Gaius tells me he thinks that’s an excellent idea, as long as I don’t get caught, of course. I assure him I won’t. As I walk to the door, I look back over my shoulder at Chase. It doesn’t feel right to leave him alone with his nightmares, but Dad must have been horribly worried about me over the past few days, so I need to see him. Hopefully I can put on a brave face and reassure him that everything will be fine, despite my fugitive status and uncertain future.
I pick up the amber beside my bed to write a message. I’m not sure if it’s Ryn or Dad on the other end, but I’ll assume it’s Ryn, given the recent messages Gaius told me about.
I’m awake now and much better. No, you don’t have to kill Chase. It isn’t his fault I’ve been unwell the past few days. Please ask Dad if he can visit Mom in the healing wing during visiting hours tomorrow. Thanks.
Then I take Gaius and Lumethon’s advice and soak in a hot pool of bubbles, trying not to imagine Chase’s nightmares.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
I’m becoming quite proficient at hiding myself with the illusion of empty space. It was a challenge at first, picturing the absence of something rather than an actual thing, but with all my recent practice, it’s definitely easier than it used to be. I didn’t even have to pretend I was someone else when coming into the Guild. I simply made the guard see a closed wall and only himself in the room instead of a girl with a hood over her head walking in through the faerie paths. It’s a little bit thrilling, in fact, to walk freely around the Guild knowing that no one can see me. But I remind myself to be careful and head straight to the healing wing, because overconfidence is what lands people in trouble.
Mom is being kept in a long room that houses a row of beds on either side. Curtains float around each bed, giving patients privacy if they require it. It’s a good thing I don’t drop my illusion the moment I slip between Mom’s curtains, because it turns out her friend Matilda from the library they both work at is visiting. She’s chattering away to Mom, telling her about the young couple she found getting far too intimate on the top floor of the library and the resulting awkward situation as she tried to explain to them how inappropriate their behavior was.
I choose to wait outside, keeping myself hidden in a corner while watching the blue-uniformed healers bustling around. I see Dad arrive. He’s trying to be casual with his hands in his pockets, but I can tell from the way his eyes dart around, probably looking for signs of me, that he’s anxious. Shortly after he goes into Mom’s cubicle, Matilda comes out. I wait another minute or two, just in case she left something behind and suddenly comes rushing back to fetch it. When I’m certain she’s gone, I walk to Mom’s curtains and step between them, trying to move them as little as possible. I pull the protection back around my mind. The moment Dad sees me, he strides across the space and wraps me in a tight hug. “What a relief to know you’re okay,” he says as he steps back. “I mean, of course you are. I shouldn’t have doubted it for a moment. You’re far more capable of taking care of yourself than I give you credit for. But when Ryn said you weren’t well, all I could think of was the dragon disease, and I didn’t know if we’d ever see you again—”
“Dad, I’m fine. I’m fine.” I take his hands and squeeze them. “I’m so sorry you had to worry like that, but I’m better now, I promise. And I’m going to figure out … something. For what to do next. An art school far away where no one knows me and there are no Guilds nearby. And I’ll visit you like this, in secret, now that I know I can comfortably conceal myself. Everything will be okay.” I nod continuously as I speak, willing myself to believe my own words.
As if Dad can sense my doubt—as if he knows I need his reassurance as much as he needs mine—he squeezes my hands in return and says, “Of course everything will be okay. This isn’t the way you wanted your life to turn out, but life seldom works that way. This is just another challenge, and I know you’ll pick yourself up and make it through to the other side like you always do.”
I nod and press my lips together. In an attempt to keep my emotions at bay, I walk to the edge of Mom’s bed and clasp one of her hands in mine. “How’s she doing? Do the healers have any idea yet when she’ll wake up?”
“No. There’s been no change in her condition.”
