Mengliad (The Mengliad Series Book 1) Read online

  “Maybe if we disguise it with something she’s familiar with?” Craddock suggested. “Like, some kind of sauce or something?”

  The knock at the door interrupted them, their attention immediately turning towards the sound.

  “Are you expecting anyone?” Bibi asked. Jessica shook her head no.

  “I’ll look.” Craddock stepped quietly towards the door, sighing in relief when he peeked through the peephole. “It’s only Josiah,” he told the girls before letting him in.

  “Hey man, sorry I’m late. I had to file an incident report.”

  “Why? What happened?” Craddock asked, concerned.

  “Stupid cabbie clipped me.” He shrugged, adding quickly, “I’m fine though. So. . .” he glanced towards Jessica, “how’re we doin’?”

  “She’s doing okay, but the food is freaking her out.” Craddock gestured back towards the table where Bibi stood. As he headed for it, Josiah followed.

  “What we havin’?” he asked as he peeked into the bowl. “Oooh, Mealies. Awesome!” Grabbing a few, he popped them into his mouth.

  “She doesn’t share your enthusiasm,” Craddock told him. “We’re trying to figure out how to disguise the flavor of them.”

  Josiah scowled. “Why would you want to disguise the flavor of them?”

  “Just for now,” Craddock answered. “Just till she gets used to them.” He then started sifting through the contents of her neatly organized pantry. “Maple syrup?” He held the bottle up.

  Bibi shook her head. “You’ll just piss them off.”

  “And eating them doesn’t?” Jessica asked, heavy with sarcasm.

  “By the time you start chewing,” Bibi answered, “it’s too late for them to care. Pouring sticky syrup on them? Believe me, they’ll care, and it won’t be pleasant.”

  “Why?” Jessica asked. “What happens when they get pissed?”

  Josiah laughed, a childlike smirk on his face. “They piss! Changes the whole flavor.”

  Craddock glared at him before turning back to the pantry shelves. “Hey!” he exclaimed suddenly. “What about peaches?” He spun around and showed off the can. “She can put a slice of peach in her mouth, then pop in a worm and quickly start chewing! The worms won’t know what hit them, and the peaches will help disguise the flavor and texture.”

  Jessica groaned. “Oh, thanks. I was trying to avoid the thought of texture.”

  He smiled, setting the can down on the table, offering a quiet ‘sorry’ as Bibi started searching for a can opener.

  Disconcerted, Jessica stared down at the bowl full of wiggling worms. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this.”

  “You can do this, Jessica,” Craddock said supportively. “If people on game shows can do it for a few thousand dollars, you can certainly do it to save your life.”

  Hugging herself, she dug deep inside her psyche, trying to be brave. “How many do I have to eat?”

  “Your body will tell you how many.” Bibi placed the can of peaches she had dished up next to the bowl. “As soon as you start eating, you will get a hunger pang, similar to the kind Humans get, only more intense. When your body has had enough, the pang will just instantly stop.”

  She muttered her understanding, her face scrunched up in an expression Craddock found to be adorable, and then they all silently watched her as she summoned up the courage to eat what she had to. She stabbed a peach slice with a fork, gently picked up a worm, then stared at each for a moment before popping the peach in her mouth. After closing her eyes, she popped the worm in her mouth, quickly chewing and swallowing.

  A second later, her eyes flew open. “My stomach hurts!”

  “It’s okay,” Craddock assured her. “It will go away as soon as you eat enough. Just keep going.”

  Before she lost her nerve, she repeated the process, but the pain wouldn’t abate.

  “It isn’t going away!” she cried out, frustrated.

  Craddock placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “It’s because you waited so long. It’s not usually this bad. You won’t always need to eat this many.”

  “It shouldn’t take too many more,” Bibi added.

  Anxious for it to be over with, Jessica grabbed two worms at a time, barely swallowing before grabbing two more. Finally, when the pain went away, she dropped the two worms she’d been holding at the ready.

  “It’s gone.” Glad that it was over and done with, she smiled, but a frown replaced the happier expression within moments. “Exactly how many times per day do I have to do that?”

