by Cheree Alsop
Midori touched his arm. The brush of her fingertips felt just like rose petals, and the same scent lingered around the girls.
When Everett turned, she held out a leaf. It was bright green and jagged around the edges. When he took it, she motioned for him to hold it up to his nose. Everett did as she directed. The sharp, clean scent chased away all other smells.
Adrielle made a face and took a step back. “That’s mint,” she said. “They know werewolves don’t like the smell of mint.” She glared at the girls.
Both tree nymphs covered their mouths and made little musical sounds Everett realized was laughter.
“Oh, go back to your plants,” Adrielle said, rolling her eyes.
The nymphs turned back to the willow with more laughter.
“They think they can chase me away,” Adrielle told Everett with a shake of her head. “It’ll take more than a mint leaf.”
“Chase you away from what?” he asked.
She lifted her eyebrows meaningfully. Everett realized what she was talking about. “From me?”
She nodded. “Don’t take it personally. They tease anything on two legs. I’ve ever seen them make Xander blush, and that’s saying a lot.”
Everett glanced back at them over his shoulder. Both nymphs were watching them walk away. As soon as Everett met their gazes, they turned back with more laughter. If vampires had enough blood to blush, he figured his cheeks would be bright red.
“More stairs,” Adrielle said.
She put a hand on what he had thought was a tall bush, but turned out to be another winding staircase completely blanketed in creeping vines. He was glad to find out that, unlike the vines that covered the city faster than the clearing teams could chop them up, these had no thorns and the leaves were smooth-edged instead of rough. He shoved the mint leaf in his pocket and followed her up.
“Come for a swim, Adrielle,” a voice called as soon as the door opened.
“No, thank you, Kai,” she replied. She waved her hand behind her. “We have company.”
“You never swim, Adrielle. I’m starting to think werewolves are afraid of the water.”
Everett stepped into the room and paused. Warm, moist air enveloped him from the mist wafting above rocks, pools, and dark green plants. It felt as though he had just crossed into a true jungle like the kind he had read about in books, complete with thin rain that dripped from the ceiling light enough to feel as though it was a part of the mist. Out of sight within the moss and ferns came small trilling sounds and little colored lights glowed within the depths of the trees.
Everett made out a form in the middle of the dark water. The boy was standing so that the water was waist high. He had dark green skin and strange black eyes. Leafy green tendrils made up his ears, and he moved his hands slowly through the water at his sides, catching it in his webbed fingers.
“Who do we have here?” Kai asked, his eyes narrowing with interest as he regarded Everett.
“This is Everett,” Adrielle said. “He’s, uh, he’s a friend.”
Kai moved forward in the water. When he reached the edge, he climbed out of the mossy pool to reveal scaled legs below his black swimming shorts. Everett wondered if he had a tail, but he couldn’t make one out in the dim lighting.
“Hello, Everett. Welcome to the Monster Asylum,” Kai said, holding out a hand.
Everett shook it, grateful the boy’s fingers didn’t feel as slimy as they looked. “Thanks. You can call me Rett.”
“Rett,” Kai replied with a nod. “What do you think of our little asylum?”
Everett glanced around again, not bothering to hide his amazement. “This place is incredible.”
“He hasn’t seen the artic room yet,” Adrielle said.
Kai grinned, revealing flat gums instead of teeth. “You’re in for a treat. I avoid it up there because all that cold...” He made a show of shivering. “It really doesn’t suit me.”
“You’re cold-blooded,” Adrielle reminded him. “You shouldn’t go up there.”
“Who’s going to flirt with Chirit if I don’t?” Kai replied.
Adrielle shook her head. “You’re hopeless.”
Kai staggered back, holding a hand to his heart dramatically. “You slay me with your words, Adrielle,” he said. He fell backwards into the water, disappearing from view.
“Amphibians,” she muttered with a shake of her head.
Kai surfaced a few feet away. “Tell her I said hi.”
“I will,” Adrielle promised.
