Chapter Fourteen Darien #2
“Huh?” Rex is leaning over the seat, grabbing his backpack. He turns around, then peers through the windshield. “Well, one of them. Can’t remember his name. Might be related to Akai.” Rex glances back at me. “He’s also part of the Monster Network.”
“I…uh…” In truth, I’m out of words. It would be in my best interest to simply run with the events unfolding, absorb, then discuss with Rex at a later time. Otherwise, I’ll be jabbering non-stop and doing the exact thing I don’t want to do—embarrass both Rex and me.
I suck in a deep breath and drop out of the cab as Rex does the same. For the foreseeable future, I’ll be glued to his side like a needy chihuahua. Mentally, I know I have nothing to fear. Emotionally, I’m certain a cruel, horrible death awaits.
“What do you want me to grab first?” I figure focusing on mundane tasks will lower my panic level by a notch or two.
“Just your pack for now. We can set up the booth after we check in and drop our things off at the cave.” He plants his hands on his hips. “Hmm… maybe I can get some of these pre-orders picked up, too. That would save a ton of hassle.”
He makes a sharp nod, then pauses. His eyes dart my way. “Umm, I can’t remember if I mentioned this before… I guess I assumed…” He rubs the back of his neck. “I’ll be in my Howler form for the entire event.”
“Oh.”
He hasn’t, but now that I think about it, why wouldn’t he? This is his crowd, his safe haven. Rex can be himself without constantly looking over his shoulder or confining himself to his cave.
He doesn’t have to hide.
I clasp his hand, stroking his skin that will soon be covered in fur. “I understand, and I’m happy for you.”
Rex furrows his brow. “You are?”
“I’m happy there’s somewhere you can relax with your friends without worrying about the human world.” I chuckle. “We can be a real pain in the ass sometimes.”
His features soften, and he cups the back of my neck as he leans down to place a kiss on my head. He pulls me into a hug.
“You’re a sweetheart.”
We share a quiet moment before we reluctantly pull away. The noise and chaos around us are increasing as more groups arrive. Time to face the music. Or in my case, the monster population at its finest.
As we make our way to the large, open meadow where almost everyone is gathering, my panic does something astonishing. It slowly begins to morph into wonderment at my surroundings.
The atmosphere is joyous. Nothing about this gathering inspires fear. I’m with someone I care about who can’t wait to introduce me to those closest to him.
Rex nods and smiles at various beings as we stroll through the crowd.
The occasional curious gaze lands on me, but for the most part, everyone is lost in their own concerns.
After all, getting ready for the Solstice celebration is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, so we’re not quite at the social part of the event yet.
We arrive at the back of a line near a shady spot of closely positioned trees. The cloudless sky does nothing to temper the effects of the sun, and I imagine that some of the nocturnal creatures might find it difficult to deal with.
I lift up on my toes and whisper to Rex, “Are some of the species unable to be out in the day at all?”
Rex rubs his chin, then leans down to whisper back.
“I know a few are light sensitive because they’re nocturnal.
Maybe the gargoyles? Not sure.” He straightens, crossing his arms. “You know, now that I think about it, I only ever saw one gargoyle couple during a solstice. They showed up the first night to complain about something, then left. They’re not all that social.
” He shrugs. “They’re usually off fighting demons or hiding in their lairs. ”
Now I’m sorry I asked. I’d rather not know about demon fights, and statues coming to life. That seems more disturbing than any of the cryptids surrounding me. I’m basically never going near a cathedral again.
It’s our turn to check in, and I lower my eyes. I refuse to gape at the adult human-sized rabbit sprouting an impressive set of antlers that’s sitting behind a long folding table. My avoidance is short-lived.
“Darien? I’d like you to meet Fred.” Rex’s tone is almost giddy. “Fred, this is Darien, my date.”
Date? The word choice strikes me as odd for some reason. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been referred to that way before.
“Oooh, wonderful!” exclaims Fred, as if this is the most exciting moment of his life. “Everyone will be so thrilled to meet you. Welcome!”
Aww, that’s a sweet response. Maybe my incessant fretting over whether I’ll be accepted is a tad dramatic.
I raise my eyes and smile. “Thanks so much. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone. I can see this event is going to be amazing.”
Fred nods as he flips through some index cards in a long box.
“I’m sure you’ll have a blast. Uh…let’s see.
” He triumphantly plucks a card free from the box, then hastily scribbles some info on it before relocating it to another box.
