“That shield is critical to hide and protect us from the world beyond Drae Hallow.” Carol interjected the obvious.
A soft musical voice chimed in that I didn’t recognize at first. “Something else we need to discuss are the bodies.” There must have been several appalled glances sent her way. “What? None of the rest of you had the stomach for it. It had to be done. Those two men were some of our top young graduates. I helped train them and watch them grow up. We owe it to them to find the truth out about something that got the drop on them before they had the chance to pull their weapons.” Feather Hodge's voice slipped a bit. “When I examined the remains, I found something odd. I examined the wounds and discovered something that didn’t jibe with just torn tissue; something sticky and black—tar-like.”
My eyes met Thomas. Uh-oh, that sounded familiar.
Everyone in the corridor jumped along with the council members when Feather slammed a glass jar down in the middle of the table with more force than necessary. We didn’t have to see what was in it; we already knew.
She continued on. “We still don’t have a clue what it is. But it’s toxic. Causes instant paralysis. The guards didn’t fight back because they couldn’t. As soon as whatever that is contacted their skin they went down for the count and helpless to defend themselves.” A momentary pause passed.
Lucas spoke up, his voice hard with anger. “I think we will need more guards. We need to have that substance examined more. You’ve done a splendid job, but if you don’t mind, can I take that sample? I have someone else in mind who is not confined to one world. I believe we could use some help from someone with a foot in both.”
Heavy silence ensued. I realized they were talking about Jerry Waverly, Sirris dad. Not everyone agreed.
“That quack! You talk about keeping our world protected from the outside humans! And yet he knows more than half the magical population does!” Will Bennett complained, his voice livid.
Lucas continued as if he hadn’t spoken, directing his comment to those in charge of the shield. “I need regular reports on the integrity of that shield. It would be a disaster for us all if it fell.” He paused. “That shield is not only keeping the Magical World hidden from the humans outside. It’s also keeping whatever those things are out. If the shields fail? They can get inside Drae Hallow.”
“Agreed,” Carol finished. Several voices spoke at once, and a couple chairs scraped back. People were getting up.
I whirled and motioned to Fern and Sirris by the stairwell. I knew Thomas was right behind me as we sprinted for the top and pulled the door at the top closed after.
We weren’t out of the woods yet. We crept down the hall and took a chance, leaving through the front doors. We could only hope the guards were somewhere else in the compound and didn’t see us running away from the Commons building at 12:30 in the morning.
We sprinted for our dorms. I used the key Sirris had given me and prayed that Margie was still sleeping off her cupcake. But the inside hall of our dorm was quiet as we entered the lobby. No sign of anyone at all. Not sticking around to question our good fortune, we sprinted for our rooms.
I determined right then I was sleeping in until noon.
BREAKFAST TURNED INTO brunch. It was half past 11:00 when I rolled over and groaned, staring at the ceiling and mulling over the night before. We’d taken an awful chance and my stomach still rolled itself in knots when I imagined what might have happened if they had caught us. My eyes traced a lengthy line of spidery cracks that crisscrossed the concrete above my head, following their progress as they dead-ended into the wall.
I listened for any sounds below me. Realizing I didn’t hear any, I scooted to the edge of my bunk and hung my head over the side, bed-head ponytail listing to one side drunkenly.
Nope. Fern was gone. Keeping track of my roommate’s strange hours and wanderings was a full-time job if I wanted it. I did not.
My stomach rumbled, and I climbed down. I’d fallen asleep fully clothed and my shirt was a wrinkled mess. I grabbed a handful of cotton and sniffed, frowning as I yanked it over my head and tossed it in a corner with the rest of the laundry that had piled up. I’d need to do a load soon. I snagged another shirt from my drawer and ran my tongue over my teeth and grimaced as I slipped it over my head. Good thing there was no mirror to see my morning face.
