From the corner of my eye I could tell that Lough looked a little bigger than when I’d seen him last. He wasn’t taller, we had all probably finished getting taller, much to Sip’s dismay, but he was wider and stronger.
We’re all growing up, I thought, with only a hint of sadness. I didn’t feel like I was any more mature than when I had started at Public, but I certainly might have been a bit angrier.
“Welcome,” said a voice behind me. Even though I had only met the president of the paranormals once, I recognized his voice and pulled away from my friends to greet him. Lisabelle was still standing with her arms crossed over her chest, watching us and not saying much.
“Thank you,” I said, as Dacer walked up behind me. He had taken the time to park the car before getting out of it, unlike me in my mad rush to see my friends. Now he walked up to us in a leisurely manner as I tried to get my bearings.
“Dacer, my old friend, good to see you,” said Caid. His voice was unassuming but thick and strong. He commanded attention when he used it.
Dacer walked quickly toward his old friend and wrapped him in an enveloping hug. Dacer never hugged me. Despite our close relationship, he never broke the professor/student barrier. I sighed; after this summer I was beginning to see him more as a father figure than as a professor, and with only two years left to go at Public I knew he would be in my life forever . . . however long forever lasted.
“Is this place safe?” Dacer asked, pulling away from Caid and looking around at the tall trees and the lake, which was just visible, glimmering through the branches.
Caid chuckled. He had a great belly laugh that shook his whole body. “No demons in this area, although there may well be the same ancient paranormals that go bump in the night as there have always been.” By the way his eyes twinkled as he looked at Dacer, I could tell that he was teasing the Paranormal Public professor and enjoying every minute of it.
Dacer didn’t take the bait, he just rolled his eyes and smiled. “You can never be too careful; that’s the motto Ms. Rollins and I adopted this summer.” I gave a small start when he referenced me, in part because it was strange to hear him use my last name. All summer he had just called me Charlotte. With a jolt that Sip could feel, because she still had her arms wrapped tightly around my stomach, I realized that I didn’t even know Dacer’s first name.
Sip raised her eyebrows at me, but I just shook my head.
“Come on,” said Lough. “Can we get back to the fire? I have a marshmallow cooking.”
Dacer frowned at Lough. “You know who this is, right?” he said, thumbing at Caid. “He’s the president of the Paranormals, not exactly a man you order around.”
Caid chuckled again. “Let’s not keep the boy from his food. We got to know each other pretty well over the past semester. I’m more than happy to return to the fire.”
We followed the president at a leisurely pace around to the other side of the house. When he saw the panorama spread out in front of him, Dacer let out a little gasp and clapped his hands over his mouth. Caid gave him a sidelong grin.
“Didn’t expect a paranormal who only cared about his studying and girls to have such a nice view?” Caid sounded very pleased that his old friend liked his summer home.
Dacer smiled. “I always knew you’d clean up well. Even before you won the election in a landslide I knew you were more than just a hopeless nerd.”
“I was never much with the ladies,” said Caid with a wink. Sip and Lisabelle had gone ahead with Lough, arguably because roasting marshmallows was not a process that should be interrupted, but I had stayed behind, feeling a need to spend a couple of minutes talking to our host. His security team had blended back into the night before I had a chance to get a good look at any of them, not that I would have recognized the faces in any case. They were elite, presumably almost on the scale of Vital. In fact, by rights Vital should be working for Caid, but he had declined that option - and all others - in favor of looking after Queen Lanca.
Dacer was right, the view was gorgeous. The clear water of Lake Timarity stretched out in front of us as far as I could see. On either side were trees, the few other houses that dotted the lakeshore invisible behind thick green branches. Caid’s house was on a gentle slope that flowed nicely into a sandy beach and then into the water. Caid had placed lots of colorful wooden chairs right at the water’s edge, and I could picture everyone in our group hiking up their pants and enjoying the sand and sunshine. Except for Lisabelle, of course.
