Elemental Earth (Paranormal Public)

by Edwards, Maddy

  “It’s the nature of war,” I said quietly, although I wasn’t sure if that was all there was to it. Lisabelle gave me an angry look.

  “Okay, so maybe it wasn’t Faci, but someone sold us out,” she said. “Probably someone at Public. The demons knew we were coming. They were waiting for us and they would have killed all of us if they could have. On of these times we’ll need more luck even than today, and it won’t be there for us, and then what will happen?”

  It was almost morning when I decided to stop waiting for Keller to come to me.

  He was sitting by himself near the fire, while the rest of our friends talked in hushed tones. Zervos was standing where he had been the night before, as if he was waiting for Faci to come back. The vampire had stormed away from our shields and we’d not seen him since.

  “What was that about?” I demanded, sitting down next to him. I was all set and ready to defend myself, thinking that he was angry because I hadn’t lowered the shield for Faci. What he said instead surprised me.

  “You could have been killed,” he said, his eyes filled with shadows.

  I moved to touch him, but he backed away.

  “You could have been killed. It’s this constant danger we’re all in. My parents spoke to me about it, about how we’d never have peace as long as you were the only elemental.” He said it softly, staring at his hands. A stone settled in the pit of my stomach.

  “My parents worry that with me so close to you . . . you’ll be attacked and I’ll be killed. Maybe it’s selfish, I don’t know, but I’m their son. It was one of the first things they said to me when they found out that we were dating. They didn’t congratulate me or tell me to be happy. They said I was likely to die because of you.”

  I couldn’t make any words come, so I just sat there and kept listening.

  “I don’t worry about that, though,” he said. “I told my parents as much. They were angry, but I don’t care. I told them that I loved you and that what worried me the most was that if something happened to you” - now he looked at me again, and my heart broke a little - “I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

  I reached out and took his hand. His fingers were cold, despite the nearness of the fire.

  “If you die,” he said, his voice breaking, “I have to die too.”

  I squeezed his hand as he met my eyes. I scooted forward until I sat next to him, side by side, my legs across his.

  “I feel the same way,” I whispered. “If the demons attack me and kill you, they’d better hope they kill me too.”

  He laughed softly and I was relieved by the sound. “Big bad Charlotte going to avenge her boyfriend?”

  I grinned. “Yeah, something like that.”

  “Ms. Rollins?” Zervos came striding over. His hair was sticking out at odd angles and the dark circles underneath his eyes were more pronounced; he obviously hadn’t slept. “Are you ready to lower the shield?”

  I forced myself not to glare at the professor. Zervos had done nothing for us, and now we were stuck with him, and only him, for the whole semester. Hopefully Sectar and Golden Falls would be better.

  “How’s your magic, Charlotte?” Lisabelle came over and knelt down next to Keller and me. My ring had remained dull whenever I looked at it, but inside me I could feel the strength building, and taking Keller’s hand only buttressed my resolve.

  “Better,” I said quietly. “I think I could enact the Power again if necessary.” The unspoken comment was pointed at Faci. Surely Daisy was with them too, and I wanted to be able to fight and die honorably if he attacked us, so that Dacer could tell Ricky I did everything I could to get back to him.

  “Good,” she said. “I think we’ll be fine. I don’t know what game the Nocturns are playing, but it’s a slow and steady burn, not a flaming battle. Besides, Sectar is here now.”

  “Let’s do it, then,” said Lough, joining us. He looked almost as bad as Zervos, though I knew he had slept some. Sip was still sitting by herself, her mood mostly unchanged from the day before. She had watched Dove die, after all. I wondered if - and when - she’d recover.

  “I’m ready,” I said, standing with Lough’s help. His firm grip was in stark contrast to his tired appearance. He chuckled at the surprise in my eyes. “I can take whatever they dish out,” he said. “So can you.”

  Kia and Rake joined us. Marcus was still in no condition to perform spells, but it didn’t matter. When we reached Zervos, Sectar and Faci were already there.