A ping on my phone sounded, and I pulled up the screen. Sirris was up and in the lobby waiting for me. We were meeting Thomas outside his dorm in ten minutes to walk to the Commons together. I snagged my Sketchers, toe-hopping my way to the bathroom to grab my toothbrush as I put them on.
An hour later we paused on the top steps of the Commons, looking down. I felt better after several cups of coffee and a burger with the works. I moved a hand to the back of my neck and stretched it sideways with a pop.
“Hey, you guys go ahead. I need to stretch my legs. I think I’m gonna walk out the kinks.”
Sirris gave me a strained look. “I need to swim,” she said with a grimace. “Yeah, and after I have to look at my notes for the quiz on Monday in Elemental. I gotta grab stuff from my room and then I’m heading out.”
Fine lines bracketed the corners of Sirris mouth. She got that way when she was out of her element too long. She might have been half human, but the other half was all fish. I only hoped it helped her studies, but I didn’t hold much hope for it. It seemed as if whatever Sirris did in Elemental Magic backfired on her and turned out the opposite of what she intended.
“Hey, call me later if you need help, I’ll swing up.” I offered. I looked at Thomas in time to see his mouth open wide with a crack as he yawned.
“Yup, you two go ahead. It’s Saturday and I’m going back to bed for a couple more hours.”
He looked like he needed it.
We headed off towards the dorms. I swung away down the sidewalk that ended on the trail to Sutter’s field. I planned to walk into Bitterroot and check things out. I hadn’t done that yet, even though I’d been here several weeks already. I wasn’t eager to see the courthouse again, but I was curious about the rest of Bitterroot.
I lengthened my stride as I hit the trail. I’d just eaten, so I wasn’t ready for a run, but the walk felt good.
It was a brilliant morning; the sun reflecting off the water and causing me to shade my eyes along the way in spots. I inhaled the rich earthy scent of pine and the deeper musky smell of the sticky geraniums that fought for purchase in open areas along the way, their pink blossoms attracting the buzz of fall pollinators.
I stumbled when someone yelled behind me and I stopped to turn around.
Nick Seul trotted up the path behind me. What the heck was he doing here? There went my solitude.
He didn’t look happy as he caught up to me, and I whirled away and kept walking.
“What do you want,” I yelled over my shoulder, walking fast and not bothering to wait.
“For you to slow down. I need to talk to you.”
I ignored him and kept going.
“About last night,” he finished.
Freezing, I turned around so fast he almost ran into me. “What are you talking about? I don’t have time for riddles.” I said. My voice didn’t shake, did it?
“Where did you go last night?” His eyes bored into mine, light and speculative.
“What? Nowhere. I was in my room with Fern. If you don’t...” Was as far as I got.
“Don’t lie to me! I saw you and your roommate.”
I stared at him. What now? I didn’t have a clue what I should say in my defense. What had he seen?
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Besides, what were you doing that you think you saw me, anyway?” Maybe if I put him on the defensive, instead.
“The Commons. I saw you leaving the Commons with the rest of that crazy crowd you hang with. It was way after midnight.” My eyes narrowed.
“So again if you know that? Then I need to be asking you the same question, don’t I? Or does the curfew only a
pply to first- and second-year students?”
He glanced away. I turned and started walking again, and he fell into step beside me. The boy just couldn’t take a hint!
“What are you doing? Leave me alone. I didn’t ask for your company.”
“Oh no, that’s not how this works. You’re not going to turn this around on me. Start talking.” I glanced in his direction.
“You first Sherlock!” I quipped, sarcasm and attitude dripping from my voice.
He ground his teeth so loud I almost laughed. My ability to rub him the wrong way was epic.
He stopped so suddenly that I did too and glanced back.
“What?”
“You’re right. What am I doing thinking I can talk to you? I’ll just talk to dad and see if he knows about your late night wanderings.” He turned and started back the other way.
“Wait!” I screeched, reaching out to snag the back of his jacket. I dragged him to a halt.
