Dancing With Monsters Page 8

  Chapter Seven

  April

  "Yolanda was to take Ben and me to sanctuary," I said looking at Ayil, but everyone had their eyes on me. "She is probably looking for us right now, and I know we can trust her."

  "How do you know we can trust her?" Seth asked with his golden eyes on me.

  I let out a sigh and let my eyes slip their gaze from him to the floor. I knew they thought I was weak and just used as a pawn, plaything, or victim, but I wasn't. I had been a part of their world since I was little, only now I know what the darkness was and how to fight it.

  "She doesn't know, she doesn't understand what's going on here, and we can't possible go by what she says." Malachi waved his hand at me as he looked at Seth, Ayil and Nessa.

  "I know more than you give me credit for." I lifted my eyes like two darts towards Malachi. He smiled at me.

  "No, spell-struck, you don't. Have you ever been to Iethia, battled demons-before the incident with Eveie-or even know the slightest thing about monsters other than your hexmark emits an enormous amount of light?"

  My gaze was steadily fixed on Malachi. "The darkness has followed me since I can remember. I have fought it off several times all by myself, and managed to keep it at bay for sixteen years. And," I stepped closer to Malachi tilting my head to the side, "I did without the knowledge of who I was and what I have."

  "Instincts darling," Malachi rebutted. "There is a little thing called instincts."

  I tightened my lips, clenched my fists, "Instincts?!"

  "I'm sure whatever you've encountered in the past is nothing compared to what happened at the Ivy Inn." Malachi raised his voice over mine. "Not to mention?"

  "Enough!" Ayil yelled with a slam of her fist on the table that caught everyone's attention. "April sit down, and Malachi, keep your mouth shut unless you are contributing important information. We have demons penetrating this world and inflicted humans as their army invades the Shadowlands." She looked at each of us as I sat between Nessa and Seth. "Many things rest on our shoulders until help arrives."

  "Help, what kind of help?" Seth asked with concern.

  "I've called for the assistance of the angels," Seth started to say something, but Ayil cut him off. "They are trusted ones that I've worked with many times, and we need them. Once the demons get the serum right, there will be no stopping them. For right now the serum isn't holding up. The humans are dying quicker than the demons are turning them."

  "How do you know that is what's happening?" Seth asked.

  "That is what my angel contacts are telling me. And April is right about her ring." Her dark eyes gazed at me. "Demons need the last ingredient to hold their poison serum together, and April to go along with it. With both they will truly be unstoppable."

  "But some angels hate monsters," Nessa said.

  "I've known them for years, and so has your Uncle Hes," Ayil glanced over at Seth. "I've informed them on everything that has happened and they will be assisting us."

  I looked down at my ring that was to be a tangible promise of a future with Ben. Even though I was now aware of the spell I was oblivious to before that was in the process of wearing off, I still felt something for Ben. He took me in and protected me and showed me who I was.

  "What's in the ring, and why do they need me along with it?" I kept my hands under the table safely on my lap and twirled the ring around my finger. I looked into Ayil's dark eyes as they casted over with something I had seen before. My mother gave me the same look when she was getting ready to tell me something that would comfort me so I'd be easier to deal with.

  "If we are right, it contains the magic of the angels, and you have a royal hexmark, April. That kind of mark doesn't appear very often and what my contacts have told me is that you come from the lost line of ruling monsters-kings, queens, princes, princesses, the list goes on and hasn't been seen for a long time." Ayil looked at me with a mix of hope and fear.

  "But a gypsy woman gave it to me. I wasn't born with it." I ran my fingers over it as I kept my eyes on Ayil.

  She shook her head. "No one can give you a hexmark. It was there, only hidden. The gypsy uncovered it for you."

  "Who could have covered it up in the first place?" Nessa asked looking at my mark with an arch of her eyebrow. Her neon green eyes flashed at me then at Ayil. "We are born with these marks, and are there, on every monster, by the hand of demons. They can't be disguised by any kind of magic."