  I didn’t even look at the vampire.

  “If we do this,” said Zervos, “can you promise us safe passage to Golden Falls? No demons?” Zervos probably just cared about his own safety, not all of ours, I thought bitterly.

  Faci didn’t move. I wondered if that smooth, pale skin was even capable of expression.

  “Yes,” said Sectar quietly. “The demons are gone and Golden Falls is the safest place I know. You will arrive without further problems. I promise.”

  Faci was standing nearby, glaring at the tall Sectar, probably because the new werewolf was thwarting some evil plan of his. “The danger is entirely in your mind,” said Faci. “The demons won’t attack again.”

  Lough snorted. “You’re right it’s in my mind. The mind of a sane paranormal. Something you’re probably not that familiar with.”

  Faci stepped forward, his eyes intent on Lough’s face. They glared at each other as Zervos and Sectar talked quietly to each other.

  Faci blinked first, taking a quick step back. Lough must have sent some sort of dream at him, because Faci looked at my friend with new respect.

  In the early morning light, Faci didn’t look so scary. He actually looked more like a frightened teenager, standing there without his father for protection. He looked like he might even have been mistaken for a bully who might one day grow out of his mean stripes and become a productive paranormal.

  But I knew better.

  I knew his appearance was deceiving; Faci Decimatar was evil through and through. He seemed to sense my thoughtful gaze, because he met my eyes with his own.

  “Do you remember the puppy at Vampire Locke?” he asked quietly. “I am looking forward to the day when it is you I have underneath my foot.”

  I matched his glare. I don’t know where I found the strength. Maybe it was because of Dove, who hadn’t deserved to die, or maybe it was because of Keller, or maybe it was because of the elemental ring that fit so perfectly on my finger. I didn’t care.

  “Remind me again why you’re here,” I said coldly, then, before he could respond, I added, “Oh, right. There isn’t a good reason.”

  I stuck my hand in the barrier and released the magic. Power sucked in on itself, flowing back the way it had come. Once I had gathered the barrier, making sure there were no traces left in the air, I turned on my heel and walked away.

  Chapter Twelve

  We took brooms the rest of the way. Those of us who could fly did so and helped the rest along the way. Lisabelle took a broom with Sip, who still seemed sad. Lisabelle got her talking about plans for the Sign of Six, and that seemed to cheer her up a bit. I took a broom by myself, but Keller flew right next to me for the entire journey. It turned out that Sectar had not come alone; there were several other werewolves with him, and the random pixie, all of whom glided in front of us, leading us to Golden Falls.

  Sectar probably could have run with us, as Sip liked to do, but instead he also rode a broom. It was encrusted in green and purple jewels, and he ducked and dipped through the air like he was born to it.

  As we flew I watched the landscape. The earth was scraped and barren-looking. It shocked me to wonder whether the demons were picking over everything, killing it with their very presence while we remained safe at Paranormal Public. The trees hung limply and the grass looked like tiny steel spikes sticking up out of the ground. It was not the beautiful earth I remembered of past winters.

  “So, about Golden Falls,” said Lough, flying up to me. I raised a quizzical eyebrow at hi
m. “What’s the food like?” he asked.

  “I’ve heard it’s the best of any paranormal university,” said Sip, “no joke.”

  Lough smiled in delight.

  “Why are they even being allowed to go?” I asked Lisabelle bitterly, pointing at Faci, who was flying far ahead, flanked by Daisy and Dobrov. We’d seen Camilla when we first set out, but she must have been flying even further ahead. I was pretty sure that her breakup, and Cale’s subsequent departure, had totally unhinged the pixie. Kia, who was flying at the back, hadn’t gone near her best friend. Having surveyed everyone else, my gaze quickly darted to Keller, to make sure he was still there and doing fine. He sensed my gaze and smiled at me reassuringly.

