by John Corwin
"Oh, god," I said. "What can we do? There must be something."
"Only Daelissa or another Brightling could cure me," the little angel said.
"My mom can!" I jumped up, mind racing to think of how I could possibly contact her. All I had to do was figure out where the Conroys lived. "I'll ask Ivy."
"No," Nightliss rasped. "Too dangerous."
Meghan stepped inside the room, and stood near me. "While you're here, I wanted to check on your leg."
"Is it worse?" Nightliss asked.
"Don't worry about me," I said, standing up. "Worry about Nightliss."
"I have to worry about you," Meghan said. "Even if I can't do anything, about it, I want to make sure the potion is working."
"Justin, I can help." Nightliss motioned to me with just her fingers since she apparently couldn't move her arm very much.
I thought of her blood in the potion. "You've done too much already," I said. I didn't want her overextending.
"Vallaena told me—"
I sprang to my feet. "What?"
Sorrow creased the angel's brow. "My heart, Justin."
I took deep breaths to combat the rage roiling through my blood at the thought of Vallaena coming here and telling Nightliss about our conversation. I spun to Meghan. "How the hell did Vallaena find out where Nightliss was?"
The healer shrugged. "She called, and said she needed to see Nightliss on your behalf. I assumed—"
"That lying little…" I swallowed my next words, and ground my teeth as the desire to punch a wall wrestled with my rational mind.
"Justin!" Nightliss must have used all her strength to shout my name, because she sank even deeper into her pillow after doing it, eyelids fluttering.
I sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand in mind as the anger fled, replaced by pain. "What is it?"
She swallowed, grimacing. Took in a breath. "My heart is yours. Take it, please. The world needs you."
I looked away as hot tears sprang into my eyes. "No. I won't do it."
"I am dying. Make my life count."
"Your life already counts," I said. "And it's going to keep on counting, damn it." I couldn't hold back the flood and felt tears running down my cheeks. "I won't let you die."
"It's too late for that," she said, her breathing growing shallow. Her eyes closed, and her arm went limp.
"No!" I shouted, pressing a hand to her neck, looking for a pulse.
Meghan pushed me aside, running her wand along the small angel's body. She breathed in relief. "She lives." Her red-rimmed eyes met mine. "Justin, I don't think she has more than a week left, and even that estimate might be generous." The healer gripped my hand and led me into the den where Shelton sat drinking coffee.
He looked up at me with a bloodshot gaze. "We're screwed, aren't we? Nightliss is dying. The vampling curse is eating you alive." Pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes, he groaned. "Guess I'd better enjoy the free life while it's still around."
"Shelton, shut up," Meghan said, a scowl on her face. She handed me a tissue. "Is it true about Nightliss's heart?"
I wiped my eyes, and blew my nose. Shrugged. "Vallaena seems to think so. All she has to go on is some Daemos legend from the war with the Brightlings." I told her the story.
"It could be true," Meghan said. "It's also true Nightliss may die soon, and your chance of a cure may die with her."
"She isn't going to die," I growled. Knuckles cracked as my hands balled into fists. "I won't let her."
"How, exactly, do you propose to do that?" Meghan asked.
"My mom." I strode back into Nightliss's room, and choked back the pain of seeing her in such a state. She'd always been so full of life. So beautiful. So sweet. That Daelissa could do such a thing to so selfless a person made me sick. I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm here for you," I murmured. "I'm your friend, and I love you. I will cure you." I kissed her hand, and tucked it back under the blanket.
Shelton looked up from the table, his face miserable. I gave him a curt wave. "Come on. We're going."
"Where?" he asked.
"Back to the school. Somehow, I'm going to convince Ivy to tell me where Mom is so she can cure Nightliss." I stopped in my tracks, mind racing through possibilities. Can Ivy cure Nightliss? It was probably ridiculous to think Ivy might help. Would she even help me with Mom?
"Look, Justin, I don't think you need me there anymore," Shelton said.
"You're abandoning me?" I said, my voice sounding more hurt than I thought it should.
