by Ben Reeder
“I wish I could,” Ren said, his voice sounding genuinely sad. “But I belong to the school, Miss Dierdre.”
“People don’t belong to other people,” Dee said.
“Sprites aren’t people,” Rebecca said with a laugh.
“They are too!” Dee countered. That made Stewart, Rebecca and their parents laugh. I could see Dee’s temper starting to get the better of her. It was amazing how much it resembled Mom’s temper slipping.
“Sis,” I said, gesturing for Dee to come over to me. Ren landed on my shoulder.
“I’m gonna kick that girl’s butt,” she hissed.
“No, you’re not,” I said. “What’s going on for Ren and the sprites isn’t cool, but you have to choose your battles. Most people think that sprites deserve to be slaves. Kicking butts isn’t going to change their minds about that.”
“What will?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “All I can do is treat Ren and the other sprites like people, and hope someone follows my example for now. You don’t have to like it.”
“I just have to do it,” she finished for me. “I know. And I don’t like it.”
“Me, either, sis,” I told her as I gathered her into a squirming hug. “And I’m proud of you for that.”
“And if I could,” Ren said, his voice soft and quivering with emotion, “If I had a choice, I would swear myself to you two and your family, whether I was slave or free.”
“You’d never be a slave to me,” Dee said. “Okay, Chance, I’ll drop it for now.”
“For now,” I agreed. We turned and headed back to the group.
“Is there something you want to say, young lady?” Rebecca’s father asked as we approached.
“Not unless you’re apologizing for laughing at me,” Dee said. The man started to turn red, but the elder Lodge put a hand on his arm.
“Let it go, Saunderson,” he said gently. “She’s just a little girl, and she does have a point. We all laughed at her idealism.” He turned to Dee and inclined his head with a refined dignity. “Miss Dierdre, you have our apologies for laughing at you.”
“Apology accepted,” Dee said. If she sounded a little smug, I figured she’d earned it.
Chapter 13
~ Don’t make a bad day worse. Better to destroy a good day; the fall is greater. ~ Prectil the Jester, demon of harmful mirth.
My phone rang as I waited by the transit ring for Shade to arrive. Dr. Corwin’s number was on the screen when I pulled it out of my jacket pocket, so I answered it right away.
“Any progress on the case?” he asked.
“Not really,” I said. “It’s such a mix. Lodge, Cargill and Hampton were all from powerful Boston families, but Hart, she was a scholarship student. Lodge and Cargill were almost off the charts in terms of magick potential, while the other two were…Hart was above average, and Hampton is mediocre at best. Three guys, one girl. No correlation between birthdates or astrological signs. All three guys looked pretty much the same, but Hart was dark haired and dark eyed. Could be a pattern there, but I don’t have enough info to say for sure. The only thing I know for sure is that whoever is doing this has access to the school’s tunnels. My gut tells me that they’re mages, sir. Dark, twisted and evil as Hell, maybe, but they’re mages, I’d bet my life on it.”
“I’m inclined to agree,” Dr. C said. “But at least one of the attacks was different, the one on Hampton. They were experimenting with piercing wards. With Lodge and Cargill, we know they stripped them of their souls. But we don’t know about Hart. We don’t know if her disappearance is even a part of it, do we?”
“No, we don’t,” I said slowly. “We don’t even know if there’s a crime scene. If it is, it would have been the first. But there’s a lot of info missing from her file. When we take her and Hampton out of the equation, we get two very powerful students who got their souls stripped.”
“Okay, I’ll tell Draeden, and ask him to have the Sentinels look into Hart’s case. Meanwhile, keep your eyes open and be careful.”
“Every day, sir,” I said. “Every damn day.”
“Did the formal suit still fit?” he asked. I looked down at the black, formal cut jacket and vest I wore. With the tie in the school colors, and matching cuff links, I had to admit, I didn’t look bad, and it was more comfortable than I expected.
“I had to have Hobart do some alterations on it,” I said. “I’m a little taller than I was a couple of months ago.”
