But his expression remained serious. “You’re not demon, Elizabeth. Believe me, I should know. In fact, I think a demon is responsible for what is happening in Sage Springs.”
“A demon? Why?”
“Because I believe one was released during the Disruptive Convergence.”
My mouth dropped open. “You know about that?”
“Of course. It’s my job to keep an eye on all things paranormal in Sage Springs. I was doing pretty damn well until you appeared, and then the carnival people started screwing things up.”
“If you know all of this, why didn’t you help last month when we were facing the Convergence? You could have helped, and instead you let a demon escape!” I remembered what I’d seen moments before Riley and Flynn had brought a ton of water down upon Bulldog Mackenzie’s head, closing the portal. The creatures with their naked scalps, spindly fingers, and long, curled nails clawing their way up the inside of the pool walls. Hadn’t I thought one had escaped?
John shook his head. “I kept an eye on you all, and you appeared to be handling things by yourselves. You must understand that revealing myself is the last thing I’m ever supposed to do. I’m not supposed to meddle in human lives, but in this case, I simply can’t stand by and watch. I’ve only told you because I can see no other way. Girls are being murdered, and I can’t allow for that to continue.”
“But I saw you last night, and I saw your face in my dream. Why did that happen?”
“I think I know, but we need to gather everyone involved.”
“Who else is involved?”
“I believe this thing is targeting the people who helped to end the Convergence. You need to gather your friends here so everyone can be warned.”
“Who? Laurel? Dana and Flynn?” I thought of something. “Even Riley?”
“The hard-case boyfriend, right?”
I nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Yeah, you need everyone.”
“Okay, I’ll get everyone together, and then you’ll help us figure out how to end this thing. I can’t have anyone else getting hurt.”
“We’ll try to figure it out together.”
“I’ll be back here by mid-day, and I’ll bring the others with me. If you’re not here, I’ll assume you’re feeding me a load of bullshit, and I’ll go to the cops.”
He didn’t even flinch. “I’ll be here.”
Chapter
20
As soon as I stepped outside, I placed a call to Riley and asked him to come down to the college.
“Why? What’s happened?” his voice demanded from the phone.
“Nothing yet, but our favorite teacher thinks he can shed some light on what’s been happening. He thinks you might be in danger, too, so be careful.”
I heard Riley snort on the other end of the phone. “Yeah, sure.”
“You’re not immortal, Riley. Be careful, okay? I mean it.”
“All right. I’ll see you soon.”
I hung up.
It occurred to me that getting everyone together would be easier said than done. Laurel believed I was somehow responsible for putting Kayla in the hospital, and Dana hated me. Perhaps I would be best connecting with the people who didn’t want to put me in an early grave first. I knew Riley was on his way, so Flynn was the person I needed to convince next. I didn’t like the idea of forcing Riley and Flynn into the same space together, but some things were more important than male egos.
True to his word, Riley had saved Flynn as a contact to the disposable cell. I hit the call button and the ring tone sounded in my ear. It rang and rang, until finally his voicemail clicked in. I waited until his familiar voice told me to leave a message after the beep and then said, “Flynn, it’s Beth. Can you call me as soon as possible?”
Just in case he hadn’t heard the phone ring, I ended the call and tried again, but once more the machine kicked in. “Damn it.”
There was a good chance Flynn was training at the pool. I thought he would have finished by now, but that was the place to find him most mornings.
I shoved the phone back in my pocket and hurried to the other side of campus. There definitely seemed to be fewer people around this part of campus than normal, the place taking on an eerily deserted feel. Everyone was busy with the elections, and were swarming around the Great Hall to get involved.
The pool, too, felt empty as I walked in. I heard no splashing or whistles blowing, or shouts from instructors. I doubted I’d find Flynn, but now I was here, I figured I might as well check.
I walked through the changing room, the bleach-like smell assaulting my nostrils. I avoided the wet puddles, and stepped out into the pool area.
My heart lurched into my throat.
