Page 56 of Of Mercury and Mist

Patiently, I waited for him to make any requests of me, with my hands folded in my lap, and joined him with perusing the scene spread out before us. After several moments, he reached under the table and grabbed my hands. The sudden contact startling, but I expertly covered up my reaction. We were supposed to be malleable and pleasant, according to Matthew, so our guests felt welcome and had a positive visit. None of the slapping or smacking I’d resorted to with Micha.

“I think tonight is a beautiful evening for a walk through the forest. I can’t wait to show it to you.”

“What do you mean?” I gazed up at him. “Would you like me to go to sleep?”

“No, my dear, that would be very unnecessary,” he assured me, switching his grip on my wrists. He pulled me onto his lap and then everything went black, the sound of rushing wind in my ears. My eyes squeezed shut as he gently held me.

My feet hit the ground, and he kept a grip on me while my head spun at the instant change of location. When he said we were going on a hike, he’d really meant right that very instant.

“How?” I asked, blinking my eyes. “What is this?”

Even though I’d asked, I knew we were back in the woods where we’d first met. This was the same exact spot, evidenced by the slight widening of the path and the oversized oak with long, climbable branches. I’d noted the mammoth tree the last time, but I’d been distracted by the hooded blond and forgotten.

“Where are we?” I asked, gazing in the direction of the massive home I’d been in before and not seeing it. “How is this possible?” The latter question, I murmured to myself as I spun to face Samuel. This was clearly a real place and not an imaginary dreamscape.

“Come,” he said. He began down the path and I followed closely though I doubted he’d let me get lost.

The empty atmosphere, devoid of the hum of vehicles and drone of sirens assured me we were nowhere near New York City. The hyper-detailed dual moons hanging in the sky were another clue this no place I’d ever been in waking life.

“Did you drug my water?”

Samuel shot me a glance. “There’s no need for me to do so.”

“Okay. You would if there was a need?”

His arm snaked behind and snagged me by my forearm, tugging me forward. “Of course, but I don’t poison people unless it's necessary and I have no need at the moment.” I scoffed, shocked at his honesty.

Soon, the path was wide enough I could put some space between us, and I hugged myself, hoping to keep my limbs out of his way. “Why do you want my company? Where are we going?”

“I find you intriguing and I decided to treat myself to the pleasure of your company. There’s no false pretense here. You’re cute, you’re sweet, and spirited, and I thought you’d enjoy a change of venue.”

“But you’re a demon; you people always have an ulterior motive.”

“Self-proclaimed expert on demonology, are we?”

He smirked right as I was about to come back at him. He was joking with me.

“I’ve had some negative experiences with men in the past,” I told him. “Forgive me for not giving you the benefit of the doubt.”

I glanced up at him and he grinned. “Just enjoy the adventure,” he said.

“You forgot to tell me where we’re going,” I said. The trail grew even wider, and I could see a break in the brush ahead, trees framing an exit with lanterns hanging around what appeared to be an ancient road.

He flipped his hood up before answering. “There’s a village just up ahead, we’re going to a bar there for food and drink.”

Once we passed the trees, I took in the small town. At first, it reminded me of a cobblestone area of the Village, a section of lower Manhattan. One of the differences was not only was the road formed of stone, but the sidewalks were as well. With my narrow heels on, I had to lean on Samuel for support.

As buildings came into view, they reminded me of an amusement park attraction modeled after a Gothic fairytale, with their gargoyles, dark and gray stone, soaring jagged spirals, and shuttered windows. It was like walking onto a movie set and I almost expected fire-breathing dragons to land on one of the parapets hundreds of feet above us.

Bay windows and steel-enforced doors graced the storefronts of the medieval style village, and I felt drastically underdressed until a couple women sauntered by wearing even less clothing than I. While their bodies were beautiful, the rest of their features were a stark contrast to what I’d come to expect when in the company of a man such as Samuel. All the men were beyond attractive in their own ways.

“Our women are under a curse. They have been for thousands of years, hexed to have facial flaws. Some female babies escape it, but many do not.” He’d noticed my gawking. “Many have tried to reverse it, but all attempts have failed.”

“What about plastic surgery?”

He shook his head. “They are too prideful for that and those that have undergone procedures find the surgery doesn’t last. It reverts back.”

I couldn’t imagine how awful that would be and immediately felt horrible for the women. “That’s crazy, and so evil. Why would anyone curse someone like that?”

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