He looked away. "You're taking classes, you're all set. Why do you need me hanging around?"
"To help me find the Cyrinthian Rune. To watch my back if Bigglesworth or the Conroys try anything. To help me find my mom." I sighed and rubbed my forehead, trying to calm my breathing. Why did everyone always end up leaving me? Mom, Dad, Elyssa, and now Shelton? Stop feeling sorry for yourself. "You know what? Mission accomplished. Go home. Cinder can watch my back."
"I feel like I did more harm than good," he said, still not looking at me. "With Zagg and that mess."
"Yeah, you made mistakes. They came back to haunt you. Big deal." I shook my head and walked toward the door. "Guess it's easier to hide from the past than it is to fix the present." I heard Shelton say something, but opened the door and slammed it behind me. Once outside, I realized we'd come in Shelton's car, and he had the keys. So much for a dramatic exit. Then again, I didn't need a stinking car. I could just run, though it might be tricky in broad daylight.
I heard the rumbling of a powerful engine in the near distance, and saw Shelton's souped-up pickup truck round the curve and screech to a halt in front of Meghan's. Bella hopped down from the tall cab, and smiled when she saw me.
"Justin!" She hurried over and gave me a hug. "Meghan told me you two were here. I take it the arch at Queens Gate is working again?"
"Yeah," I said in a mumble.
Her smiled faded, and a concerned look came over her face. "What's wrong?"
"Nightliss is dying, and she wants me to eat her heart to cure my vampling curse."
The petite dhampyr's eyes went wide. "Oh, dear." She paused, her eyes examining my lips. "You didn't take her up on the offer, did you?"
I blew out a breath. "Of course not. Can I have the keys to Shelton's truck?" I held out a hand. "I need to get back to the Grotto."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Why isn't Harry driving you?"
"He's done reliving the college experience."
Bella pursed her lips. "He's giving up, isn't he?"
"I guess. Can I have the keys?"
Bella squeezed my hand. "I'll talk to him, Justin. He's just being an old mule."
I shook my head. "No. I'd prefer it if you didn't. I don't want him around if he doesn't want to be."
"But, you need someone to watch your back." Her violet eyes grew wide.
"If I have to beg him to come, what's the point?"
Bella put a finger to her chin. "Did Lina find you?"
I nodded.
"She's a sweet girl, and her training is coming along marvelously from what her grandfather told me." The dhampyr flashed a grin. "I'll ask her to help."
"I don't know if that's a good idea."
Bella waved away my concern. "It's a wonderful idea. I'm sure Elyssa will be done with her Templar duties soon, and she'll be along to save the day." She paused, eyes lighting up as if some new idea had jabbed an electrical current directly into her brain. "In fact, you know what?"
I felt my concern deepen. "What?"
"I'm coming, too."
"Um, but where will you stay?"
"In the dorm, of course." She smiled, and pinched my cheek. "This will be so much fun. I really miss college." She gave the house a sideways glance. "Well, let's go. Do you want to drive?"
"Aren't you going inside Meghan's house?" I asked. "Don't you want to say hi to Shelton?"
Bella shook her head, violet eyes turning serious. "I'm sorry, but Harry has disappointe
d me too many times. I'm so angry with him right now, I might do something bad to him."
"You don't look that angry."
She grinned. "Centuries of practice, young man."
We hopped in the truck. A quick twist of the key in the ignition and it rumbled to life. I pulled out from the curb, casting one last glance at Meghan's house. Maybe I expected to see a healthy Nightliss waving goodbye. Maybe I expected to see Shelton run out at the last minute, and tell me he really wanted to come, or at the very least get his favorite vehicle back. Instead, all I saw was a closed door. Heart heavy, I pressed the accelerator and left.
Bella had me swing by Shelton's hideout so she could pack. It took her all of ten minutes to throw everything inside a large suitcase, which had to be a world record in terms of women packing anything. I put the suitcase in the truck, and we headed out to the Grotto, leaving it in the long-term parking section. After a few words with the Arcane operator, he bumped us to the front of the queue, and we stepped through the arch into Queens Gate.