I look around, happy to see that the area is cozier than the last time I was here. A blanket from Mom and Dad’s bedroom at home is draped over the pale blue sheets, a pretty tablecloth covers the little cabinet beside the bed, and on top of the cabinet is a picture of Mom, Dad and me from when I was about fifteen. Beside it is another frame housing a painting I did years ago. “Where’d you find that?” I ask, pointing to the painting with a smile. “I haven’t seen it in ages.”
Dad frowns. “Neither have I. I know your mom loved it, though. I think she kept it on her desk at work.”
“Matilda must have brought it. That was nice of her. Too bad Mom isn’t awake to see it.”
Dad moves to the opposite side of the bed. “I suppose these things are more for the people who sit in here with her. We’re the ones who don’t want it to feel so bare and clinical.” Dad glances at the curtain, then looks across the bed at me. “If someone comes in here now, will they see you?”
“Yes. I don’t know yet if it’s possible to show an illusion to some people and not others, so if you can see me, everyone else can too. But I’m getting much faster at it, so I can conceal myself the moment anyone walks in here.”
“Okay.” Dad looks over his shoulder again, then positions himself between me and the gap in the curtains. “So, Ryn said you’re staying with a friend you met Underground. As your father, I should probably be concerned that you’ve spent time Underground, but we both know there are more important things to be concerned about, so all that matters is that you’re staying somewhere safe.”
“My friend and I are actually both staying with another friend of his, and it’s definitely safe. The area surrounding his home is inaccessible from the faerie paths. You have to use a faerie door, which is obviously locked, and you’d have to know where the faerie door is. I doubt the Guild even knows this place exists.”
“Good.”
“I assume it’s not safe for me to come home?”
“Unfortunately not. By law, the Guild is allowed to track fugitives. It’s a similar spell to the one they put on the house when you were under house arrest, but this one will detect when you enter our home. They’re allowed to put it on any home they can reasonably prove you’d be likely to try and hide at. So there’s one on our home, Ryn’s home, your grandparents’ home, and the homes of the trainees you’ve made friends with at the Guild. Oh, and even Zinnia’s home,” he adds, referring to his first wife, Ryn’s mother. “Someone at the Guild found out you used to stay there occasionally with Ryn when you were little and your mom and I were away. They seem to think you might try to hide there now.”
“Sounds like they’re going a little overboard just to find one Gifted person.”
“Well, they need to make it look like they’re doing everything they can to find the person who brought the dragon disease to the Guild, and you’re still their top suspect.”
I shake my head, but I don’t bother pointing out how useless the Guild is being about this whole dragon disease thing. Dad already knows. Outside the curtain, I hear a healer telling the people next door that visiting hours are almost over. I let go of Mom’s hand and quickly make it appear as though I’m not here. When the healer pops her head in to tell Dad the same thing, she sees only him and Mom.
When the healer’s gone, I reveal myself once more. I lean over and give Mom a quick kiss on the forehead. “I hope you wake up soon,” I whisper. “There’s a lot for us to talk about.” I give Dad another hug and promise to stay in contact.
“If you need another safe place to meet,” Dad says, “Ryn has friends who’ve offered their home. Flint and Raven. They said we can meet there any time. They wanted to offer you a room in their home so you’d have som
ewhere to stay for a while, but since they have a little boy—”
“Oh, I understand, you don’t have to explain. It’s too much of a risk if someone found out. They wouldn’t want guardians rushing through their home shooting weapons and magic all over the place when they have a child to protect.”
“Yes. But let’s try to meet there soon. If you want, I can bring some of your things so you can at least feel a little more at home where you’re currently staying.”
“Thank you.”
After a final goodbye, Dad leaves. I decide to wait a few minutes until the rest of the visitors have made their way out. It’ll reduce the likelihood of someone walking into me. I pick up the frame with the painting so I can have a closer look at it—and that’s when I hear movement behind me. I drop the frame and spin around, projecting my illusion of nothingness in an instant.
“I saw her!” Gemma whispers in excitement.
“Me too,” Perry says. “That’s incredible. She just vanished. Calla, are you still here?”
