Elemental Darkness (Paranormal Public Series) (3 page)

Vanni shook her head. “We know you don’t need protection here. We just want to be together. Strength in numbers and all that.”

“It’s not for you,” Lough whispered to me. “If Lisabelle were here she’d say it wasn’t about you. It’s about them.”

I looked around at all the faces, really seeing them for the first time.

“This is really scary,” said Vanni softly. “We feel better being around the only elemental. And together. Besides, the semester’s over. We can stay where we want until we go home.”

I sighed heavily. “Alright,” I said. “Lanca is coming here. So is Vital. Make sure they don’t step on any of you.”

Rake grinned. “Not likely, since you blew the door off.”

I grinned sheepishly.

“Any news about Sip?” Rake asked.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth he could see that the question upset me; I couldn’t hide the pain on my face. They didn’t know about Lisabelle.

“We should talk privately,” said Lough. “Maybe in the kitchen?”

“Been hours since you ate?” I asked dryly. Lough shrugged. “Like two. Gotta keep my blood sugar up if we’re going to battle demons.”

Rake, Vanni, and Trafton came with us as we headed for the kitchen, while most of the other paranormals, who had been awakened when I blew the door off its hinges, rolled back over in their sleeping bags.

The kitchen had always been hub of the house, and now it felt even warmer than usual, as if the oven had been running. I smelled the sweet aroma of baking.

“Oh yeah, there was a woman here earlier,” said Vanni, shaking her head. “We didn’t think you had a dorm mother, but when we questioned her she disappeared, muttering something about long-suffering and tolerating children.”

“Yeah, she’s alright,” I said. Martha must have come by often while we were away. The kitchen was spotless.

But the very first thing I noticed when I entered the room was Sigil, the ghost who haunted the Astra library. I had originally met him by accident, and ever since then I had gone to him for advice and information on the history of elementals.

Sigil had thin, frail hands, large glasses that slid down his nose and covered his large eyes, and an even larger hat. At the moment he was standing defensively in front of the counter, which I could see was covered in Martha’s baked goods.

“Sigil,” I cried in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

He used one frail hand to push his glasses up and blinked at me. “Guarding the cookies. Obviously,” he muttered, peering at my companions.

“Yessss, tarts!” Lough beamed as he hurried over to the island. “A ghost after my own heart.” As usual, Martha had left a table filled with treats for us.

“Alright, out with it. Why is the trio separated?” Trafton asked. Instead of sitting down he stayed standing near the island, rocking nervously on the balls of his feet. I knew he was asking about Lisabelle. Just like Lough, Trafton had always nursed a crush on the darkness mage.

“You better take this,” said Lough, handing his fellow dream giver a cookie. Trafton glared at it for a moment, then took it with a faint nod.

I told them. I didn’t know much, obviously, just that Lisabelle had gone to darkness in order to release Sip from her captors.

“It all happened so fast,” I said sadly.

“Why didn’t you STOP her?” Trafton cried. He’d grown more agitated as the story unfolded. “You should have stopped her. They’ll kill her!”

“Lisabelle had to get Sip back,” Rake said hotly, coming immediately to my defense.

“I’m thirsty,” I whispered to Lough, trying to deflect the argument that was starting up.

Lough smiled sadly. “Sip would have made us tea by now.”

I chuckled, thinking of our friend. “Not with Lisabelle gone. She’s going to be so mad.”

“I wouldn’t want to be the demon Golden Falls gave her over to,” said Lough. “Not even a little bit.”

“Lisabelle did what she had to,” I said. “I wanted to stop her, but even if I had tried, she’s stronger than I am. She’s stronger than all of us.”

“That doesn’t matter,” said Trafton, shaking her head. “Her life is in danger, and you shouldn’t have let her do it!”

“Like I had a choice,” I cried, tears finally pricking the corners of my eyes.

“There’s always a choice,” said Trafton, who for some reason had decided to dig in his heels on this one.

“Stop it,” cried Vanni, who had remained quiet through my entire tale, but couldn’t stop herself from speaking up now. “Charlotte’s been through enough. You know Lisabelle. It’s not like we could ever tell her what to do. She did what she thought was right. She did what she had to do, and if she dies for it then she’s the exact sort of friend I always thought she was.”

“Loyal and unconditional,” Rake murmured. “That’s definitely Lisabelle.”

Trafton slumped. Lough guided him to a chair and pointed to the untouched cookie.

“But what if it changes her?” Trafton asked quietly.

“Of course it will change her,” said Vanni, rolling her eyes. She had never liked Lisabelle very much, but to be fair, Lisabelle had called her Fraidy Angel . . . to her face. Now, though, regardless of the past, I was grateful for Vanni’s support.

Lough scrubbed his face. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” he said wearily. “I just want to go be by myself and cry.”

We all looked at him, a bit stunned.

“I can be in touch with my feelings,” he huffed. “And honest. Excuse me.”

He pushed back his stool and quickly left the kitchen. Lough had been to Astra enough times to know he could sleep wherever he wanted. There were lots of bedrooms.

“We should get to sleep as well,” said Trafton, when no one else spoke up. “I don’t remember the last time I closed my eyes.”

I grabbed a cookie, because I was so hungry I felt hollow, and followed my friends. I was trying very hard not to think, but it wasn’t working well.

“Try not to dream, Charlotte,” Trafton advised as he rolled himself up in his sleeping bag in the hall. “They probably won’t be pleasant.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

It was one of the things I’d been dreading. The part of me I’d inherited from my mother, the dream giver part, was likely to go wild tonight. Whenever I closed my eyes I already thought of Sip at the hands of the demons . . . and cringed. I didn’t think they’d hurt her, not if they could have Lisabelle, but the thought that she might be tortured was almost too much for me to bear.