Everett followed her through the rainforest room. The trilling sound increased, echoing through the trees. He peered into the darkness, but couldn’t see what was making it.
“What’s that sound?” he asked.
“The frogs,” Adrielle replied. She looked around. For a moment, her golden eyes reflected the faint light, glowing in the darkness. She looked like a wild animal searching for prey. Her nose moved slightly as she tested the air. Her head swiveled to the right. “Look,” she whispered.
Everett realized he was staring. He shook himself and turned. A form he had thought was a part of the plants moved slightly. High, musical words almost too soft to be heard weaved through the hanging trees. The ground moved. Everett realized that he was looking at frogs instead of the mossy floor, hundreds of them. They made their little trilling sounds and when they croaked, ribbons of colored light surrounded them. Streamers of pink, blue, and green flowed in waves to the form that turned out to be a little girl sitting at the base of a vine-covered tree.
Her song grew louder. Everett took a step forward. He felt all of his other senses fade away until only the sound of her voice remained. It pulled at him, beckoning him forward like the tiny frogs. He took another step.
Adrielle set a hand on his arm. Her touch jolted him back to himself.
“Take it easy,” she said. “Sonia is a siren. Do you know what a siren is?”
Everett shook his head, unwilling to speak and break the sound of the beautiful voice.
“Sirens draw their target in with their voice. It’s beautiful, haunting, and deadly.”
At Adrielle’s last word, Sonia turned her face toward them. Her lips pulled back, revealing rows upon rows of sharp, pointed teeth like the pictures of sharks Everett had seen in his father’s books.
“Getting late, isn’t it?” Sonia asked. Her voice rasped, no longer the beautiful, lulling tones that filled Everett with rapture, but instead grating and rough like sandpaper on metal.
“Getting there,” Adrielle replied. “Goodnight, Sonia.”
“’Night, Adrielle,” the siren answered. She turned her face back to the little glowing frogs and began to sing again. Their voices lifted, their little trilling calls the perfect counterbalance to her song.
“Is she a little girl?” Everett asked, amazed at the contrast in her voice.
Adrielle pushed the vines aside and stepped into the cave beyond them that hid the next staircase. “She remembers the Ending War,” she said over her shoulder.
Everett stared back into the shadows, amazed that the siren he had thought was a child was more than seventy-five years old.
“And Kai?” he asked, following Adrielle up. “What is he?”
“A yacurun,” Adrielle answered. “Half man, half amphibian. He can breathe under water.” A small laugh escaped her. “Believe it or not, he’s in love with a yeti.”
Everett shook his head. He felt like he had stepped into another world and everything he knew about his life had turned upside down. The further they climbed into the Monster Asylum, the crazier his world was turning out to be.
Chapter Six
“Are you telling me that we’re going to meet an abominable snowman?” Everett asked.
Adrielle grinned at the amazement in his voice. “If they’re up for it,” she replied. “Yeti tend to be a bit grumpy. It’s probably because Dr. Transton hasn’t figured out how to keep the snow from melting every time someone opens the door. I told him we should re
arrange the rooms, but he said too much work went into it to change everything now.”
She shoved the next door open with her shoulder. A blast of hot air nearly knocked Everett back down the stairs. Powerful light hit him, burning his skin. He ducked back through the doorway.
“Seriously, Jehlani, can you turn it down a bit? It’s night time for crying out loud,” she said.
“Sorry,” an accented voice called. A moment later, the force of the heat and light reduced almost completely.
“Thank you,” Adrielle replied. She motioned for Everett to follow her. “This is one of the reasons Kai has a hard time flirting with Chirit. He can’t stand the heat or else he dehydrates severely. The last time he tried to cross from his floor through this one in his attempt to reach her, we had to hook him up to IVs for nearly two days. He said it was totally worth it because Chirit let him kiss her on the cheek.” She lowered her voice. “Chirit said his lips are slimy.”
“Don’t be whispering about things I’d like to know.”