  "Yes, they can, but it had to be someone of great power." Ayil stood up and looked at me with her dark eyes.

  "Eveie said that my father died before he could reveal himself to me, maybe it was him that hid it." I let my eyes travel from Ayil to Nessa and then Seth and Malachi.

  "Do you know how your father died, or was there ever any other family around that you knew?" Seth asked and I shook my head.

  "No, it was just my mom until I was four, and I barely remember her." I felt a bubble inside of me begin to rise of all the feeling I repressed throughout my childhood. I became good at controlling my emotions, and decided a long time ago that I lived to survive and one day, I'd be free. What that freedom was, I never knew.

  "You're trembling, April." Nessa placed her freckled hand over mine. "Are you ok?"

  I didn't realize I was shaking. "Yes, fine," I replied.

  I felt everyone's concerned eyes on me, but I didn't look at them, I couldn't.

  "Well, for now we need to stay put and blend in with the rest of this sleeper town. We don't need to bring attention to ourselves until the angels arrive."

  I lifted my eyes to Ayil. "When will that be?" I asked.

  "Very soon," she replied.

  "I don't care what Ayil says, marks can't be hidden like that and then uncovered one day," Nessa said as she sat on the sofa hugging a pillow. "But you said a gypsy woman uncovered it, or, did she put it there?" She asked with a raise of her eyebrows.

  "Ben said I was bit by a demon and the mark," I closed my eyes forcing myself to remember the day I went to the carnival. "It?"

  I let the walls I had built around my vivid memories open like a chasm. I had to remember them, no matter how much it hurt.

  "We went to a fair, but my mom called it a market. I remember arguing with her about it because it didn't look like a market to me with the bright lights, music, and booths set up, but at the same time, there was something strange about it." I still had my eyes closed and pushed myself to stay focused.

  "What was strange about it?" Nessa asked.

  "The smell?it smelled of sweet perfumes mixed with musky scents and something burning ." A sudden burst of smoke erupted in front of me and I let go of my mother's hand.

  "April, don't let go of my hand!" Her voice echoed in my head.

  Focus. I tried to stick with the memory that felt incredibly real now.

  We walked down a row of tents all with markings outside of them. They were all different colors and some had flags of bright ribbon staked outside the door. Everything here was colorful and festive with people dancing around to the constant sound of drums and flutes that filled the night air.

  I breathed in that air, and it was cool. Moisture from the dew on the grass soaked through my shoes, and made my feet wet. But it didn't bother me because I was fascinated with the wildly dressed people dancing and laughing all around us.

  "Are there any rides?" I asked my mom.

  "No April," she said in a dismissive voice. "We're here," she said with relief.

  The drape of the tent door flipped open and inside was a small, round table covered with a burgundy colored cloth. Colorful tapestries covered the walls, and shiny beads looped all around the room. The beads glistened in the light, and I found my little self was mesmerized by them.

  What else was in the room?!

  "Who is with you, April?" It was Seth's voice asking.

  "My mom and?a woman?large woman with a dark veil?I'm scared?don't w
ant to get close to her!" I felt comforting arms wrap around me.

  The past and the present were colliding. I wanted to see where I was, ask questions, but the memory I was so vividly witnessing was just that-a memory.

  "What is the woman's name? What is she saying to you?" Malachi's voice broke through my vision.

  "My mom is paying her?I have to hold out my arm?and?NO!!!" I cried at the top of my lungs as my arm felt it was on fire.

  I screamed as my mom held onto my arm pressing it hard onto the table. The veiled woman had a long, slender pink tinged metal rod that she pressed onto my skin.

  "Don't cry little one," her voice was soft and soothing to my younger self's ears. "Meena is here to help you."

  My eyes popped open to see Malachi inches from my face. He was on top of me holding me down by my wrists and breathing hard as his eyes were filled with surprise.