The back of the house, or the patio, as Caid called it, was made entirely of stone. It was beautifully laid, with a sloping path that led to a circular area for chairs, tables, and a fire pit. At the pit now were my friends, each holding sticks with marshmallows attached to them. Lisabelle had already burnt hers to a crisp and was teasing Sip with it.
“Stop it,” my werewolf friend scolded, her purple eyes turning to flames from the fire.
“I thought you wanted a second marshmallow,” said Lisabelle innocently, her voice filled with amusement.
“I did. A marshmallow, not piece of black tar courtesy of your warped idea of amusement,” said Sip coldly. “Why don’t you go play with the cat? The two of you were made for each other.”
“There’s a cat?” I asked excitedly. Ricky was allergic to animals, so we had never been able to have pets when I was living at home. I had a feeling my stepdad would have refused to have pets anyway.
“Yes,” said Lough sadly. “At least, they claim he’s a cat. I think he’s a demon in miniature.”
“He does have a mind all his own,” said Caid easily, not sounding particularly fond of the animal. He took his place in a chair that was set a little way back from the fire, but facing the perfect view of the water.
“He’s contrary,” said Sip. “But most cats are, so I don’t know why everyone holds it against him.”
“Lisabelle likes him?” Dacer asked gently, sitting down next to Caid.
“Yes,” said Lough, frowning at the professor. Normally none of us, including Lough, thought much about the fact that we spent a lot of time with adults in a way that other students didn’t. But Dacer always made him nervous. It was probably the eye makeup.
“Well then, there must be something wrong with it,” said Dacer, smiling slightly at his own joke. Sip guffawed.
“Bartholem is just misunderstood,” said Lisabelle forlornly. “He isn’t all bad.”
“Just ninety-nine percent,” said Lough. “The thing is scary. It’s a cat, yet look how it behaves!”
“He’s a sweetheart on the inside,” Lisabelle insisted.
“Stop pretending you have feelings,” said Sip. “It makes me uncomfortable.”
“Fine,” said Lisabelle churlishly.
With a yowl, as if on cue, something shot out of the trees that led up the slope from the water. I jumped, taken by surprise at the sudden loud noise and movement, but Lough was downright frightened. With a cry he flung his stick, marshmallow and all, into the air and darted for the water. Only after a large white cat - who I could only assume was the misunderstood Bartholem - had hopped onto the seat that Lough had just vacated did Lough slowly return. Caid was nearly falling out of his chair laughing, and the rest of us were chuckling as Bartholem started to wash his paws, pretending for all the world that nothing had happened. Lough gave the cat a dark look. If cats could smile, I had a very good idea that right then that’s what Bartholem would have been doing.
“You’re scared of a little cat?” Lisabelle teased. Bartholem was ignoring everyone, but from the flashes of his eyes I could see that they were a bright blue. He was a beautiful cat.
“He doesn’t look demonic,” I commented, taking a chair between Sip and Lisabelle. Lough’s chair, on Sip’s right, was now occupied by the animal, so Lough was forced to perch awkwardly on the edge of the pit. He glared at the cat.
“This is ridiculous. Where did cats get the idea that they ran everything?” he asked hotly.
Caid chuckled
. “They are smart beasts.”
We settled back for a night of laughter. Caid had lots of other friends at the house, and it turned out that we were sitting around the campfire with several very powerful paranormals. At one point late in the evening, Lisabelle threw not only her marshmallow but also her roasting stick into the fire and watched them burn. Everyone ignored her outburst except the cat; through the entire evening it was the only time the animal acknowledged that there was any other living thing present besides himself.
Right before we students retired to our sleeping quarters, which just happened to be in a small guest house that was entirely separate from the main lodge, Dacer leaned over to me and whispered. “You are sitting with the movers and shakers of the paranormals. When we go to war against the Nocturns, at least half of those who will make the decision to fight are sitting around this table. Maybe you don’t realize it, and maybe I shouldn’t tell you, but it is not because of me that you are here.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. I stared hard into the flames, concentrating. Finally, I said, “What do you mean?”