Everett couldn’t help but smile when he stepped on the sandy floor and saw who was talking. “You’re a sphinx.”
She smiled back at him. “And you’re a vampire.” She gave Adrielle a meaningful look.
Adrielle let out an exasperated breath. “Everett, what did I tell you about smiling? Do you want to get yourself killed?”
The creature with the head of a woman and the body of a lion swished her tail, creating a little furrow in the sand she lay on. “I’m not the one with the grudge,” she said.
She stretched out further on the sand. “It feels so nice on the belly. You sure you don’t want to come relax, Adrielle? You’re always so busy. You really should take it easy once in a while.”
“I’m showing Everett the Asylum,” Adrielle replied. “Sorry, Jehlani. I’ll have to catch you next time.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” the sphinx replied. She dug into the sand with one paw, leaving deep gouges from her claws. “I’ll be turning the sun back up when you leave.” She winked at Everett. “Better run fast, vamp. I’ve heard your kind doesn’t fare well in the sunlight.”
“Thank you,” Everett said. He hurried after Adrielle across the hot sand. The source of the light was a giant globe in one corner surrounded by mirrors to multiply its force. He couldn’t imagine how much it would burn if she turned it back on when he was still in the room. He didn’t know how she controlled it, but was thankful that they made it up the stairs before she flipped the switch.
“How far up does this place go?” Everett asked. She opened the next door and cold flooded through, shocking his senses.
“A lot further,” Adrielle said.
Everett glanced at her, curious about the vagueness of her answer. “Why do I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me?”
She lifted her shoulders with a touch of guilt in her eyes. “I’m not sure.” She looked past him into the snowy room. “Hi, Chirit. Kai sends his love.”
Everett turned, expecting to see a huge, hulking form. Instead, he saw a slender girl with skin even paler than his own sitting on top of a snow hill. Despite wearing only short shorts and a tank top, she didn’t seem to feel the chill at all.
“He’s such a tease,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “He still thinks a relationship could work.”
“The rainforest level isn’t that bad,” Adrielle coaxed.
A visible shudder ran through Chirit’s skin. “Come on. I’d simply die in that heat. And the frogs? Maybe they’d go away if the sirens would stop singing, but ugh, and I mean ugh.”
“Yeah, ugh,” a deep voice answered.
Chirit jumped down and the hill she had been sitting on rolled over to reveal the biggest person Everett had even seen. He made Xander look tiny.
“Frogs,” the snow mound person said. He gave a shake and the snow fell free, revealing a thick, furry body with beady eyes that peered at Everett. “Hey, dude.”
“Uh, hi,” Everett replied.
“That’s Chowder, Chirit’s brother,” Adrielle said.
Chirit skipped through the snow on tiny bare feet as though she was as light as a snowflake. She stopped inches from Everett and looked him up and down.
He glanced at Adrielle, uncomfortable by her close proximity. So far, his ability to hide his vampirism had been completely abominable. The thought almost made him laugh given the circumstances.
“Oh, he’s cute,” Chirit said. “Where’d you find him, Ad?”
She skipped around Everett touching his hair, his clothes, and his hands before he shoved them in his pockets.
“The street,” Adrielle replied.
Chirit’s eyes widened and she stepped back. “You mean, you’ve been out there?” she breathed.
“I always go out there,” Adrielle said with a hint of exasperation as though she explained the same thing often. “It’s not that bad.”
“Bad humans,” Chowder huffed.
“Yeah,” Chirit echoed. “They’re not nice. Who wants to be shot full of bullet holes?”
“I told you they don’t have guns anymore,” Adrielle replied. “They were taken away after the Ending War. You know that.”
“They have knives,” Chirit said. “I don’t know why you risk yourself.”
“She no look like monster,” Chowder said before burying his head in the snow.
Chirit gave this a thought and nodded. She looked Everett up and down one more time. “If there’re more of these out there, maybe I should join you.”
“By these, you mean Everett,” Adrielle replied. “Everett, meet Chirit, and I hope there aren’t more of him out there.”
