Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
CLEM.
There’s so much to look at as we walk down the alleys of the Labyrinth, I feel like my head is on ball bearings.
This place is so different from Sparkle, it’s mind-boggling. And yet… I already like it here. Really like it.
The streets are literally tunneled out of the rock, the houses dug into the facia, with just their brightly painted front doors and little windows poking out.
There are sconces burning next to their doors.
Lumen gas, I remember Otis calling it. Under each lamp are potted plants.
There are trellises of climbing plants, herbs and tomatoes growing within the arc of light.
Brightly colored flowers add an extra pop of color, close to the yellow, red, and blue front doors.
Glancing up, I notice dozens of lamps that hang over our heads, lighting our way. It’s more like twilight at present, and the lamps give a cozy evening ambience.
“The light varies depending on time of day,” Sammy explains. “Similar to how it is in Sparkle, but not quite as bright.”
A creature with spiky ears, a long snout and spines on their back is outside watering their plants, and they lift their head and show sharp little teeth in a smile as we pass.
“Hi there, Celia,” I hear Otis call out from behind us. “How’s Edmund’s injured paw?”
“Much better, thank you Otis. Tippy’s healing balm really helped.”
“That’s good,” Otis replies. “Tell him get better soon.”
We pass two other monsters perched on stools outside their doors, drinking the same strange green liqueur that Otis, Arlo and Jax imbibed back at the house. They look at me with curiosity, but no animosity.
“Good evening, Sherriff,” one calls. I glance behind me to see Otis salute them with a grin. Arlo and Jax beside him, also wave.
Clearly, everyone knows everyone here.
“This is the east quarter of level one,” Sammy explains as we walk on. “It’s the residential area closest to the markets.”
“Where do you and Arlo live?”
“To the west, on the outskirts. We like it further out; it’s quieter there, and we have more space, and a proper garden, which is rare.”
“How do you keep a whole garden alive?”
“Lots of lumen lights.”
“Are you happy?” I look at her smiling, relaxed profile and already have my answer.
“I am so happy, and you will be too, Clem.” She squeezes my arm. “The Labyrinth is very different to what we’re used to, but life feels lighter here than it ever did in Sparkle. You’re going to love living here.”
“I don’t know how long I’m staying.”
“You can’t go back to Sparkle. Not ever.
” She squeezes my arm even tighter. “I won’t let you, and neither will Jax.
There are bad things happening up there, Clem.
Besides, why would you want to? Everyone is so lovely, so welcoming and accepting.
Even though they’ve had shit piled on them from humans for centuries, no-one judges me for being human.
They’ve welcomed me with open arms as Arlo’s partner. ”
“That’s so lovely.” I sigh.
She side-eyes me. “What do you think of Otis?”
I hesitate, pick my words carefully. “He seems nice. Once I got used to his tusks.”
“Quite hunky, don’t you think?” Sammy snickers close to my ear.
I turn my head and pop my eyes at her. “Sammy Buggins, don’t you dare start…”
Her eyes dance. “Just sayin’… I mean, don’t let his grumpy exterior put you off. He’s soft as butter inside.”
I nod, pin my lips shut. Truth is, far from being put off, I’m finding Otis’s appearance very appealing. I like the sheen of his smooth green skin, the way his short dark green hair spikes on his head, the way his tusks curve out the side of his mouth…
I like his red eyes, so different from human eyes. There are so many nuances of expression flitting through their depths.
I like his huge arms and massive chest. It looks as though he’ll burst the seams of his clothing if he flexes his muscles even slightly.
I don’t admit any of this to Sammy. I’ll never hear the last of it if I tell her I’ve got a case of insta lust for my new boss.
“He seems like a… real gentleman,” I say finally, “And he bakes great cookies,” I add.
“Oh, does he ever! His cookies and cakes are to die for.” Sammy sighs theatrically.
Suddenly the sounds around us amplify, as if echoing from a large arena. I hear laughter and shouting, a babbling mix of languages. “Gosh, what’s going on?” I ask.
“That’ll just be folks at the markets, it’s late trading tonight,” Sammy explains, “You’ll see any moment now.”
