Dancing With Monsters (37 page)

Nessa grabbed me by the chin. “You
have to let her go,” she said, with a tilt of her head. “You have
to let Ezra go.”

Ezra was still a part of April, but
Nessa was right, I didn’t want to leave her side. Edan had invited
Nessa to go with him to Shangri-La along with Isaiah and
Yolanda.

Eveie and Ella were to stay in their
little home here on The Isle of Stars, as promised by the
Fae.

Malachi, being Ella’s brother, was
granted citizenship here by April’s first official act.

A new era between monsters, angels and
even demons, had started. Things were changing in our worlds,
including Iethia, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that
change.

“
I knew you’d be here on
some balcony overlooking the ocean.” A voice said behind
me.

I turned to see April looking at me
with Ezra’s indigo eyes.

She stepped closer to me and then held
out her curved arm and moved it in front of her face. April’s hair
smoothed to lie like silk across her shoulders, and her wings faded
behind her. Ezra, as I remembered her, stood in front of me
smiling.

“
The ocean had always
fascinated you.” Ezra wrapped her arms around me.

“
It’s you,” I said,
hugging her back.
“Come with me.”
I wanted to say it, but knew it could never
happen.

Ezra smiled. “I am in April now, and
it’s her life that keeps me. I am her guide and her strength—we can
never be together, but my memory doesn’t have to die.”

“
There has to be some
way—maybe the Fae…”

“
I can’t stay long.” She
looked into my eyes. “I wanted to give you one last gift before I
fell into silence.”

She pulled me close and we kissed as
everything faded around us except for the constant crashing of the
waves and the wind curling around us as I clung to the last moments
I had with her.

You will do great things
Seth Fairstone—you will do great things…

Her image faded as April’s eyes
opened, and she looked at me with slight confusion.

“
Um, Ezra, was it?” She
uncomfortably asked, and I nodded.

“
Thank you,” I
said.

April smiled as a woman dressed in a
white gown and the same translucent wings behind her, asked April
to follow her.

“
It’s my dad,” she said,
with a sigh.

“
Is he…”

She shook her head. “No, but he isn’t
well, and I’ve got a lot to learn from him.”

I nodded my head as the Fae woman
prompted April again with a timid voice.

“
I’m working on something
that would extend our relations to Atlantis.” She smiled. “I never
thought that place actually existed until Malachi told me about it,
and everyone here confirmed it.” She slightly chuckled. “Anyhow, if
you don’t have anything else going on…would you like to help with
it—I don’t have anything started yet, but…Ezra said you liked the
ocean, and I’ve never been to Atlantis, obviously, but I’m pretty
sure there’s probably a lot of ocean going on there.” She shrugged
her shoulders as her wings fluttered slightly behind
her.

I smiled and searched her eyes for any
spark of Ezra, but she was silent. Ezra had given me one last
gift—my dream of traveling to the ocean, and even though I wouldn’t
be with her, her gift would forever be with me.

Want to more about the Fae
world?

First chapter
to

People of Fae

Book 1

In the

Fae Trilogy

Chapter One

Eli

“
Do you know where she is
or not? You know who I speak of,” Eli demanded in a quiet whisper.
“Answer wisely.”

The three fur covered creatures
hovered before him growling their warning. Bright, silver,
vine-like bars was the only separation between Eli and the beasts.
Their eyes of silver disks reflected the dimly lit dungeon. Eli
knew he had to be quick or he would be joining them in this
dreadful place. Guards would be coming soon and, the last thing he
wanted was to be in prison again.

“
Why should we tell you?”
the largest of the three creatures asked staring at Eli. “Give me a
good reason. I need some amusement, sentry.”

Eli knew little of the nature of Mogs,
and negotiation was not one of them. If only she was easier to find
and didn’t mingle with these horrible creatures. It was her nature
to befriend the most unlikely creature, and now Eli had to resort
to getting information out of them.

He had to come up with something
without sounding desperate, even though he was. He had to remain in
control or he would get nowhere with the creature. Mogs were short-
tempered, and serve no one but themselves. Eli remembered hearing
of lost sentries get torn apart by them just for being in the wrong
place at the wrong time. But, he had no choice. He owed something
worse than a Mog.

The Mog snorted at him showing his
sharp canine teeth. Six silver eyes focused on him as he scrambled
to think of something. The creatures were not stupid, but they were
very superstitious. The Mog’s nostrils of his flat, wide, lion-like
nose flared slightly.