A body lay face down in the pool, arms and legs floating in a star shape. I could tell from the dark blond hair, though wet, and the tattoo at the top of his tanned, muscular back, that it was Flynn.
“Oh, God,” I breathed.
I didn’t allow myself to think any more. Quickly, I toed off my sneakers, threw down my cell phone, and dived into the pool. Cool water and bubbles rushed around my face, and the echoic sound of being underwater filled my ears. I resurfaced, blinking chlorinated water from my eyes as I reached toward Flynn. I treaded water as I grasped his shoulder and tried to flip him over. Even with my strength, I struggled, unused to having to lift and swim at the same time.
I gave a yell of frustration and managed to reach across his back to grab the top of his opposite arm and then pulled as hard as I could, flipping him onto his back. At least his face was out of the water, but his skin was pale and he wasn’t breathing.
No, no, no. I wouldn’t lose another friend.
I swam on my back, Flynn’s head rested against my chest. I paddled to the shallow end, figuring that I’d never be able to get him out of the water if I couldn’t at least touch the bottom. Luckily, the water level reached the side of the pool, so I was able to push him onto the edge enough to stop him sliding beneath the surface. I hauled myself out and pulled him the rest of the way onto dry land.
How had this happened? Flynn was an elemental, able to control water. How was he even able to be killed by water? This didn’t make sense. Unless someone hurt him first, and then threw his body into the pool? I wasn’t sure, but I knew I needed to get him breathing.
Trying to fish into my murky recollections of first aid, I lifted Flynn’s chin to open his airways, and then placed my hands, one on top of the other, onto his chest. His skin felt cold beneath my palm, and I was terrified I was too late, but I pressed down hard, delivering chest compressions. One, two, three, four, five. I paused and pinched his nose, covered his mouth with my own, and breathed air into his lungs.
I sat back on my haunches, waiting to see if he responded. When he didn’t, I tried again.
One, two, three, four, five … Breathe!
My brain felt as though it were divided in two—one half panicking, crying and screaming in my head, ‘He’s dead! Oh, God, Flynn is dead!’ While the other half remained cool and collected, telling me to stay calm and do what needed to be done.
The stink of chlorine filled my nostrils and stung my eyes. My hair dripped down my back, my soaked clothing clinging to my body, but I barely noticed any of this. Flynn still hadn’t reacted.
I repeated the process again, and again, tears streaming down my face. I wouldn’t give up, I refused to. How long had he been without air? Too long, surely?
As I leaned down to cover his mouth with mine one more time, Flynn let out a cough and a splutter. He half sat up and leaned to one side and vomited up a stomach full of pool water.
“Oh, thank God.” I breathed out a sigh of relief and put my hand on his naked shoulder, feeling his skin start to warm as his heart beat once more and oxygen filtered through his system. He coughed and choked, and I waited, giving him time to regain himself.
Finally, he turned to me, his eyes bloodshot, but his face already gaining color. I could only assume
that his being an elemental with his kinship to water was the only reason he hadn’t died, and was able to recover so quickly. If it had been anyone else in the pool, they’d have been on their way to the morgue right now.
To join Brooke and Melissa, a little voice spoke in my head, making me shiver.
Flynn gave a forced smile. “You know, Beth, if you’d wanted to kiss me, you could have just asked. We didn’t need to go through the whole mouth-to-mouth thing.”
The gentle rubbing I’d been doing to his shoulder turned into a smack. “Hey, I just saved your life!”
“Thank you. Doesn’t that mean you’re now responsible for me for the rest of yours?”
My eyebrows lifted. “Careful, Blondie, or I’ll put you back in the pool.” I was only teasing him. I couldn’t even explain how relieved I felt to have him breathing and speaking, even if he had gone into flirty jock mode. Part of me wanted to wrap my arms around him and hold him tight, but I was also aware that he was naked apart from a very small pair of swimming shorts which were also currently wet and not leaving much to the imagination.