Dacer shrugged, his eyes filled with concern. “I hope you never have to find out.”
Chapter Three
The next morning I sprang out of bed. Usually when I stayed with my friends, Lisabelle and Sip woke me up. But this time I was determined to have some quiet time before they got up. I shared a room with both of them, and creeping out without waking them up took some work. Right at the door I glanced back at Lisabelle, who was hard to see in the sea of black into which she had converted her bed. Curled up next to her was something white; clearly Bartholem had really taken a liking to my friend. As I inched the door open, the cat’s startling blue eyes sprang open as well.
Carefully, he picked himself up from his spot next to Lisabelle and followed me out. I raised my eyebrows, but Bartholem did not dignify me with a look, he just stalked out the door in front of me.
“Well, excuse me for existing,” I muttered. He and Lisabelle would get along perfectly.
I thought I’d been clever, but Lough was already downstairs, sitting in a chair and reading a very thin book. When he saw me he grinned.
“I’ve been helping my parents on the little farm all summer,” he explained, “getting up at the crack of dawn.” He closed the book and nodded at Bartholem.
“Don’t tell me that thing slept with you,” he said, scrunching up his face in distaste.
“Nope,” I said, grinning. “He slept with Lisabelle.”
Lough groaned and covered his face with his hands. We all knew that Lough was in love with Lisabelle. He had been since our first year at Public. She had no idea how he felt, but all of us, including Lough, were cure that she didn’t return his affection. Undeterred, Lough seemed to think that eventually she would come around.
I perched on the edge of the sofa facing Lough’s dark blue rocking chair. The cabin had a wood theme, with beautiful pine floors and dark comforting rugs. Covering the walls were lots of pictures of famous paranormals hanging out in nature.
“How was your summer?” I asked.
Lough shrugged. He was more suntanned than I had ever seen him, and it was clear that he had spent his days outside in the fresh air. But his cheeks were as ruddy as ever and his eyes had their usual sparkle.
“It was decent,” he said. “I don’t think the Police Academy is for me, but I’m glad I spent some time there and I’m even more glad it wasn’t for the whole summer. I liked being at home with my family. My sister is head over heels in love with Sip’s brother. It wouldn’t surprise me if they got married.”
“That’s awesome,” I said. “Does she get along with the other brothers as well?”
Sip was the youngest of six, and the rest were boys. They were massively protective of their little sister, which was almost funny, because Sip did not tolerate nonsense from anyone.
“Oh, they love her,” Lough gushed. But before he could say more, Bartholem took the opportunity to claw at his chair. Lough yelped. Bartholem turned his bottom to face Lough and raised his tail before sauntering into the kitchen area.
Lough shook his head. “I like it here, but I can’t wait to leave. Get me away from that thing.”
I just shook my head. Bartholem obviously knew he annoyed Lough and just as obviously reveled in it.
“Why are you up so early?” Lough asked, eyeing me suspiciously, as if he thought I was about to sneak out of the house. Of course, I had been about to sneak out of the house, and it served me right that I had thought I’d get away with it when I was staying with my best friends.
“I thought I’d go for a walk,” I said. “See more of Caid’s property.”
Lough sighed and glanced around the well-furnished living room.
“I’ll say this for Caid,” he said. “He keeps this place comfortable.”
I looked around at the plush chairs and the sofa that looked like you’d sink almost to the floor as soon as you sat down. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Of course it’s comfortable. It’s a summer house.”
Lough snorted. “My aunt’s summer house is like a museum of her life. We’re all afraid to visit her there in case we break something. It’s not really livable. This place is nice. It makes me like Caid more.” His eyes suddenly brightened. “Can I go for a walk with you?”
“What, you don’t want to stay here with Bartholem?” I teased. Lough’s face instantly clouded and he rolled his eyes.
“For no amount of money,” he muttered, glaring at the cat.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll grab my coat.”
