A Walk Amongst Shadows (Book 2)

I stepped into the dress that Deja helped me pick out, pulled it up over my hips, and threaded my arms through the tiny straps. Never in my life had I worn something this revealing and I wondered briefly if I had made a mistake. It was nothing compared to some of the other dresses I had tried on, but compared to the clothes I typically wore, it was quite different. The silky black material was cool against my skin and accentuated the parts of my body I liked the most. The thin straps hardly seemed sufficient to hold the whole ensemble up. The front wasn’t cut too low, but the back was cut midway down my back. Deja insisted that it looked great, despite me feeling naked when I first put it on. I had twisted my hair the way Deja had taught me the night before and now my hair hung in loose curls down my back, helping me feel more modest in my new dress. The skirt of the dress hung long and flowed down to my feet. I was grateful that the dress wasn’t form fitted all the way down, it would’ve been impossible to move. I walked downstairs to find Aris waiting for me. Wearing his usual all black, he had slicked his hair neatly back. Turning to face me I saw his jaw drop ever so slightly as his eyes widened.

“Wow.” Was all he said.

“You like?” I asked, twirling for him.

He nodded his head in disbelief, was he actually at a loss for words? I stood on my toes and kissed him on the cheek.

“You clean up well too you know,” I teased, and he really did. I had never seen him so dressed up before.

He flashed me a sly grin. “I have something for you,” he put his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out an oblong box and handed it to me.

“Are we supposed to do gifts?” I asked, feeling guilty that I had nothing for him.

“No, not at all.”

I smiled and flipped open the lid. I gasped as I saw a bright red gem the size of my fingertip sparkling brilliantly in the light.

“Aris!” I exclaimed as I took the necklace out and turned it in my hand. It reflected orange and gold hues, making it look like I was holding a tiny flame in the palm of my hand.

“Do you like it?” he asked, rhetorically, the smile on my face no doubt betraying my feelings about the gift.

“It’s gorgeous! Where did you get it?”

“From a terrified jeweler that was visiting the market.”

I chuckled as I imagined the exchange between the two of them. “Will you put it on me?” I asked.

He nodded. I handed him the necklace and spun around so he could fasten it for me.

“It’s called a firestone,” he explained, “named, obviously, for the different colors it reflects.”

“It’s beautiful,” I looked down at where the gem rested on my chest.

“A lot of people refer to it as a magic stone because in the sun, it looks more like fire. Anyway, when I saw the man was selling them, I thought of you.”

I smiled and kissed him squarely on the lips. He held me closely to him and I felt him run his hand down the skin of my exposed back. I imagine he would’ve been content to have gone promptly to bed with me and skipped the festivities altogether.

“Help me with my mask!” I said excitedly, pulling away from him.

He sighed as he walked to the table where our masks were. I held the delicate gold-plated mask to my face and Aris tied it behind me. I saw my reflection in the darkened window and smiled. The golden lace stood in stark contrast to my black attire. I turned around and saw Aris fastening his in place as well. While my mask was more delicate, his was solid and made of the same sort of gold-plated foil mine was. He was right, with half of his face covered, it was impossible to tell he was a shadow walker. Perhaps we would have a normal night together after all.

“Shall we?” he asked, offering his arm to me.

“Yes!” I exclaimed, clapping my hands together. I slid my arm around his and we made our way to the city.

The sun was just beginning to set as we made our way to the city. I talked anxiously with Aris about what awaited us at the festival as we made our way. So much so that he felt the need to interrupt and console me.

“Rose, you do realize that this is a holiday of indulgences, right? What little formality exists will wear off almost immediately. Then it’ll be nothing but food, drink, dancing, you name it, for the rest of the night.”

I laughed, “I know, I know, it’s just all so new…”

He patted my arm with his free hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay close.” I saw him wink behind his mask and felt my heart melting for him all over again.

