“She’s going to make an impressive queen,” Lealand commented as we neared the dining hall. I glanced at his handsome face and nodded. “She’s already an impressive princess.”
“I’m glad she’s on our team,” he said. “Between you and Keller and her and me, I think we have a good chance of winning it all.”
I was surprised he had thrown me in there with them. “I’m not powerful,” I said. “I’m just the only one of something.”
Lealand turned to me, his eyebrows raised. “There isn’t a difference, Charlotte,” he said. There was mischief behind his eyes and he grinned. “There’s no difference at all.”
He spun on his heel and went over to none other than Camilla and Cale’s table. I rolled my eyes and went to find my friends. Obviously, Lealand didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Hey,” said Sip as I sat down. Lough wasn’t there yet, but Lisabelle was. She looked very unhappy, but before I had a chance to ask why, Lough appeared carrying a tray piled high with food.
“You look lovely in navy,” said Lough to Lisabelle. “It highlights your scowl.”
“That’s a one of a kind compliment if ever I heard one,” said Sip, not looking up from the careful process of cutting her steak into tiny pieces.
“She’s a one of a kind sort of girl,” said Lough, still smiling.
“Most people are screaming that while they run away like someone lit a fire under their ass,” said Sip. She put a piece of steak into her mouth and started to chew.
Lisabelle choked on her food, first staring back and forth between her two friends, then turning her dark eyes to me. “Charlotte, is there any nonsense you would like to share with me? These two seem to have it covered, but who knows what you could come up with.”
I grinned at her. “I think they’re doing a pretty good job.” I looked at Lough questioningly. He had actually tried a compliment on Lisabelle and she hadn’t had a fit. Maybe he was making a tiny bit of progress.
“Hey, everyone,” said Lealand. “Mind if I sit here?” Apparently he hadn’t gone over to Cale and Camilla’s table to actually sit down at eat with them.
Everyone just gawked at him. Despite the rhetoric at the end of last semester, not much had changed in the interaction of paranormal types. In other words, we were all still segregated. Lanca’s having joined us for dinner one night had been very out of the ordinary, and she had still returned to her own table eventually.
“Of course you can,” said Sip, pointing at the end seat on my right side. “Sit yourself down and make yourself comfortable. I want to hear all about how you stole those people’s stuff last night.” She beamed at him.
“Leave it to Sip,” Lough muttered to me, and I grinned.
Dinner turned out to be a lot of fun. Lealand was well-spoken and intelligent. He knew a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff and he and Sip got along famously.
“I’m so jealous you get to be in his group of four,” said Sip to me at the end of dinner. “You’re going to be sooo good.”
“Is everyone still going to the library?” Lisabelle asked.
“I have to,” I said, glancing at Lealand. “We have practicing to do.”
“We should all go and start on our homework too,” said Sip. “Apparently there are speed techniques for paranormals that I’ve never considered using before, and there are books at the library that explain them. My professor expects me to memorize all of them.”
“Are they for battling demons?” Lough asked. We were now outside, and Lanca had joined us. Just like every time I saw them together, Lealand and the vampire princess had bent their heads close together and were whispering to each other.
“Which are you looking forward to more,” Lisabelle asked me, “your internship tomorrow, or seeing Keller?”
“Shut up,” I told her, elbowing her in the ribs.
Keller and I needed to talk. After our kiss at the end of last semester, we obviously weren’t dating or even kissing again. I now knew that if he was reluctant it was because of his crazy aunt. Honestly, the woman looked so nice. How could appearances be so misleading?
Chapter Fifteen
“Where are we meeting them?” Lealand asked as we made our way into the library.
For the record, I loved the library. It mirrored the Tower, only it was much smaller. The same kind of colored glass made up the walls, and in daylight you could see the rows and rows of tables and stacks of books visible through the windows. That night it was quiet inside, and pretty full.
“There are rooms for talking on the third floor,” I whispered to Lealand. “I’ll find you guys later,” I said to my friends as I headed towards the stairwell.
“Your friends are great,” said Lealand. “I’m surprised you aren’t friends with more pixies.”
I was walking in front of him, so he missed my smile. “Are you?” I asked.
Lealand could see that I had friends in Airlee, Cruor, and Aurum, but not in Volans. Well, Camilla could be thanked for that.
“You probably don’t want to be friends with me either,” I told him, “or Camilla will make you sorry.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about her,” he said, shrugging. He gave me a boyish smile. There was something confident and untouchable, almost secretive about Lealand. I thought that if I hadn’t been so preoccupied with stuff like my friends getting sick and new internships, I might have been trying to figure out what it was.
Coming through the third floor door as we headed toward it was Trafton. The dream giver frowned at us, glancing back over his shoulder at one of the other transfers, Michael. Well, I thought to myself, Trafton made friends quickly enough.
“Hey, Charlotte,” said Michael, smiling. We had a class together, and although he was very soft-spoken, he’d been very nice.
“Hi, Michael,” I said.
Trafton slid down the stairs and slung an arm over my shoulder. He smelled of cologne or aftershave or some sort of guy perfume I couldn’t identify, because I didn’t spend time snuggled up to guys.
