Flying Without Wings

After feasting on fat figs, fresh dates and flaky baklava I sat down on one of the golden benches with another champagne saucer of prosecco. I nestled in among the soft silky pillows in a sweet and tipsy coma. Lazily I shook off my heavy winter coat and started to really look around me. Bastian and I appeared to be the only new comers to the party, everyone else was laughing, dancing and touching one another as if they had known each other for years. The drinks flowed and the food platters were never empty no matter how many people went up with empty bowls and wide eyes and left with overflowing ones and happy smiles. Beautiful harmonies continued to play, I watched as a few men danced about with the singing blue birds twirling around them. It really was the most extraordinary revelry. An out of breath dancer broke free from her partner and flopped down on the bench next to me. Her chubby cheeks and lips were flushed red and her thick orange hair was all in a tangle. She was clothed in a flowing white lace dress with her undergarments showing through the thin material.

“Hello.” I said smiling at her, she looked sweet and friendly, not at all like Zenasia.

“Ah hello, you must be new here. My name is Evelyn.” She smiled puffing and fanning her glistening face.

“Beatrice,” I laughed holding out my hand, “have you been here long? I’ve been here only a few hours, strange place isn’t it.”

“I’ve been here about four years I think.” Evelyn trailed off and looked into the distance before snapping back. “But you’re right it is the most amazing house, or did you say strange? Anyway there is always music and dancing and food and champagne, I could live here forever and I probably will.”

“Did you say you have been here for four years?” I must have heard her wrong.

“Yes about four years, see you can’t really leave, you know not once you give up your Angha…but why would you ever want to leave a place like this.” Evelyn giggled manically.

“You gave up your what? What’s an Angha?” it’s the second time this strange word had been said to me tonight and I had a feeling I didn’t want to know the answer.

“Oh you know, you brought one here, he is over there wrestling with that ham bone.” Evelyn laughed and pointed at Marvillo, he really was wrestling with a ham bone, he had it by the knuckle and was hovering over the food table trying to carry it away with him

“An Angha, so that’s what he is, I didn’t know we have only had him for a few months. Are there more of them?” My fears about Marvillo being our treasure and an Angha were true, I knew he must be the reason why we had been invited, I knew I had to try to get more information out of Evelyn, Zenasia wasn’t going to tell me anything.

“There was once,” Evelyn drifted on, “and they used to be a lot bigger, and have colorful feathers like a peacock on their wings and tails, but most of them died out during the wars of the last few decades. Now they take on the shape and size of the common dog and their wings are long and leathery, still just as beautiful if you ask me. They are quite rare now, and tend to stay with their chosen person, they used to fly around the streets you know, you are lucky to have one, they really are a gift.” She was staring at Marvillo her eyes slightly misty.

“Chosen person? He just showed up on our doorstep one night. We didn’t know what to think of him, I assumed he was the result of some cruel experiment that went awry, you see that sort of stuff on them news. I thought he was abandoned so we took him in of course, I’ve always loved animals.”

“Oh no, there are no accidents in this world… why do you keep saying we? He can only belong to one person, he must have chosen you, he already knows you,” she paused and looked around us then leaned in and whispered in my ear. “Don’t let them take him away.”

“Who?” I asked my heart felt like it was in my throat, the fear I had felt when I first came into this house was gripping me again.

“Hello ladies getting to know one another I see.” Rang out Zenasia’s sing song voice. She floated over with two fresh glasses of purple liquid. “Here you are darling Beatrice, your glass is empty again I see, are you having a good time?” She smiled sweetly and held out a glass. I took the bubbling flute and had a sip, lavender and lychee, superb.