As we round a bend, a huge cave opens up before us.
This area is more brightly lit than the alleyways, with myriad sconces, and the ceiling is much higher than the tunnels we’ve been walking through.
The domed rock above is strung with even more sparkling lights.
There are rows of stalls everywhere, laid out with fruit and vegetables, pots of jam, and baked goods that smell divine.
Other stalls sell hardware, pots and pans, and still others display swathes of brightly colored material, and silver and gold jewelry.
I gape at the monsters of all shapes and sizes milling around the stalls.
There are lizards with iridescent scales, bird-headed animals with lions’ bodies, small dragon-like beings with wings, a few minotaurs, and some creatures that look almost human except for their facial features being flatter, or the color of their skin being different, or the bottom of their body resembling the hind legs of a horse.
Scales, wings, horns, tails all mingle harmoniously.
I grind to a halt, wide-eyed.
Sammy laughs. “What d’you reckon?”
“Beautiful!” I sigh, loving the sound of their different languages, peppered with human words that I do recognize.
Sammy laughs as she looks at my awed face. “It’s all pretty amazing, right? Don’t worry if in a day or two you get a case of Labyrinth overwhelm. I did, but Arlo got me through it.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“It’s when your mind gets overstimulated, like culture shock, I guess, and then you go all wobbly and tearful for a time. But it passes.”
“I very much doubt that will happen,” I respond jauntily. No way am I, Clem Summers, going to get overwhelmed by this place. And I certainly won’t cry.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine, you’ve always been tougher than me,” Clem replies. “Come on, let’s eat.” She leads the way toward a building with brightly lit windows and above it is a sign that reads Welcome to Digger’s Diner. Best hot dogs in the Labyrinth.
My mouth starts watering. It’s early evening by now, I’d guess, and hunger pangs are setting in.
As we enter the diner, my eyes are once again accosted with amazing sights, sounds—and smells.
Most of the tables are already filled with monsters.
Babies squeal, cute little replicas of their parent monsters, with chubby cheeks and upturned snouts and tiny horns.
The adult monsters chatter, and there is laughter, so much laughter.
It strikes me that despite our constant entertainment in Sparkle, this kind of spontaneous, chaotic fun is not something we experience.
In Sparkle, people laugh in a certain way, like they’re constantly trying to impress.
That’s not what’s happening here. There’s so much babbling and infectious joy. Folks reach across tables to grab plates, pass them around, even share food off the same plate.
“Ah, there’s Digger,” Arlo says.
Sure enough, a sturdily built bearded guy with horns is racing toward us on cloven hooves.
He claps Otis and the other guys on the back, kisses Sammy’s hand with a lot of panache, and then his bright blue eyes appraise me. His pupils are oblique; it’s hard not to stare.
“Digger, this is my friend, Clem,” Sammy says. “She’s going to be assisting Otis for a while.”
He bows low and takes my hand. “An absolute pleasure to meet you, Clem, welcome to our humble abode. Let me locate you all a table.” With that he strides ahead, leading us through the restaurant to a large empty table near the back.
Many curious eyes are on us, and a few monsters wave and call out. It’s all good-natured, welcoming, friendly.
When we’re seated, I realize I’m right opposite Otis.
I glance under my lashes at his arm as he straightens his cutlery. His sleeves are rolled up and the play of muscles in his forearms sends a frisson of pleasure down my spine. I do love hunky arms, and the sheriff sure qualifies in that department.
The next moment, the prettiest creature sashays up to our table, lays out a water jug and glasses. She looks almost human, but the pointed ears poking out of her hair belie that notion.
Sammy introduces her as Tippy.
So this is Tippy. She’s petite, about my size, with pixie-cut red hair and a pointed chin. Her nose turns up at the tip, and I wonder if that’s how she got her name. Long silky red ears flex as she gifts me the sweetest smile.
Sammy gives her a brief rundown of how I got here. Tippy doesn’t seem surprised.
“Welcome, Clem. We had an inkling you’d be here soon,” she says, “You and Jax have exactly the same beautiful eyes.” She glances between me and my brother.