“Well, I’m going to let you go. Shade just got onto the transit platform. For tonight, let all of this go, and try to be a teenager for a while. Enjoy the dance.”
“I’ll try, sir,” I said as the announcer called out the transit from New Essex. There was a flash of blue, and the passengers appeared. “I’ll definitely…try.”
Shade was easy to spot among the more casually dressed people on the platform in her dress. Shimmering green silk draped over her right shoulder and hugged her body down to her hips, where the skirt flared slightly, falling lower in back than in front. Green stockings covered her legs, with matching green heels with ankle straps. She hadn’t seen me yet, and her head moved left and right as she scanned the crowd, revealing that she’d pulled her hair back in front and braided it together at the back of her head. Her make-up accented every line of her face, making her full lips look even more kissable and her gray eyes stand out from across the room. People crossed in front of me as I went to get her attention, and when they had passed, I could see that she had closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Her nostrils flared as she tested the air.
“Shade,” I said, pitching my voice at a normal volume. Her eyes snapped open and she turned to face me. When she caught sight of me, she smiled. Nothing else in the world seemed to matter. That smile was for me. This goddess of beauty was happy to see me. The why didn’t matter. She stepped off the transit platform, danced through the crowd and into my arms. Her lips touched mine, and fire and lightning seemed to dance across every nerve.
“Hey, there handsome,” she whispered. “You busy tonight?”
“Never too busy to show a beautiful woman a good time,” I said as I nipped at her neck.
“I’ll bet,” she purred. “Let’s get out of here before my boyfriend shows up.”
Someone cleared their throat behind us, and we turned to face Sable. He was flanked by a pair of hulking Weres, and his expression was one of cool disdain.
“Have you forgotten our agreement, little pup?” he asked.
“I sent you word of her arrival,” I said.
“The word of a mage,” he said with a casual wave of his hand. “Less than worthless among the Clans.” He held his hand out, presenting a thick golden ring with a huge ruby set in it.
“It’s the word of my gothi, Sable,” Shade said. “He is Pack, and he spoke for me at my command.”
“Those aren’t the Clan’s laws, pup. You will follow all our ways while you walk in our lands.”
“Not part of the agreement, Eugene,” Shade said. “I respect your ways, you respect mine. I sent you word through a Pack member. My gothi is Pack. That’s my law. So I’m not kissing your ring and asking for mercy. I am going to a dance with my boyfriend. If you want to challenge me over something so inconsequential, we can do it after Homecoming.”
“I see why my brother’s hair is white now,” Sable said with a low rumble of a laugh. “He’s welcome to you. I think I’d prefer to deal with your pet mage after all. At least he knows his place.”
“Don’t mistake his good manners for submission, Sable,” Shade said with a laugh. “You haven’t seen my gothi fight.”
“Has anyone?” he sneered as we walked past him.
“No one who’s still alive,” Shade countered. We left him silent and fuming as we headed for the carriage I had waiting. Once we were inside, I took my jacket off and Shade snuggled into the crook of my right arm. Her right hand splayed out on my chest, and her fingertips found their way between the buttons of my shirt
to find bare flesh. She moved to let my hand have access to her dress, and after a moment, I looked down at her in surprise as my fingertips encountered nothing but soft, smooth flesh.
“Are you wearing a-”
“Nope,” she answered before I could finish the question. “That’s not the only thing I’m not wearing.”
“You mean…”
“Maybe,” she teased. “If you play your cards right, I’ll let you find out for yourself.”
“And how do I play my cards right?” I asked.
“Dance with me,” she said, her eyes suddenly soft and searching. “Every dance. Just remind me that you love me. And…the usual.”
“You can say no any time, Shade. Any time. I’ll never push it.”
“What did I ever do to deserve you?” she asked.
“A neurotic warlock with anger issues and a shitty attitude? I’m not sure any sin is worth being stuck with me. But I wonder who thought I deserved to have you in my life.”
“A damaged werewolf with intimacy issues? Probably some capricious jerk of a God who thought you needed extra special punishment.”