He looked back and shrugged me off like he was shooing a fly. I might be tall, but I noticed he still had an easy six inches on me, most of it muscle.
Not to be deterred, I reached out a finger and poked him in his chest, making him back up in surprise. “Fine, I’ll tell you.” I shouted. I only hoped that his own reasons for being out when he shouldn’t, meant he wasn’t eager to spread the word to others, either.
Realizing what I was doing, I turned and continued up the path and he joined me once more.
We walked in silence for a few minutes. Now that I was willing to speak, I had no idea how or where to begin.
I slid a sidelong glance in his direction, tall and silent beside me.
“How much do you know about what’s going on outside of Drae Hallow? On the Mountain?”
“I know there have been attacks on the guards that patrol there, watching the outside perimeter of the shield surrounding Drae Hallow.”
I nodded. “I think it’s gone beyond that. Dad told you that much, right? Did you hear that one of the guards died?”
Nick glanced at me in surprise.
“No, I didn’t know that,” he admitted.
“We wanted to see what was down there, in the basement, and where they held the Tuesday meetings. Only they had one last night too.”
He snorted in disbelief.
“You were spying on Drae Council? Are you insane?”
I glared at him. “Listen, do you want to hear this or not?”
Nick pursed his lips and went quiet.
“Anyway, that’s what they were talking about. The things that have been attacking them? We know about them already. We had run-ins with them on the mountain before school started. That’s how I ended up here, trying to get away from them.”
“I’m sure the council has it well in hand. We’re Magicals, we have skills.” He explained.
I waved my hand in the air, dismissing his words. “It’s not enough. Dead, remember? These things are bigger, stronger and deadly. There’s more, too. It’s not just how savage they are. The blood...”
“Blood?” he echoed, voice derisive.
“Yeah. It’s toxic. One thin scratch and we almost lost Sirris. If Thomas hadn’t known Deep Lake would heal her...” I wondered if she’d have made it if we hadn’t.” It didn’t bear thinking about.
He shook his head. “Still, that’s what Drae Council is for, to handle problems like this when they arise.” I laughed in derision. The trail broadened, and we came out on the bluff overlooking Bitterroot, the town spread out below us.
“We’ve been dealing with Thomas’ Tuttle’s Council too. They’re having about as much success with this as Drae Hallow. Both councils are living under the assumption that what we’re up against can be killed with normal weapons or magic. We saw those things, fought them and lived to tell about it.” I frowned. We’d lived because they’d given up and left; almost as if they’d been called away. I didn’t want to think about what would have happened if they’d kept coming.
“Something else I forgot to mention. They don’t die.”
Nick stared at me like I’d sprouted horns. “Everything dies,” he stated, mouth a flat line.
Shaking my head. “Not these. At least not in the usual ways. I shot one of them dead center. It was up and fighting again in a matter of minutes. They didn’t die, Nick.”
“You probably didn’t hit them where you thought, it could have gone in at an angle... I don’t know. Do you realize how dumb that sounds?”
He was right. But I was sure of what we’d seen. I couldn’t blame Nick for being skeptical. It sounded crazy even to me, and I’d been there.
Something else occurred to me.
“What’s the Dark Faction?”
Nick stopped dead and stared at me in surprise. “Where d’you hear that?”
“The council was talking about them. Why, what are they?”
For a minute I thought he wasn’t going to answer me.
“They’ve been around for years. I’ve been hearing about them since I was a kid. They’re like some secret group that want to expose the Magical Community to the world. They want us to take our place among the human population and live with them. Control them and bend them to our will.”
His voice was bitter with disgust. I mulled it over in my mind.
Shrugging, I had to ask? “Well, don’t know about the control thing. That’s wrong, sure. But would it be so bad for both worlds to learn about the other and work to get along, live together?”
He shook his head in denial. “Wouldn’t work. The human ego is too fragile and full of self-importance, and especially here in America. There’d be war on both sides. Nobody would win.” I nodded, but I wasn’t so sure.
