my insides, I felt, had always guided me and they told me to trust Meena. This, of course, I couldn't expect Malachi to understand. Now I felt bad for slapping him.
Malachi and I wound our way through the maze of people. I found this area intriguing and wished I could explore it under different circumstances. Peddlers walked through the crowd, some selling gold jewelry, and other with silk scarves looped over their arms waving them like flags as they cried out in a language I didn't understand. Malachi pressed forward and pushed most of the peddlers out of the way as I tagged behind him like a dog on a leash.
The pathway suddenly narrowed, and overhead was a canopy of leaves. Grapevine-like limbs that looked like they sprouted out of the windows from the buildings that lined this part of the street, reached upward supporting the airy leaves overhead. Incense filled the air along with festive music that came out of several of the buildings.
"We're just about there," Malachi said, just as something dark covered and wrapped around us like a big, silky blanket.
Malachi let go of my hand, and then I heard the sound of violent ripping. Several hands pressed against us and the sound of laughing surrounded us. Malachi twisted and turned
, and I nearly fell to the ground when he finally sliced through the material. We were encircled by a few of the peddlers wearing dark clothing and smiled back at us talking among themselves in their language. None of them seemed to be threatening and showed no weapon as Malachi twirled around pointing his dagger towards them. They laughed even harder with amusement.
"What do they want with us?"
"Let's not stay to find out," he said, charging at them "Move!" Malachi yelled, grabbed my wrist tightly, and extended his dagger as he did.
They parted with hands in the air and more laughter as if we were no threat and they were just trying to capture us for amusement.
"How fast can you run?" I asked as I glanced back at the men who didn't come after us, but stood and watched.
"What do you mean? I thought I was moving fast under these conditions." Malachi suddenly stopped and I nearly ran into him as Ayil, a man dressed in dark clothing and a cape stood beside a younger boy dressed the same way.
They both had wavy white-blonde hair with flecks of silver in it and stood on either side of Ayil.
"I thought you sealed the portal," Malachi said to me as he held out his dagger towards them.
"She did, but it wasn't very strong, and we easily passed through it," the man said.
"Please, April and Malachi, we aren't going to hurt you. It's really important that you listen to us."
They were blocking our passage, and Malachi started to back up towards the amused group of locals behind us.
"This is Isaiah and Edan Tollwick," Ayil said, motioning towards them. "They are the angels I was talking about, and they are here to help us."
"This is a dangerous place and you," Isaiah fixed his dark, green eyes on me. "You have a lot of strength in you, and just had your hexmark added onto." He raised his eyebrows. "I can smell it and so can others that are not trying to help you."
"You want to help us, but what does that mean? You angels are the all the same-out for yourselves." Malachi tightly grabbed a hold of my wrist. "When I say run, run," he muttered at me.
Edan chuckled. "We heard you, monster." His bright, green eyes flickered with agitation. "We are angels and have exceptional hearing, so, be wise little monsters, and come with us. You are wasting our time, and I've a meeting to attend that's much more important than your lives."
Isaiah let out a sigh, and glared down at him. "They are important if not more important than what you have going on right now."
Edan crossed his arms and set his eyes on us with a discerning look.
"April and Malachi, I mean no harm and many, many things are at stake now." Ayil held her eyes on Malachi as her voice pleaded with reason. "There are bad angels, Malachi, but they are not." She motioned to the Isaiah and Edan. "I've known them for years and trust them. We are in a dangerous place that makes your safety vulnerable. We need to find Seth and Nessa and get all of you back to my home."
"Why didn't you tell us about this earlier-you've been nothing but secretive." Malachi kept stepping backwards as Ayil, Isaiah, and the impatient Edan stood where they were.
"Time's wasting!" Edan finally stepped towards us. "Go with us or die here!" His eyes were filled with green flames as he pulled a silver dagger from inside his cloak pocket.
"Run!" I yelled pulling Malachi with me.
I wasn't sure if he could run as fast as me so I gave him some of my strength. I let it pass from deep inside of me, through my arm and out my fingertips to Malachi's hand that I held tightly. I've never done or thought I could-it just came to me in a voice instructing me-Ezra's voice.
