Zuda and the Midnight Market, Christina McClung [good e books to read .txt] 📗

/> “I have told you about going to that wretched market. Now look at you. Running yourself ragged with worry. You…” Isabella was interrupted by her daughter.

“No. You don’t understand. There is more to the market than you think. I am and will be fine!” And with that she got up and walked out of the tent.

As she was leaving her mother called to her. “take some time off Zuda. I will make sure things are taken care of.”

Zuda breathed a sigh of relief. They did not always get along but her parents always made sure her bills were paid when she needed it.

She went home and fed Jakarby. She was not hungry so she went to take a hot bath. She sat and thought about things and wondered what the man wanted with her and who he was. She got out after a while and made a salad before heading to bed. The next morning she decided to take Jakarby to her parents to allow herself time to figure out what exactly was going on in her life. As she was walking home she noticed the shadowy figure in an alley.

She approached with caution as she whispered “Celia?”

Celia removed her hood. “Zuda, we must hurry.” she grabbed Zuda by the hand and in a split second they were inside Zuda’s apartment.

“You gotta teach me how to do that!” Zuda said still out of breath but with excitement.

“You will learn many things in time, but for now we must protect you.” Celia said with distinct panic in her voice.

Zuda removed the note from her bag and handed it to Celia. “ A tracking note?! Where did you get this?”

Zuda spoke quietly as if she was in trouble “It was on my floor and I have tried to destroy it but it just keeps on materializing, and a man came to my mother’s tent yesterday.”

“Kyafus” Celia muttered under your breath continuing with a normal tone” you are in much more danger than we thought. What ever you do you must not go to that alley alone. I need to go figure some things out.” Celia vanished leaving Zuda and taking the note so Kyafus could not find her as quickly.

Zuda began looking through her books and found a small book bound in leather. The small book read Location Binding. “This should have something about that note.” she said to herself as she flipped through the pages. She stopped when a particular section jumped out at her, “Tracking spells? This looks promising.” Zuda was so accustom to talking to Jakarby that it never crossed her mind that she had been talking to herself.

She began reading the page in her head out of fear for reading them out loud. Ingredients for tracking ink…a photograph, pickled toush root, 3 rotten eggs, two minced fickle beetles and 1 cup of risek juice…boil all ingredients in cauldron for three minutes. Place ink in quill to write on paper. This ink will make the paper indestructible and able to be tracked for 3 days…

Zuda ripped out the page and placed it in her bag. She spent the evening researching and ended up falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning. She awoke to find Celia standing over her with a very small bag. “Put what you need in this bag. Jakarby is waiting with Mr. Bogbottom. You have 15 minutes so do not tarry.” Celia was quick and to the point and vanished again. Zuda made a mad dash to gather things in the small bag that to look at its size would not accommodate a bowling ball. Celia reappeared seconds after she was finished and once again in a flash they were standing on a beautiful brick pathway in the most beautiful place she had ever seen. She looked around to take in the scenery. She noticed Jakarby peering through a satin and lace covered window. “This is your new apartment here on the campus. Time in the human world is placed on hold as long as you are here. Place your things inside we must get back before too long.”

Celia walked away this time down the path and Zuda went inside to hug Jakarby and checkout her apartment. Celia knocked at her door and handed her a coveted ebony robe adorned with silver accents. “We should be going Zuda. It is 9:30”

Zuda placed on her robe and they began walking down the pathway to a huge door that read Stir Cross Alley. Celia looked at her and squeezed her arm “ When we go through the door keep quiet and do not let go.” they passed through the door into a smoke filled alley and now Zuda was more scared than she had ever been in her life. They quietly walked up to the door without blocking the entrance. Sitting at the table were three men and a woman along with an empty chair. Among the men sat the man that Zuda had encountered in her mothers tent. They listened to the conversation…

“Kyafus ….. she should have been here by now” the woman said in a very irritated tone.

Kyafus looked at her and calmly “You better hope that she does.” he tapped his fingers on the table.

Zuda gasped and the room fell silent. Celia grabbed her and they darted down the hall back to the door that lead back to the university. Back on the other side Zuda broke down into tears. Celia knelt beside her and tried to calm her down. “Many things will be revealed to you as soon as you start training.” Zuda looked up at her with a look of doubt and desperation.

