Read Online Angel Arias by Marianne de Pierres - Free Book Online Page A

she’d accompanied her mother on an errand to the east side of the Seal Enclave and seen them chase down a young man. Her mother had covered her eyes from the spectacle and Naif hadn’t dared to ask what happened. Afterwards, though, her mother’s distress had haunted her.
    Now the wardens’ footsteps faded in one direction, leaving the doorway empty.
    ‘Need help you,’ said a voice from behind them in the deep wall shadows.
    Markes and Naif jumped.
    ‘Who are you?’ Markes demanded, fear making him sound angry.
    ‘Ask same,’ said the voice.
    Naif began to feel around on the loft floor, searching for a piece of wood or anything she could use to defend herself. Her fingers connected with what felt like a rusty container; heavy enough still to be carrying its contents. ‘Come closer so we can see you.’
    ‘You come close me.’ The voice sounded mistrustful.
    ‘We can’t see where you are.’
    ‘Problem you. Not me.’
    Markes shifted a little closer to the shadows.
    ‘There,’ he said. ‘Meet me halfway.’
    The person in the shadows didn’t reply, nor did he move.
    Markes shifted again until his legs disappeared into the darkness at the back of the loft. Naif wanted to pull him back to her.
    ‘Please come out,’ Markes said. ‘We are hiding. Like you.’
    Another silence was followed by a slithering noise. A face appeared in the gloom, hollow-eyed. The boy was not much older than them, if at all.
    ‘What are you doing here? No one lives in the Old Harbour,’ said Naif.
    ‘You come from sky. Pirate bring,’ said the boy.
    Naif’s hand tightened around the can. She leaned forward and touched Markes’s shoulder with her other hand. ‘The wardens will come soon with the hounds, Markes. We have to move on.’
    ‘Can’t hide from hounds,’ said the boy.
    Markes didn’t answer Naif, concentrating on the boy. ‘I am Markes and this is Naif. What’s your name?’
    The face retreated to the darkness.
    ‘Don’t leave yet. Are you hungry? Have some of these.’ Markes reached in his pocket and held out some of the bread that Ruzalia had given them.
    Without warning, an arm flashed from the dark and something curled around the bread, whipping it back into the shadows as quickly as it appeared.
    Naif started backwards from it, stopping only because her hand grazed the sharp edge of the loft.
    ‘Naif, give me your bread,’ said Markes. He didn’t turn, but stretched out his hand to receive it.
    ‘Markes –’
    ‘Please.’ His insistence surprised her. Markes had never been so firm before. On Ixion, he’d been either dreaming about his music or too numbed by the pods and beads the Ripers gave them.
    She dipped into her pocket and handed the bread over.
    Markes held out his hand again, palm flat, thumb tucked down, as if feeding an animal.
    The arm flashed out again, though less fiercely, deftly removing the food from his hand. An arm without a hand or finger, only squirrelling tentacles.
    Footsteps outside. Loud. And then the chilling, hollow bark of a hound. Other hounds joined in a chorus that pierced Naif with terror.
    ‘Markes!’ Her chest tightened again. It was fear doing it. Fear of this place. Her home.
    The boy’s face appeared in the gloom. ‘Come. Show you way.’
    Neither of them moved.
    The boy moved out of the shadow. His head and body were human but his arm and hand were . . . Night Creature .
    He unfolded a tentacle to both of them. ‘Follow quick or hounds eat you.’
    A warm, suckered digit wound around Naif’s wrist and pulled her towards the dark. She quelled her instinct to recoil and let it guide her. Anything . . . anything was preferable to being taken by the wardens. She would never let that happen again.
    The dark that enveloped them was only a couple of body lengths deep. She bumped against Markes and their hands briefly touched. Naif wanted to speak but the hounds were in their building now, scraping at the floor, their barking echoing all around.
    The