  "No, I'm alright. It's just a small burn." I could hear Nessa's voice.

  "Her name was Meena," I said, gazing into Malachi's striking blue eyes. They reminded me of the blue goblets at my second foster home that we were never allowed to use. "Your eyes," I said softly. "They are beautiful."

  Malachi's lips curled into a big smile as his scared-surprised eyes turned conceited. He chuckled as he released my wrists and helped me to my feet. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, but that quickly faded when I saw Nessa holding her hand with blisters covering it. Seth was already applying what I guessed was serpents oil.

  "Nessa," I said with concern. "Did I?did I do that? I'm sorry." I felt horrible as Nessa hid her pain with a smile towards me.

  "It's fine. Just a small burn, and," she flinched as Seth applied more oil. "It will heal quickly."

  "Nessa will heal, but I don't think this gent will be so lucky." Malachi motioned with his head towards a statue of some headless Buddha looking wax sculpture that sat on a narrow table along the wall. "You decapitated him. Dislike river trolls?" he asked picking up the head that belonged to the sculpture off the floor.

  I looked between Seth, Nessa and Malachi. "What-what did I do?" I pressed my hands to my head trying to contain the range of emotions inside of me.

  "Come here and sit," Malachi said, guiding me to the sofa.

  Seth took a pale Nessa into the kitchen to bandage up her burn. I felt horrible, and more like a monster that humans depicted them to be-one to be feared for the terrible things they did. I had hurt Nessa, and possibly could have killed her, and by the scotch marks on the wall along with the ruined sculpture, I could have destroyed Ayil's home.

  I wanted to cry, but couldn't as so many emotions ran through me. A memory of my past had surfaced uncovering things long forgotten. The demon that had bit me so long ago has found me. I wanted to run until I found that sanctuary made by the angels, and be sheltered from my past that I wanted nothing to do with at the same time I did.

  Malachi sat beside me and didn't say a word. He just wrapped his arm around me and we sat there.

  I thought of everything that had happened, and gazed towards the wall with no memory of what I had done to it. The next thing I clearly remembered was staring into Malachi's gem-like eyes. A wave of embarrassment flashed over me.

  "I said you had amazing eyes," I said, still not thinking clearly.

  Malachi removed his arm from me and grinned. I sat horrified realizing I had said my thoughts out loud.

  "You actually said beautiful, but amazing is a nice complement as well, and I accept that complement." I knew a wave of dread washed over my face that Malachi could clearly see. "All the girls tell me that my eyes are amazing, so, you're not telling me anything I don't know, spell-struck,"

  Could this day get any worse?

  "You're eyes are lovely too," he said as I looked up at him.

  "They're brown," I said, thinking the color of them wasn't special.

  "Yes, but they have flecks of blue and green in them. Never seen eyes like yours before-they are unique and so are you."

  I stood up and went to the window. "When Ayil gets back she won't think my uniqueness is all that great." I turned and motioned towards the wall.

  Malachi glanced at it then back at me. "Yes, well, we monsters are used to things like this." He stood up and walked towards me.

  His eyes were something I could get lost in; kind of like gazing at a painting that had so much detail, you couldn't pull away until you've looked at everything the artist had painted into it.

  Malachi stood in front of me and took my hands in his. I let him as my fingers sat loosely in his palms. He smiled at me, not with his arrogant grin that I've noticed and thought nauseating. Instead, I saw something else that I didn't know what it was, and clearly had my interest. "You, April Snow," he said softly, "are not the monster you think you are."

  Seth

  "April said her mother called it a market they went to. Do you think it was the night market in Nethopania?" Nessa asked fighting off the drowsiness caused from the serpent's oil. "That place is kind of shady you know."

  "Possibly," I replied letting my thoughts drift to Ezra.

  I had just checked on her, and she was sleeping-in fact that's all she's been doing. I had to do something for her, and Ayil said that maybe the angels could help her, but even their powers aren't that strong.

