Hidden Monster (The Monsters Among Us Book 1)

by Amanda Strong

  “Ready for this?” Blake asked, his hand wrapping around mine.

  My stomach clenched. “Yup, no turning back now.” I hoped I sounded better than I felt. Why am I so nervous? It’s not like I know anyone there. I knew the answer. Because everyone knows Blake. And knows I’m the girl he obsessed over for so long. What if I do something to embarrass him?

  Blake and Mack both slung their bags around their shoulders, and I realized why they both preferred to carry satchels. It hung at their sides, the strap resting above their wings. Seeing Blake tug my bag up over his other shoulder, I felt sort of guilty. It looked so cumbersome. I’d carried the dang thing for at least forty minutes before I practically begged Blake to take it.

  We all camo’ed out and soon the beach of Santa Barbara fell behind us. The salty sea air clung to my skin while the swelling beast of water rolled below us. The further out we got, the stiller the waters became with fewer breaking waves. As we flew mile after mile, I sensed Blake’s mood change. He shifted to be nearer to me, and then his hand clutched mine.

  “Remember, Sam, some of the islanders have different opinions. Just ignore them if they aren’t uh… nice to you okay?” he said, his lips finding my ear.

  Great. Just great. I’m already nervous enough. I wanted to see Blake’s face, to know how serious he was, but all I got was his sky-blue outline.

  The last thing I wanted to do when we arrived at the island was to make a scene. I wanted to slip in as inconspicuously as possible, but before we even saw land, Mack called out, “Let’s ditch the camo; we’re almost at the main channel.”

  “Main channel?” I asked. “I thought it was an island?” I concentrated on reappearing, hoping I’d be back in my jeans. The guys were already visible. Blake drew nearer, and his eyes met mine. I figured I must have gotten it right, but then he whistled.

  I glanced down at myself. “Darn it,” I grumbled. “Why do I morph into this stupid dress all the time?”

  Blake shrugged. “I don’t know, but I sure don’t mind it.” He pointed off to the horizon. “The islands are over there. Over the years, Tonbo bought a whole channel of them. We will land in City, that’s where Tonbo is. It’s sort of like our capital.”

  “And it’s named City?” It seemed like an over-simple title to me.

  “No, the island’s really called Akitsushima. Means Dragonfly Island in Japanese. There’s a legend about a Japanese founder who was bitten by a mosquito and then eaten by a dragonfly. Not sure how it all ties into the islands, but it gave Tonbo the idea to call it that. Most of us find that a mouthful. I don’t even know who started calling it City, but it stuck.”

  I gazed in the direction he pointed. “So why do you guys all call it Tonbo Island?”

  “That’s like our country’s name. And the islands each have their own individual name, for the most part. Does that make sense?” Blake gazed back at me.

  “Yeah, I guess so. So Dragon Fae don’t really see themselves as like Americans or Japanese anymore? They are their own nation?”

  “Pretty much. But that mentality sometimes causes problems.”

  I wanted to ask more, but Mack hollered, “Land ho!”

  I searched the horizon and caught sight of something off in the distance. Looked like a bump of dirt on top of smooth, liquid glass.

  “Is that City?” I asked, my stomach twisting within me.

  “Nope,” Mack answered. “It’s one of the outskirts.”

  “Huh?” I asked.

  “The small islands where the ancients live are the outskirts. Better to steer clear of those, Sammy,” Mack yelled back to me. He was taking the lead, flying ahead.

  “Yeah, we won’t be visiting them today.” Blake took my hand, staying by my side. “Don’t worry, Sam. We’ll be in City soon.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell him I dreaded landing on City most of all.

  They were right. Once we’d passed over a few lush islands, which looked like nothing but rock formations and greenery from my vantage point, one very large piece of land came in view. City.

  I swallowed hard and pinched my eyes shut. Here goes nothing.

  Chapter 30

  The name fit. The first thing I noticed when we landed, and my feet sunk into the warm, white sand, was the skyscrapers right in front of me. Sure, City had all the trappings of what I’d expect an island to have—a beautiful beach, palm trees, lush foliage, humid-sticky air, and the sweet scent of tropical flowers in the air, but it also appeared to be an actual bustling city. I think I know why the name stuck.

