A Monster's Paradise (Away From Whipplethorn Book Three) Read online

  I sat up and patted Iris’s hand. “It’s almost time to go.”

  Iris sat up, rubbing her eyes. When she stopped rubbing, they went wide. “I hear phalanx.”

  Hearing phalanx is easy for Iris, but I can only hear them when they’re right up on me. I looked around and spotted them at once, coming around a display cupboard. They were in a diamond formation. Each of their shiny black shells fitted tightly together like scales on a snake. They scuttled toward us and I felt a familiar sense of relief. Back at the antique mall, the commander was the best of the best. He was loyal to Soren and his title was inherited like royalty. I smiled. Finally, things were going my way.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  THE SHELLS SURROUNDED us, but remained in their defensive position. I took Iris’s hand and stepped forward. The shells matched my movement, keeping the circle around us intact. Then we walked to the right and again they matched us. Iris grinned, but I was getting impatient. A group of humans walked by and I caught sight of a watch. It was almost time to meet Marie. We didn’t have time for this.

  “Well, it was nice not quite meeting you. We’ve got to go,” I said, spreading my wings.

  The shells popped up all at once, revealing the creatures underneath. Like the phalanx of the mall, they were the blackest black and hairless with extremely white teeth and large knobby knees. But these French phalanx were much taller than the commander’s troops. They came up to my chin instead of my chest and each one wore a red knit cap, pulled low nearly to their eyes, which held none of the commander’s warmth. Suddenly, I remembered the commander had known I was a kindler from the moment we met. He was kind enough not to expose my gift, but I sensed these phalanx weren’t of his ilk at all.

  “We’ve got to go,” I said. “Come on, Iris.”

  “But they haven’t said anything yet. Maybe they can help us. They are phalanx,” she said.

  “We really should leave.”

  The phalanx leaned forward, all their black eyes upon us. I got a shiver down my back and a sharp pain in my swollen leg.

  “You are Americans?” asked a phalanx to our right.

  “Yes,” I said.

  Iris clapped her dimpled hands. “And we know a lot of phalanx. Do you know the —”

  I squeezed her hand hard. “We met some phalanx once. Very nice. Good guys.”

  “Which side are you on?” said another.

  “Declare your allegiance.”

  “What help do you need?”

  Iris opened her mouth and I squeezed her hand again.

  “What do you want here?”

  “Who are you with?”

  My palms tingled. I closed my fists tight and then pushed Iris behind me. Enough of this. I wouldn’t be interrogated by some pip-squeak weirdos. “Who’s in charge here? Who’s your commander?”

  The phalanx directly in front of us stepped forward. “We are all free fairies. We require no commander. There will be no yoke to harness our strength. Do you disagree? Do you think we should be ruled by an unjust king who lines his pockets with the blood of the people?”

  “Not at all. We’re visitors here.”

  “You pick a curious day to visit the Temple of Reason.” The phalanx held out his hand and another one rushed to put a leg into it. A cockroach leg. Iris shuddered and I swallowed hard. And I thought the commander’s fly legs were bad.

  “What’s your name?” I asked as the phalanx munched on the leg, spraying bits of exoskeleton onto the wood.

  “I ask the questions here.”

  I wanted to point out that he might say they were all equal, but clearly he was the commander. The realization gave me an idea.

  “I apologize. My sister and I have heard stories of the great revolution. I only wanted to know if I was talking to one of the leaders.”

  The phalanx stood up a bit straighter, but said, “We are all equal. You came to join our cause. I am Camille.”

  I felt Iris’s stare, but we had to find out where the vermillion were. If I could get the information from these nuts, I had to do it.

  “We’re on your side. We were hoping to get here before the king is overthrown.”

  “You’re in luck. Today is the beginning of the end for the devil Bourbons,” said Camille.

  “What’s today?”

  The phalanx spread his arms wide, waving the cockroach leg. “We are assembling. The king has decreed that we have no right to assembly. They will be coming.”