We entered the city and I saw a great many masked citizens scuffling around. The closer we got to the castle, the more extravagance I saw. Women wore immaculate dresses and sported intricate hairstyles and the men were dressed just as lavishly if not more so. Just as impressive, were the masks. Some covered up the wearers face entirely. Some were so detailed and ornate that I had no idea how they were being held up. I held tightly to Aris, it would be incredibly easy for us to get separated. We turned onto the market street and saw that celebrations were in full swing. The places where the vendors stood earlier in the day were now replaced by street performers. I heard the rhythmic thumping of drums and saw a woman dancing with fire. My eyes widened in amazement. I had never seen someone move so fluidly and certainly never with fire. Aris pulled me onward. I saw a man with a long blue beard juggling, another dancing woman with a large yellow snake wrapped around her body, and a group of contortionists bending and writhing around in synchrony. I was both amazed and a little disturbed. I heard a few people yelling and laughing as they clinked glasses loudly together and drank. This festival was nothing like what I was used to. I couldn’t help but remember the festival in the village. My heart ached as I thought about my family, how happy we all were on that day.

“Rose?” I heard from behind me. “Rose? Is that you?”

Snapping back to reality I saw Deja flouncing towards me. Even with her mask, her mess of curly hair betrayed her identity immediately. She was wearing the scarlet dress she had picked out on our shopping trip to Anna Maria’s. Her mask was more of a bronze color and covered more of her face than mine did.

“Deja!” I exclaimed, as we excitedly embraced.

“Look at you!” she admired, “I told you that dress was incredible!”

“Thanks,” I smiled sheepishly. “You look pretty incredible as well.”

She smiled and twirled dramatically. I saw her eyes flicker to my left.

“Deja, this is Aris,” I said, anxious to get their introduction out of the way. I could tell Deja was trying to remain nonchalant, but her hesitation was still noticeable.

“Ah yes,” she said, smiling, “the famous Aris, at last. Pleasure to meet you,” she said, extending her hand.

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Aris responded cordially, taking her hand. “Rose speaks quite fondly of you.” Deja beamed. I saw her loosen up.

“Likewise,” she grinned and gave me a wink.

“Come, let’s get a drink.”

We followed Deja through the crowd and into a nearby pub. Deja went ahead of us and was spinning around with three large mugs full of a drink she called meade. Aris and Deja sipped without issue. But the drink was significantly stronger than what I had in Wren’s Glen. I puckered my face as I swallowed it down, much to the delight of Aris and Deja.

“What? Do they not have meade where you’re from?” she teased.

“Not like this,” I shook my head.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it soon enough,” she encouraged.

I had tried several different types of alcoholic beverages since arriving at the city and have yet to take a liking to any of them. Despite my dislike of the stuff, everyone had remained steadfast in their assertions that I would one day learn to love it. Their determination still perplexes me.

We finished our drinks and continued walking through the streets.

“So, tell me Aris,” Deja started, “is it common for shadow walkers to celebrate the Night of Masks?”

Without missing a beat, he answered, “if there is one holiday a shadow walker wouldn’t miss it would be this one.”

Deja chuckled. “So wait, are there a lot of you here then?”

He nodded. I couldn’t tell if she was terrified or intrigued by the information.

“Were you here last year then?” she asked, unable to fully conceal the shock in her voice.

“I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus as of late, but there was a time when I never passed up a good old Night of Masks festival.”

I could see the wheels spinning like mad in her head and could only imagine the questions Deja would have for me the next time we spoke.

“Oh my goodness!” she suddenly exclaimed. “Rose, we have to get you something to eat!”

I stared blankly at her for a moment. “Why just me?” I asked.

Deja chuckled, “not just you. You’ve just never had festival food before!” She inhaled deeply, “don’t you smell it?” she asked as she led us around the corner.

It was like walking into a wall. I was accosted with the savory smell of cooked meats and fried dough. It seemed every vendor on this street was selling food. Unsurprisingly, none of it looked or sounded familiar.

“Hope you’re hungry,” Aris said as he nudged me playfully. “Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten has been from these vendors.”

I raised my eyebrows and looked from him to Deja who was looking expectantly at me. “Okay then, where do you suggest we start?”

“I don’t know about you, Aris,” Deja started, “but I always start with cutlettes.”