“How’s my favorite elemental and where’s your gorgeous friend?”
“Are you talking about Sip?” Michael asked with curiosity.
Trafton gave him a sidelong look and grinned. “No, I’m talking about the statuesque Lisabelle Verlans.”
Michael’s eyebrows shot up, and the next second he started laughing - not just a short laugh, but a full belly laugh complete with a hand over his stomach and his torso doubled over. “Man, you got a death wish?” he asked the dream giver. Michael hadn’t been on campus long, but he had already heard all about Lisabelle.
Trafton gave him a goofy grin and shrugged. “She can’t be as mean as she was yesterday all the time, can she?”
“No,” I said, grinning, “there are probably a lot of times when she’s much worse.”
“Anyone with that much power would have a hard time being nice,” Lealand offered.
Just then the third floor door opened again, almost hitting Trafton as he jumped nimbly out of the way. Keller stuck his head around the door and the air stuck in my throat. I was instantly aware of his pale neck sitting on broad shoulders. Piercing blue eyes found mine. My eyes locked on his and I couldn’t have looked away for all the tea in China.
“Hey,” he said softly, then, clearing his throat, he cast his gaze around the room.
“Alright, let’s go,” said Michael, wrapping his hand around the back of Trafton’s neck and pushing him gently down the stairs. Lealand tried to blend into the wall, but that’s difficult when the wall is beige and you are green.
“Lanca came up already,” said Keller. “Just thought I’d see where you two were.”
“Here we are,” I said, my voice sounding like chiming bells in my ears. Awkward chiming bells.
Keller held the door open for both of us and I nearly stumbled getting through it. Maybe tonight wasn’t the best night to try to talk to Keller. I could barely look at him without thinking about making out.
Kel
ler’s finger tips brushed my back, making my stomach clench, and he gave me the slightest of smiles as we followed Lealand to the room where Lanca waited.
I wouldn’t have thought anything would get my thoughts off Keller, but seeing Lanca curled up, asleep on the couch, came close. Evan was standing guard outside, but he stepped away from the door to allow us past. He gave Keller a nod. Everyone respected Keller, even pixies and even Princess Lanca’s guards.
“Hey, Lanca,” I said. She opened her eyes blearily.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Why so tired?” Lealand asked, concerned etched on his face. “This is supposed to be your prime time.”
She smiled sleepily. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Let’s make our plan of attack.” She sat up, but it was slow and I could tell it took effort.
Keller gave her an extra long look and she gazed back silently. Keller, as the de facto leader of the fallen angels, and Lanca, who was officially more important than the other vampires due to her rank, had a lot of dealings together. Every time there was a fight on campus between the two types, which in the past had been often, those two had had to talk it out. By this time they knew each other well.
Finally Keller spoke. “So, tomorrow night,” he said, “we’re going to be allowed to spread out around the grounds. We have to stay with our teams of four, never splitting up into fewer than two. The object of the game is to challenge other teams and beat them in fights. No actual injuries are allowed.”
“Why do you think they’re doing this?” Lanca asked, studying a map Keller was sketching of the buildings. His long fingers, so recently just having rested on my spine, worked away.
“I think they’re trying to teach us how to fight, and I think they want us to take some of our aggression out on each other in a constructive way.”
Lanca nodded and grinned. “This is going to be sooo constructive.”
We spent the rest of the night plotting.
“Charlotte Rollins!” rang out the voice of Dove, the vampire Committee member. I was sitting peacefully eating my breakfast, having escaped the solitude of Astra for the noise and jumble of the dining hall, when he called out to me.
I glanced up. Dove was standing in front of his table, flanked by Professor Erikson and Risper.
“A word?” Dove asked when our eyes met. The hall had gone predictably silent, everyone staring at the elemental being called into the office. I wondered if I was in trouble. As far as I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong and I was pretty sure Mrs. Swan wouldn’t tattle on me if I did (she would kick my butt herself).
“Don’t back down,” Lisabelle muttered to me.
“Actually,” said Dove, watching my friend talk to me, “you two come too.”
Sip sprang to her feet so fast it gave me whiplash. “I knew this guy wasn’t an idiot,” she said triumphantly.
“No, he knows he can’t put Charlotte in her place unless he puts us in our place too. You just got excited about getting in trouble,” said Lisabelle, shaking her head.
Trafton, who had joined us for breakfast, sat watching. Lisabelle pointed at him. “If you touch my donut you better be able to function with nine fingers,” she said, glaring at him.
Trafton grinned while Lough scowled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The three of us followed the Committee members out of the dining hall. I managed a look at Keller before we disappeared, and he smiled encouragingly.
We were led into a small study-like room. There were tables and chairs pushed against the walls, and a roaring fireplace. The large bay windows framed the snowy field outside. Dove and Professor Erikson sat on the couch, while Risper stood with his feet planted shoulder width apart and his hands clasped behind his back. He didn’t look dangerous, but I knew that if necessary he could snap into action faster than Sip could jump to her feet.