Everett glanced at her as he shook the girl’s hand, wondering what she meant. Her expression was unreadable when she met his gaze.
“Well, the pleasure is mine,” Chirit said. “Are you just passing through or are you planning to stay a while?”
“Passing through, I think,” Everett replied, looking to Adrielle for confirmation. “This place is amazing.”
Chirit nodded. “It’s not bad, as far as a multi-level Monster Asylum with alternating climates, landscapes, and weather systems can be, I suppose.”
Adrielle laughed. “Come on, Rett. We’ve got a few more places to visit.”
She led Everett through the snow to the stairs.
“Oh, Rett. I like that,” Chirit called. “I could get used to it. Rett and Chirit. It kind-of rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?”
“What would Kai think?” Adrielle asked down the stairs.
“Kai, who?” Chirit replied.
“Oh, he would be so heartbroken if he heard her say that,” Adrielle told Everett.
She pushed the door open to reveal the next level. To Everett’s surprise, the floor was entirely ordinary. Instead of sand, snow, or misty tree-filled environments, it had a white tile floor, a few tables with computers, a video player and a screen, two couches, and a small kitchen area.
“Hurry,” Adrielle said, pulling Everett toward the next flight of stairs at almost a run. “Let’s get going. There’s lots to show you and—”
“I was getting worried.”
Adrielle stopped dead in her tracks. Everett barely managed to keep from tripping over her. He caught one of his own feet with the other and had to do a two-step jump skip maneuver to keep from falling on his face.
“Nice,” the voice said.
Everett straightened to find himself looking at the most normal individual he had seen since entering the Asylum.
The man gave him a small smile. “I’m Dr. Transton,” he said, holding out a hand.
Everett reminded himself not to smile. Adrielle’s words of warning about the man swirled around his mind. He barely lifted his lips enough to say, “Everett Masterson. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Dr. Transton looked at Adrielle. “You usually bring visitors to me before giving them the tour.” He didn’t sound upset, merely confused.
Adrielle studied th
e floor. “Um, I guess I just got caught up in showing him around and forgot to head here first.”
“Don’t you have to go through each floor to get here?” Everett asked, confused.
“There’s an elevator,” Adrielle and Dr. Transton said at the same time.
Unsure what to say in reply, Everett went with, “This place is incredible. I never knew there were so many, uh...”
“Monsters,” Dr. Transton finished. “You can say it. All of the individuals here understand that they are in fact monsters attempting to survive in a normal human society. The word carries no weight; it is merely a reminder than the equality that has existed since the Ending War doesn’t apply to subspecies, or the Queen and her Lessers for that matter.”
“Dr. Transton,” Adrielle tried to cut him off.
The doctor waved his hand. “No, let me explain. I can tell this, uh,” he smiled at Everett, “Everett, is a bit confused. You know that after the Ending War seventy-five years ago the five great cities of the Pentagrin were built for the survivors, correct?” At Everett’s nod, Dr. Transton smiled. “Good, good. And since the ruling government was demolished, a new form of ruling had to be established. With good intentions, the Kingship and Lessers were formed.”
“To oversee to the survival and progress of the human race,” Everett stated, repeating the words from his father’s history book.
Dr. Transton looked pleased. “Yes, Everett. That’s right. But you see, there has been no progress since the Ending War. The Kingship rules in fear, and fear compromises growth.”
“But the cities...” Everett began.
Dr. Transton nodded. “The five cities are the pinnacle achievements of the remaining human race. They are self-sustaining, yet linked together around Regent which keeps our honorable queen safe.”
Everett wondered if he imagined the irony that touched the doctor’s tone when he spoke of the Queen. He had never heard anyone talk about the ruler of the Pentagrin in that way.
“Dr. Transton, I’d like to continue the tour,” Adrielle began, her eyes wide with worry.
Dr. Transton clasped his hands behind his back and walked away from them as he spoke, entirely oblivious to Adrielle’s request.
