Elemental Light (Paranormal Public Book 9) (37 page)

I refused to admit it to myself, but I had been wanting Keller to stay. Sip could tell, and I knew she wasn’t leaving until he did.

And finally, he did.

“You do your job a little too well,” I told my werewolf friend after I’d watch Keller fly away, reluctance apparent in every stroke of his wings as he went back out the window through which he had arrived hours before. We had so much left to say, and I was just worried we’d never get the chance to say it.

“What job is that?”

“Annoying chaperone dorm mother,” Lough replied.

“Aww, shucks, guys. Thanks,” said Sip. “I appreciate it.”

There was a pause, then Lough left for his own room and I crawled into bed.

“Did Lisabelle look worse?” I asked, after Lough had gone. Sip had decided to stay with me for the couple of hours that were left of the night.

She nodded glumly. “Yeah.”

There was one last paranormal I needed to talk to. As if my thoughts had conjured him, Sigil floated into the room.

“Ghosts?” he said.

I smiled.

Everything was set, I told myself for the hundredth time. We had no more plans to make. We had the Mirror Arcane and we had an opening. I even had an idea of how we could win. Everything came down to the coming night, because we were losing, we’d been losing, and if my idea for that night didn’t work there was nothing else but to keep losing. I took a deep breath, but it didn’t keep my hands from trembling.

That morning, Sip and I had wandered into the attic that I had cleaned with Keller freshman year. It was filled with neatly stacked boxes. She had shown me what she’d brought back from the archives, the old, unused elementals rings she had found. I wanted one in case I saw Ricky again.

No, I would see Ricky again, that wasn’t a question. I couldn’t let it be a question, I had to believe it was a certainty.

We had found many of the old ceremonial robes that had been used in past years at Public. From my reading I knew that the elementals had placed a lot of stock in pomp and pageantry. They enjoyed putting on a spectacle, and others enjoyed watching it. The show had been part of the basis of their power in years past. I had fished out an old blue robe that was covered in dust. Sip had protested, but I had been firm. I would wear it that night. Malle would not cow me, not for anything.

The curtain shifted and I started. The blue swept backward in the corner of the mirror and then there was Keller again.

He grinned at me.

“Sorry,” he said. “I just can’t stay away.”

“You should try,” I cautioned him. “You’re with darkness now.” I had tried for stern, but I’m pretty sure I just sounded disappointed and a bit lost. Even to my own ears it sounded like a feeble reply.

He took the strings of my robe out of my hands, his fingertips brushing against mine as he did so. My face was very close to his. I didn’t breathe, in case I had halitosis. Ew.

He tied the string around my neck so that it felt secure but not tight. When he finished, he didn’t move away, he laid his strong hands on my shoulders.

Stop trembling, silly girl,
I ordered myself. It didn’t really work.

Keller smiled at me and I glared.

“Can you stop looking at me like that? It’s hard to concentrate.”

He kissed me quickly, before I could stop him.

“Don’t be grumpy,” he begged, still grinning. “Not when we have so little time together.”

I wanted to tell him that we had so little time because he was foolish, but I kept my mouth shut. He was right. I examined the knot he’d tied.

“How’d you learn to do this?” I asked.

“My parents taught all of their children when they were very young,” he said. “I’ve known how for as long as I can remember.”

The knot was intricate, and I hoped it wouldn’t come untied. As if reading my thoughts, Keller said, “If it comes untied you can find me and I’ll tie it again. That’ll really surprise Malle.”

“You don’t call her Cynthia?” I asked, knowing perfectly well that she was his godmother and that their families were very close.

He shook his head. “She’s in a position of authority.”

“How have you managed to survive?” I asked. “They haven’t even turned you?”

I glanced at his ring. It was still pure.

“So, still mad at me, huh?” He came even closer, so that we were almost touching. My breath wouldn’t come, and neither would my frown. I stared resolutely at his shirt collar. His hair was still slightly damp and he smelled of soap and open air and charcoal.

“I can’t trust you,” I said. “This is a smart idea of Malle’s, sending in the only guy I’ve ever loved to confuse me at this of all times.”

“Hey, hey,” said Keller, removing his right hand from my shoulder, so that I felt bereft at the loss of his touch. He slid his fingertips under my chin and nudged my face up until our eyes met.

“You loved Cale, too, at one time,” he said, smirking a bit.

I groaned. I had never told him I’d had a crush on Cale. “How’d you know that?” I cried. Besides, love was too strong a word for what I’d felt about Cale. I tried to pull away and cover my face with my hands, but he wouldn’t let me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I felt him lace his fingers at my back, trapping me in a warm embrace.

Okay, trapping was kind of a strong word. I was pretty damn happy right there, right then.

“Oh please,” he said, “just because you wish guys were as dense as you think we are doesn’t mean it’s true. Mostly because it’d be impossible for us to be as dense as you think we are.”

I couldn’t help it, I smiled.

“You’ve been talking to Sip?” I asked, continuing to smile.

“No, she won’t talk to me,” he said, “something about being an idiot for breaking up with the love of my life.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty mad about that,” I said. “You should be careful.”

“I’m hoping she’ll be madder at Lisabelle, take some of the heat off me.”

“What’d Lisabelle do wrong now?” I asked it jokingly, but there was a flicker of pain in Keller’s eyes. “What are you saying?” I asked, pushing against his chest so that I had a better view of his face.

“I just don’t see how Lisabelle can survive this much power,” he said. “She can rip the earth open and then go have breakfast. No big deal.”

I breathed in and out through my nose, fighting for calm. Well, when he put it that way.

“Don’t be silly,” I whispered. “There’s no way Lisabelle can eat anymore.”