“Fine by me,” he replied, then turning to me said, “I think you’ll like it.”

“What’s a cutlette?” I asked, following them both as they led me toward a tent that was set up on the corner of the street.

“You’ll see!” Deja called over her shoulder. I realized we had been shouting at each other. I had been so distracted by the cuisine I hadn’t noticed how crowded this street was. Everyone around me was a buzz with excitement as they crowded around various tents to get their share of their favorite food.

“Come on!” I heard Aris call as he grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd.

I apologized as I squeezed awkwardly past a group of people waiting in line at another table. When I caught up to Aris, I grabbed onto his arm to keep from being separated again. I was looking for where the line started for the table we were approaching before I quickly realized there was no line. Everyone was just shoving their way to the front.

Aris leaned down and said directly into my ear, “you and Deja hold back, I’ll get it.”

I nodded and squeezed past a heavy-set woman to grab Deja. I guided her away from the thick of the crowd and waited for Aris to join us. Lucky for him, Aris was taller than the majority of the people around him and had no trouble getting the attention of the food vendor.

“It seems everyone else has the same idea we do.” I laughed.

“It’s definitely one of the more popular items on the menu,” Deja noted.

“Where are we supposed to eat?” I asked.

Deja giggled, “look around you Rose, you eat where you stand!”

From the moment she said the words I instantly felt silly. As I glanced around, I saw that nearly everyone was holding some sort of food eating as they walked.

“Is that why everything is served on a stick?” I asked. Noticing that those who were not eating meat directly off of a bone were eating off wooden sticks instead.

“Yup,” Deja answered, delighted by ignorance. “Ah! Here comes our food!” she exclaimed flouncing towards Aris who was holding three long skewers of what looked to be some sort of fried meat.

“Here you are,” he said, handing one over to Deja and then to me.

“Thanks!” Deja said, eying the glistening chunks greedily and immediately taking a huge bite off of the skewer she was given.

I examined the skewer I had in my hand.

“What kind of meat is this exactly?” I asked.

Aris and Deja both shrugged.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Deja said in between bites.

I looked back down skeptically at my food and took a small bite. Instantly, I understood why this vendor had drawn such a crowd.

“This is delicious!” I said in between bites. The meat was tender and flavorful.

“Told ya,” Deja said as she went in for another bite.

“A bit saltier than I’m used to…” I noticed, “but still excellent.”

We all stood in silence for a moment as we devoured our food. Aris ended up finishing my skewer for me. Despite its delectability, I was unable to eat it all. Besides, Deja had insisted that I save room for more. I was glad I took her advice as we ended up trying a few more festival favorites. Perhaps my favorite was a fried sweet dough that somehow managed to be both soft and crispy. I could’ve spent the entire evening sampling food on that street, but Deja kept us moving right along.

“And here I thought I’d be the one showing you around the festival,” Aris said under his breath as Deja ushered us down a different street.

“Where are we going now?” I asked her.

“To see more of the festival!” she insisted.

Deja led us down a few other streets. I saw more street performers, people peddling different their unique wares, even a few tents where games had been set up. I was floored by how much there was to do. There seemed to be a little something for everyone at the Night of Masks. As we drew nearer to the city center, I began to hear music. It wasn’t until we were in clear view of main street that I saw the party in full swing. A group of musicians sat at the base of the wall that guarded the castle grounds playing a lively tune while a portly looking man drummed along. The rhythm was infectious, and I felt myself swaying along to the beat. Deja didn’t stay with us much longer after this point. Wanting to avoid an uncomfortable third-party situation, she exchanged a few more pleasantries with us and then flounced off into the crowd to find a partner of her own to dance with. I was impressed by her grace and the ease at which navigating such a socially complex scenario came to her. I doubt that I would’ve come at all if I knew I would be alone.

Once she was out of sight, Aris turned toward me, hand outstretched, and asked, “care to dance?”

I beamed. “I would love to.”

I slipped my hand into his and he led me into the crowd. I couldn’t help but remember the last time I had danced with another man. I was shocked by how effortless it felt this time around. With my eyes locked onto his, I hardly noticed the position of my feet, or the steps we were taking.