He coughed again and sat up fully, hooking his arms around his bent knees and lowering his head. Automatically, I rubbed his back, experiencing a twinge of guilt at enjoying contact with Flynn’s skin.
“How are you feeling?” I asked him.
“A little better.”
He shivered.
I wanted to grill him on what had happened, but after what he’d been through I didn’t think it was fair until he at least got some clothes on.
“Come on,” I said, getting to my feet. “I take it you have a towel in the changing room.”
“Yeah, and my clothes.”
I took his hand and helped him to his feet. As we stood facing each other, Flynn’s gaze dropped down my torso to where my soaking wet t-shirt clung to my chest. I flushed and plucked the material away from my skin.
“Looks like we need to get you out of those wet clothes,” Flynn said with a smirk.
“I wasn’t joking about putting you back in the pool!”
He gave a chuckle and turned away from me to head into the changing room. I hesitated, unsure whether or not to follow considering those were the guys’ changing rooms. I dripped onto the tile, and thought, screw it.
Following Flynn, I entered the changing room in time to catch a glimpse of his bare ass as he pulled on his jeans—no underwear, I noted. He must have sensed me as he turned back around and bent to hand me his towel.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
“Take this too,” he said, handing me his t-shirt. “It’s big enough to cover most of you.”
“What are you going to wear?”
He held up a sleeveless vest.
I locked myself in one of the stalls, and peeled off my wet jeans and t-shirt. My panties were wet too, but I kept them on and quickly rubbed myself down with Flynn’s towel, trying not to imagine where the material had been only minutes earlier. I pulled his t-shirt over my head, and Flynn’s scent engulfed me. He definitely smelled good. I kept hold of the towel, wrapping it around my waist. Luckily, I’d taken off my shoes before jumping into the water, so my sneakers were still dry.
I stepped out of the stall and Flynn eyed me appreciatively.
“Don’t say a word,” I snapped. “Come on. I need to get a change of clothes and then you need to tell me how you ended up face down in the pool.”
“I can’t tell you much,” he said. “I was getting into the pool, and something hit me from behind. Next thing I know, you’re giving me mouth to mouth.”
“Well, there’s someone who might be able to shed a little light on what’s going on, but I need you to convince Dana and Laurel to come and meet with us too.”
He frowned. “Laurel? Why do you need me to convince her to come? Isn’t she your bestie, or something?”
My mouth turned down at the edges. “Not any more. She thinks I tried to kill Kayla.”
His mouth dropped open and he stopped walking. “What? Why?”
“Because Kayla told her I did.”
I took in the shock on his face, but I didn’t have time to go over the details now. It would all come out anyway when we got everyone together and brought everything into the open. I hoped John Spencer could find a way to explain what had been happening and help us figure out a way to stop it. Otherwise, I didn’t think this would end until me and all of my friends turned up dead.
We left the pool and headed across campus toward my dorm so I could grab a change of clothes.
I heard Riley’s bike before I saw it, recognized the thrum of the engine, and looked toward the sound.
Riley dumped the bike and came flying toward us, his eyes darting between us, me in my state of semi-undress, Flynn wearing only a vest and with damp hair as though he’d just gotten out of the shower. Come to think of it, my hair was also wet. This didn’t look good.
Flynn saw Riley coming and squared up to him, but Riley didn’t appear the least bit intimidated. He smacked Flynn in the chest with both hands, pushing him backward, though Flynn didn’t go down.
“Stop it!” I yelled. “Get off him, Riley!”
But Riley ignored me. “What the hell are you doing with my girl, half-dressed?” he demanded.
“It’s not what it looks like,” said Flynn. “But if you touch me one more time, you’re going to find yourself on your ass, and with your girl going home with me.”
I turned to Flynn. “I’ll be doing no such thing. I’m not some piece of meat you two can beat each other with.”
His aqua eyes locked on mine. “Sorry, Beth. But this guy has a way of winding me up.”
Riley’s eyebrows lifted in disbelief. “Me winding you up? You’re the one who is constantly chasing my girlfriend.”