The three of us sat down on the opposite couch with me in the middle. Lisabelle never even looked at her uncle. She hadn’t said anything about him since he arrived, and I wondered if they’d even talked to each other. Given how similar they were I was surprised they weren’t closer, but then again maybe that’s why they weren’t closer.
Lisabelle folded her arms across her chest and alarm bells started going off in my head. She was already hostile.
“Ms. Rollins,” said Dove, his voice cold like the winter weather outside, “I had hoped to speak with you before this.”
“Then why didn’t you?” Lisabelle asked, raising her eyebrows.
Dove glanced at Risper, but Risper made no move to silence his niece.
“There are other pressing matters in the paranormal world that don’t revolve around you,” said Dove icily. “I know that’s hard for you to believe. Now,” he continued, before Lisabelle could say anything else difficult, “we need to discuss the events of last semester and how we’re going to proceed. Some steps have already been taken.”
“Like ripping me out of my home and moving me to live all alone to Astra?” I asked. I guess I was going to be hostile just like Lisabelle.
Dove shook his head. “I can see this is going to be difficult. You’re not alone. You’re with Mrs. Swan and she has nothing but good things to say about you.”
“Who has bad things to say about Charlotte?” Lisabelle demanded.
“I’m pretty sure there’s a pixie or two,” said Sip.
“The point is . . . ” began Dove with some impatience. Obviously he hadn’t counted on what trying to talk to three eighteen-year-old girls would be like. He looked pained, but continued. “What you,” he pointed to me, “and you,” he pointed to Sip, “did last semester was dangerous and foolish.”
Sip’s purple eyes started to sparkle dangerously.
“What about me?” asked Lisabelle. “When people say foolish they think Lisabelle.”
“You were kidnapped, but once freed to do as you pleased, yes, you started behaving foolishly too,” said Dove. I noticed Risper shift just the tiniest amount and wondered what he thought of his niece getting chastised.
“Now see here,” said Lisabelle, but a small arm reached across me to grip Lisabelle.
Sip said, in a voice like stone, “Let the man finish.”
Lisabelle was scary, her fury and sarcasm slayed the best of us, but Sip’s controlled rage gave Lisabelle a run for her money, and Lisabelle, knowing that Sip could handle the situation just fine thank you very much, stopped arguing.
“Continue,” said Sip generously to Dove.
The vampire let his surprise at being talked to like that by a student show for only a flash before he said, “You knowingly went and challenged a large group of demons after having discovered that the one person, the very person tasked with your safety and protection, was at fault for putting your lives at risk. You chose to break into Astra” - here he glared at me - “without notifying any professors or anyone who could assist and direct you. All of this was done with the knowledge that you are, in fact, the sole known elemental who has not been murdered. Your existence is a great upset to the demons, and therefore you should have taken better care of yourself. Do you have any idea the amount of trouble we go to in order to keep you safe?” he demanded.
I did, in fact, have an idea. “It’s not my fault you chose a President who turned out to want me dead,” I pointed out. “It’s also not my fault I’m the only elemental. Maybe you should have taken better care of my father.”
It hurt to even reference him, but I didn’t have a choice. He had been elemental and he had been murdered, and therefore he hadn’t been there to protect me or my mother as I grew up.
Dove’s face hardened. “Don’t you think we did our best?” he hissed. “Your father was. . . .”
But he was silenced by Professor Erikson, who put a hand on his arm. I felt like I had just been punched in the gut. No one had mentioned my father or mother to me since last semester. I had been planning on asking someone, maybe Korba or Lambros, if I could have more information about them, but I hadn
’t had the chance yet.
“Charlotte,” began Professor Erikson. Her voice was gentle, but her eyes pierced through me. They weren’t kind like those of the family member of hers that I knew. “We’re simply trying to keep you safe. Last semester was dangerous for you, and with the demons now beating at the protections around this school we need you to think carefully before you act.”
I knew what she meant. Since I could get through the force field if I wanted to, she must be worried that I would run off and challenge the demons without thinking it through.
“Don’t worry,” said Sip, “we don’t let Charlotte do anything foolish without us.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Professor Erikson.
“And what we did last semester wasn’t foolish,” said Sip. “We saved the school. Someone had to. We would save it again.”
Her chin jutted out stubbornly. All those older brothers had really given my small friend nerves of steal. I wouldn’t have had the guts to defy the Committee members sitting before me. Actually, I wasn’t sure any of us had the guts to defy Risper, but he wasn’t talking, and something told me he was proud of his niece, even if he wasn’t saying so.
Dove nodded. “I can see this isn’t going to go how I had hoped. All I can tell you is that you are not to fight demons. Under no circumstances are you to go looking for trouble, and that includes the former President and any information pertaining to her or the elimination of the elementals.”
His eyes locked on mine. Had he just ordered me not to try to find out about my parents? I hoped that wasn’t what he had just ordered me not to do, because I was going to have to defy him.
“Dismissed.”
Chapter Sixteen
After that less than stellar meeting with the Committee, I nearly raced to my internship in the Museum. I was already excited to begin work there.
I waved to the security guard, a different man this time, older and with a pot belly, who definitely wasn’t going to be awake at lunch.
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