  "Look, I know you are concerned about Ezra, too," Nessa said, gently grabbing me by my chin to meet her gaze, "but we need to do something, not sit here and wait for the stinking angels to arrive."

  "Yes, we should, but my Uncle Hes gave me Ayil's name and sent us to her as someone we could trust. And we will wait for the angels and Ayil to come back." I said, straightening myself. "And when they do get back, we will tell them about April's vision." Nessa crossed her arms and glared at me.

  "It's our mission and we won't know unless we investigate, because I don't trust angels unless I know them, and I don't know very many angels." Nessa's eyes were beginning to glaze over and her words slightly slur. "Dang this serpent's oil," she rubbed her eyes. "I need coffee."

  I smiled at her. "Your small stature is no challenge for the oil, you know that, and the perk coffee will give you is only temporary." Her head wobbled the more she tried to straighten it. "Nessa, you need to sleep for at least an hour."

  "I don't want to," she said in her stubborn voice. "I don't trust angels, and I'm not sure about Ayil." She whispered her name even though Ayil had left to see if the angels had arrived. "She didn't share very much information about these angels. What if they are bad ones?" Nessa's eyes widened, as her gestures were that of someone intoxicated. "I mean how do they know April is a princess and her ring has the power of the angels? Do you think maybe they wanted that power back?"

  Nessa was making some valid points through her sleepy stupor. I've allowed myself to become preoccupied with Ezra that I've pushed our mission behind her. There was lot that hung in the balance that we were responsible for. But I also knew Uncle Hes wouldn't send me to the enemy, unless, that relationship had changed. The race of angels and demons looked upon monsters the same way. They both used and hated us. If April's ring contained the lost power of the angels, and put into the wrong hands, the race of monsters could be destroyed. It's no secret that angels detest us even breathing air, and they wouldn't think twice about turning us to ash. The only problem was it would be too late if that was the intentions of Ayil's angel companions.

  I took in a deep breath and stood up. "You're right, Nessa, at least enough to cause speculation." I stepped behind her.

  "Of course I'm right," she said agreeably as I lifted her gently up.

  "We will go the night market, and we will leave as soon as we can."

  Each time Ezra opened her eyes, the less she could open them. She was fading, and she was fading fast. Her breaths were raspy and she coughed up blood when she talked. My heart ached the first time I lost her, and now, it ached even more. I felt it my fault she was like this
-if only she would have left the Shadowlands.

  "Something troubles you besides my passing," Ezra said, trying to retain a cough.

  I smiled. "Don't worry about what troubles me."

  She tightened the grip she had on my hand. "My time is fading." Her eyes opened a little wider. "The angels won't be able to help me, this I know. There is only one thing that can be done, and April can do it."

  I wanted to cry out demanding the fates to explain why they torture us. April could do a Taking, but then what would be the result of that?

  "You don't understand what I can do," Ezra pressed. "By April taking my life force, I will live in her. My strength will be hers and hers will be mine. She's incomplete, and there is a war coming that she won't be able to fight alone."

  I shook my head and took Ezra's hand. "At least give the angels a try, they might help you?help us," I said as she shook her head.

  "Seth, it will be too late. By the time Ayil Archer comes home, I will be lost beyond the Shawdowlands, and never see you again."

  Ayil had called and said she'd be back in two days. It was taking some time for the angels to get here, and she said that we should stay in the house within the protection of her spells. She reassured us that the spells were demon-proof, and nothing should happen. Something would happen-Ezra would die. I didn't say anything to Ayil about that because I had made a decision-now to get April to agree.

  "Ok, what's so important that we had to assemble in the kitchen?" Malachi asked sitting next to April and Nessa beside her.

  I let my eyes switch from Malachi to Nessa and then rested on April. "As you know we don't have much time with our mission or with Ezra. But I think for us to be successful, the two are linked."