“I never realized you were such a good dancer,” I said, smiling.

I saw him smile beneath his mask. “I suppose I am full of surprises tonight.”

We danced together through several songs. Some slow, some fast. Aris led me flawlessly through the dancing crowd, none of whom I paid any mind to. For all I cared, Aris and I were the only two people in the world. I don’t know how long the two of us danced, but we finally decided to move away from the crowd and take a break.

“You know, you’re a rather good dancer yourself,” he complimented as we walked down a different street. I saw a few of the vendors packing up their tents and wondered how late it had gotten.

“If you say so,” I said sheepishly. I had never regarded myself as someone who is light on their feet.

Aris and I continued walking through the streets of the city arm and arm. He told me stories from past festivals. I could tell he was being careful to leave out any mention of other women, and for that, I was grateful.

“So wait, you mean to tell me you actually snuck into the castle?” I asked, bewildered at what he had just told me.

He chuckled. “Yeah, Stellan made a bet that I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Turns out it’s not a terribly difficult thing to do.” He shrugged.

“Seriously? They didn’t try to stop you?”

“The guards at the entrance talked with me for a bit… it’s funny how far confidence can get you.”

“You just waltzed up to the guards and they let you pass?” I was laughing, surely he was messing with me.

“Yup, just pretended like I knew where I was going and who I was looking for.”

“Unbelievable…” I exhaled as I laughed.

“Stellan was a little annoyed at how easily I pulled it off.” He looked smug.

“Did he not join you?”

“Oh he did…” he trailed off.

“What was it like?” I asked.

“Extravagant, to say the least. To be honest, it didn’t really suit either one of us. We got our share of food and drink before leaving though.”

“I don’t doubt it,” I chided. “Tell me a story about when you were a child here.”

I watched his expression change as he thought.

“See that bridge over there?” he asked as he gestured just ahead of us and to the right.

I nodded.

“As you can see, the water that flows below it is quite shallow,” he pointed out as we drew nearer to the creek. “Well, one year, there had been a particularly bad flood, so bad that the water ran directly into and even a little over the bridge.”

I raised my eyebrows as I tried to imagine a roaring river in place of the quiet stream. Aris continued speaking as we approached the bridge. “A few of my friends and I decided to see just how strong the current had become.”

I grinned.

“So we walked all the way up the path and jumped in. The water swept us immediately downstream and into this very wall.” We stopped walking as we reached the top of the bridge. “Of course, we all thought it was the greatest thing ever. So we kept at it over and over. We even made it a competition at one point to see which of us could get to the wall the fastest.”

I chuckled. I could almost see the story playing out as he spoke.

“When my mother found out she was furious. ‘You could’ve drowned!’” he mimicked her scolding words. I watched him slip his mask off his face. “Gods, sometimes it feels like it was only yesterday.” Despite his smile, his eyes were full of sadness. I removed my mask as well and placed my hand delicately on his back. He put an arm around me and pulled in close. I felt his lips brush the top of my head.

“Is it hard being in the city now?” I asked.

“It used to be, but it’s gotten much easier. Especially now that I have you by my side.”

I looked up at him and smiled.

“If I’m being honest, Rose, everything has gotten better since you’ve been here.” He turned to face me, “I love you, so much.” I felt my face flush, and my knees went weak, as he pulled me in softly for a kiss. For a moment, it seemed, time slowed and nothing else existed in the world. What started as a tender kiss quickly began to build. He swept my hair away from my neck and kissed me softly before whispering in my ear, “Perhaps we should go home now.” I leaned in, wanting more as his lips left me and merely nodded. “Come,” he took my hand and led me away from the city, “I can get us back in an instant if you’re feeling brave.”

I tilted my head inquisitively.

He took a step towards me, “Do you feel brave tonight, Rose Rivyn?” he grinned as his eyes filled with black.

I nodded as I recalled how quickly he had moved that night with Stellan in Naogs end.

“Close your eyes,” was all he said before he whisked me up into his arms and away from the city.