  “This is the largest island, about fifty miles long. So we have a little bit of everything here. Mountains, waterfalls, and private pools a few miles to the east, more secluded beaches on the north shore, and of course, the downtown life is here,” Blake said just as three young dragons buzzed past us with boisterous laughter. They seemed oblivious to our presence until the wings of the last one clipped my shoulder hard, almost knocking me into the sand.

  I gasped, and Blake shouted, “Hey, watch it!”

  Immediately, the dragon halted, while his friends kept going. His lanky body seemed rigid as he turned around, stuttering, “Oh, I’m so sorry, Blake. No harm, no foul, right?” Then the dragon noticed me, and his green eyes widened. “Is that…?”

  Blake cut him off. “You’re good, Serif, just be more careful. She’s never been here before.”

  Serif’s eyes opened even further, the green in them reminding me of two big apples. He nodded rapidly and took off to catch up with his comrades, further up the beach.

  I stared at Blake. “Is everyone afraid of you here?” I asked.

  Blake’s eyebrows rose a bit. “What? No. Why?”

  “He practically flew away with his tail between his legs!”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, Sam, we don’t have tails.” Blake glanced over at me. “Unless you’re hiding one under that dress of yours.”

  I shook my head at him, and Mack leaned over, mumbling, “He doesn’t fear Blake, Sammy. More like respect. Everyone hopes Blake will be the next to take over.”

  “Okay, okay, enough of that, Mack. I’m not taking over,” Blake cut in.

  Mack shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. They all want you—not Kory.”

  At the mention of Kory, a conversation I’d had with Jen came to mind. Hadn’t she said she’d overheard him and his friend discussing how when Blake showed up at Tonbo Island, he acted like he owned the place? Seems to me they got it wrong. It’s the island that acts like he already owns it.

  Finally, the beach ended and we stepped on to a boardwalk made of well-worn wooden planks. Thank heavens. Wading through the sand in a tight dress wasn’t easy. I knew I should be sweating but, instead, my skin felt like it was covered in a sticky layer of slime. The humidity was a far cry from the dry Colorado air I’d grown up in.

  I wanted to ask why we’d stopped flying anyway, since walking proved hot and slow, but the boardwalk led to a busy street, not paved with asphalt but cobblestones. Instead of engines roaring past, I heard only the buzz of winged dragons and damsels flying by.

  Beyond the ‘street’ was an open plaza. It appeared to be the center of City. So far, the dragons I’d met were guys my age, so it stunned me to see dragons and damsels in all walks of life. I stopped and tried to drink it all.

  Young ones played games, painting on the sidewalk with large paintbrushes or flying past chasing Frisbees. Teenagers clustered around what appeared to be open cafés. Strange, loud music blared from that vicinity and, at closer inspection, I decided that a rainbow must have bled out all over the teens’ hair. There was every hue imaginable. Middle-aged ones darted around like they had a purpose and places to go. And then the elderly, who weren’t moving quite as fast, all gathered around the small tables, where some sort of board game was being played. Kids doing sidewalk art, teens with dyed hair, and elderly playing chess… maybe we aren’t so different after all.

  Then I took another look. Something definite
ly registered different. I found myself searching for one ugly damsel or out-of-shape dragon. Not one. Everyone’s gorgeous. The dragons were all shirtless, regardless of age, and even the elderly ones had nicely shaped, tight abs. This is bizarre.

  The damsels’ dress varied from jeans to skirts to dresses, although none wore a gown like mine, and I couldn’t wait until I got a chance to change. They all seemed to share the style of their shirts—open backed with a tie behind the neck, leaving the shoulders bare. Some dipped low in the front, most of the teens, while others covered up to their necks. Still, I had to grin. Sort of odd seeing grandmas wearing halter-tops. They should film a promo for plastic surgery here. Although, faces weren’t necessarily fake looking or uniform. The Dragon Fae just radiated beauty, no matter what their nose shape and size was, or how large their eyes were. It mesmerized me.