  "Seth, what are you talking about?" Nessa asked. "We should be going to the night market in Nethopania, not talking about what's important, but doing what's important."

  "Nethopania?" April questioned as she looked from me to Nessa.

  "Like I said," I raised my voice cutting Nessa's explanation off. "The two are linked."

  I gazed into April's eyes. Her dark eyes were a multitude of colors, and Ezra was right, she was old and young at the same time. I could clearly see it as I focused on her.

  "Seth," Nessa's voice questioned with warning. "What are you doing?"

  "Doing what needs to be done."

  "You're compelling her, why?" Malachi asked defensively.

  I was and I wasn't. "I'm not totally compelling her."

  "What's compelling?" April asked glancing towards Malachi and proving him wrong.

  "Uh," he replied, and then looked at me dumbfounded for an answer.

  "April," I said her name and she looked back at me. "Compelling is sort of like controlling and getting into ones thoughts. I can do that, but I'm not doing that to you. I'm simply opening your thoughts and mind so I can ask you a question."

  "Ok Seth, you've?" Nessa started to say as I shushed her.

  "What question?" She asked.

  "I need you to do a Taking. I need?I mean, I'm asking you to take Ezra's life force."

  "What?!" Nessa yelled, but didn't even disturb the hold I had between April and me. "You can't ask that of her."

  "She's dying and she will be lost beyond the Shadowlands, unless I take her life force and we will be as one." April read my thoughts and my feelings as I relayed them to her. "You love her very much and the mission, it depends on it. I'm incomplete and to be that way, will be the death of me."

  "Stop it Seth!" Malachi jumped from his chair and shoved me to the floor. "You are risking her life to try to save Ezra's! Do you not think of anyone else?!" Malachi's blue eyes burst with flames as he pressed me to the floor.

  "You don't understand, Malachi." I didn't want to fight, but he left me no choice.

  I flipped him over in the matter of a heartbeat and he retaliated by quick punch to my mouth, and a slam back to the floor. I tasted blood, but the pain in my heart was deeper that any physical pain. I didn't punch him back; as I knew he had taken a liking to April and was just defending her.

  Malachi had anger that ran deep and had been bottled inside him for a long time. I could see this clearly now like a geyser breaking land's surface. He raised his fist, and readied it to slam it into my face. I had to get him under control.

  "Malachi, get off of Seth!" Nessa grabbed Malachi's clenched fist in her delicate hand. "Seth's right." She admitted. "Fighting your brother will get you nowhere."

  Malachi calmed at the sound of Nessa's voice. He got off of me and I stood up and was going to ask April one last time to do a Taking, but she wasn't in the kitchen. "Where did April go?" I asked rubbing my mouth knowing the answer to my own question.

  April

  Seth could compel, but I wasn't compelled, and did what I've only done once on my own free will. Seth had opened his thoughts to me, and I understood more than he could ever explain to me in words. I also believed in Ezra, she risked entering my dreams so she could talk to me, and comfort me. This was the least I could do.

  I walked up to Ezra, and her eyes opened upon my presence. She smiled and reached for my hand.

  "It's alright, little one," her voice was gentle as a white-golden fog curled around us.

  "You are brave and scared and old and young all at the same time. I will make you complete and give you the strength you will need one day." Ezra smiled at me as she spoke in my thoughts.

  I knew time wasn't on our side, and I had to act quickly. I wasn't scared of doing this Taking as I was with the one I did before to the man in the alley. I relieved him of pain and given him a quick death, but this one would be different, because this was a favor. And as Ezra explained to me, she wouldn't die, but become a part of me. I wasn't scared, but felt a piece of me was finally being made whole.

  I linked my fingers through hers, and stared into her eyes. Her strength was never-ending, but disease had taken over. Her time in the Shadowlands was over-I was her last hope.

  "You are an heir, April Snow to a great destiny, and Malachi will help you get there."