“See, we’re perfect for each other.”
“Yeah, equally screwed up,” she giggled.
“That’s why I fell in love with you,” I said. “I love how your broken parts fit with mine.” We rode in silence after that, our hands slowly exploring, and just enjoying being in physical contact for more than a couple of minutes.
When the carriage slowed, I put my jacket on, and grabbed the little plastic box that had Shade’s corsage in it. She let me fumble with it for a couple of minutes before she took it and put it on herself. Moments later, we were getting out near the doors to Chadwicke Hall. Music thumped from inside, and Shade pulled me toward the dance floor. For a couple of hours, I alternated between looking like a spastic idiot and trying to occupy the same space as Shade during slow dances.
It was Hoshi and Kiya who ended up stealing the spotlight, though, during the dance contest. Shade and I didn’t even bother to try, mostly because she would have been hopelessly handicapped with me as a partner. Slowly, the judges tapped out couple after couple, until only Lance Huntington and Ginger were left facing Hoshi and Kiya. The two Boston kids had moves that screamed ballroom dance training, but in the end, they were just not equal to Hoshi’s dramatic flair and Kiya’s balletic grace. It was close until Hoshi lifted Kiya into a handstand over his head. Everyone went wild as they stood there, holding the pose for a moment. Then Kiya lifted her left arm as Hoshi swung his right arm away in a matching move. They twisted slightly, and then slowly, as the last notes of the song started to play, twisted a little and bent their arms so that their faces met in a kiss.
Exhausted, Hoshi, Lance, Stewart and I ended up sitting out the next dance as the girls took the floor. Rebecca and Ginger tried to keep up, but they were eclipsed by Shade’s natural agility, Kiya’s athleticism and Desiree’s sensual grace. They danced through three songs, finally deigning to grace us boys when a slow song came on.
“I like them,” Shade said as she slid into my arms. “Your friends, I mean. Those other two have sticks jammed so far up their twats I’m amazed they can turn their heads.”
“That’s an image I can do without,” I laughed. “But you’re right. I’m glad you like them.”
“They’re fun to dance with. I could have used a few girls like them on the cheer squad last year. But, the next slow dance, you should ask Desiree to dance with you.” She slowly turned us so I could see Desiree shaking her head at one of the Hall Captains, a tall blond boy with the typical aristocratic good looks. He laughed and walked away, but Desiree didn’t look amused.
Desiree, Hoshi and Kiya joined us when the next fast song came up. After a few minutes, Hoshi started marking time the exact same way I did, imitating every move I made with a serious face. Of course I laughed, and it became a game to do the same few moves in unison for a few minutes while the girls danced circles around us.
When another slow song came on, Shade nodded to me and left the floor. I caught up to Desiree as she went to follow and touched her arm, careful to make sure I hit the glove instead of bare flesh. She turned to face me, her face set in a frown until she recognized me.
“Would you care to dance?” I asked. She smiled and slipped her hand in mine.
“I know you have an ulterior motive,” she said softly as we started to sway together.
“Figured you would,” I said. “Does it bother you?”
“The ulterior motive? Not from you.”
“What makes me so special?”
“It’s not your only motive.”
“Busted,” I laughed. “Just don’t tell my girlfriend.”
“What could I tell her that would hurt either of you?” she asked. “That you think I’m attractive? Or the part where you feel the same way about me as I feel about Kiya?”
“I thought my shields were better than that,” I said, though my shoulders seemed to relax on their own now that I didn’t feel like I had to hide the fact that she really was attractive to me.
“Your thoughts are. But your feelings…way different. It’s nice to know someone thinks I’m pretty without trying to make a conquest of the fat chick.”
“I am never playing poker with you,” I said.
“Probably a good idea. You might control how you react to your feelings, Chance, but you have no control at all over how strong they are. And with you…they’re strong.” She laughed for a moment. “All of them are that way.”
“Well, offer’s still open, if you ever need some extra anger to feed on.”
“Here’s hoping I never get that hungry,” she said with a laugh. “But thank you. For getting me, for being my friend as fiercely as you are. For enjoying dancing with me. I think I might actually like it here now.”
