Paradox - Progeny Of Innocence (bk2) (Paradox series) (27 page)

A long, sleek limousine pulled up gracefully in front of the two-story buildings covered in a million star-like fairy lights. Kings, queens, archbishops, knights and an array of dignitaries from a royal court made their way amiably along a red carpet between the two buildings covered in glittering fairy lights. Performing court jesters lined the red carpet, entertaining the arriving guests. Overhead, colorful lanterns bobbed and swayed in the salty breeze coming in off the Arafura Sea. Only happy laughter and excited voices drowned out the mournful cry of renaissance violins and the high-pitched plucking notes from a harpsichord.

A man dressed as a black knight leaned down, opening the passenger's door. He presented a leather-gloved hand. One long, shapely leg with a red-jeweled satin shoe, reminiscent of medieval times, appeared, and a dainty, gloved hand was placed gently on the offered hand.

"My Queen," the man said with a low swooping bow. "It is my pleasure to welcome you on this evening."

The woman emerged, dressed in a blood-red velvet gown trimmed in exquisite gold embroidery. Her braided red hair was pulled back harshly from her face, and secured with a headpiece encrusted with pearls, the jeweled mask on her face almost hiding her sparkling yellow eyes.

"Tyler, please call me
Bloody
Queen Mary," Theria said, emphasizing the '
bloody'
with a smirk on her face.

"Shall anyone be losing their head tonight, my Queen?" he asked, kissing her hand.

"As long as it is not mine, brave knight," she replied with a slight curtsy, "I don't really mind."

Theria's cortège stepped from the car behind her. Firstly, Lyssa, bathed in an ink-black gown, was hidden behind a black feathered mask dripping in tiny beads. On the side of her face was painted a black web with a jeweled spider.

Caleb emerged from the dark interior dressed as Vlad Tepes, better known as Count Dracula, and wore a sinister black mask with a long pointed nose. Cindy followed him as Anne Boleyn, in a royal blue gown with matching feathered and jeweled mask. She took hold of Caleb's arm and fussed with the ruffled layers of her dress. Her fair hair was coiled elegantly on top of her head, giving her the appearance of being taller than her five foot five.

Emily appeared next, in a flowing white gown with gold trim on the long sleeves and neckline. She had left her hair loose, so strands played whimsically across her white and gold feathered mask in the little gusts of breeze.

Then lastly, Damon stepped from the vehicle wearing a simple black mask. His tall stature and physique perfectly embodied the dashing knight, Sir Lancelot.

"Doesn't everything look so beautiful?" Emily gushed breathlessly, gazing around at the swirls of colorful fabrics and the brightly decorated lanterns swaying gently in the breeze. Damon nodded agreeably. However, his eyes scanned the bustling crowd for another.

Further along the red carpet his eyes found her, and an involuntarily sigh slipped through his lips as she laughed and spun around with her arms held out. His lips turned up at the edges as he watched her playful performance. Her hair fell in blonde ringlets over her shoulders. Crowning her head was a circle of ivy and flowers, entwined together with a gold thread. She was a vision, in a simple yet elegant baby-blue gown that twirled around her as she moved. For Damon, it was like stepping back to another time. He thought about the promise he had made to Angela on the night Eric was killed. He had agreed to stay away. But now that promise started to dissolve with each second that he held Grace in his sight. He had made another promise, to Juliette, a very long time ago. Didn't he owe it to her to keep that promise, too?

Then quickly the smile on Damon's face disintegrated, and he froze. He watched as Riley took Grace's hand, then leaned down, kissing her softly on the cheek. She laughed and curtsied, playing along.

"My beautiful Guinevere, it is my absolute pleasure to be escorting you on this fine evening," he said, bowing. "Tonight, I am your King, and yours to command as you see fit."

Riley
, Damon cursed quietly so as not to be heard.
I should have known,
he murmured, clenching his jaw.

Emily took Damon's arm and gave him a gentle tug. "Shall we go in with the others?" she asked in a whisper. She felt Damon's body tense beneath her fingers and frowned, following his steely gaze. "Are you okay… is it someone you know?" she asked quizzically.