  “There’s going to be a battle here, today? But there are civilians out there. How will you protect them?” I asked and tingles went down my arms. Flames nearly burst from my palms. They so wanted to be free.

  Camille popped off his shell and stepped on it, making him eye level with me. “You wish to fight, don’t you? There’s something about you. Something we can use.”

  Iris pressed against my back and I felt her ragged breath on my neck.

  “I’m just a wood fairy. Pretty ordinary.”

  “I don’t believe so. What’s your name?”

  “Matilda Elliot and this is my sister, Iris. We’re really just tourists.”

  “Not anymore.” He snapped his fingers and another phalanx produced a strange piece of iridescent green shell. It resembled a sword, but was much more curved, almost L shaped. The first phalanx turned it over in his hands and then held out one end to me. I grasped it where fabric had been wrapped and blinked at its lightness. It was almost like there was nothing in my hand at all.

  “What is it?”

  “A scimitar made from the scale of a sea serpent. You will join us. I can see it in you,” said the phalanx.

  I kind of wanted to. The sword felt right in my hand the way Bentha’s swords never did. But it wasn’t my fight. I didn’t even know which side was right. Plus, Mom would totally freak out if I got Iris involved in another battle today or any day for that matter.

  “Who will be here?” I asked. “The king and his people?”

  Camille scoffed, stepped off his shell, and popped it back on. “That fat lout won’t come out of his hiding place.”

  I swung the sword and tried not to look too interested. “If you knew where he was, you could bring the fight to him.”

  The phalanx eyed me, gauging my interest.

  I tried to keep Penrose out of my head and off my face. I needed that location, but it couldn’t show.

  “I like the way you think and we do know, but the Louvre is well-protected.”

  “He’s in the museum. That’s an awfully big place to guard. I’m sure you could get in.” I avoided his eyes and tested the blade with my thumb. It sliced it open with the slightest touch and I winced at the hot sting.

  “Plans are in the works.”

  Another phalanx whipped his cap off his head and twisted it in his hands. “If the gold feathers don’t get there first. They will seize power. They know about the Louvre.”

  “They don’t know about the king’s apartment,” said another.

  Camille raised his hand and they instantly clamped their mouths shut. “And now you know.”

  “I don’t know anything.” I tried to hand back the sword.

  “Yes, you do. How do I know you’re not a spy sent by one of the other factions?” asked Camille.

  “I didn’t even know there were factions,” I said.

  Iris spoke in my ear. “Someone’s flying this way.”

  A pair of very large fairies flew in from the treasury entrance. The phalanx spread out and they landed in the center of the circle with their enormous yellow and white striped wings draping on the ground. They were the biggest winged fairies I’d ever seen, four times the size of Dad. They both stared at me with dark brown eyes, giving me a chance to take in their sharp features and pointed chins.

  “What is it?” asked Camille.

  The huge fairies doffed their red caps.

  “Who are they?” one asked.

  “Don’t worry yourself. They’re one of us now.”

  “Actually, we were ju
st going,” I said.

  Camille snapped his fingers and the phalanx seized us from behind.

  “You’re not going anywhere. I won’t kill you now, because I like the look of you. But you will serve the people.” Camille turned to the huge fairies and spoke in French. Then he smiled at me. “Now you will have a chance to prove your loyalty. The royal guard is headed this way and the revolution you so longed to see is about to start.”

  Iris shook behind me. She couldn’t fight. She could barely stand upright in a stiff wind.

  “No. No. We’re not ready to fight. We’ve had no training,” I said. “My sister is young. She isn’t ready.”

  Camille rubbed the remains of the roach leg on his chin. “I can see the difference between you. No matter. You will fight for the people and your sister will make sure that you do.”

  “Sorry. No.” I whipped around and punched the phalanx holding Iris. “Go!”

  Iris took off with me right behind her. She was pretty fast for her, but I zipped ahead, darting for the door. I looked back just before I reached it and saw one of the huge fairies tackle her in midair. He enveloped her and they tumbled down. He snapped out his wings just in time before they hit the floor and he had Iris wrapped in his arms.