They walked to Celia’s chambers. Once again she materialized more tea. They sat there in silence for what seemed to be a very long time. Celia took a deep breath and let out a sigh “Well you are in far greater danger than we expected. Kyafus will stop at nothing to get to you. You must start training as soon as possible to have the slightest chance of beating him for he is the most powerful and evil being to ever walk the planet.”

Zuda now realized what cards she had been dealt. “Why do I need to fight him? It is just not fair.” Zuda cried to Celia.

Celia stood up and appeared to be another six feet taller on top of her already seven foot tall structure. “You will die! Do you understand? If you do not fight…you will die!!”

Zuda stood up with tears in her eyes and walked home. Jakarby was sitting by the door like usual. She gave him his dinner and then curled up an the largest feather bed she had ever seen and after a long bout of crying finally fell asleep. She awoke the next morning to Jakarby licking her face. “Ok, ok I am awake.” she scratched his ears and rubbed his belly. She got up and made some tea and took a shower in her marble bathroom. She decided to go talk to Mr. Bogbottom and grabbed Jakarby’s collar and leash. They walked for a bit and finally came to a blue alley lined with onyx stones. They walked to the door and right as she began to knock the door was already opening. “How nice of you to drop by.” Hulah said apparently in a decent mood.

Jakarby ran over to Mr. Bogbottom nearly knocking him over. “OK! OK!” he laughed handing him a few dragonweed cookies. Jakarby took his cookies and went over to lay down near Hulah. Mr. Bogbottom motioned to Zuda “We have much to talk about my dear. Things are starting to get quite messy.” She followed him through a beaded curtain into a hookah room filled with beanbag chairs. They sat down in front of a magnificent hookah adorned with onyx and ruby stones encased within opalescent icy blue glass. “You must be wondering what is going on. But I must warn you though….you may not like what you are about to hear and you just might not believe me, but I assure you it is all true.” Zuda perked up with interest and listened as she and Mr. Bogbottom enjoyed some dragonweed.

Mr. Bogbottom had been talking for quite some time before he finally said it. “Kyafus. Now that’s the real reason why you are here isn’t it?” Zuda listened as Mr. Bogbottom began telling her things about her past that she could have swore was just the dragonweed talking. “Ten years before you were born…your parents had a son. He was as bright as rain and had a lot of potential beginning to bloom by his 7th birthday. He began possessing magical abilities that allowed him to progress in his alchemy faster than anyone had ever seen. At nine he began using his abilities to do very evil cruel things. He poisoned small animals and tortured an 11 year old girl using telepathy until she almost died. Your parents could no longer control his anger or drive to rule the world, so they sent him to Anakoridge Mental Hospital for Children.”

He paused and Zuda now teary eyed and trying to find something to say spoke in a broken tone. “ A brother? I have never heard my parents even mention a brother.”

Mr. Bogbottom let out a sigh and continued “ Your mother found out she was going to have you not too long after that and decided it best for them never to mention him. Kyafus continued to grow meaner and develop more of a passion for mind control and conjuration. By 13 he had already tortured over two hundred hospital staff and patients and had inadvertently killed close to 50 others. At 15 he escaped with a few devoted followers and went to Liscarpia to hone in on his skills and convert followers…”

“And where exactly is that?” Zuda chipped in.

“Liscarpia is in the dimension south of here. Now if you don’t mind…” Mr. Bogbottom looked at her as if to scold her for interrupting a history lesson. Zuda apologized and sunk a little more in her chair. Mr. Bogbottom continued “ Soon he heard about you and this outraged him so bad that he has been searching for you ever since. Your parents changed their name to protect you and your future siblings. He has been torturing and in some cases killing girls that are potentially you. Now unaware that you are who you are, is getting closer and closer to finding out the truth and when he does you will certainly get it worse than all the others … unless you train hard and beat him. Good thing for you, there will be people there to help you along your way.” He stood up and handed her two bone shaped dragonweed cookies “Jakarby is also very special as you will soon find out.”

Zuda placed them in her bag and made a decision that the best thing to do was get enrolled in school. After all Sid Murray U was an amazing place and her accommodations were more than necessary not to mention she got to be with Jakarby which was indeed her best friend in the whole world next to Mr. Bogbottom. Zuda gathered her things and decided to get home to rest before the morning came and she had to get up and face her future head on. Jakarby was a good boy as usual