Dancing With Monsters (19 page)

“
Fireworks?” Nessa
questioned. “You’ve been here before?”

Malachi and I exchanged
glances.

“
It was a long time ago
before we met you,” Malachi said quickly.

“
I’ve known you since I
was four.” She crossed her arms. “You’re both not much older than
me, and I remember you having fireworks and setting them off just a
couple of years ago.” Nessa switched her eyes to me. “You said your
Uncle Hes gave them to you.”

“
Make way!” A voice yelled
over the crowd as a small, horse-drawn buggy tried to make its way
through the thick crowd.

“
Come on, Center Street,”
Malachi said pulling April’s hand, and was quickly swallowed into
the crowd.

The mass of market goers slowly
dispersed, as the buggy inched its way through the crowd behind us.
Grumbles and profanities erupted from the crowd towards the
advancing buggy. A few people pounded on the outside of it as the
driver equally exchanged vulgarities with the crowd.

Something didn’t seem right about that
buggy. Sure, there are lots of people that come to the market to
buy things or services that are illegal in their realms, but to
make a scene in such a way isn’t normal. Most who come here don’t
want anyone to know they have been to the night market in
Nethopania.

“
Come on, Seth.” Nessa
tugged on my hand. “Malachi is probably already over there, let’s
go.”

I held Nessa close to me as we turned
the corner to a darker side of the night market.

8

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.”