Helpless (Blue Fire Saga) (8 page)

Dominic shook his head. “I do not see how. I have not used any active magic in many, many years, and never in this part of your country. Still, there are only four of the renegades. It makes sense that one would be searching the Americas. But to know he is within a few hundred miles is disconcerting.”

“Could he somehow have sensed Leesa’s magic?” Rave asked worriedly. He moved to Leesa’s side and put his arm around her shoulders. “Perhaps when she hurled Edwina with her thoughts?”

“I doubt it. Though that outburst was the thing that brought me to Middletown, I was only ten miles away when it happened, and I am far more in tune with Leesa vibrations than any of our foes could be. I think if Josef had somehow managed to detect it, he would be much closer than a few hundred miles by now. Indeed, he would be here.”

Dominic’s face tightened again and his eyes momentarily took on a distant stare.

“He’s done it again,” he said after a moment. “Another killing strike.”

“Maybe he’s being attacked,” Leesa said hopefully.

Dominic allowed himself a grim smile. “We can only hope, though I don’t know what foe could manage to defeat him, unless their numbers were great enough to overwhelm him. But no, I do not think he is under attack. The blasts were too far apart. I think it more likely Josef is just ridding himself of some obstacles. Or perhaps driving home a point.”

“From what you say, this would be some way to make a point,” Rave said.

“Intimidation is one of the quickest and most persuasive forms of argument. Plus, the black waziri enjoy using it now and then for nothing more than the pleasure of it.”

“Josef knows you can sense his magic?” Balin asked.

“Oh, yes. He knows that beyond a doubt, if I am close enough.”

Leesa did not really like hearing that several hundred miles constituted “close enough.”

“He doesn’t seem concerned with letting you know where he is,” Balin said. “Perhaps he hopes to push you into making a mistake.”

“Perhaps,” Dominic agreed, “though I doubt that would have been his main purpose. He knows he is unlikely to provoke a response from me. No, he is pursuing some other plan, I believe. I just wish I knew what it was.” He looked at Leesa. “Leesa, we are going to have to be extra careful with your training.”

Leesa didn’t see how they could be any more careful than they were already being, given how slow they were going, but she didn’t want to say anything. The reality of black magic had left her a bit shaken.

“Are you sure any training is safe right now?” Rave asked.

“I told you both from the start there was danger in this choice,” Dominic replied. “But you may rest assured I will take every precaution possible.”

Leesa reached down to where Rave’s hand rested on her hip and gave it a squeeze.

“Don’t worry, Rave. We’re being
really
careful. I promise.”

She just wished she felt as safe as she was trying to sound.

9. INCORRIGiBLE

“A
re you beginning to see why I wanted a car?” Dominic asked as Leesa drove west through the darkness, toward the Connecticut River and home. They had decided that whenever the two of them rode together Leesa would do the driving, because she was the one with the license in case they were stopped for any reason.

“So I could go kiss Rave and you could drink mead?” Leesa joked, though she was pretty clear about what Dominic meant.

Dominic laughed. “Those are both very nice bonuses, I have to admit.” The wizard had enjoyed a third mug of mead after he had sensed Josef’s magic, while the four of them talked more about what it might mean.

“I understand it’s not smart for you to be around me all time,” Leesa said. “And that the car makes it easier for you put distance between us.”

“Exactly. And after what happened tonight, I have another idea for it as well.”

Leesa took a quick glance at the wizard. “What’s that?”

“I think it wise that when we can, we take some of your training somewhere other than Middletown.”

Leesa was surprised. The thought of going anywhere else had never occurred to her. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea, since Rave would never be able to drive with them.

“What do you mean? Where would we go?”

“Random places. Drive a few hours in any direction. That way we lessen the chance that Josef, or anyone else, would be led to your home if they somehow managed to sense your location while you practiced.”

Leesa did not like the sound of that. She knew it had always been one of Dominic’s concerns, but he had not voiced it so directly until now.

“Do you think that could happen? That Josef could sense me?”

“Not yet. But as we move further into your training, the chances of you accidently letting loose some active magic grow. It is my hope that even if you do, our enemies will still not be able to detect it. Still, we must take as many precautions as we can, for your safety as well as your loved ones.”

Leesa stared out the front windshield, only half concentrating on the road.

“I guess you’re right,” she said after a moment. “I don’t like the idea, but if you think it’s necessary, I’ll go along with it. You’re the expert in this stuff, and I trust you.”

It was not quite eleven o’clock when they arrived back at Leesa’s dorm. After watching Dominic drive away to who knows where, Leesa decided to take a chance Cali might still be awake. She climbed the stairs to the third floor. Yellow light spilled from beneath Cali’s door and Leesa could hear music faintly from inside. Unless Cali had fallen asleep with her light and stereo on, she was still up. Leesa knocked softly, just in case.