  “I don’t know why they’re here,” said Lough, getting serious and bringing my attention back to our conversation. “But we should have an escape plan, beyond just keeping you safe,” he said to me.

  “So they told you?” I tried to keep the bitterness out of my voice, but a little crept in. Lough looked at me in surprise.

  “You need protecting, Charlotte,” he said. “I don’t care if we’re going to the most wonderful place on earth. Did you see what we did last night? We couldn’t have done that without you.”

  “We also couldn’t have done it without Kia or Marcus,” I said. “We needed them too.”

  “There are other fallen angels and other pixies,” said Lough. “Stop being stubborn. You know this.”

  I growled deep in my throat, but a part of me did know that he was right. Still, I was stubborn about this obsession my friends had with protecting me. I hated that they were in more danger because of me. “I can take care of myself,” I said.

  Lough grinned. “It’s not you I’m worried about, dear girl. It’s whoever tries to attack you.”

  I grinned in response. “Thanks, Lough,” I said. “I can tell you’re lying, but I appreciate it.”

  He grinned. “I was never a very good liar.”

  “That’s not a bad thing,” I said. “Anyway, when we get there, we can figure out how best to escape if it turns out to be necessary. Do you have any idea what the roommate situation will be?”

  Lough grimaced, glancing again at Faci. “No,” he said. “I can’t begin to imagine.”

  “At least you’ll probably be with Sip and Lisabelle. The dream giver’s eyes, as they so often did, flicked to the darkness mage.

  I smiled. “We’ll be together and at Golden Falls. Maybe the semester won’t be so bad.”

  “We must be close,” said Sip, but we didn’t need Sectar’s disappearance to tell us that. Below us the earth had become green and fertile. There was still snow on the ground, but the world no longer looked dead. It looked bright and alive, filled with vibrant colors, from the deep brown of the tree trunks to the intense green of the leaves.

  “Wow,” said Lough, who was the first one flying in our formation.

  I looked ahead, and there it was, Golden Falls University. I had never seen anything so stunningly beautiful.

  It rose in front of a rock face, nestled between massive trees. It was like a castle built of gold. All along the walls and parapets were jeweled stones, winking at us in the bright winter sun. Even from this distance I could hear the rush of water, but the waterfall that had given Golden Falls its name must have been hidden behind the university, because I couldn’t see it.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” Sip asked, her eyes shining.

  “You’ve been inside?” I asked, shocked.

  Sip shook her head. “We’ve just run past. It’s famously hard to get into. It would ruin the rarefied air, wouldn’t it?” But she grinned as she said it. It was great to see her smile again, but I wasn’t sure how long the mood would last.

  All the other Public students looked excited. No matter how many times I told myself that this was where I’d be spending the semester, it was hard to believe. The day was looking up, and I was happier than ever that Keller was with me.

  We landed in front of the shining white gates that led into Golden Falls. Some of us were more graceful about it than others. I would never be good on a broom.

  Why hadn’t Dacer told me? Probably because Golden Falls wasn’t something a picture could do justice to. It was like a dream come to life as the pillars soared high overhead. I could see why demons never attacked here. How could they possibly get in?

  “This is going to be the most amazing semester of my life,” said Lough, his eyes bright with excitement.

  “Given how the others have gone, that isn’t hard to believe,” said Lisabelle dryly.

  “So, I have good news,” said Zervos, striding toward us as we clustered together.

  “I can’t wait to hear it,” said Lisabelle, folding her arms.

  “All the females from Public will stay together,” he said, “and the males will be together in a second suite of rooms.”

  I held up my hand and Zervos sighed. He ignored me for as long as possible, but when it was clear I wasn’t going to give up he spoke again.

  “Faci has his own quarters. The Validification children, likewise, will have their own housing, since as hybrids they claim to have special needs,” said Zervos, as if he tasted something rotten.

  “Excellent,” said Lough, rubbing his hands together. “That just leaves Camilla, and she’s a girl. Sorry, Kia. This day just keeps getting better and better. Now all we need is lunch.”

