The Guardian Wars: Part One #Wattys2016

Chapter Fifteen

Being in Nox was sensory overload. It was so loud that I couldn't hear my own voice when I turned around to ask Mabel what exactly we had just walked into. The room seemed small, but it could have just been that it was filled to the seams with people. It was extremely dark, but there were spinning lights on the ceiling that kept casting odd shadows on all the faces in the crowd. The smell of damp wood and night air gave me the impression that there should be open windows somewhere, but it was impossible to know for sure because I couldn't see far enough in front of me to locate any walls.

"Nox is a place where those of us who aren't from Sector 1 can come to let loose. It's very private and a lot of the people here are not legally supposed to be in this Sector, so don't tell anyone that I've brought you here," she warned with a stern look. I nodded in understanding, as we started pushing through the crowd. The people who filled the space were not the type I was used to associating with. Most of the men were dressed very casually in T-shirts and a few were even completely shirtless. The women who did wear dresses looked like they had painted them on. I saw a group of young women wearing just their bras as tops, and I felt a gasp slip past my lips before I could stop myself. The general attire or lack thereof allowed the array of tattoos that marked the dancing bodies to be seen freely.

I felt like I was surrounded by the people in the documentaries that my teachers had shown in an attempt to scare us of the Freaks. I tried my hardest not to look like I had just walked into a horror show, but that was exactly how I felt. People stared and reached out to touch me as Mabel ushered us into the crowd. Mabel had tried to help me fit in, but I looked nothing like the hallow faced girls that scrutinized me. I couldn't help but notice that a lot of the men in Nox carried themselves the way Rowan and Clive had. Like a Guardian. They stood with their backs straight, and their well-trained eyes were constantly looking over their shoulders.

"Are there Guardians in here?" I asked incredulously. Mabel smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"Olivia, most Guardians get time off to, you know, relax. Rowan did too, he just didn't ever take it. He had no interest in life outside of you," she explained.

"Oh," I whispered. I had never known that Rowan had the option to spend time away from me. It was humbling that even during our strained moments, he had chosen stay by my side. Mabel finally stopped walking as we reached a large counter in the middle of the room. There were people seated on barstools along one side, and two men on the opposite side pouring drinks.

"If we get separated meet me here at the bar, ok?" she yelled over the noise.

"Ok," I yelled back.

"I'll get you a drink," she said, with a mischievous grin as she turned towards the bar and yelled something to one of the men on the other side. They mixed a drink and poured it into two separate glasses. Mabel handed them a wad of cash, then turned back to me with a drink in each hand. She held one of the glasses out for me, but I looked suspiciously at the dark brown liquid in the cup.

"Just relax, and have some fun. You earned it after that move you pulled on Penn tonight," she urged, forcing the drink into my hand. Because I did trust her, I lifted the glass to my lips and took a sip. It tasted sweet at first, but as I swallowed I could tell by the burning of my throat and nostrils that there was some sort of dark liquor in it.

"What is this?" I asked trying to override my gag reflex.

"Soda, Rum, and cherry juice. I invented it," she said, proudly.

"I'm sure you didn't invent it," I laughed, taking another sip.

"I did! It's named after me!" she protested. I held my hands up in defeat and followed her into a mob of dancing people in the center of the room.