I’m thrilled to see that Gemma is alive, but I’m terrified my two friends are about to shout out that they’ve found me. I remain frozen and try not to breathe. My furiously pounding heart might give me away, though. Besides, if Gemma and Perry walk any closer, they’ll be able to touch me. Then there won’t be any doubt as to whether I’m here or not.
“Come on, we’re not about to give you away,” Perry says, lowering his voice. “We could have done that before; we already knew you were Gifted.”
“What?”
“Oh! You’re still here,” Gemma says, her eyes searching the air where I’m standing.
Carefully, I let go of the illusion and close up the barrier around my mind. I watch their eyes widen as I come into view. “What do you mean you knew?”
“Well, we didn’t know know,” Perry says. “but we always suspected. I mean, when you put all the stories together, it’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?”
“It … it is?”
“Yes. Well, it’s obvious to anyone with more than half a brain,” he says. “All those other dumb-asses came up with stories about Unseelie magic and dark spells.” He shrugs. “We figured there was probably a much more sensible explanation.”
“Yeah,” Gemma says. “I don’t know why the Council didn’t figure it out ages ago.”
I think I know. Something to do with Dad bribing certain people to keep quiet. “And … it doesn’t bother you?” I ask carefully.
“Why would it?” Perry asks. “I don’t have anything against Griffin Abilities.”
“Me neither,” Gemma says. “One of my extended family members is Gifted. I’m not supposed to know, but I’ve overheard things. And seen things. Those Griffin discs …” She shakes her head in wonder. “There were only six of them, but they sure did get around.”
I hesitate, looking back and forth between the two of them. “So we’re all good? You’re not about to follow your guardian training and hand over the criminal you just found?”
“Of course not,” Gemma says with a quiet chuckle. Then she skips over to me and gives me a hug. “I’m so happy you got away safely.”
“I’m so happy you’re alive,” I say as her hair tickles my cheek.
“Group hug!” Perry throws his arms around both of us.
“Shh,” Gemma tells him. “The healers will hear us.”
“Thanks for that cure, by the way,” Perry adds as the two of them step back. They immediately put some distance between each other, and I realize now that they haven’t made eye contact once. I wonder if something happened between them. “The rest of the Guild seems to view it as confirmation that you were responsible for the dragon disease,” Perry continues, “but there are some of us who are very grateful you went looking for it.”
“Me,” Gemma says, sticking her hand in the air. “I’m one of those grateful people.”
“Thank you for getting that key away from Councilor Merrydale,” I say to Perry. “I never would have got the tracker spell off otherwise.”
“Well, you know, he just happened to fall down during the big fight in the foyer, and then my pickpocketing fingers just happened to find that key inside his jacket.”
“Pickpocketing? How impressive,” I say with a grin.
“Thank you. My next mission is to figure out who killed Saskia and framed you for it.”
“Wait, hang on.” My smile fades. “What exactly are you doing to figure that out, because you could wind up in serious trouble if you’re found sticking your nose where it shouldn’t be.”
“My nose is perfectly fine,” Perry says, rubbing it. “We’ve just done a little digging in Olive’s office so far. We found scrolls with non-Guild seals on them.”
“Are you insane?”
“We haven’t managed to open any yet,” he continues, ignoring my question, “but they look suspicious. Like she’s receiving instructions from outside the Guild. And she didn’t like you or Saskia, so she had motive to get rid of both of you.”
The thought crossed my mind too, but I don’t want Perry and Gemma trying to prove it on their own. “Seriously, Perry, you do not want to be caught looking through Olive’s stuff.”
“Don’t you want to know if she’s the one who did it?” Gemma says. “Don’t you think everyone should know?”
“If she is the one who did it and she finds out you’re trying to prove it, the two of you could wind up dead.”
“Possibly,” Perry says, looking unconcerned. “Well, the three of us. Ned’s obviously in on it too.”
“This isn’t a joke, Perry.”