  A damsel’s face popped into my line of vision, disrupting my view of paradise. I jumped back a bit, surprised by her sudden proximity. I gaped at her; her eye color matched her lavender hair.

  Her gaze swept up and down my frame, and I couldn’t tell if it was malice or curiosity in the squint she gave me. She took a step closer to me, bringing her face inches from mine. She tilted her head to the side, as if considering me.

  Sweat rolled down my back. I glanced to my sides, hoping one of the guys would say something. Then I noticed the purple-eyed girl wasn’t the only one gawking me. Everyone around us had stopped their normal rhythm of motion I had just been admiring. Now all eyes were riveted on me.

  Oh boy. So not what I wanted.

  Mack waved his hands, like he was shooing flies away. “Nothing to see here, folks.” His tone was casual.

  The girl with purple eyes sighed and gave me a fleeting smile before she took off.

  Mack touched my arm and murmured, “Since Blake’s sort of a celebrity here, it’s big news to finally see his girlfriend. Just think of the paparazzi back home.”

  “Oh,” I said, peeking to see if I was still under surveillance. No one directly stared, but I caught several whispering and pointing in my direction. Blake’s face didn’t look too happy at the moment.

  “Do they all know about me?” I asked.

  Blake cleared his throat. “Yeah, that’s probably my fault. When I was here last time, it caused quite a scene, I’m afraid. I accused Tonbo even of doing it, much to my shame. It’s a small island, and gossip spreads fast. Everyone knows you were abducted, that someone changed you, but no one knows much more than that.”

  To my relief, Blake’s wings shifted into action and his feet lifted off the ground. “Feel up to flying again?” he asked. Mack rose too, and they both stared at me. Then it dawned on me, they were walking for my benefit, to give me a break.

  I let my wings sing to me, flapping until they blurred. “Definitely.” I am more than ready to get out of here and away from all the prying eyes.

  A cold blast hit me, sending goose bumps down my back and arms. Flying over to Tonbo’s main office building had cooled me down considerably. Now stepping into the air-conditioned skyscraper was downright bone chilling.

  The first thing I noticed, once my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, was the tile floor below me. Made up of thousands of mosaic tiles, the hues ranged between jade and sky blue, the swirling patterns within reminding me of ocean waves. It was beautiful… and vaguely familiar somehow.

  I shrugged and plodded after Blake, who approached a large, square receptionist desk, in the center of the vaulted lobby. Glancing up, I counted ten levels before hitting the marble ceiling. Several enormous chandeliers filled the lobby with candescent lighting. That’s why it seemed so dim when we first came in. Flying over, Mack had told me this was twenty stories high. Wonder what’s above this? Tonbo’s secret lab where he concocts his serums?

  Each level up had hallways wrapping around with doors leading to heaven knew what. I’d assume offices, but being so far out of my element, I had no idea. This could be a hotel for all I knew. Since there were no railings or side walls, the floor levels up looked like balconies or flat roofs from my point of view. Dragons and damsels shot to and from levels, and once they landed, they proceeded to shuffle all businesslike to the door they needed. Wonder what the hurry is? Even though I knew they couldn’t fall, seeing them hustle along a walkway with no rails was creepy. Guess there’s no elevator here, or emergency stairs.

  The sound of water gurgling caught my attention next. I glanced over to gape at a tall fountain shooting water straight up, its dancing offshoots performing a water show. All that was missing was the music. There were so many large planters filled with vegetation and towering palm trees that I wasn’t sure if the lobby was more of a Grecian palace or a tropical forest. The only thing that seemed slightly out of character was the humongous, bush-like tree filling the entire left side of the lobby. It shot up perhaps fifty or sixty feet. Dark green, tropical leaves fanned out and cantaloupe-looking fruit dotted the entire thing.

  “What’s that? I thought melons only grew on the ground, not in trees,” I asked, pointing.

  “That’s a breadfruit tree. Tonbo loves the stuff. Personally, I think it’s rather tasteless,” Blake answered.