I dashed back upstairs and grabbed my thin fleece off the peg outside my room. Even from indoors it was clear that the heat of yesterday was slipping into the early fall cool of today. I was in jean shorts, which I thought would be okay, but I knew that if I went out in a t-shirt I’d be cold.
When I got back downstairs Lough was waiting for me. He had already slipped his sneakers on, doing the best he could to avoid the white cat, who was sprawled in the center of the green and blue living room rug.
Lough pulled the heavy wooden door open for me and we stepped outside. It turned out that Caid owned several buildings, including the main house we’d driven up to last night. He had four small guest lodges, and we’d been stuck in the one that was furthest from the main house. Dacer had chuckled and told us to stay out of trouble, to which Sip had responded that we never intentionally got into trouble. Dacer, when he’d stopped laughing at his own joke, had explained that that’s why he thought it was funny.
“Gosh, it’s nice here in the morning,” said Lough, admiring the sun glinting off the lake and the large trees swaying gently in the surrounding sea of green. I left my fleece unbuttoned, but I was glad to have my arms covered. Fall, and the time to return to Public, had definitely arrived.
“Yeah,” I said. “Caid picked a nice spot.”
“Oh, he didn’t pick it,” said Lough. “He said it’s been in his family for generations. He shares ownership with his sister.”
“I guess that makes sense,” I said. “It’s good for a president to have such a protected spot.” I only noticed Lough’s grimace because I happened to be looking at him when I said it.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, frowning. “I thought you liked Caid.”
Lough shrugged, looking troubled.
“It’s just been odd here,” he said. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know anything,” he added hurriedly, as I continued to glare at him. “It’s just a bad feeling I’ve had.”
“We’ve had so many bad feelings it’s hard to keep track,” I said dryly. “I was sort of hoping for a quiet semester.”
“That’s just silly,” said Lough, his eyes dancing. “Never going to happen. You’re the only elemental.”
“You’re one of two dream givers,” I pointed out.
“I like to pretend I’m the only one,” said Lough forlornly.
I grinned. The other dream giver was a transfer into
our year. His name was Trafton, and he also had a thing for Lisabelle. I wasn’t sure how serious Trafton was about it, but Lisabelle was very serious that both of them were to leave her alone. Well, actually just Trafton. She had never given any sign of noticing how Lough felt, even though it was as obvious as the sun shining at midday.
We were halfway around the lake and I was listening to Lough tell stories from his summer of trying to plow fields when we heard voices. Somehow, we both instinctively hid.
Lough grabbed my arm and tugged me quickly behind one of the huge old pine trees stationed around the lake.
“Where are they coming from?” I asked, looking around. One of the voices had definitely been male, but at least one other was female. I wasn’t sure how many of them there were.
Lough didn’t say anything. He just pointed, and I followed his slightly shaking finger. Right by the water was another patio, set in perfectly circular stone, with several chairs facing the perfect view of the lake. Sitting in one of the chairs was Caid. I recognized another head as Saferous, because he was older and more distinguished than most of the other fallen angels I’d come in contact with.
The voice of the female took my breath away. Sitting there across from President Caid, for all the world as if it was any normal day, was Cynthia Malle, president of the Nocturns.
Chapter Four
I gasped and started forward, but Lough tightened his grip on my arm until it felt like a vice.
“I’m going down there and demanding -” I sputtered angrily, but I was cut off when Lough used his other hand to cover my mouth. He gently shook his head.
I struggled in vain against my friend, but he held firm. It was one of the few times I had ever seen his eyes so serious.
Very quickly I realized why.
The air hadn’t been cold just because it was the start of fall. The air was cold because the black clouds overhead had started to block out the sun. I realized now that the air was also oddly still, as if even it was afraid to move. I looked around. Now that the sun was gone, the forest was one big shadow, much darker than it should be at this time of day, even with clouds overhead.
Elemental Air (Paranormal Public Series) Page 3