“C’mon in,” Cali called.

Leesa pushed the door open, stepped inside, and closed the door softly behind her. Cali was sitting at her desk with a text book open in front of her. She was wearing an old blue and gray sweatshirt and gray sweatpants. Her burgundy streaked hair was gathered into a short ponytail. Now that Leesa was inside, she identified the music as Vampire Weekend. She hoped Cali’s choice of the popular indie band had nothing to do with Stefan having kissed her hand just a few days ago. Cali was enamored enough with the idea of vampires as it was.

“Am I interrupting anything important?” Leesa asked.

Cali closed her book and swung around to face Leesa. “Nah. Any break from studying is a welcome one.” She took in Leesa’s parka and knit cap. “You were out late. Do anything fun?”

“Well, you’ll never guess what I did earlier this evening.”

Cali’s face brightened with excitement. She lifted her chair from the floor and swung it around to face Leesa.

“Do tell,” she said eagerly.

Leesa pulled her cap off and unzipped her jacket. She plopped down on the edge of Cali’s bed.

“I bought a car.”

The look on Cali’s face was a mixture of surprise and disappointment.

“That’s it? You bought a car? You have a gorgeous volkaane boyfriend and a sexy vampire friend and who knows what else going on, and your big news is that you bought a car? I was hoping for something a little more exotic and exciting.”

Leesa wished she could tell Cali about the black magic Dominic had sensed, but Dominic’s true nature was a secret she had not yet shared with Cali.

“Well, when’s the last time you bought a car?” she asked defensively.

“Oh, sorry,” Cali said. “I didn’t mean that to sound the way it did. It’s just with all the cool stuff you’ve shared with me lately I thought this might be another big thing. What are you going to do with a car? You’re a freshman. You can’t have a car on campus.”

“I didn’t buy it for me. I bought it for Dominic. With his money,” she added quickly.

Cali looked puzzled. “I don’t get it.”

Leesa took a moment to figure out how she could best explain it without revealing anything about Dominic’s identity.

“He’s not an American citizen,” she said, which was certainly the truth. “He didn’t know if he could buy one. Plus, he’s pretty clueless about the internet and stuff. I found a good one on Craigslist, just off campus. A Blazer. We took it for a ride out to see Rave.”

Cali’s face brightened. “Now that’s more like it. I always like hearing stuff about Rave. Did you guys take him for a ride?” she joked.

“Ha! I made the same joke when I saw him.”

Cali got up and sat next to Leesa on the bed. “So, did anything exciting happen out there in volkaane land?”

Leesa was glad she and Rave had finally shared Rave’s volkaane nature with Cali and didn’t have to keep his powers secret from her any longer.

“Well, when we got out there, the old road to the Maston settlement wasn’t plowed. There’s no way me and Dominic could have hiked in through all that snow, so I yelled for Rave to come get me. It’s a pretty long way, but he’s got really good hearing. Two minutes later, he comes walking up the road like there’s no snow at all. And for him, there really wasn’t. He turned up his inner heat and his legs melted the snow before they even touched it. It was so awesome to watch.”

Cali grinned. “See? Now that’s what I’m talking about. Magic stuff—that’s what I like to hear. You got anything else cool like that to share?”

“No, not really,” Leesa said coyly, “except that he carried me all the way to the settlement. I love it when he carries me. It’s like I don’t weigh an ounce, and I can feel his heat through his chest. I haven’t told you this yet, but sometimes he carries me for miles. It’s awesome.”

Cali got a dreamy look on her face. “Mmmm, it sounds it. You should write a book about all this stuff. Kids would eat it up. Supernatural romance is so hot right now—and you’re living it!”

“Ha! Don’t even think like that. This is all a secret, re-member?”

“Yeah, I know. But it would be so cool.”

“If you behave yourself, maybe the next time he’s here I’ll ask him to pick you up so you can see how it feels.”

Cali threw her arms around Leesa and hugged her tightly. “That would be so cool! You are the best best friend ever!” She pulled her arms back from around Leesa. “While we’re on the subject, do you think I could try one of those kisses you’re always talking about, too?”

“Ha! Don’t push your luck, girlie. Those are definitely not for sharing.”

Cali grinned. “Oh, well, you can’t blame a girl for trying. What about those other two who were here last week, Dral and Bain, right? Maybe I could try it with one of them—purely for research purposes, of course.”

Leesa shook her head in resignation. “You’re incorrigible.”

Cali’s grin widened. “If that means cute as all get out, then yeah, that’s what I am. Incorrigible.”