  So close.

  Camille crooked his finger at me and I flew back. The huge fairy landed beside me. Iris sobbed in his arms.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Quiet,” I said. “It’s not your fault.”

  Camille stalked over. “I see you’ve reconsidered what you can do.”

  “Not really. I can’t fight.” I had to say it. I had to pull out the girl card. “I’m just a girl. I can’t do anything.”

  All the phalanx and the two fairies laughed.

  “From the look of you, I think you’ll do well enough,” said Camille. “You better for the sake of your sister.” He motioned at the fairy holding Iris and he lifted her chin. Camille held his finger out and made a line in the air. At the same time, a red line appeared on Iris’s throat.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “Let’s call it inspiration. You fight well, the line disappears. You betray us and your sister loses her head.”

  I held out my hand and Camille placed the scimitar sword in it.

  “Égalité! Égalité!” I shouted.

  The phalanx joined in, lifting their shells above their heads. I’d only seen such fervor on the human’s international news and it was never a good thing.

  I grabbed Iris’s hand. “Don’t worry. It’s all good.”

  Tears streamed down her face. “But you can’t do what you usually do.”

  The fairy holding her raised an eyebrow at me.

  “I’m good.” I showed her the sword. “I have this thing, don’t I?”

  The phalanx snapped on their shells and the huge fairies lifted off. Iris struggled, but he held her with ease.

  Camille shoved his red cap on my head. “You are with me.”

  The phalanx formed their diamond and Camille disappeared within their ranks. They scuttled past me, up the stone wall, and followed the huge fairies out through a crack in the frame. I hovered beside the frame, holding my sword and praying.

  Lrag and Bentha, please see us.

  I darted into the crack, passed through the darkness, and then out into the brilliant sunshine. The phalanx were zipping across the exterior wall with tremendous speed. I expected Camille to look up to make sure I followed, but I guess he wasn’t worried. He knew he had me firmly in his grasp. They passed under a flying buttress with me beside them. I was thinking so fast my brain felt hot. I couldn’t get involved in their revolution and I couldn’t not get involved.

  We made it to the front tower, passed over the first corner and then the second. The formation halted next to the right-hand door arches. The huge fairies hovered nearby. Iris had stopped struggling and was talking like crazy to the fairy holding her.

  Yes, Iris. That’s it.

  When he looked away, I mouthed to her. Keep talking. Get him to set you down somewhere. Iris mouthed back. I’ll do it. She had such a look of determination on her pretty face, I smiled in spite of myself. The huge fairy turned back and I dropped my smile. One of the other fairies saw me looking and pointed to the red line still glowing brightly on Iris’s neck. I shrugged.

  “No need to remind!” I yelled. “I’ll do my duty!”

  He smiled at me. A wicked smile that thought it had everything under control. But he didn’t know me. I was never under control.

  “Hey, Camille!” I yelled, turning in my hover toward the formation.

  Camille didn’t pop up. Probably he thought he didn’t need to humor me. He didn’t, but I had to get him away from the others. I had to kill him clean without witnesses.

  “Camille, where’s this battle you promised? Pretty lame out here!”

  It was lame. The same hobgoblin was hopping about on top of the pastry cart. By the look of his lips, there was plenty of obscenities going on, but there certainly wasn’t any fighting.

  “Who am I supposed to fight? How about that stupid hobgoblin? He’s pretty annoying.”

  That got him. Camille popped up and glared at me. “He wears the red cap.”

  “So? Who is the pip-squeak?”

  “That is Augustin Robespierre. The head of the Jacobins, our faction.”

  “Are you sure? He’s pretty silly with all that hopping.”

  Camille flexed his spindly legs, up and down. He looked ready to leap off the wall and tackle me in midair. Good luck with that. But the madder he was, the more mistakes he’d make. Sun Tzu taught me that in The Art of War, my favorite book.

  “Never call Robespierre silly,” said Camille.