"No," Damon answered abruptly, then he caught himself and smiled at her. "I thought it was someone I knew, but I was wrong. The masks, they make it hard, almost impossible to recognize faces. And yes, we should go in," he said, leading Emily along the red carpet behind Caleb and Cindy. "I have to say, you look radiant tonight, Emily. And everything looks amazing. You have done a great job pulling all this together in just a couple of weeks."

"Thank you," she said. "We had a few problems earlier today with the lighting, and setting up the marquee for the band, but it all came together in the end."

"Yes, it most certainly did," he said glancing around at the hive of festivities swarming around him. A boy in a court jester costume cart-wheeled alongside the red carpet, while a fire-eater swallowed a flaming sword. "Are you dressed up as anyone in particular, tonight?" he asked Emily.

"The Lady of  Shalott," she replied, smiling.

"Oh yes. The girl who fell in love with Lancelot… she died of a broken heart," Damon said, hoping that Emily was not going to make the same mistake. His gaze shifted again, returning to Grace. He watched every graceful move as she sashayed casually along the red carpet with her hand placed in the crook of Riley's arm. On their left, Amber and Jackson walked arm-in-arm. And to the right, Sonndra and Andrew held hands. Slightly behind them walked Angela, Joshua, and Clair.

Angela's head shot around, her eyes locking onto Damon's. Silently, she said to him, '
Remember your promise... please, it's too dangerous. Just stay away from her
...' Then she abruptly turned away, placing her small, gloved hand in the crook of Joshua's arm. Joshua's smile was radiant as he placed his hand tenderly on the top of hers.

Then he leaned down toward her, letting his lips brush against her hair. "You look beautiful," he whispered into her ear.

Damon turned away then, too, and bowed his head. Did Angela have any idea how hard that was for him, to stay away? He wondered. If he had a chance to speak with Grace, tell her who she was… explain everything, then she would understand. Perhaps Angela was wrong. If he could take Grace away somewhere safe, he would be able to protect her. He had to try.

It was in that exact moment that he missed Grace when she turned around to look at him. He did not see how her brow furrowed when she noticed Emily's arm cradled in the curve of his, or how she stiffened when Damon eventually raised his head to look at Emily and laugh at something she said.

By the time Damon had searched her out again, Grace had turned away, grasping Riley's arm a little tighter to steady herself from the shock. Riley smiled, placing his hand gently on top of hers, and she gulped down the urge to cry. She had been right. Damon liked Emily more than her. She hadn't wanted to believe the gossip she'd overheard in the girls' bathroom at school. How Emily and Damon were more than just friends. How they had shared a romantic night together at the beach. The very same night he had left her alone with just a scribbled note. She had no choice now but to forget about him and move on. And that was exactly what she intended to do. She had waited for him long enough. What a fool she had been.

At the end of the red carpet a refreshment stand had been set up, with cold drinks.

"Can I get you something to drink, Grace?" Riley asked. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"We'll go and find a table," Sonndra and Amber echoed, dragging Andrew and Jackson along after them.

"Is there anything in particular you would like to drink?" Riley asked, and Grace shook her head.

"Okay," he said leaving her with Angela. "I'll be back in a second."

"I'll come with you," Joshua said lining up alongside him at the counter.

A girl with bright pink hair behind the stand said, "Hi Riley, what'll it be?"

"Oh, hi, Stella, you're working here tonight, too? Didn't you have a shift today at the Bean?"

"Yeah. I don't know many people here tonight, so I thought I might as well make some extra money."

"Holly is working here tonight, too. Have you seen her? And I'll have a Coke and a lemonade," he added, handing her the money.

"Yeah, I saw her earlier. She asked to be assigned to the food stalls. Over there, see?" she said, pointing over his head. He turned and nodded, catching his sister's eye, and she waved. "Come find me on your break, okay?" he said to Estella. "And I'll introduce you to some friends."