I climbed the stairs slowly, so tired I had to force one foot in front of the other. My room was dark and I didn’t bother turning on any lights. One of the big windows was open, and the curtains blew gently in the spring breeze. I wondered if Martha had been in there, getting my room ready for my arrival. Not that I expected such things from Paranormal Public’s human form, but she had been known to act motherly from time to time.

I tossed my bag on the couch and disappeared into the walk in-closet. I quickly changed into comfy pants and a t-shirt and came back into my bedroom. Normally I’d wear shorts to sleep, because Keller always kept me warm, but I didn’t want to wear the same clothes without him.

And now I didn’t even have my Keller dreams to look forward to.

“Took you long enough,” said a cold voice. I froze. I was climbing into bed and had even removed my ring. I usually kept it on, but tonight it had felt heavy, and I had thought I was safe at Public, in my own dorm, in my own room, in my own bed.

Very slowly I turned around. Dobrov Validification was standing in my room.

I glared at the hybrid.

“I didn’t know I had company,” I said hotly. “And I use the term loosely. What do you want? On another errand for your sister?”

Dobrov flinched a little, but didn’t argue.

“Sorry to barge in,” he said. “I didn’t think you would talk to me otherwise.”

“Duh,” I said. “I don’t have the energy to pretend you’re welcome. Although I’d dearly love to know what part your sister played in that little drama we just lived through. Barely.”

“I’m sorry you lost your friends,” he said. I couldn’t tell if he meant it or not.

I stormed toward him. He didn’t move, so I kept going. I lifted my arm, and even without my ring I had the force of my powers and of Astra behind me. I slammed my forearm into his throat and propelled us forward until his back slammed against the nearest wall.

“I didn’t lose ANY friends. You got that?” I said coldly.

He met my eyes, searching my face. It was all I could do not to look away. Dobrov had started to look a little better - still not cute, but at least less like an over-boiled cabbage.

“I had to sneak out,” he said, his face unreadable.

“What part of my facial expression makes you think I care?” I demanded. “I don’t care. You may have noticed I have other problems. You are not in my top ten. In fact, you’re probably not in my top hundred.”

“I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry,” said Dobrov.

“You spent our entire semester not making eye contact and following your crazy darkness sister around,” I gritted out. “Leave. My. Room.”

Dobrov sighed heavily.

“I’m trying to help,” he said. “I want to help, but it’s complicated. She’s my sister.”

“It doesn’t have to be complicated,” I said. “You are either a member of the Sign of Six or you’re my enemy.”

“Is Caid your enemy?” Dobrov asked quietly.

“Yes,” I cried. “He let this happen. I don’t care what Dacer said.”

Dobrov cocked his head. “What did Dacer say?”

I opened my mouth to answer, then I closed it with a snap. He had barged into my bedroom. He wasn’t going to quiz me.

“You’re here to get information from me, aren’t you? Do you know I haven’t slept yet? Not since Golden Falls.”

Dobrov’s shoulder slumped. “Obviously I shouldn’t have come,” he said heavily.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” I demanded. “The semester is over, and it’s not like you and your sister need protecting from your own. You can’t possibly be as scared as the paranormals blanketing my entry hall.”

Dobrov still didn’t move, nor did he say a word.

“Why aren’t you leaving?” I said, still glaring at him. My head had started to throb. If I didn’t sleep soon I was likely to faint.

“Your arm is on my throat,” said Dobrov, glancing down.

“Whatever,” I said, stepping back but not taking my eyes away from him.

Dobrov massaged his offended windpipe.

“I’m on your side, Charlotte,” he said. “I wish you’d believe me.”

“You don’t act like it,” I said, crossing my arms.

Dobrov nodded. “I understand,” he said. “I do. I’ll see what I can do to change your mind.”

Before I could answer he turned away and walked out the door. I watched him go, mostly to make sure he was gone. The door closed soundlessly behind him, and I hurried forward and snapped the lock closed.

When I turned around my bed looked exactly the same, but I couldn’t get into it yet. Instead, I lit the candles in my room and checked every corner. I also put my dirty ring back on and did Lisabelle’s spell to check for listeners.

Darkness calls to darkness

darkness calls to darkness

darkness calls to darkness

When I closed my eyes I saw black.

Darkness calls to darkness. I was called home. No, Lisabelle was. I wish we were together, the three of us, but we’ll never be together again.

Don’t wake up. If you wake up you won’t get the answer to the question. If only you knew what the question was.

I kicked my blankets off. I felt stifled and sweaty.

A dream was coming closer, changing the blackness behind my closed eyes.

“Just not Malle,” I muttered, but it wasn’t Malle this time. I was almost relieved to see Lisabelle’s pale face, her eyes glittering like two black diamonds.

“Where’s Sip?” Her voice sounded far away.

“Lisabelle,” I cried, but I knew she couldn’t hear me. Her eyes fluttered a little, but she didn’t look away from the hooded figure she was talking to.

“Are you referring to Ms. Quest?” The voice was familiar to me, but I couldn’t place it. The sound was distorted so much that there was no way to tell if it was male or female. I quickly did a mental check of all the Nocturns I knew, but I still couldn’t place it.

“Your uncle is hot on the trail of the objects,” the voice continued.

“Yes,” said Lisabelle without emotion. “He usually gets what he wants.”

“Will he want you back?” The voice sounded amused.

Lisabelle raised her eyebrows. She actually looked bored, but I knew that was a front. Her shoulders were pulled back and her lips were pursed. There was tension in every line of her body. The tension would remain until Sip was back at Public.

“Yes, Premier,” said Lisabelle. “He will.”