  I didn't speak or ask any questions as I felt her light and energy mix with mine. Even in her weakened state, she was stronger than me. Released from the sickness that took her body, her energy was freed and mixed with mine. Golden light flickered around us like stars and the white mist thickened until her pale skin, dark hair, and indigo eyes were all but lost to the shroud of mist.

  I tightened my fingers through hers, but they weren't there. I opened my eyes to see a pool of glitter where Ezra had been lying in bed. I could hardly breathe as I felt a hand gently touch me on the shoulder.

  "April?" Questioned Seth's voice.

  I turned around, let my eyes mingle with his, and then smiled. "Her strength is my strength," I said in my voice, but clearly heard Ezra's voice join mine.

  "We can't stay here," Nessa said, pacing the floor. "And now with April doing a Taking, we really can't stay here."

  "We need to go to Nethopania, and at least start at the night market there," Malachi said sitting next to me. I felt an unspoken bond had formed between us, and even though Ezra said he'd help lead me to my great destiny, I wasn't sure if I'd make it there without being embarrassed to death for the things I say aloud , or me killing him from his over-inflated ego he had for himself.

  "It will be a place to start." Seth put on his long, dark coat. "Let's go."

  Everything that happened had gone by in a blur, kind of like a car crash that kept replaying in my head: us leaving the safety of Ayil's home, doing my second Taking, and now going to Nethopania in Iethia to a night market. I still felt slightly numb as I walked towards the outskirts of town under the cover of darkness. I was going to another realm-a realm that monsters came from, but not the monsters humans had designed them to be, real ones that are like humans in many ways.

  Nessa walked beside me and Malachi with Seth. Through the darkness, Malach
i would glance back at me as would a parent watching their child. Ben looked at me the same protective way. I drew in a deep breath thinking of Ben. He had saved me from a demon, and no random one. Eveie was the demon that had bit me, and turned me into what I am, or was I this way before?

  "Are you cold?" Malachi asked me pulling me out of my pondering thoughts as we walked along the edge of the desolate road.

  "No, I'm fine," I replied.

  "Quick in the ditch-car coming," Seth said as distant piercing lights shone in front of us.

  Malachi grabbed me by the shoulders and guided me to the deep ditch. Nessa and I were sandwiched between Seth and Malachi as we peered towards the road through the tall blades of the dead grass.

  I heard the engine coming closer and lowered my head. The ditch was deep enough that no one would even know we were there. I waited with pounding heart for the car to zoom by, but it didn't. Instead, wheels screeched to a sudden stop right in front of our hiding spot.

  I looked at Malachi who kept his glowing eyes forward. We stayed quiet as two car doors opened and slammed shut.

  "We are just about there," said Ayil's voice. "And you have to stop again to take a piss." She seemed aggravated at whoever was with her.

  "I'm four-hundred and thirty-six years old-you'd have the same problem as well when you reach my age." A male voice replied with a slightly amused chuckle.

  "Yeah, well I have a demon contained in a stone, a monster with archangel abilities, and another monster with a royal hexmark, and a ring with the last remaining power of the first angels around her finger."

  I looked at Malachi who kept his gaze forward then at Nessa who did the same.

  "Look, I'll be quick, my lovely, or I'll be having an accident in your car." He stepped closer towards us. "Besides, they are safe and secure in your little home. Just like a present for us angels-and we don't get many presents." He chuckled.

  I tried to see what he looked like, but it was too dark. All I could hear was his footsteps and the sound of him unzipping his pants along with the splatter of urine hitting gravel. I wanted to run, and felt the urge to do so. I slowly slid down deeper into the ditch as Malachi flashed his eyes at me and grabbed my hand.

  "Don't move, even if he pisses all over you," he moved beside me and whispered in my ear.

  "This area is very nice," he said as I heard him zipped his trousers back up, "quiet, but nice. Kind of reminds me of the rural setting of the vineyards of Shangri-La."

  "Thank you, but we need to be moving," Ayil prompted.