"Sure. Are you with those guys over there?" she asked, and Riley nodded. "Oh," she said apprehensively, thinking about the day at the
Bean
when they had all ignored her.

"Trust me, you'll like them," he said reassuringly.

Estella shrugged. "Okay, I'll catch you later, then," she said, turning away to serve Joshua.

"Pretty good night, don't you think?" Clair said, looking around at all the colorful costumes, then skyward. "Look at that, there are a million stars... have you ever seen so many?" Angela followed Clair's line of vision, then looked at Grace.

A boy came rushing up to Clair. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.

She looked him up and down; he was wearing a pope's costume. "Sure, just don't try and convert me, and we'll get along just fine."

"What are you, like a wench or something?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Cool. I love wenches," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

"Are you having a nice night?" Angela asked, walking over to stand beside Grace.

Grace nodded. "I'm going to," she said, then cringed at the ear-piercing sound coming from a microphone. Ten meters away on a raised stage under a white marquee, a band began to play, and couples in front of the stage started dancing.

Riley found his way through the throng of people and put the drinks down on the table next to their group. "Grace," he said putting his hand out, "would you like to dance?"

She buried all thoughts of Damon. He hadn't been thinking about her, so why should she waste anymore of her time thinking about him? "Why of course," she said happily with a curtsy. "I'd love to."

Siena ushered her guest through the crowd, which instinctively parted as she approached. They did not stop to stare at Siena or her guest, or the three black knights who trailed closely behind them, but merely moved aside and went on with their various conversations. It was as though an invisible force had leaned out and pushed them gently aside.

Lyssa saw them first, and walked up eagerly to greet them, her mask concealing a secret smile. She put her arms around Abaddon. "It is so good to see you again, Abaddon," she said. "It has been way too long. I have missed you."

Abaddon returned her embrace. "And I you," he said spinning her around. "And may I just say how sensational you look." The words purred off his tongue as he ran a hand down her long black hair. "Let me guess." He studied her for a moment. "The Black Widow," he said eventually.

Sienna, Theria and Caleb studied the somewhat odd interaction between Abaddon and Lyssa. She had obviously been one of Abaddon's lovers at some point, but none of them had any knowledge of it.

"You are correct, of course. However, I know you read my mind, and that’s cheating," she said playfully. "And may I say, Abaddon, that you are by no means fat enough, or ugly enough, to do justice to Henry the Eighth." Lyssa chuckled then. "Are you here to start beheading wives?" she said, pushing Cindy forward. "Here, you may as well start with this one." Cindy toppled forward, but Abaddon quickly caught her in his arms.

"You must be Anne Boleyn," he said affectionately. "One of my all-time favorite women. And naughty, fancy sleeping with your brother to try to save your pathetic marriage to that horrid King."

Cindy stared up into Abaddon's mesmerizing eyes and shook her head mutely. He tilted his head and smiled at her. Cindy's lips parted slightly. Beautiful, she thought as she felt her heart quicken in her chest. "My name is Cindy," she offered in a hushed voice.

Abaddon steadied her then handed her back to Caleb. "This is yours, I believe."

"Yes, thank you," Caleb said, lowering his head in respect.

"And who do we have here," he said letting his eyes wander over Emily. "Who does this little flower belong to?" he asked as though playing a game.

Emily sighed, wishing everyone would stop referring to her as though she were a flower. "My real name or-"

"I know your real name, Emily," Abaddon retorted as held up his hand. "Wait … don't tell me … you are the Lady of Shalott, the foolish woman who lost her heart over a silly knight." He lowered his hand. "Am I correct?"

Emily stared at him, unimpressed.

Abaddon feigned surprise. "You hurt me, child, that you do not wish to play along. I fear you are more of a thorn than a flower." This made Emily smile. At last, a flower no more, but a thorn. A thorn she could live with.

"Emily," called a girl dressed in a witch's costume. "We need you over here. There’s a problem with the ice machine."