We reached the base of the hill and moved left onto the sidewalk and walked past the courthouse. I glanced up the steps to the dark swinging doors. Had it only been a month?
I glanced at Nick, stiff by my side. I didn’t want to deal with any more gloom and doom. I just needed a break.
“I want ice-cream. Tell me this town has a place to get some?” I reached a hand back and checked my back pocket. I pulled out a crumpled ten.
“Smaug’s. They serve ice-cream. It’s a pizza joint, but they have both.” He checked his own pockets and grimaced.
“I didn’t bring any money, though.” I grinned, for once having the upper hand.
“Well, lucky for you I did. I’m sure they have kiddie cones.” His eyebrows drew together, and he gave me a sulky look.
I elbowed him in the side, and he expelled a startled breath.
“Come on. I need something sweet. You still haven’t told me how you saw us unless you were out sneaking around too. Come on, Seul. Ice-cream now and on the way back, it’s your turn to give.”
A short deep laugh let me know just what he thought of that possibility. “I don’t see how that will happen.”
I smiled. He sounded worried.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I stood with Marcus Tannon and several other first-year students watching Nicholas and Thomas spar. Thick leather covered their arms; and thin but durable chest plates made of some material I’d never seen before protected their bodies. It was a suitable match. Thomas sidestepped Nick as he slid in close and parried a thrust and the feint left that followed, intending to throw him off guard and failing. Nickolas was fast. Thomas somehow matched him, quick despite his size.
It had been a week since our late night prowl and my next day conversation with Nick Seul. We’d been careful to avoid each other since.
I turned to Marcus Tannon, our instructor, while we watched. “Mr. Tannon. I’ve been curious about something. This is a weapon’s class for hand to hand combat. But is there a reason I see no guns? No rifles or handguns or explosives. Why is that?”
Marcus continued to watch the two combatants, taking mental notes for later I was sure.
He answered my question with another. “How about you Sadie? How are your skills with a rifle? You have a Crossbow, right? Handy with that, aren
’t you?”
He glanced my way, one brow raised.
I thought about it. Dad was a crack shot, and he’d tried to teach his only daughter how to shoot at an early age. It had been an abysmal failure.
“This will sound strange, but gun’s make me sick. I don’t know why. I’m fine if someone else uses them, but I get violently ill the moment I pull the trigger. Weird, huh? The bow doesn’t have the same effect on me at all. “
He nodded, jumping as Thomas moved in with a foot sweep and knocked Nick’s feet out from under him and swung the staff in under his chin and waited, a huge crow of triumph erupting from his throat.
“Well now, I don’t know about getting that ill, but if you told me you were comfortable using a gun, I’d question whether you were in the right place. It’s the gun powder. It’s like Magical Kryptonite. Renders our powers useless the moment we fire a weapon that uses it. Doesn’t take much.” He laughed, and we watched as Thomas held a hand out to help Nick to his feet.
“I guess it’s like the universe’s way of evening the odds between humans and Magicals.”
I remembered the effect the Demon wolf’s blood had had on Sirris and wondered about that. I wondered if any of us had the upper hand.
Thomas approached, an enormous grin on his face and his amber eyes alive with the light of battle. Nick was looking less impressed, a disgruntled scowl on his cynical face.
“Better learn to move faster Nickolas Seul if you don’t want this one teaching the class.” Marcus teased. Nick gave him a dirty look, his eyes grazing me as he turned away and headed for the water station to fill his water bottle.
I gouged Thomas in the ribs, and he grunted, rubbing the sore spot and narrowing his eyes. “You have got to give me lessons. Maybe I would have fewer bruises if you showed me how you did that.”
“No amount of instruction will do that, Sadie Cross. You suck at the staff and I don’t see that getting better, ever.” My eyes narrowed, and I elbowed him harder. His wind expelled in a huff.
“Knock that off, will you!” He roared, trying to catch his breath.
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