“It doesn't look like we’re going to be able to sneak out of here on our own. I’m going to call for help, alright.”
“Why don’t we call the guys to come help?”
“And risk more injuries and/or more of the ceiling collapsing? Or worse, all of us getting caught and charged with trespassing. No, I think we’re better off calling the authorities now and talking our way out of it. It will be easier if it’s just the two of us. You get some rest while we wait. I’ll wake you when it’s time.”
“KK,” I mumble, closing my eyes. I can hear E pacing as I slip into that space between waking and sleep.
“Hello… We need help. My friend and I are trapped… Yes… No… Elijah Harris and Emilienne Langmore… We’re out by Dorchester house, in the back by the old brick building... Yes… the ground gave way and we fell through… No… Uh huh… I think we’re in an old cellar… There are storm doors, but they won’t open… No we’re not hurt, just a few bruises… Great… Sorry the reception here is bad… What was that? No we don’t need an ambulance… Fine… Sorry what?... My battery is dying… Alright...”
Sirens approach, grow louder and louder before suddenly stopping. Voices yell in the distance.
“Hey, Princess, you need to wake up now,” E murmurs softly.
“But I’m sleepies.”
“Yes I know. That’s perfectly normal. It takes a lot of energy to do that big of a healing. But the cavalry is almost here, and you need to be awake when they arrive.’
I nod, keeping my eyes firmly shut. I feel around till I find his hand and clutch it like an anchor.
“Hey, you kids ok down there?” An unfamiliar voice calls.
“We’re fine, just a little dirty and bruised from the fall. The storm doors won’t open. Can you get us out?”
“The fire department is on the way, they’ll get you out. Just hang tight for me.” The voice explains. “We’ve got the paramedics standing by once the doors are open.”
“No hospitals,” I remind him, my eyes fluttering open. I squeeze E’s hand, and he wraps his free arm behind my back and helps me sit up. Resting my head on his shoulder, I fight to keep my eyes from drifting closed.
“We’re not hurt,” he yells back. “Just stuck. We don’t mind the paramedics checking us out, but we’ll pass on that hospital ride.”
More sirens draw closer. So close it’s like they're right outside.
“We’ll see,” the voice responds skeptically. “I’m going to get out of the way now. They’re ready to get you out of there.”
“Just stay awake, Princess,” E breaths in my ear. “We’re almost out.
“Mmmmk,” I mumble. “Not sleeps.”
“If you can manage that, we might just escape that visit to the hospital. But that fellow seems determined to send us there.”
The idea that the voice might force us to go to hospital has me wide awake, and I blow out a breath.
“Right,” I nod. “I’m good. I’ve got my game face on now.” I flash him a smile and E sighs in relief.
The storm doors burst open, and suddenly the room is swarming with activity. Strange hands pull me from E’s arms and onto a stretcher. I try to sit up but hands on my shoulders hold me down.
“Hey, what are you doing?” I demand as another paramedics enter my line of sight. He straps me down so I can’t move, and then two of them lift me up and carry me out storm doors. Outside, the spotlights and flashers are blinding after the dim light in the cellar.
“Just stay still,” a voice says from behind my head. “We’ll get you to the hospital right away.”
“No!” I gasp, struggling against the straps. “Where is Elijah? Stop, I’m fine, I’m not hurt. Stop!” They keep moving me closer to the ambulance.
“Elijah! Elijah!” I yell, fighting harder. We finally stop moving as a police officer approaches, he exchanges some words with one of the paramedics and I recognize his voice as the man that was yelling to us earlier. With a nod to the paramedic, he closes the gap and stands next to me.
“It’s ok, Miss, they’re getting your friend out now. You’ll see him at the hospital.” I reach out and clutch his hand tightly, pulling him along with us as the stretcher starts rolling again.
“I want to give you my statement,” I tell him, desperately stalling for time. “I’m not hurt. I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
“You don’t know that Miss…” I cut him off, violently shaking my head.
“I do know. I feel fine. Look at me, no cuts, no blood. The ground just gave way and we fell, but we weren't hurt. I need to give you my statement now, please. I know we weren’t supposed to be back there”
The officer looks up at the paramedic and nods. The stretcher stops again and I barely manage to suppress my sigh of relief.