I picked up speed as Malachi ran beside me towards the now shocked, local mob that tried to capture us earlier.
"Take the wall-there isn't enough room!" I yelled to Malachi as I jumped towards the wall.
We parted like two speeding airplanes, and I watched Malachi glide across the brick wall as if he was on even ground. His eyes were wide, and filled with fear and disbelief. Even in our dire circumstances, I couldn't help but to smile at his reaction.
I too, easily glided on the wall and to the open walkway, but there was also someone who was equally as agile as we were. Edan followed behind like an angry dog with his eyes bearing down on us.
Malachi and I joined hands. "I've never done this before," Malachi said as we cut through the crowd.
"We've got company," I nodded behind us. "We can't outrun him all night."
Malachi's face paled, and then glanced at me with a smile. "There's a place we can go, come on!"
"Where?"
"A portal," he said, with glee as if he suddenly remembered.
"You said you've never been here before."
"Yeah, but Ezra has-come on!"
We took a hard turn to the right, and I nearly tripped on my own feet at the sudden change in direction. The walkway had less people, but many panels of colorful material that hung on sections of rope that looped from building to building. The long panels filled the walkway, nearly reaching the tops of the buildings to barely touching the ground. It was like we had entered a forest.
Malachi ran as if he had done it before many times, and pushed the panels out of our way followed by voices that protested us being here in a harsh, foreign language. He held onto my hand tightly as the sheets slapped against us splattering watery dye on our clothing and skin. I heard Malachi laugh and yelp as we darted through the wet sheets like we were traveling through a rainbow maze.
My outstretched arm barely held onto Malachi's dye saturated hand. All I could see were bits and pieces of Malachi as he twisted and turned through the material that slapped in my face. The air was filled with chemicals that now started to burn my eyes along with the colorful water that mixed into a muddy brown and dripped from our locked hands. I had hoped we had lost Eden, but we didn't. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught glimpses of him and his eyes that were fixated with determination on us. We were losing ground, Eden was gaining on us, and if we didn't find an escape soon, he'd be practically on top of us.
"Malachi!" I yelled as we picked up speed. "My hand-it's slipping!" I dug my fingers into his palm.
"Just about-"
Panels of the bright material twisted around us like rope. We lurched forward in a fall. Malachi wrapped his arms around me as we were cocooned in the colorful panels and a blast of golden glitter. I heard nothing but only my heart beating practically out of my chest. It felt like we were floating through water, but I could breathe, and wasn't wet as the panels entangled through our legs. The bright material floated around us as if being carried by water. We had to have fallen into a well or pool somehow, and didn't realize it. Whatever I was breathing in was cool, and the stench of chemicals was gone. Suddenly, my chest began to hurt-it had to be water. I began to kick my legs as Malachi tightened his arms around me.
"It's ok," I heard his voice in my head.
"We fell in water! We're drowning!" I screamed.
"No, you're not," Malachi's voice easily overrode my panic, and I gave him a perplexed look.
"It's a portal, and there you'll find my love," a voice said that sounded like Malachi's, but I knew wasn't his words.
I felt a sudden calmness, and let the beautiful panels float around us as my eyes met Malachi's bright blue ones that nearly matched the sea of material we floated in. I placed my hands gently on his cheeks. I could still see a faint red spot where I had slapped him earlier. He pulled closer to me as our lips barely touched.
Our entwined bodies twisted and turned through the sea of glitter and material until I heard an explosion and felt the hard ground underneath us.
Malachi was on top of me, and gazed into my eyes. He studied me for a moment as if summing everything up, and then slightly smiled.
"You have beautiful eyes, too," he said suddenly.
"What?" I breathed.
"Ahem," said a voice that sounded like Nessa. "Nice portal entrance."
Malachi and
I both turned our heads towards her as Seth bent down with a smirk on his face. "It's about time you got here. Welcome to Shangri-La."
Seth
Dancing With Monsters Page 9