  “Three times.” Josiah grabbed the bowl, since she was clearly finished, and helped himself to the leftovers.

  She cringed at the thought. “That’s a lot of worms.”

  Josiah shrugged casually. “It doesn’t always have to be worms.”

  “It doesn’t?” Jessica asked.

  He shook his head. “It can be Crits, Maddies, Jubeets—”

  “Joe!” Craddock cut him off. “Too much too soon, okay? Let’s just take it slow.”

  Taking the cue from Craddock, Jessica left the subject of food behind. “Okay, so, what happens now?”

  Craddock shared looks with Bibi for a brief moment before answering. “We would like you to come stay with us for a few days. Maybe a week.”

  “Why?”

  He sighed. Convincing her that this was for her benefit wouldn’t be easy. “There’s so much you need to know. To understand. You’re going to go through changes, and your friends and roommate will wonder what’s going on.”

  “We can help you better if you’re with us,” Bibi said. “We can help you get your glasses. . .”

  “Plus,” Josiah interjected as he polished off the last of the Mealies, “it’s not safe for you right now.”

  “What do you mean?” Jessica asked, her worry spiking. “Why am I not safe?”

  Craddock glared at Josiah, who looked away, apologetic, before softening his expression for Jessica’s sake. “Like everything in this world, people have opinions about this. Later conversion, I mean. Some don’t care one way or another. They’re apathetic. Some are fine with it, even support it, but some are very much against it.”

  “They’re called Purists,” Bibi added.

  “They think if the Blood Touch ritual isn’t performed within seven days of birth,” he continued, “then the chance is blown, and the person shouldn’t be allowed to do it later.”

  “Well, it’s not like a seven day old baby understands any of that,” Jessica argued, and Bibi and Craddock smiled at one another.

  “That’s exactly right,” Bibi said. “That is our belief as well.”

  “Besides,” Jessica said additionally, “I didn’t do this on purpose!”

  “They won’t care,” Craddock told her. “All they’ll care about is that you are a late convert.”

  “Well, okay, but how would they even know?” Jessica asked. “It’s not like I’m gonna go out wearing a sign around my neck.”

  “Mengliads produce a scent,” Craddock explained. “We call it Enyoh, and it smells a little like honey and sawdust.”

  “Is that what that is?” she asked. “I just thought you all liked using the same kind of soap or something!”

  Craddock smiled. “No, it’s naturally produced. You’re producing it, too. All Mengliads produce it, and the potency of the scent coincides with age. The scent is strongest in newborns, and faintest in the elderly. The only exception to this, for one, is in a new convert. A newly converted Mengliad will produce Enyoh with the potency of a newborn. If a Purist happens by and smells your scent, they will know you’re new.”

  “Then how were you planning to get me from here to your place?” she asked.

  Putting up one finger, requesting a moment, he then turned and grabbed his backpack, rummaging through it. “I have a plan.”

  Chapter Five

  Bibi, Josiah, and Jessica all shared looks of confusion as Craddock rummaged through his backpack, even Bibi at a loss for what his plan
could be.

  “It came to me right after you called this morning.” Craddock looked up from his search. “And sorry, Joe, but I had to raid your room.” He then produced the item that was integral to his plan.

  Jessica scowled. “A Cabbage Patch doll? How does that help me?”

  “Hey!” Josiah protested, “He’s not a ‘that’! His name is Xavier, thank you very much!”

  Craddock rolled his eyes, then explained to Jessica, “A woman who has just given birth will have a slight spike in Enyoh. Not enough to explain the amount you’re producing, but, if we add to that, a baby in your arms. . .!”

  “It’s brilliant!” Bibi took the doll from Craddock’s hand. “We need a blanket, though.”

  “In my pack.”

  When she found it, Josiah became further irritated.

  “Hey! That’s Mikey’s blanket!”

  Craddock sighed. “Relax, Joe! We’re not taking them, we’re only borrowing them!”