After a long wait in line to enter the pocket dimension, the surly security Arcane scanned us. Bella's dhampyr classification appeared, along with an arcane potential of eight.
"Are you a sympathizer?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes at Bella, and pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the group of protesting vampires.
"Young man, I am now and always have been against supernatural profiling." She sniffed. "Besides, I am almost certain Maximus's people were behind the massacres at the Arcane schools, and you can thank this brave young Daemos here for bringing the criminal to justice."
The man's forehead wrinkled, and he looked at the admission papers he'd given me and Shelton the first time we'd passed through his screening. "Justin Slade?"
"Can we just go in now?" I asked, eager to avoid a spectacle.
The man touched his wand to my papers, and handed Bella her papers. "I suppose so." He gave us one last suspicious look before turning his penetrating gaze on the next poor sap in line. "Next!"
"I can't believe the Conclave stands for this rubbish," Bella said as we stepped through the doors into Queens Gate.
We took the shuttle up to Science Academy and headed to the dorm. Once we arrived at the building, we headed up the stairs, and down the passage toward the room. Male students wandered the halls, many of them casting curious glances at Bella as we walked by. One guy stepped out of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist and yelped when he saw her.
Bella smiled. "Aren't you just adorable," she cooed.
"You're sounding like an old woman again," I chided her.
"I am an old woman," she replied with a wink.
As we rounded the corner to my hallway, I spotted a young man fiddling with the door to my room. At first, I thought it might be Bigglesworth, but realized the Flark could easily slide beneath the door. Conroy obviously had other people working for him. I jogged down the hall, suitcase in one hand, and Bella running close behind.
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, noticing Bella had drawn her wand, and feeling better about my chances should this guy decide to fight.
He glared at me. "What do I think I'm doing? I'm the RA—the resident assistant—for this dorm." He looked at Bella and then at her suitcase, his mouth hanging open slightly. "Who's she, and what is she doing here at this hour?"
"I'm Bella," she replied, as if that should answer all his questions.
"Do you know how many complaints I've had about this room since you moved in?" He pulled out an arctablet and read from it. "Loud noises late at night, people coming and going at all hours, females at non-visitation hours"—at this point he glared at Bella. "And now you are apparently moving in your girlfriend." He shook his head. "Dude, you can't do this. Number one, this isn't a coed dorm, and two, you can't just move anyone you want into your room even if it was coed." He sighed. "I've got no choice but to evict."
"But where am I gonna stay?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't care. All I know is you can't stay here."
Bella put away her wand. "Not even for one more night?" Her violet eyes went huge, and her forehead crinkled in sadness. "We have nowhere else to go."
"No, I—I can't," the man said, his voice faltering under the weight of those big sad eyes.
"Just one night?" The pitch of Bella's voice sounded heavy with desperation. "I'm so cold and hungry."
The RA made a groaning sound. "Fine, fine." He looked away from the dhampyr. "Just for tonight. I could get in big trouble for this."
A tear sparkled down Bella's cheek. She stood on tiptoe and kissed the man on the cheek. "Thank you so much."
He blushed. Stammered. "S-sure. Okay, bye." He walked briskly down the hall, never looking back.
I gave Bella two raised eyebrows. "Remind me to never cross you. You're more dangerous than I thought."
She grinned.
We went inside, and I sucked in a sharp breath.
Ivy smiled back at me.
Chapter 27
"What—how did you get—never mind. Stupid question."
"I'm not really here," Ivy said, flashing another grin. "I'm projecting." She looked at Bella. "Who's that?"
"I'm Bella," the dhampyr said. "You must be Ivy. I've heard so much about you."
"Has Justin been talking about me?" my sister replied, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.
"Only the good stuff," I said. "Why haven't I seen you at lunch again?"
She made duck lips. "They've been keeping a close eye on me, so it's harder to sneak away. Bigmomma figured out I went to the dining hall the other day."