  Four damsels in a business suits, albeit, button-up, backless tops and short skirts, sat at each side of the receptionist area, all facing different directions of the lobby. If I hadn’t been with the guys, I wouldn’t have known which one to approach. They all had a sleek piece of metal over one ear, which was not attached to anything I could see. Are those their phones? Wonder what kind of cell reception they get here?

  We drew near, and their attention turned to us. I could feel four sets of eyes bearing down on me. I shifted my weight and bit my lip.

  “Tonbo heard you were coming; he’s expecting you. He’s in his study like usual, Blake,” the damsel with long, brunette hair said with a tone of familiarity. She too wore a white blouse that left her back and shoulders bare and a short, black skirt and tall heels to match. Gorgeous and sexy all wrapped up in a petite package. I couldn’t get used to all the perfect people here.

  When she turned to the side, her bronze-tinted wings shimmered back at me and for a split second, I could’ve sworn I’d seen them before. I studied her face. Did I know her? Who was she?

  “Thank you,” Blake said, lifting off. I followed his lead.

  “Thanks, Kate,” Mack announced, and I almost choked on my tongue.

  Kate? Like the Kate that’s in love with Blake? The one Blake changed? My mind buzzed with questions, and I glanced to Blake for answers. The cringe he tried to hide told me everything.

  I didn’t have time to react or even say hello to the damsel, the guys were already soaring up the levels. Is it just my imagination, or is Blake suddenly in a hurry to get away?

  Chapter 31

  This was it—the moment I’d anticipated and dreaded since Blake had told me he wanted me to join him on this trip. Had that only been yesterday? Time seemed irrelevant at the moment. This was the one person who might have answers. Don’t get your hopes up, Samantha, I told myself.

  I wasn’t sure what I’d expected but when the double walnut doors swung in and a short, long-nosed, bushy-browed, little old man stood in front of us, I was taken aback. Had I expected someone taller or perhaps with a bit more of a commanding presence? I didn’t have time to wonder because he grinned from ear to ear and embraced Blake, Mack, and then me.

  His arms felt small around my waist, and his thick, gray hair tickled my chin. I had the resist the urge to call him a little munchkin, because he felt so impish during our brief hug.

  Then he stepped back and I gaped at his eyes—onyx with wisps of silver in them. I could only stare.

  “We meet at last, my infamous friend,” Tonbo pronounced, his voice rich and deep like the ocean itself.

  I stuttered to respond as he stroked his surprisingly tidy goatee. His black eyes widened, and his lips twitched into a goofy grin.

  “Ah, but where on my manners, co
me in, come in,” he exclaimed, releasing me from his gripping gaze. I felt like I was waking from a dream. What just happened?

  Tonbo gestured to me. “Damsels always before dragons.”

  Blake chuckled. “Yes sir.” And Mack nodded. “You got it, boss.”

  I had no choice but to go first. Nothing to be afraid of, it’s just his office…

  But the room I entered did not resemble your standard office. There was no desk that I could see but instead a round table off to one side, with a water fountain babbling behind it. Rocks formed a mock mountain with a mini waterfall cascading down it. I was tempted to run over and stick my feet in the crystal pool; the water splashing down sounded so refreshing.

  The heavy-looking, round table had elaborate carvings etched into its worn wood. High-back wooden chairs, upholstered in dark blue velvet, were tucked all around it. Feels so Knights of the Round Table. Doesn’t really fit an island… more like a castle.

  I glanced around; there wasn’t a bare wall to be seen. Bookshelves spanned the entirety, crammed with everything from magazines, the last few decades of New York Times Best Seller’s list, to ancient-looking, leather-bound volumes. On the opposite end of the room, away from the fountain, three long tables sat with probably a dozen chairs behind them. From here, there appeared to be maps strewn across them. Looks like some sort of classroom. It even had a whiteboard on the wall. Strange. Nothing screams mad scientists, more like eccentric History or English teacher.

  I wanted to ask so many questions, but Tonbo pointed us toward the round table saying, “Please excuse my untidiness, I’m afraid I have been enjoying my trainees’ company lately. We can cause catastrophes sometimes.” He chuckled at his own joke.