Soul (Chaos #1)

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I jumped the last two steps, ran into the light, and skidded to a stop, staring around in confusion. I seemed to be in the middle of a costume party, but that sense of otherness hit me once again.

I stood in a large room enclosed by stone walls. Underfoot, the floor was earthen, and strange scents assaulted my nostrils.

The people... I couldn't even call them human. A figure walked right by me, and I automatically took a step back at the sight of its scaled skin. It hissed and stuck out a forked tongue before moving on.

I inched back and collided with stone. The steps had vanished. Pinpricks of panic touched my brain, but I was too shocked to truly feel it, maybe because I couldn't see anything that should be real. Claws, horns,wings: nothing could be explained.

Unless...

Stories my grandfather used to tell me came back in a flash - the old stories I loved, about faery lore and myths, parties and dancing that lasted for hours, humans tempted and taunted and sent back without their wits, if at all.

My heart raced, ready to explode out of my chest. The music changed, and the figures on the dance floor in the middle of the room shifted with it, their movements growing frenzied. A fight broke out, and blood was spilled. I sank to the floor to make myself as small as possible.

Two impossibly tiny winged creatures flitted by, giggling as they pointed and stared. One yanked my fringe before flying away.

My childhood dreams had been about faeries. Many times, I had imagined being taken by the faeries and leaving my family behind forever, but I knew they weren't real.

The soles of my feet stung, so I slipped off my shoes and wriggled my toes in the cool, damp earth. For some reason, the action grounded me enough to get back some control.

I didn't belong there. I had to find a way out before one of the creatures decided I wasn't welcome. Faery or not, they had weapons, and they had shed blood. I was out of my element. Granddad had always warned me never to step on toadstools or mushrooms in case one was really a hidden faery, to never fall asleep in a circle of stones, and to never, under any circumstances, offend one of the fae. He had recited the rules in a solemn voice but with a twinkle in his eye. He hadn't believed, not truly.

Maybe I had lost my mind. Maybe I was trapped in my own nightmare.

I rose and stepped along the wall, keeping to the edges of the crowd in an attempt to go unnoticed. Some of the creatures cast me sidelong glances, but none spoke or tried to harm me, so my confidence grew.Nightmare or reality, maybe it didn't really matter.

I gazed around the room, but I couldn't see a way out. Candles-the only sources of light-hung high on the walls, supported by ornate glass candelabras, like ice containing fire. The flames flickered, sending impossibly tangible shadows darting around the room.

The creatures on the dance floor looked determined and focused; not even the bloodshed distracted them. Some moved elegantly while others awkwardly clomped around, but not one of them paused, even for a second.

I came to some tables covered with food and drink. Black apples bled rivulets of juice. Sparkling gold grapes dangled from platters. They looked appealing, but right next to them were soggy pulsing berries that bubbled like acid.

None of the nearby figures were eating, but they all held carved silver goblets. I picked up a cup and examined the engravings. I almost dropped the goblet when the tail of a mermaid flicked over the rim. She waved at me before disappearing under a liquid that looked a lot like thin honey. I sniffed. The smell was familiar, so I took a hesitant sip. The first drop tasted like heaven. As the taste faded, I licked my lips, eager for more. I tipped the cup and drank the lot. A delicious warmth settled in the pit of my stomach.