  “Where’d Sectar go?” I asked, looking around. Everywhere I looked, from the flagstones to the outlying buildings and ramparts, there was one material or another shining in gold and white. “Right here,” came a booming voice. We all jumped back. The pearl-colored gates were soundlessly opening.

  “I don’t like any of this,” said Lisabelle.

  “Of course you don’t,” Sip sighed. “You don’t like anything pretty.”

  “No, seriously,” said the darkness mage. “It’s not just because they don’t like darkness. I’m registering my complaints now so I can say I told you so later.”

  “Wonderful,” Sip muttered.

  The doors opened to reveal Sectar standing at the head of a uniform line of perfectly dressed students. They wore head to toe gold and stood with their hands clasped behind their backs. They also had caps on their heads, which must have been something they did for formal occasions, like welcoming visiting students.

  Some wore colored ribbons on their shoulders. I’d have to remember to find out later what those ribbons meant. I looked for Nolan in the sea of students, but I didn’t see him anywhere.

  They marched until they had filled the courtyard and we were entirely surrounded, and as I watched them I noticed something strange that they all shared. Their rings were not those of any paranormal type. Instead, each student wore a black jeweled ring, making it more difficult to know what type each paranormal was. A symbol of Golden Falls?

  “Stop,” Sectar called. Instantly all the students came to a halt.

  “We are here together, on the occasion of the start of classes, to greet our guests. This semester, as you all know, representatives from Paranormal Public are here to visit. We will treat them like family.” Sectar gave a welcoming smile as he spread his long arms wide.

  “We will be attentive to their needs. Should they have questions, or should they lose their way, we will give them guidance. We must act as their helping hands, assisting them with any desires they may have. They are here to learn, to broaden their horizons, and to experience another sort of college.”

  “I thought I was here to eat and not do homework,” Lough whispered to me. “And eat.”

  Standing in the glorious sunshine, Lisabelle was the only one who didn’t look thrilled.

  “Are you okay?” I whispered to her.

  She shrugged. “They’re letting me in, but somehow I don’t feel welcome.”

  “It’s just your worrying,” said Sip. “Oliva wouldn’t have sent us here if it wasn’t safe. Don’t worry so much.” She sounded a little like she was trying to convince
herself along with Lisabelle.

  I saw Lisabelle’s shoulders drop a hair as she tried to force herself to calm down.

  Keller moved through the crowd to stand next to me. He held my hand in his as I smiled at him, my heart warming.

  “Welcoming committee,” Sectar bellowed, “go.”

  For a second nothing happened, then a massive beautiful noise broke out all around us.

  “This is to remind us of the real cost of war,” Sectar explained. “It is not pretty, but guests find it . . . helpful.”

  It sounded like trumpets, but there was something not quite right about it. A band of what looked like more students started to march out of the front doors. They too were dressed in gold, and they wore hoods, so that their faces were invisible. Something churned in my stomach as the wind started to whip around us.

  All of a sudden the gold felt less shiny.

  The band came to a stop directly in front of us, but they continued to play. The song went on and on. After a while I forgot how bad it sounded and just wished for it to be over. On the very last note they raised their trumpets high in the air and bubbles started to come out of them.

  Standing nearby, Vanni giggled. At first. Then she realized that each of the bubbles held a face, and each face had an eerie black tint to it.

  Floating right in front of me was the face of Dove. Many other faces floated past me until I saw one that looked familiar. I frowned and realized that it was Tale, the blond vampire from my Starter semester at Public, who had died protecting Queen Lanca. Speaking of Lanca, I felt sick, because just then I saw the bubble for Princess Dirr, who had mistakenly been killed when Faci had tried to kill Lanca. There was another bubble for Professor Lambros. I felt sick, and there was a very real possibility that I would throw up. Next to me Keller stood stony-faced.

  “What is this?” Vanni asked in bewilderment. No one answered her.

  “This is disgusting,” said Kia. “How awful.”