“Your usual cave is ready to occupy. There was a bit of a bat problem, but they were safely relocated.”
I keep my lip-curling to a minimum. I seriously better not hear one fucking word about vampires, or I’m out.
“Here’s a list of events and times,” Fred continues. “And the map of the booth spaces is on the other side.”
Rex accepts the piece of paper and studies it. “Was I able to get a corner space this year? I had a lot of orders for the pet trees, and they take up a lot of space.”
He’s not kidding. The only way we were able to fit them in the truck was to disassemble them.
Right as we’re wrapping things up, a majestic, bizarrely tall being rushes up to the table. I struggle to keep my jaw off the ground as I take in the sparks of electricity zapping around him. No one blinks an eye at this spectacle.
As for myself, death by an explosion of lightning seems imminent.
“Hey Rex, great to see you.” The electrical giant doesn’t spare me a glance, but I’m not insulted.
The poor guy appears frazzled and a little out of breath.
“Fred, have you seen George? I need him to fix one of the stage risers immediately. A section is wobbly, and one of the swamp apes was almost annihilated when he tumbled off the platform practicing his dance routine.”
Fred’s furry little brow wrinkles. “Gee, Bob. I’m not sure. Let me think.”
If I find out there’s a cryptid named Steve, then I will have heard everything.
I must admit, however, that Fred is an attractive jackalope. His coat is a vibrant, warm shade of brown with red and orange undertones, and a slight textured wave through his fur. The urge to pet him washes over me, but I resist. I’m trying to keep mortifying faux pas moments to a minimum.
And now that I’m able to stare while he’s distracted by thunderous lightning dude, I realize his antlers are accented with swirled etched lines that create an intricate pattern.
I’m starting to get super bummed about not being able to take pics.
I’m barely fifteen minutes into the gathering, and I’ve already seen mind-blowing sights that make the seven wonders seem dull.
Rex points to a large trailer over by the booth area. “I see him over there.”
Bob peers over his shoulder. “Seriously? He’s not supposed to be messing with the lights right now.
” He returns his attention to Rex. “Thanks.” Right as Bob is about to leave, he pauses.
His gaze lands on me. I realize I’m plastered to Rex’s side, so our status is pretty easy to work out. “Sorry, just spotted you there.”
Considering how tall this guy is, I’m probably easy to miss being so close to the ground.
Rex puts his arm around my shoulders. “Bob, this is Darien. My date.”
His voice isn’t as giddy this time, but I detect a hint of pride in his tone. I can’t deny how special it makes me feel.
Bob smiles down at me. “Great to meet you, kid. I’ll catch up with you both later, though.” He rolls his eyes. “It’s always something around here.”
I smile back at Bob, and just like that, I’m fine. No more fears, no more second-guessing whether I should’ve come. Only excitement for the event I’m so privileged to be attending.
After checking in, unloading everything and dropping it off in our booth space, we head to our accommodations. Or rather, Rex’s premium cave that’s always reserved for his use. He commented that being Secretary of the Monster Network has its perks.
We attend the mixer after that, and I meet several of Rex’s buddies, plus two humans who are there with their partners. I’m not great at remembering names—in particular, when I’m nervous—but I figure after a few days of fun and working at the booth, I’ll be okay.
And I have Rex by my side. One of my concerns has been that he’ll be so caught up in the event that I’ll end up either being forgotten or a nuisance. Nothing could be further from the truth.
There hasn’t been one moment where I’ve been disregarded. Whether it be light touches or making sure I’m okay with my surroundings, Rex has shown me that he doesn’t regret bringing me along.
We’re finally settling in for the evening, and I’m unrolling my sleeping bag. An obnoxious crinkling sound behind me catches my attention. I turn and spot Rex struggling with an enormous brown tarp. He’s holding it up at the cave entrance, but it’s clearly not cooperating.
I rise, abandoning my sleeping bag project. “Hey, let me help.”
Rex peers over his shoulder, his arms way over his head as he holds up the unwieldy vinyl curtain.
“I don’t think I thought this through. I’ve only ever used wood panels as a screen, like I have at home.” He gives me a sheepish grin. “Besides the fact that I’ve never worried about privacy at the solstice before.”
“Oh.”
Now I understand. Witnessing how paired off everyone is—whether with human or fellow cryptid—a twinge of sadness hits me at how lonely he must have felt every year.
He lowers his arms with a sigh. “I should’ve brought bolts or something.”