“Yes,” I hated Zenasia already and my mind was racing, I wanted to get out of this place, “it is a very lovely room and this is a very extravagant party, thank you for inviting us to your home.” For some reason I felt afraid of Zenasia and didn’t want to make her angry. I looked around for Bastian and spotted him dancing with a beautiful blonde woman wearing a very short gold sequinned dress. I glared at the back of his head, why didn’t he feel the need to leave too, I turned back to Zenasia. “But if you don’t mind me asking, why did you invite us? And how did you find us?” I already knew why she invited us, but I didn’t know how, or how she knew Marvillo’s name,

“Oh never mind how we found you dear, we invited you because you seem like lovely people and I wanted you to join our party, maybe even our family. You can come here every night and stay, stay here forever. You and Bastian would like that wouldn’t you.” She smiled her sickly sweet smile again.

“That’s very kind, and unusual… but what about Marvillo? I don’t see any other Angha here.” I hated sucking up to her and wanted to scream at her she was crazy and leave, but I had a feeling if I did that the exact opposite would happen.

“Oh he is welcome in the house too of course, just not here where you are. He really is a darling creature and just a puppy how special. Would you call him over for me?” Her fake voice and matte black smile gave me goose bumps, but I obliged her and called Marvillo to me. He had finally succeeded in wrenching the ham bone off the table, despite Bear’s lumbering swats, and was gnawing on it enthusiastically under one of the golden benches. At my call he sat up and happily came over, dragging his hammy bone along the green ground with him.

“Ha darling creature, I haven’t seen a schnauzer Angha for quite some time, beautiful, just beautiful. Come here boy.” Zenasia bobbed down and clicked her fingers at Marvillo trying to tempt him to go to her. He gave another little growl and looked up at me his bushy white eyebrows flapped at me, I felt he thought she was as crazy as I did. He ignored Zenasia and went back to gnawing on the prized bone, the meat was turning his white paws pink.

“How is it that you know so much about these, these Angha? I didn’t even know Marvillo was an Angha until tonight, or that there was more of them.” I was trying not to sound suspicious, but felt like it was obvious that I didn’t trust her.

“Oh just a passion of mine dear, I’ll give you some literature and you can learn all about them and their magic too, then tomorrow when you return here we can discuss it in more detail.”

“I’m not sure we will be able to come again tomorrow night… did you say magic?” I frowned at Zenasia, maybe she really mad just a mad rich women, she wouldn’t be the only one in Cullen.

“Oh yes and I would like it if the three of you would come back tomorrow, here is another invitation. “She handed me a red envelope which I took from her and placed into my coat pocket without a second thought. It reminded me of the red envelopes that the Chinese gifted money in, this was not filled with cash though.

“Oh and once you accept one of my invitations, like you just have, it is binding.” She gave a nauseating sneer and rose from the bench. “So I shall be seeing you tomorrow then,” she turned and grabbed Evelyn roughly by the hand “and you missy have said quite enough for this evening I think, grab yourself another drink and off you trot with Bear?”

“I don’t want to go.” Evelyn began but I could see Zenasia’s hand grip her plump wrist and pull her up sharply.

“Darling you have said enough, Bear!” Zenasia’s violet eyes flashed black with anger but her sickly smile didn’t leave her face. Obediently Bear came trotting over, he was now wearing a white chef’s hat and apron that was splattered in chocolate as was his face. With a guilty look he tried desperately to wipe the chocolate away from his mouth with his sleeve before Zenasia scolded him. He looked like a guilty schoolboy that had just been found with his hand in a cookie jar. He grabbed Evelyn’s pudgy wrist with his free arm and snorted at her. Zenasia gave him a quick nod and he easily pulled Evelyn to her feet despite her resistance. He pulled her through the crowd of dancing and singing guests, they parted making a path just long enough for Bear to walk through then came back together without a second glance at poor Evelyn. They were clearly used to this sort of thing and it wasn’t going to ruin their partying.

“Ok well thank you for the wonderful food and drinks and for inviting us to this party, but it’s getting rather late.” I tried to sound polite rising from the bench too.

“Ok darling I think you are right, you have seen enough tonight but I will see you both tomorrow.”

“Of course.” I tried to grin at her but felt my lips sneer into a grimace; I grabbed Bastian and pulled and him away from the trollop he was happily talking to and pushed him towards the door we had come through. “Bastian, it is time to go.”