Keller pulled me close again.

“I just hope Sip’s found a way, for all our sakes.”

Keller lingered so long that I thought he’d be discovered. He just stayed there with his arms wrapped around my waist and his forehead pressed against mine.

“I’m not forgiving you, you know,” I said. Silently I added that I couldn’t forgive his parents, either.

“I know,” he said. “After all this is over we can figure out how I can make it up to you.”

“Oh, well, it will surely involve chocolate,” I said, “and doing whatever I want for the rest of my life.”

“Well, you’re female, I hear that’s the best way to have a successful relationship anyway.” He grinned as I rolled my eyes.

“Please, guys are so sensitive, and yet they insist on pretending not to be. It’s ridiculous.”

Keller pulled me closer again and said, “You win. You’re right.”

“Are you just saying that because you want me back?”

“Yes,” he said. “Like I said, give me a chance after all this is over.”

“What if it doesn’t end?” I asked. “What if tonight isn’t the final battle?” I tried to shove the pain away, but the thought slammed through me and threatened to cut off my air. I just wasn’t sure I could take any more fighting. I knew I couldn’t take any more loss, just as surely as I knew there was more to come. “The battles and the death could just go on and on.”

“Probably not,” said Keller. “There aren’t that many paranormals left. You’d all have to go to Europe or something.”

“Wow, so comforting isn’t your strong suit,” I said. “Got it.”

He chuckled again, his breath warm on my neck. “We don’t have to be perfect to each other,” he said. “I just know I’d rather be here than anywhere else. Always. Even if you’re talking crazy.”

“Yeah, see, I’m the crazy one. This is what I mean about guys being sensitive and ridiculous.”

Keller pulled back a little and I lifted my cheek from his shoulder to meet his eyes.

“If it doesn’t end tonight you’ll keep fighting, because that’s what you do, not because you want to, but because you’re needed. Not everyone steps up and does what’s needed. They can’t, or they’re too afraid, but not you. Charlotte, when darkness is coming and you put yourself between your friends and the paranormals and an enemy that’s attacking them, there’s nothing more brave or honorable
. . . I don’t care what everyone else says.” He winked at me and I groaned.

“Like your parents?” I asked.

Keller looked grim. “They’ve been having a hard time ever since I went to intern for Malle. I’ve only seen them twice, and they haven’t seemed happy. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“They’ll be okay,” I said. “Maybe they know they did something wrong.”

“I highly doubt that,” said Keller. “They’re of an older school of thought. Our marriage will absolutely kill them.”

For a split second I was stunned, then I said, “You’d be lucky to have me.”

“I know,” he said, and pressed his forehead to mine.

“Now, about me being sensitive. If you don’t call me heartsweet right now I might just fall over and die,” he whispered.

I smiled. “You call me heartsweet, remember?”

“Yes,” he said, his voice making me shiver. “I just wanted you to remember too.”

Chapter
Thirty-Five

“Charlotte,” the knock came for the fourth time.

“Oh, what?” I yelled. I was sitting in Keller’s lap, staring into an unnecessary fire. Somehow the warmth of the licking flame didn’t reach my icy insides.

I didn’t recognize the voice, but I thought it might be Lester, between whom and me there was no love lost.

“Can you open up?”

“Sure,” I said. “Right after you leave.”

There was a brief pause, and then another knock. “Charlotte?”

I felt Keller stiffen and glance at me. Professor Erikson wanted me to open the door.

“Can I come in?” Her voice was barely audible through the thick wood.

“I should go,” Keller whispered into my ear. “She’ll have a fit hissy if she finds me here, and I don’t think you need more stress right now.”

I smiled
grimly and said, “Your aunt terrifies me like no other paranormal ever has.”

Keller’s blue eyes were thoughtful in his pale face. “Yes,” he said. “I’ve gotten that.” There was something there. I could see it in the depths of his irises, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Sometimes,” he said, standing up, “being right and doing the right thing are the saddest actions anyone can take.”

I had no idea what he meant, but I let him kiss me goodbye before opening the window for him. We exchanged one last look and then he was gone. I didn’t bother to see where the demons were or to examine the moon. I quickly fastened the window and hurried to open the door.

Professor Erikson stood there in white ceremonial robes on which there were designs etched in silver. Birds soared and clouds burst, the sun shone down in rays and angel wings spread. It was a stunning work of craftsmanship, and I said so.

Professor Erikson glanced down, a sardonic smile plastered on her lips.

“Yes,” she said. “I suppose someone put a lot of work into it. I wonder if we might have a word.”

The tension building inside me threatened to split me open, so what was one more terrifying conversation before the terrifying battle?
I just reminded myself that not only were the paranormals out of time, but so was Lisabelle. She didn’t have the strength to contain all the darkness that was coursing inside her any longer.

I stepped back and opened the door wider. Professor Erikson’s eyes flicked to the knot at my throat, but she didn’t say anything. She swept into the room and moved to the window I had just closed.

“It’s brave of you,” she said, “to keep the curtains open with so many demons sweeping around Public.”

Sip, Lough, and I had agreed not to tell anyone about our plan for the coming night, except for Keller. Surely Dacer and his mother would also want to fight, but I wasn’t sure about any of the rest of them. Trafton was a good friend, but he also loved Suze, and his family wasn’t an issue for him. I didn’t want to risk Lisabelle by sharing our plan with anyone. We were on our own.
If I could only get through this interview, maybe then I could concentrate on preparing myself for what was coming.

“Professor Erikson,” I said, “I would have thought you’d be with Malle.” Something about that sounded strange in my mouth, but I ignored it. I needed all my wits to keep up with Keller’s aunt.