"If you'll excuse me," Emily said, pushing her way past Abaddon, "I have more important things to do." She glanced at Damon, and he smiled at her admiringly as she hurried away.

"Well," Abaddon said. "That one is a little firecracker." Then he turned abruptly to face Damon. "And who are you, boy?" he spat viciously.

Damon gave a slight tilt of his head. "Damon," he said. "It is a pleasure to eventually meet you, Abaddon. But if you will also excuse me, I have things I must take care of."

"Hmm," Abaddon said, waving him away with disinterest. He looked at Siena and licked his lips. "Where can one find someone to eat around here that won't cause too much of a distraction?" he asked. "I wouldn't want to ruin the party on my first night in town…"

* * *

Grace sat alone at the table, waiting for Riley to return with fresh drinks. She smiled as she watched the others on the dance floor. She had to shake her head and laugh when she spotted Joshua coercing Angela onto the dance floor. She took a small paper fan out of her bag and fanned herself with it. She wished it were cooler…

And the strangest thing happened. A cool breeze instantly picked up, and she shivered.

"Grace," a voice said behind her, and she spun around, expecting to see Riley. The smile on her face slipped instantly away, and she felt … she didn't know what she felt. Yes, she did. She felt angry. Angry and hurt.

"Damon, this is not the right time. I am-"

"Please, just let me explain. Can we go somewhere where we can talk?"

"The last time you wanted to talk, if I remember correctly, you ran off to be with someone else." She clenched her fists on the table. He reached across to lay his hand on her knotted fist. "Don't," she said, snatching it away. "It's too late!"

"It doesn't have to be. Just let me explain, please. I want to be with you. I have only ever wanted to be with you. There is no one more important to me than you are..."

"And what about Emily, what would she have to say about that?" Grace asked lifting her chin defiantly. "Emily doesn’t look like nothing to me. And you ran off to be with her on the night you ran out on me. Do you know how that made me feel, do you?" She folded her arms across her chest. "How would Emily feel if she saw you sitting here with me? Or is that part of your game? Do you like having women swooning after you?"

Damon dropped his head. "Emily would be hurt. But it isn't because of anything that I have done."

"Oh right, you're the innocent party. Poor Damon, so many girls chasing him…"

"Grace, if you would just give me five minutes, I swear I will never bother you again." He glanced around; he knew the time he had left to get through to her was quickly running out. If it wasn't Angela or Riley, it would be someone else. Someone far worse than both of them put together… "Please," he said. "Five minutes is all I need."

She looked at him. Five minutes couldn't hurt, she decided. "Okay, five minutes, and that's it," she said taking her mask off and letting him help her up.

He saw Angela and Riley, then Theria. He had to hurry. He took a firmer grip on her hand. "Come on," he said, running with her through the crowd, toward the deserted cliff face on the other side of the building.

Grace felt exhilarated as she ran, the adrenaline racing through her veins, driving her forward. She looked up at Damon and laughed as they emerged from the crowd into the stillness and the shadows of the deserted car park. She dropped the mask at her feet and smiled, then twirled around until she felt giddy. "That was fun," she said, panting, catching her breath. Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. He took her face in his hands and kissed her until her breathing slowed, and she kissed him back.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a boy in a court jester costume asked as he stepped out of the shadows. "I do hope you are intending to share," he said, pulling a girl along behind him by the arm. Damon pushed Grace behind him.

A hybrid, Damon thought. Someone has been busy. First Adam, then Tony and Eric… and those were just the ones he knew about. He let out a guttural growl in warning, but the boy did not budge.

"Oh come on, be a sport. Mine's all but empty."

He tugged harder on the girl behind him, and she staggered forward, swaying on her bare feet beside him. Her head was lowered, but Grace still recognized her.

"Clair," Grace shouted, pushing past Damon to catch her as she began to fall.

The boy grabbed Grace by the arm and swung her around. "Forget her, she's all but dead."

Another boy in a black knight's costume, whom Damon had not seen coming, pounced on him from behind and ploughed him into the ground.