  Josiah gave a reluctant nod, mumbling under his breath. “Yeah, but now Mikey is alone and without his favorite blanket.”

  Turning towards Craddock, Jessica asked him quietly, “Who’s Mikey?”

  “Josiah’s stuffed monkey.” He answered in a whisper, to keep Josiah from hearing.

  “There!” Bibi held up the doll, wrapped in the blanket and looking quite like a newborn.

  But even still, Jessica was nervous about the plan. “Are you sure this is going to work?”

  “It’s going to work,” Craddock assured her, sounding confident. “But if anyone says anything to you, or asks questions, let me do the talking.”

  ****

  Everyone with darkened glasses caught Jessica’s immediate attention. They were everywhere, around every corner, and she felt a sense of panic as she realized how many Mengliads there must be in the world, based on how many were in her own neighborhood.

  Feeling her body tense, Craddock wrapped his arm around her waist. “You’re doing fine.”

  Stiffly, she nodded in response, allowing him to steer her towards the subway station and down the steps to the platform. Bibi and Josiah followed close behind.

  Once on the train, Craddock and Jessica took a seat together as Josiah and Bibi took the only available seats nearby, a few people down and separated from each other.

  Craddock noticed the woman sitting across from them right away. Definitely a Mengliad, and definitely interested in the bundle Jessica cradled in her arms.

  “How old?” the woman finally asked with a smile, startling Jessica.

  Craddock smiled as if proud. “Five days.” His hand came to rest on Jessica’s shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

  “Pre- or post-ritual?”

  “Pre-,” he said. “That’s why the new mommy here is so nervous.” He saw the window of opportunity and took it, explaining Jessica’s odd behavior as new parent jitters.

  “Oh, well, nothing to worry about,” the woman said. “Any more, the BTR is as common as your eye examination!”

  Craddock nodded in agreement, smiling, then gave Jessica a gentle squeeze as he silently encouraged her to do the same. She forced the happy expression onto her face, following his example.

  “No question on the heritage though, eh?” the woman further intruded, implying she could smell the Enyoh strongly. “Boy or girl?”

  “Boy,” Craddock said, acutely aware of Jessica’s growing tension as the woman continued her nosiness.

  “Who’s doing the ritual?” she asked.

  That’s when Bibi stepped in, using the bars above for balance as she stood. “I am,” she said, then directed to Craddock, “This is our stop.”

  He knew it wasn’t. Their stop was still several away, but Bibi could sense, as he could, that the seemingly innocent questions from the woman posed a potential threat to them, and especially to Jessica.

  Acknowledging her with a nod, he gestured for Jessica to stand, the three of them being joined by Josiah a second later.

  “Well,” the woman said, “congratulations to you both.”

  “Thank you.” Craddock was cordial despite feeling anxious. Even the common occurrence of the lights flashing overhead as the train screeched to a stop was putting him on edge.

  “Mou cei dela putere sperent,” the woman said as the four of them moved to exit. They all looked back at her abruptly.

  “Sperentite rup sout,” Craddock said in response. Grabbing Jessica’s hand, he led her off and away from the train, glancing back to be sure the woman didn’t get off before the doors whooshed closed.

  “You have your own language?” she whispered, as Craddock urged her to ascend the stairs quickly.

  “Not exactly. It’s based on French, but has changed quite a bit through the years. It’s Purists, more than anyone else, who use the language, though most of us know at least a little of it. It’s a way of talking in code. She was testing us.”

  “Testing us, why?” she asked, picking up on his concerned tone of voice.

  “She knew something was up. That something was off.”

  “So what happens now?”

  “Now,” Bibi said, “we haul ass to Doc’s place and thank whichever higher deity you believe in that the woman didn’t follow us off the train.”

  ****

  “I blew it,” Craddock chastised himself, pacing the floor. “I thought for sure that would work!”

  “It did work,” Bibi insisted. “That woman only suspected something! She didn’t follow us off the train, did she?”

  “If she had, I never would’ve been able to forgive myself.”