Leesa smiled. “I don’t know how Andy puts up with you.”

“Oh, he loves it,” Cali said. “It keeps him on his toes.”

“I bet.” Leesa stood up. “Bedtime for me. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She limped toward the door.

“Sweet dreams,” Cali said.

“Thanks,” Leesa said just before pulling the door closed behind her. She didn’t really care whether her dreams were sweet or not, just as long as she didn’t have one of those stressful magic ones. Still, sweet would definitely be nice….

10. DREAMING

L
eesa did not get her wish.

Her dream started out fine. She was with Rave, standing arm in arm in one of their favorite spots: a rocky ledge overlooking the Moodus River, not too far from the Maston settlement. Everything was covered in a blanket of clean white snow, including the frozen surface of the river. Not a sound broke the stillness…

“I love it up here,” she said, snuggling against Rave to soak up his warmth. “It’s so beautiful. And so peaceful.”

“I love being anywhere with you,” Rave replied softly. He bent his head and moved his mouth toward Leesa’s.

Leesa knew she should be concerned—Rave was about to kiss her with no alarm set to signal an end their kiss and no one watching to pull them apart—but she wasn’t. All she could think about as his lips moved closer was how handsome he was, how beautiful his deep brown eyes were. She heard herself sigh, and then his lips met hers.

The familiar, delicious warmth flowed through her, reaching every fiber of her being in the time it took to blink an eye. She felt as if they had stepped off the cliff in front of them. For a moment they just hung there, floating peacefully above the river, and then they began soaring up through the air, up towards the puffy white clouds above, up towards the sun. Leesa was in ecstasy—surely this was the route to heaven.

The heat grew, filling her veins with fire—glorious, all-consuming fire. She thought they must be flying directly into the sun. No one could survive this heat, but she didn’t care.

And then suddenly the fire was gone. Light and heat were replaced by dark and cold. Leesa’s limbs shivered in the dank chill. She could see nothing in the blackness, but she knew she was alone. Where had Rave gone?

A white speck of light appeared in front of her. She had no idea if the tiny dot was real or just a picture in her mind. Slowly, the speck grew larger and lighter, but it brought no warmth with it. Instead, the cold seemed to grow along with the circle of light. A second circle slowly emerged from the first, until it sat atop the original, barely touching. Both circles continued to grow.

When a third circle began to emerge, Leesa suddenly knew what was coming. She wanted to turn her head away, but she could not. She continued to watch, transfixed by the horror as the three circles began to resemble a snowman, and then the snowman transformed in to the hideous image of the Necromancer. The terrifying creature opened its pink, empty eyes and beckoned Leesa with his finger. She was powerless to resist. Suddenly, she heard Dominic’s voice.

Leesa awoke with a start, lying on her back with her heart beating so rapidly it felt as if it threatened to burst from her chest. She shook her head—more of a violent shiver than a shake—trying to clear the Necromancer’s image from her brain. She remembered hearing Dominic’s voice.
Everywhere and nowhere
, the wizard had said to her in the dream. She wondered if he was giving her instructions.

She forced herself to breathe more slowly, counting the seconds of her inhales and exhales. Slowly, her heart rate began to return to normal. The gruesome image of the Necromancer faded, but the thought of him remained stuck in her head. Try as she might, she could not chase it away.

Everywhere and nowhere
. Breathing alone was not enough, she knew. She must continue with the technique Dominic had taught her.

She needed something to focus her thoughts on; something inconsequential, something meaningless. She noticed the weight of her heavy winter blankets on her toes. Normally, she would turn her feet to reduce the pressure, but not now. Tonight, she would focus on it, the way the soft flannel sheet pushed down against the top of her toes. She gave herself to the feeling, noticing every tiny detail, as if a microscopic version of herself was sitting atop her big toe drinking it all in….

When Leesa awoke again, it was morning. Gray daylight filtered in past the edges of her curtains. She heard noises from down the hall as her dorm mates got ready to start their day.

She stretched her arms out above her head and inhaled a deep breath. Amazingly, she felt rested and refreshed, her terrifying nightmare nothing but a faint memory. She didn’t think the dream had been one of her magical ones—it didn’t have the totally realistic feel to it that the others did. She suspected this one had simply been the result of seeing Rave last night and of Dominic sensing the black magic of one of his enemies. Still, the dream had been frightening and disturbing, even if it wasn’t one of the magical kind.

Leesa allowed herself a smile. Despite waking up terrified in the middle of the night, she had fallen back to sleep without much trouble and was feeling fine now. Two words sounded in her head:
Everywhere and nowhere.
Her smile widened. The stuff Dominic was teaching her seemed to be working after all
.