Grace struggled in her captor's hands. She looked from Clair to Damon, and wondered which one needed her the most. Her heart started to pump harder, faster. She could feel the blood coursing through her veins. The boy let her go with a jolt, and was thrown back up against the wall of the building, as though he had been struck by a bolt of invisible lightning.

Grace knelt down and tried to pull Clair to her feet.

"Get her out of here," Damon shouted. And Grace nodded.

"What about you?"

"I'm fine," he said, punching the knight in the side of the head, stunning him just long enough for Damon to get to his feet.

A clap of thunder boomed overhead, whipping up a howling gust of wind across the ocean.

"Go… before more get here, go!" Damon shouted over the wind and thunder. He saw another figure approaching, but Grace had already turned away, pulling Clair along after her. He leaned down and snapped the knight's neck just as Grace turned back to look at Damon. She gasped, and a vision of Eric's face in Damon's hands flashed before her. Then she screamed at a ghostly face, its dark eyes staring as cold fingers grabbed her arm, pulling her away. "Let go-" she began to shout, then stopped as she recognized the old man's face. It was the Chinese deliveryman from the
Flying Wok
.

"Mr Chan," Grace said as the wind whipped strands of her hair across her face. "What are you doing here?" she shouted over the howling wind, as it lashed around them.

"Catering," the old man said, flashing a toothy, gold grin.

"No, wait. I have to help Clair-"

"It's okay, Grace. I've got Clair," Zach said, scooping up the girl and carrying her away.

Grace turned back toward where Damon was fighting off another attacker, a woman this time, in a purple gown. She had attached herself to Damon's back and was snapping as his throat like a rabid dog. "Someone has to help Damon," she cried to Zach.

"You don't need to worry about Damon. He'll be fine," Zach said. Then he mumbled. "It's because of his kind that we're in this mess."

Grace strained to hear him over the wind. "What did you say? What do you mean, his kind?" Zach just shook his head. He had already said too much.

Grace looked back over her shoulder just as Damon tore a piece of flesh off the girl's arm and spat it out, just seconds before he drove his fist through her chest and she flopped to the ground. Dead. Then with another gust of wind, Grace's vision was completely cut off from Damon. She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a cry.

"It's okay, girl. He'll be fine," the old man said. "But you shouldn't talk about this, okay? You should forget all about this." Grace nodded her head.

Paper lanterns, freed from their housing, blew along the ground like colorful tumbleweeds, being hunted by the wind. Everyone was rushing around searching for shelter as it began to rain. Grace could hear the wail of an ambulance. Then she heard a voice in her head. '
Turn off the storm, Grace,'
it said
. 'Everyone is safe'.
She shook her head to clear it, but she thought about the words and played them over and over again in her mind. Then, slowly, to her complete surprise, the wind began to settle and the rain stopped. Only flashes of lightening lighted up the sky, but that, too, was starting to subside and move further away.

Mr Chan deposited Grace in the staff room with Joshua, and scurried out of the room.

Zach laid Clair down on a staff room table, and said he was going outside to wait for the ambulance. He passed Andrew and Sonndra in the hall. Jackson and Amber came trailing behind. "They're in there." He pointed to the staff room door.

Sonndra rushed up to Clair. "I can't believe this has happened to you again. Are you okay?"

Clair covered her face with her hands. "He just started biting me," she said, showing the wounds on her arms to Grace. Ambrosia was busy shooing teachers and students who didn't need to be there out of the room. "And then another one… I'm not sure how many," Clair said, wiping away her tears. "It was just like…" Her voice trailed off.

"Just like what?" Joshua asked, kneeling down beside her. Grace brought her a glass of water.

"The dog that attacked me at East Point, only those weren't dogs," she said. "They were people. What kind of people do that?" she sobbed as the ambulance officers and Zach came through the door with a gurney. "And I've lost my frigging shoes… again! Will someone
please
try to find my shoes?" She tried to sit, but feeling lightheaded, she quickly lay back down."What kind of people," Grace murmured, thinking about Damon. "What kind of people indeed."