Flynn gave a smirk. “Maybe you should be looking after her better.”
It was my turn to shove Flynn. “Shut it, you. You’re not helping.” I turned my back on Flynn to focus on Riley. “Nothing is going on,” I told him. “You can’t always ask questions with your fists.”
“So stop pushing me to the point of making me.”
I put my hands on my hips, though I felt faintly ridiculous with the towel wrapped around my waist. “Oh, so it’s my fault, is it?”
He gestured to what I was wearing. “What the fuck is this, Icy?”
“It’s seriously not what it looks like!”
“You call me, asking me to come down here, and then wander around campus with this guy and no clothes on, and you expect me not to react?”
“I have clothes on,” I said, helplessly, gesturing at the t-shirt I wore.
Riley glared at me. “Yeah … his!”
The implication of that fact sank in. “Oh,” I whispered.
“So what is this? Are you trying to push me away? Are you hoping I’ll leave so you don’t have to do the dirty work?”
“No! Riley, honestly. I found Flynn drowning in the pool. I saved him, that’s why I got wet. Please believe me. Nothing is going on, is it Flynn?” I twisted to stare at the blond swimmer behind me, praying he didn’t mention something about mouth-to-mouth. I didn’t want there to be another fight.
Flynn’s shoulders dropped. “She’s telling you the truth, bro. Beth hasn’t done anything other than save my life.”
Riley’s expression grew worried. “So there was another murder?”
“Attempted murder,” I said, glancing at Flynn.
“Jesus,” he said. “Melissa, Kayla, Brooke, and now …”
Flynn interrupted. “What about Brooke?”
I guess it was time for the truth to come out. I was still amazed the police hadn’t yet made it public knowledge. “I saw her killed on the beach. The police know about it. I’m surprised they’re not all over campus by now, but I expect they will be.”
Flynn frowned. “You saw her killed on the beach?”
“Yeah, but I’m not going to explain now. You two wait here, while I go and change. Try not to kill each other wh
ile I’m gone.”
I left them standing there, Riley with his fists shoved in his jean pockets, Flynn pulling out his cell and distracting himself by texting. I guessed the two men were never going to become best buddies.
I reached my room and tried not to look at Brooke’s side as I pulled out a change of clothes and shed Flynn’s. It didn’t seem real that Brooke would never sit on her bed again, complaining at me for being too messy, or calling me a freak. She’d never been my best friend—or even much of a friend at all—but I’d never wanted her dead. Not lingering, I scooped up Flynn’s t-shirt and towel and hurried back out to join them. They were in practically the same position I’d left them, and I rolled my eyes before shoving the clothes at Flynn’s chest.
“Right, let’s go and find Dana and Laurel.” I had a second thought. “Actually, Flynn, you go and find Dana and I’ll find Laurel.” My heart sank at the idea. I didn’t think Laurel was going to be any happier to see me than Dana.
“Shouldn’t we stay together?” Riley suggested. “Considering someone tried to kill Flynn not too long ago.”
I sighed. “Okay. You’re right.”
“Dana is in the library,” said Flynn. “I just got a text from her.”
“We’ll go there first.”
Chapter
21
I hadn’t expected to find Laurel sitting opposite Dana in the Sage Gazette’s office, but from the expression on both their faces, I guessed Laurel had told her what had happened at the hospital.
Dana pointed at me. “I should call the cops right now.”
I lifted both hands in defense, ignoring the curious look Riley was shooting me. “I didn’t hurt Kayla. I promise, but something is tracking each of us down and trying to hurt us. It tried to kill Flynn this morning.”
“What?” Her eyes widened and she turned to Flynn. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, but I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for Beth.”
“Why would I try to kill him, and then save him again, if this really was me?” I allowed my suggestion to sink in. “We all need to go and see Dr. Spencer. He might be able to help.”
Twisted Magic (The Dhampyre Chronicles Book 2) Page 16