“Now Miss, you’re friend Mr. Harris, already told me all about it,” he says, patting his breast pocket and the top of a notebook. “And while I understand the two of you had the best intentions, what with trying to rescue that kitten and all, you still trespassed on private property. Lucky for you, your friend apparently is a contributor to the Historical Society, and they aren’t interested in pressing charges.” Hiding my shock at the officer's words, I crane my neck, trying to spot E. I can’t believe he was able to get everything smoothed over so quickly.
“Now that we’ve got that cleared up,” the officer continues. “Why don’t you lay back and let the paramedics get you on to the hospital to be checked out. They tell me you could have internal injuries, and it’s best to have a doctor look you over.” He says kindly, patting my hand.
“The paramedics can check me out here,” I reply firmly, switching tactics. “But I’m not hurt. I don’t want to waste anyone's time with an unnecessary trip to the hospital.”
“She’s over eighteen, John.” An unfamiliar woman’s voice joins in the conversation. “If she doesn’t want to go to the hospital, you can’t force her.”
I turn my head to see the twins approaching with a beautiful older woman with dark hair and a determined expression. This has to be their mom. I feel my worry fade a little at her words on my behalf.
“Mrs. Stewart, we’re just doing our jobs here,” Officer John replies, looking at the ground in embarrassment.
“Really, John? Violating this young lady’s right to refuse medical treatment shouldn’t be part of anyone’s job. Don’t you agree?” I can hear the paramedics shifting restlessly and I’m suddenly afraid they’re going to grab me and make a run for it.
“Well, no, I mean, yes, Ma’am. I suppose you’re right,” Officer John finally sighs. “She does have the right to refuse medical treatment.” The twin’s mom flashes him a brilliant smile and claps her hands together.
“Perfect. Now that that’s settled, I’ll just walk with her to the ambulance. They can look Emily over, she can sign the release, and we’ll be out of your hair.” She tells him firmly. “Could you be a dear and find her bag for us, John? I’m sure she must have one here somewhere.”
Officer John nods, suddenly looking very tired. I bite my lip to keep from giggling.
“Of course, Ma’am. I’m sure it’s just been misplaced in all the commotion. I’ll go find it.” With a final shake of his head, he walks away muttering to himself.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Dear. I’m Colleen Stewart, although I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now.” A soft hand lands on mine, and I shift my gaze to Mrs. Stewart. Her eyes are the same ocean blue as the twins and I can’t help but smile. “You know, I’ve heard so much about you over the years. I have to admit, for the longest time I thought you were the boys’ imaginary friend.”
Despite the circumstances, I burst out laughing and glance over at the twins. Ian stares at the ground, clearly uncomfortable, and Jared rubs at the back of his neck.
“It’s great to meet you as well,” I reply once I get my laughter under control.
The stretcher starts moving again, but the twin’s mom keeps pace, not rel
easing my hand. When we reach the ambulance, the paramedics release me from the stretcher and make me perform a series of tests to prove that I really am okay.
Eventually, and with obvious reluctance, they hand me a clipboard with release papers on it and have me sign all the copies. I don’t know if they’re just dedicated or if they’ve been paid off by Ms. Blackmore or some other Magi representative, but they are clearly upset that I am refusing to allow them to take me with them. That, added to their earlier eagerness to spirit me away as quickly as possible, has my internal alarms screaming. Perhaps sensing this, it seems they cannot wait to leave, and as soon as I hand them the signed forms, they slam closed the back of the ambulance and jump in the front. The engine roars to life, and they pull away with a squeal of protesting tires.
Blinking in shock at their hasty departure, I notice there's a second ambulance parked nearby, so maybe they got another call. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that something was off about them.
It takes a real effort to shift my focus to the twins and their mom.
“Thank you so much for coming to help me,” I tell her. Then I smile at the twins, so they’ll know they’re included in my thanks as well.
“Of course, Dear. We’re all family here. Now that we’ve finally met, I hope Nigel and I will be seeing more of you. Under better circumstances, of course. Now come along, it’s time to rescue your friend from the rest of these over eager paramedics.” She turns and walks briskly towards the other ambulance.