"How?" I asked.
"People were talking about it." She sighed. "Now Mr. Bigglesworth won't let me go anywhere alone."
"I guess that means we can't get together for ice cream again?"
Her forehead pinched into a sad expression. "I want to, Justin. I'll try. I just wanted to say hi, and tell you—well, tell you that I missed seeing you."
"I miss seeing you, too," I said, holding out a hand.
She reached for mine, but the projection passed through me.
Should I ask her about Mom, or would that be pushing it? "Maybe Mom can help you sneak out." It felt like a thinly veiled ploy, but somehow I had to get in touch with Mom.
"They put her in an astral prison," she said. A tear trickled down her cheek.
A lump of ice slid down my throat and into my chest where it played pinball with my heart and stomach. "What do you mean, astral prison?"
"Daelissa told me Mom did something bad, so she imprisoned her until they can have a talk." Her eyes looked downcast. "I don't understand how Mom could betray us."
The news of Mom's imprisonment sent a double shock of pain to me. The Conroys evidently knew about her extracurricular activities. She might be in mortal danger, or they might simply think they could change her mind somehow. But the second part meant I had no hope of helping Nightliss unless I could free Mom. I forced my face to remain neutral while my insides churned.
What am I going to do?
Ivy's head jerked to the side as if she'd just seen or heard something. "Someone's coming. I've gotta go," she whispered and blew me a kiss as her image puffed into a girl-shaped cloud of pink vapor.
"Am I mistaken, or does it sound like your sister actually likes you now?" Bella asked, a bemused expression on her face.
I shrugged. "Maybe. We had time to connect." I told her about the gelato and lunch.
"You don't think she's trying to trick you again, do you? Remember when she faked her kidnapping so you'd rescue her from Maximus, but it turned out to be a lie?"
Pain clenched my heart at the memory of that betrayal. "I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe she is, or maybe she's really coming around." I threw up my hands and huffed out an exasperated breath. "Why can't something be simple for once?"
Bella touched my shoulder. "I hope you're reaching her, Justin, I really do." She pulled a bottle of red wine from her suitcase along
with two glasses, and set them on the table. "Goodness, I can tell Harry's been eating here. This table is a mess." She poured two glasses of wine, and motioned me to join her at the table.
I sat down, held up the glass of wine. "To good friends who don't abandon you in your time of need," I said.
She rolled her eyes. "To friends." Clinked her glass against mine.
I looked around the room and sighed. "What am I gonna do when they boot us out of the dorm tomorrow?"
"I wish I could help you, but I'm not as connected as Harry," Bella said. "I can call—"
"No." I gave a vehement shake of my head. "He wants out, he's out. I'll figure this out on my own."
She sighed. "Men are so mule-headed sometimes."
Bella had a point, but I was too stubborn to admit it. I knew practically nobody on campus. I texted MacLean, asking him if he'd considered helping me find the rune, and, coincidentally, if he happened to know where I might find lodging that didn't involve a cardboard box and smelly neighbors. I also sent Lina a text asking if she knew of a place to stay.
She responded a minute later. They're kicking you out? That's terrible! I'll ask my boyfriend if he knows of anything.
A boyfriend? She hadn't mentioned anything about a boyfriend. Then again, it wasn't my business. I just hoped she could help.
Bella swirled the wine in her glass. "Tomorrow, I'll do some snooping. Maybe I can track down Bigglesworth and find out what he's up to."
"Be careful," I said. "That thing is dangerous."
"I know." She shrugged. "But the best offense is a good defense."
I felt an eyebrow rise. "I think you reversed it."
"Did I?" She smiled. "Well, you know what I mean."
Bella watching my back promised to be an interesting experience.
I met Lina for lunch on Sunday. She looked even more tired than the last time I'd seen her. I almost told her to take it easy, but decided I wasn't her dad, and kept my mouth shut.
"Justin, I think I found the perfect place for you," she said after giving me a hug.
"Awesome!" I said. "It's not under a sewage grate, is it?"