  “We needed to get her here, Doc,” Josiah reminded him, chiming in. “You’re being too hard on yourself! After all, it worked! She’s here, isn’t she?”

  “And more freaked out than ever!” His shoulders slumped, sighing. “I didn’t want for her to have to go through this like that. I wanted to make this as easy on her as possible.”

  Bibi pointed a finger at him accusingly. “You’re falling for her!”

  Sharply, he glanced at the bathroom door, knowing Jessica was just on the other side. Luckily, the sound of the shower running meant it was unlikely that she could hear their conversation.

  “I barely know her, Bibi.” There was an edge to his whisper, intentionally. “Don’t make more out of this than there is, alright?”

  “Craddock,” she warned him, “this isn’t a good idea. You know as well as I do, what her fate will eventually be. Don’t put yourself in this position. Any relationship you start with her, it won’t end well. You’ll just end up hurting her, and affecting your status.”

  Craddock rolled his eyes. “I don’t care about my status, Bibi. You of all people should know that!”

  “Right, but cutting all ties? Is that really what you want?”

  “Who says that’s what I’m doing?” he asked, his teeth clenched.

  She scoffed. “If you date her, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing. Helping her is one thing, but dating her—”

  “I’m not dating her!” he interrupted.

  Josiah calmly tried a different approach, attempting to defuse the argument that had started. “Doc, Bibi is just worried about you, is all. We both are. It’s nice that you want to help her, and we want to help her, too, but you shouldn’t get too attached. You know the kind of life Jessica is going to have now.”

  Craddock looked between Josiah and Bibi before muttering, “It doesn’t have to be that way. There’s another option.”

  She gasped, shocked by what she was hearing. “Doc, no! You said it yourself, you barely know her! You are not responsible for her! You know, there is such a thing as taking this ‘being a good guy’ thing too far.”

  The bathroom door opening surprised all three of them, and they jumped as they turned to see Jessica exiting in a cloud of steam. With all their arguing, they hadn’t heard the shower being turned off, or the sound of the lock clicking as she turned the knob.

  “Is something wrong?” Jessica pulled the t
owel around her tighter, defensively. “I thought I heard fighting.”

  “Nothing’s wrong,” Craddock assured her. He quickly dropped and then changed the subject. “I set some sweats out for you on my bed. They’ll probably be a bit too big, but they’ll be comfortable.”

  “Thanks.” The tension in the room made her feel unwelcome, so she said as a way of excusing herself, “I guess I’ll go change.”

  She could hear the muted sounds of arguing soon after she closed the door. They didn’t sound angry, but they were definitely in disagreement. Whatever the issue of discussion was, as much as she wished it wasn’t, she knew it was about her.

  ****

  Craddock tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The cot he was using was uncomfortable, and the sounds of Josiah’s snores were louder than he was used to, since a wall usually separated him from the noise.

  Defeated, he kicked the blankets to the floor and rolled off the temporary bed, then padded out of the room and towards the kitchen in search of a glass of water. It surprised him to see Jessica up, sitting on the window seat, staring out into the New York night.

  “Can’t sleep?” he asked her. She glanced over her shoulder, briefly, before shaking her head. “Me either,” he said, heading for the kitchen. “Just getting a glass of water.”

  Saying nothing in response, she continued her vigil, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs.

  Watching her as he sipped his water in silence, he couldn’t help but wonder what had changed to cause her to withdraw from him, when before she had been so open.

  “Is the bed uncomfortable?” He set his used glass in the sink.

  “The bed’s fine,” she answered. “Thank you for giving it up for me.”

  “Oh, you’re welcome. Do you want some company,” he asked, approaching cautiously, “or would you rather be alone?”

  She sighed. “I don’t know what I want.” She turned slightly towards him. “There are so many questions to ask. . . so much I don’t understand. . .”

  “I’ll answer any questions you have. You know that, right?”

  “I guess.” She shrugged, her gaze back out the window. “Problem is, I don’t even know where to begin.”

  He gave a nod, sitting on the arm of the sofa as he waited for her to decide how to proceed.