  "Yes, of course," he replied.

  "Father, are you coming? I have council to attend to in a few hours," said a younger male voice.

  "Yes, yes, I know," the car door opened, "just to deal with a few monsters and we'll be on our way."

  I held my breath until the sound of the engine faded.

  "I told you, Seth," Nessa said with more fear than resentment. "They'll be after us."

  Seth glanced down the road and then turned to us. "All the more reason to hurry."

  Seth

  With a few drops of my blood on the portal threshold, we were in Iethia. It was dawn here, and I knew we had to move quickly. The portal had taken us back to the same place when we left, except this time, the portal wasn't in ruins, but in near perfect condition.

  "The angels that were with Ayil must have used it." Malachi gazed up at the intricate structure that glowed in white light and its silver-lined stones that were carved with foreign inscriptions.

  "It's being monitored," Nessa stood beside Malachi reading what she could of the words that were nothing more than scribbles to me. "I mean it's being watched?they know we used it." Nessa turned and gazed at me with worry.

  "Great," Malachi said as April stood frozen gazing up at it as if mesmerized.

  Everything, I knew, was new and maybe a little frightening to her. I walked towards her when suddenly she raised her hand and expelled a burst of light. The ball of glowing light floated through the air like a perfectly spherical bubble towards the portal.

  "April," I said as she turned and smiled gazing at me with indigo colored eyes-Ezra's eyes.

  I took a step back as she turned towards the ball of light and guided it with her hands. With a final wave of her hands, it went into the portal.

  April stood in front of the portal with arms outstretched as it glowed brighter, and then exploded with a burst of sparkling light. I turned, grabbing Nessa as I did to protect her from the blast. Malachi fell to the ground as April stood undisturbed from the force.

  Sparks burned the air around us and landed on the leaf-covered ground sizzling as they did. I pushed myself up as Nessa and I looked at the portal that once was all silver and white light, was now black-grey and had emitted a blue light.

  "April," Malachi walked up to her as she stood gazing up at the portal.

  "The angels won't be able to use this portal-we control it now," she said, looking up at Malachi.

  "How did you do that?" I asked standing beside her.

  She looked at me with her brown eyes. "I-I don't know exactly. I just knew what to do. It's sealed." She glanced back at with a mix of awe and accomplishment. Ezra had helped her-not only from the obvious, but I had looked into her eyes.

  "Are you alright?" Malachi turned April towards him.

  "Yes, I'm ok," she replied with a nod.

  "Let's move then, because even sealed portals won't stop determined angels." Nessa stood at the forests edge and then turned to be swallowed by low branches.

  The night market at Nethopania, was just that-a night market. Tolerated by angels, and sometimes used by demons, the market was a mixture of everything Iethia had to offer from legal to illegal. You could get anything here from anywhere. I had only been there once with Malachi when we were younger, and on the grounds of adolescent curiosity rather than the importance of a mission.

  Music played, venders displayed their wares outside their shop doors, and it was crowded with people from all walks of life. Rich, poor, and everything in between came here.

  The stone buildings were small, two-leveled structures, and served as the business on the lower level and as the peddler's home on the second. Arranged in square blocks, about three or four buildings stood connected and separated by dark, narrow alleyways that no one would dare travel down-at least not at night.

  Nethopania used to be a grand city, but after the Angel-Demon wars, most of the historic sites had been laid to waste. It became a trading place that kept the old name, but from what Uncle Hes had told me, it once was a place of architecture, culture and beauty.

  "Any of the buildings look familiar?" I asked April as Malachi walked beside her and Nessa beside me.

  She shook her head as she gazed around at everything.

  "Let's start on Center Street, it might be a little more of what we are looking for. This is Stack Street-nothing but herbs and food items here," Malachi glanced over his shoulder as we stood in the middle of the half-paved, half-dirt street. "Remember, that's where we bought fireworks."

  "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 e
qually 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.