“Thank you,” I say, and waggle my brows at Jax. “Tippy just paid us a compliment, Jax.”
Jax raises a brow. “Guess it’s better than you nagging me, eh Tip.”
“Egh, sorry, my brother is so rude.”
“I’m used to it.” Tippy shrugs, and her pretty lips curve higher to match the twinkle in her amber eyes. She really is gorgeous. If Jax has the hots for her, I would totally understand.
And I think maybe he does. When Jax is rude to someone, it usually means he likes them.
Sammy launches in, “Tippy, Clem arrived here in just a bikini—too hard to explain right now, but she urgently needs some clothes. I’ve leant her one of my dresses, but, well, as you can see, she’s drowning in it. I reckon you two are the same size. Could you lend her some stuff?”
“Sure, no problem. I’ll bring some clothes over tomorrow morning. Are you staying at the sheriff’s house?” she asks me.
For some reason, I blush. “Yeah, for now.” I glance at Otis.
“For as long as you need to,” he says gruffly, not quite meeting my eyes.
“Get him to cook you his chewy chocolate chip cookies.” Arlo laughs.
“Oh yeah, and his apple strudel cake.” Sammy rolls her eyes blissfully. “It’s unbelievably moist.”
She gives me a saucy eyebrow waggle, which I pretend not to notice.
Meanwhile, Otis stares at the tablecloth, a twitch in one tusk the only sign of discomfort as the banter continues.
“Enough guys, enough,” he mutters finally, with a raised hand. “How about we focus on the excellent food at Digger’s instead, eh?”
Tippy grins. “Right-oh, Sheriff, I’ll take the orders.”
Twenty minutes later we’re all tucking into our meals. Mine is a juicy burger loaded with a delicious pickle called tantarillo and green goddess mayonnaise.
When Sammy says, “Okay, guess it’s time to share our big news with you, Clem,” I put my burger down and look at her. “You’ve been dropping hints all evening,” I say. “Time to come clean.”
Sammy reaches for Arlo’s hand across the tabletop.
“Arlo and I are having a youngling.”
I blink, unsure what she means.
“A baby, Clem. I’m expecting Arlo’s baby.”
My jaw drops. “Oh, that is amazing!” I burst out. “Like, super-amazing!”
It is amazing. A miracle in fact. And not just because Sammy is pregnant by a minotaur, which up until now I hadn’t known was even possible.
The fact that Sammy is pregnant at all is a miracle.
Here’s the thing. The population of Sparkle City has been dropping dramatically over the past fifty years.
Not that it was ever great—humans have struggled to have babies since the apocalypse.
But nowadays, getting pregnant without fertility treatments is almost impossible, and even with treatment it’s not guaranteed.
Every couple’s journey is overshadowed by the worry of whether they will conceive.
If you are wealthy enough, or you win the ballot every year, you might get onto a fertility program.
You might get a baby, but the odds are still low.
My bestie came to the Labyrinth a mere three months ago and now—already—she’s expecting a baby. With a minotaur!
I jump up and hug her and then I hug Arlo, the proud father. When I sit down again, it dawns on me why Sammy is wanted so badly by the human authorities.
“When… when you were back in Sparkle,” I say, remembering how Sammy got really sick in the Labyrinth and had to return to Sparkle for treatment, “did you know then?”
“No, the humans found out by doing tests on me, and after that, they wanted to keep me to experiment on our baby.”
That whole story sure was a nightmare; one none of us need to relive.
But now, the upside…is a baby. With Arlo.
Wow, just wow!
I glance around the table. Everyone is looking dewy eyed. Even Jax’s eyes have gone kind of hazy. I inhale softly as I glance at Otis to gauge his reaction. All his fierceness is erased and his eyes glow from within.
My heart flip flops in my chest. I keep getting glimpses of another side to Otis: the occasional smile that lights up his features, the way he greets the public so warmly, a guy who bakes cookies just for the love of it. He sometimes gets the gentlest, kindest expression on his face.
I wonder what has happened with his family to make him seem so… alone.
It doesn’t feel right.
I’m glad I’ll be staying with him.
Because something tells me that behind his grumpy facade, this big green guy is actually in need of company.