  I pointed to the hobgoblin, now spinning. Yes, spinning in a circle with an audience. How that was supposed to inspire the troops? I had no idea. Maybe the French were different. I couldn’t imagine the commander or Daiki spinning around and shouting to get support. “Seriously?” I asked. “You can look at that guy and not think he’s silly?”

  “I’m warning you.”

  “Consider me warned. But I want an answer.”

  Camille popped off his shell and held it in front of him, sharp side out. I was taking a chance, I suppose, but I didn’t think he’d kill Iris to prove a point. He wanted to control me. Iris was the key to that.

  “Are you calling the revolution silly?” He was so mad, his shell shook. Sweet.

  “If he’s your leader, maybe.”

  “I could kill you.”

  “I seriously doubt it. Besides, what good would that do the people?”

  “I’ll kill your sister.”

  “Again, not helping the people.”

  His chested heaved. I’d totally gotten to him. He might’ve been a phalanx, but he was nothing like the commander. The commander never would’ve let me get under his skin. Time to pull back.

  “So if the nutty hobgoblin isn’t my target, who is? Where’s the battle?”

  Camille scanned Notre Dame’s courtyard. Humans milled around, taking pictures and watching the performers. From what I could tell, there were no king’s guard and no enemies. Camille put his shell on and sank down into the formation. The shells vibrated. They must’ve been discussing the situation under cover. Iris looked at me and I mouthed. Keep talking.

  Camille came back up with a hard stare. “I’ll show you a battle. I hope you survive it, so I may use you again.”

  I yawned. “I’m properly terrified.”

  “Bring out the effigies!” he screamed.

  One of the huge fairies soared away to the hobgoblin. As soon as he spoke to him, the silly little thing hopped even more and shouted some orders. I couldn’t see his lips, so I couldn’t tell what he was saying. A group of brown-winged fairies flew up. They held life-size dolls in their arms. It was a family with parents and three children from my age to infant-sized. They had white wings and golden crowns on their heads. The brown-winged fairies
hung the dolls by ropes around the neck from the edge of the pastry cart canopy. Robespierre the hobgoblin screamed and a crowd gathered around the cart, all kinds of fairies, winged and unwinged. I saw trolls, dryads, more hobgoblins, and wood fairies of every description, but not Lrag and Bentha. Marie, Tess, and Judd must’ve been inside, probably looking for us. If I could just tell them what was happening, they could squash Camille like a roach. But they weren’t there. I’d have to get rid of him on my own. I’d never actually killed anyone before, but if it had to happen, Camille was the best candidate I could think of.

  Robespierre danced around above the swinging dolls. The crowd went crazy, pushing and shoving. There were children in that mess, but no parents got them out of the way. They screamed with their kids on their shoulders.

  “Very impressive, Camille,” I said. “Your faction can make dollies. Can you make puppets, too?”

  “We can make a revolution. We can change the fae forever.”

  “Where? Where’s the change?”

  “All around. You’re too stupid to see it.”

  “I can’t see what isn’t there. I see desperate people shouting nonsense. I’ll fight for your revolution. I’ll kill for it. Only I can’t find it, Camille. You need better leadership.”

  He almost threw his shell. Oh, how I wish he had. He would’ve been completely vulnerable. But he just managed to keep ahold of himself and shouted to the mob, numbering near a thousand. “Le feu de la liberaté!”

  Torches were passed hand to hand and placed under the king’s feet. They ignited with a flash and the flames quickly spread to the other dolls. The mob went absolutely mad and Camille smiled at me, baring all of his bright white teeth.

  “Impressive, but meaningless,” I said.

  “It means the end to tyranny.”

  “It means the end to dolls.”

  Camille started screaming in French. I spun around in my hover and that’s when I saw them. Hundreds of the king’s guard converging on the mob. They were armed with clubs and zeroed in on whoever was the closest. That meant women, children, anyone within striking distance. It happened so fast, I think I beat my wings once before the first casualties hit the ground. I spun around. Camille’s mouth hung open. I don’t know what he expected, but that wasn’t it.