“We know that,” Gemma says gently. “We’re being careful. But isn’t this the kind of thing we’re training for? As guardians, we’re all about justice and truth and finding the real criminals. Whoever the real criminal is in this case, he or she needs to be found.”
“Okay, but since you don’t have permission to work on this case, you should take your suspicions to someone higher up. A mentor you trust, or my brother. He’ll listen to you.”
With a dramatic sigh, Perry says, “Fine. We’ll take your thoughts into consideration. But when we prove your innocence, I hope you’ll say thank you.”
I chuckle. “Of course.” I look down at Mom’s sleeping form, wondering if there’s any way she can hear all of this. Then something occurs to me. I turn back to Perry and Gemma with a frown. “How did you know I was here?”
“Gemma’s a genius, that’s how,” Perry says. Gemma’s cheeks turn pink as she smiles, but she’s still refusing to look at him. I decide that something has definitely happened between the two of them. “We knew you must be communicating with your family somehow, but all our houses are being monitored, and they’ve got Guild people following us everywhere.”
“Seriously,” Gemma says. “That’s not an exaggeration. I went shopping last night and this Guild woman followed me the entire time. She did a terrible job blending in with everyone else.”
“So we were going down to the dining hall when your dad passed us on the stairs, and Gemma said—”
“That’s how you’ve been meeting up with them, right here inside the Guild, where no one would think to look.”
“So we waited until your dad left, and then we ran in here when the healers weren’t looking.”
“It was so—”
“Shh,” I say as footsteps move closer. A shadow passes by Mom’s curtain, then stops. “Don’t make a sound,” I whisper as the person walks closer. The curtains move and a healer’s face looks in. He frowns at Mom, then shakes his head and leaves.
A wide grin stretches Gemma’s lips. “He didn’t see us,” she whispers.
“Nope. I imagined we were invisible and made him see that instead.”
“Amazing,” Perry murmurs.
“We need to go before we all wind up in trouble,” I tell them. The three of us shuffle toward the curtain and Gemma peeps out. “I can conceal all of us until we’re out of the healing wing,” I say.
; “That is so cool,” Gemma says, barely managing to keep her voice below a squeal. “Please can we be friends forever.”
I can’t help smiling at that. It’s a smile that remains on my face the whole way back to the lakeside house. And it’s a smile that turns thoughtful as I walk through the faerie door to the mountain. How many friends would I have kept in the past if I’d simply told them the truth instead of allowing them to believe horrible rumors? Or, conversely, how much sooner would I have wound up on the Griffin List?
It doesn’t matter. I only care that I’ve finally found the right kind of friends. Friends who not only accept me as Gifted, but who love me for it.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX
“Are you moving in permanently?” Gaius asks three days later as I walk up the stairs with several boxes floating behind me. I look up, expecting to find him annoyed or confused. After all, I didn’t mention this to him before I left for Raven and Flint’s house this morning. Instead, I find him looking pleased.
“Not exactly,” I say, drawing the words out, hoping he isn’t too disappointed. “I just thought it would be nice to have some of my things here for now. You know, until I figure out what my next move is.”
“Ah, I see.”
I climb the remaining stairs, making sure to concentrate on the boxes so they don’t bump into each other. Inside my temporary bedroom, I lower them to the floor. Then I open one, take Chase’s coat out—the one he put around my shoulders after Ryn and Vi’s wedding—and walk to his room with it. I find him in the same condition as when I left this morning. After hanging his coat over the back of the desk chair, I fetch the sketchpad I’ve been using and sit on the edge of the bed. This is what I do these days when I’m not arranging to visit my family in secret. I sit in here and draw. Or I practice projecting my illusions, seeing how detailed I can make them or how quickly I can change from one to the next. Or I read through the information Gaius found on various distant art schools. Lumethon says she doesn’t think Chase is aware of whether anyone is in this room with him, but I hate thinking of him lying here alone in his distressed, nightmare-consumed state.
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