“
Did she tell you she has
something that would interest you?” Eli said quickly and caught the
attention of the Mog. He really didn’t want it to come out like
that, but he had to be enticing without revealing too much. “It is
something of great power,” Eli tried to say in a tantalizing
voice.

The Mog stopped, and slowly turned
lowering himself to Eli’s level. With gleaming eyes, the Mog stared
at Eli, wrapped his talon claws slowly around the metallic bars one
by one in front of Eli’s face, and glared at him. Eli swallowed
hard hoping the Fae made dungeon was strong enough for three
Mogs.

“
We don’t associate with
Faeish things. You are trying to trick us into something. Go
away—or I’ll have you as a play thing.”

“
I don’t have time for
trickery,” Eli stated. “This is something so great, it could change
the course of history. And all you have to do is lead me to Lil.”
He hoped mentioning her name would persuade them.

“
I don’t care about
history. I want the sentry that put us here!” The Mog growled
showing his teeth and showering Eli with droplets of the beast’s
spit. He wiped his face and smiled at the Mog.

“
That can be arranged,”
Eli said in his most convincible tone.

The Mog looked at him for a moment
then turned to the other two. Growls and grunts came from their
huddle. Eli wished he could understand what they were saying.
Minutes went by and he grew impatient waiting for their
decision.

“
Come on, I don’t have all
day,” Eli prodded as he paced the floor.

Eli turned to find the Mog peering at
him through the bars. Startled, he jumped with the Mog’s smiling
face staring back at him. At least he thought it was a smile. It
was hard to tell with their sharp teeth and flaring nostrils that
looked more like a snarl.

“
Fine, let us out,” the
Mog said.

“
We have a deal then?” Eli
asked confirming it.

“
Yes we want a sentry’s
blood in our mouth,” the Mog replied.

“
And you will track her
for me?”

“
We are good at tracking,
we can find her easily.”

Eli looked at them for a moment
knowing this was his last chance at finding Lil. He had to trust
them. From his pocket, he took out a small black disk. It had been
years since he was actually a sentry and hoped it worked or he
would be hunted by three angry Mogs. Quickly, he slid it across the
lock. With a quiet click, the door swung open. The beasts came out,
walked past Eli, and peered at the darkened stairwell.

“
Your word!” Eli demanded
thinking they were going to leave.

The lead Mog turned to Eli with
crescent glowing eyes and a faint rumble vibrating from the beast’s
throat. Placing his hand on a small dagger he had under his cloak,
Eli held it out in front of him towards the Mog. The beast gave a
deep, raspy chuckle with the other two behind joining
in.

“
Do you think a Fae piece
of cutlery is going to stop us?” The towering beast
snarled.

“
Your promise you have
better keep. I am not afraid to use my training in magic.” That was
a lie. Eli had not even an ounce of magic running through him. His
confident tone said otherwise.

“
No exiled sentry can do
magic, and I do believe your blood would satisfy my thirst for
revenge.” The Mog bent down and advanced towards Eli.

Eli backed up with his insignificant
dagger pointed at the towering Mog. Six silver eyes glared at him.
He was cornered at his own doing. Eli’s desperation cost him his
life he thought with the Mogs slowly coming closer. He was not good
at negotiations and he had better master the art quickly. He had
been in tighter situations than this he thought trying to calm
himself. He had to come up with something quick.

“
Magic isn’t something a
sentry loses,” a voice said to the right of Eli, “and can be used
as he wishes.” The voice had a ring of authority to it that caught
the Mogs’ attention for a moment.

Eli could only see a shadowy figure
standing in the middle of the cell beside him. His crumpled shape
slowly emerged from the darkness. Shadows covered his true identity
as the advancing Mogs paid no attention to the man Eli gazed
at.

“
Go on sentry, show them
who the boss is here,” the man prodded in an almost amused
voice.

“
Who are you?” Eli had to
inquire, now pinned against the slimy dungeon wall.

The man didn’t answer as the lead Mog
with gleaming eyes, claws extended, and sharp teeth all in view and
ready to sink into his flesh. Eli had nowhere to go thinking this
was the end. He extended his small dagger in front of him hoping to
at least poke one of the Mog’s eyes out. Closing his eyes, Eli
waited for the impact. But instead of razor sharp teeth, fur and
claws digging into him, he felt nothing.