“Me, too,” I said, finding I actually meant it. I was still going to miss the Hell out of my family and friends back home, but it was actually starting to get tolerable here. The song’s last notes faded, but another slow song came on, and we kept dancing. After only a few moments, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find myself facing the blond guy who had been bothering her before.
“Excuse me, I’ll be cutting in here,” he said, and slid his arm between Desiree and me.
“No, you won’t,” Desiree said. “I’m enjoying this dance with my friend.”
The guy stopped for a moment, then looked at Desiree before he turned back to me. “Dude, chill,” he said.
“Not my call,” I said. “You heard her, she doesn’t want to dance with you.”
His head turned to me, then to Desiree. “Slut,” he hissed before he turned on his heel and walked off. I moved to go after him, but Desiree’s hand on my shoulder stopped me.
“Don’t bother,” she said softly. “I’m used to it.”
“You shouldn’t have to be.”
Her full lips curved into a smile, but her eyes were sad. “Just dance with me.” This time, she seemed to press closer to me, and she laid her head against my chest. The song came to an end, and we stepped apart, then headed for where Shade was laughing with Hoshi and Kiya.
“You two skipped a slow dance?” Desiree asked.
“Well, you get this much hotness out on the floor, and people will start to get self-esteem issues,” Hoshi said.
“Erik Bradley zeroed in on Shade, here,” Kiya said. “We ran interference.”
“I told you, I would have been fine,” Shade said.
“It wasn’t you we were worried about,” Kiya said seriously. “He’s got a rep for taking things too far, and his family tends to do a lot of cleaning up after him. Lawsuits are the nicest thing they’re known for.”
The call went out for the last dance, and Shade and I hit the floor with Hoshi and Kiya on our heels. Desiree even wandered out, her hips swaying slowly as she danced on her own. I tried to focus into that one moment, to keep the night going forever, smiling as I remembered how many other
times I’d wished for the same thing. After wishing for so many nights to just pass as quickly as possible, it was one habit I never wanted to break.
Eventually, the song did end, and the lights came up. Shade kissed me as reality came back to plague us. “This was my first school dance,” I said.
“We missed all of last year’s dances, didn’t we?” Shade said as we joined the others in heading for the door.
“No way,” Hoshi said. “This was your first dance?” We stepped outside and into the cooling wind
“You poor thing,” Desiree said. “How did you like it?” She came around in front of Shade and me and walked backward so she could face us.
“It was really cool,” I said. “I had a lot of fun. What’s the next dance?”
“I think it’s the Sadie Hawkins dance,” Kiya said, then shook her head.
“Isn’t it the Winter…Formal?” Desiree said haltingly. She stopped in her tracks, her face pale in the starlight.
“It’s…it’s….what’s going on?” Kiya asked. Hoshi tried to hold her up, but she sank to her knees.
“Oh, no,” Desiree said. “Chance, no…” she moved toward Kiya but then sagged into me before she made it a step. To my left, Hoshi was calling Kiya’s name. I took a calming breath and closed my eyes, then opened them with my Sight, knowing already what I was going to see.
Two red tendrils of energy were attached to Kiya and Desiree, right over their heart chakras. I tried to muscle Desiree next to Kiya, and Shade added her strength. Out on the grass, I couldn’t draw the circle I needed, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’d cast an unsupported circle.
“Circumvare!” I yelled, forcing every ounce of magick I could muster through my body as I tried to visualize the Lemurian sigils. As the circle flickered into existence, Shade grabbed Hoshi and pulled him free of the space it would cover. For a moment, it held, then the two tendrils broke through it again.
“Circumvare!” I screamed into the night again. “Cleniklopoc toklilt holktar!” I added in Lemurian, trying to add an extra layer to the barrier. Both fell after only seconds, and I tried again. In front of me, Desiree and Kiya stirred as the wind kicked up around me. I reached a hand out and grasped one of the tendrils. I cast again, and this time, I felt the presence on the other end.