Before I can blink, the twins have me sandwich me between them in a hug and I’m crushed against Ian’s chest, while Jared holds me from behind.
“Thank the gods you’re alright, Pixie,” Jared sighs in my ear, his head on my shoulder.
“We were so scared when we got back and you were gone. And when you didn’t answer or calls or texts… Well we feared the worst,” Ian’s voice shakes as he rests his forehead against mine.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. There must be something wrong with my phone. I used it as a flash light a bit ago, and I didn’t have a single notification for missed calls or text.”
“It’s ok, I’ll look at your phone later and see if I can figure out what happened,” Ian volunteers. After a long moment, he draws back and our eyes meet, worry clearly visible in his ocean eyes. Ian leans in and brushes his lips against my forehead.
“We should get moving before Mom decides we’ve had a long enough moment,” Ian sighs, stepping back. Jared slid sideways, one arm still looped around my waist as we walk over to join Mrs. Stewart at the other ambulance. E is sitting on the bumper speaking with Officer John and the tour guide.
“I’m so sorry we caused all this trouble for everyone,” E is saying, looking very elegant and in control, even covered in a layer of dirt and grime. The change is so drastic; it’s hard to believe he’s the same person that I’d spent the last couple hours with. “We’d be happy to come by the station on Monday after school, and of course you have my contact information if there’s anything that comes up between now and then.”
Officer John nods, putting away his notebook. Noticing us, he smiles. “Ah perfect. I have Miss Langmore’s bag right here. If I could just get you to sign.” He takes the clipboard from under his arm and offers it to me.
More paperwork? I glance at it as Mrs. Steward steps closer to read over my shoulder. She gives me a nod and a wink, which I take as the all clear. Accepting the offered pen, I quickly sign and hand it back. In exchange, Officer John passes me my backpack. I unzip it and a quick glance has me relieved to see my wallet and cell phone inside.
“By the way, Miss…,” Officer John says, giving me a strange look. “I don’t know what you’ve got in that bag, but something was going crazy in there when I found it. You might want to look into it.”
“Oh, thanks. I’ll make sure to check it out.” I tell him, exchanging a look with Ian.
“Good evening, Ms. Dorchester,” Mrs. Steward says, inclining her head to the tour guide.
Holy Shit! The tour guide was an actual member of the Dorchester family? I guess that explains why no one is pressing charges; E must have offered to make a generous donation to the restoration fund. I’m so lost in thought; I miss the tour guide’s response.
“Again, thank you for your help, John,” Mrs. Stewart smiles. “Now if you don’t mind I’m going to get these two home now.”
“Of course, Mrs. Stewart. Always a pleasure,” Officer John stammers at the clear dismissal.
She turns on her heel and starts down the sidewalk to where they must have parked. The four of us start to follow, but E stops walking when we reach the front of the house.
“Please thank your mother for her generous offer, but I have a few things to take care of with Ms. Dorchester before I go,” he tells the twins, before turning to me.
“I'm sorry we have to say goodbye so soon, Emily,” E smiles warmly, capturing my hand. “This afternoon has been quite the adventure. Although I do regret that we’ll have to reschedule our dinner another time. Until then.” He proceeds to shock me by bowing and pressing a kiss to the back of my hand before releasing it. He turns and climbs the stairs to the mansion where Ms. Dorchester waits by the door. Blinking in surprise, I glance at the twins and find them staring daggers at E’s retreating back.
“You’re staying with us tonight,” Jared growls, taking my arm and tugging me in the direction his mom went.
“But Samil…:
“Is already waiting for us at the cottage. Clay and Bast are there too. We’ll stay in and watch movies.” Ian’s approach is gentler but no less firm. And if I’m truthful, I’d feel safer with all of us together tonight after Ms. Blackmore’s little stunt.
“But I thought you guys wanted to stay for the rest of the festival, the concert and what not. I don’t want to ruin your whole night.”
They turn in unison and fix me with matching glares.
“Ok ok, I’m not arguing!” I throw my hands up in surrender.
“Good, cause we’d have just taken you there anyways,” Jared smirks. I stop when I realize the only personal vehicle parked on the street is a gigantic green hummer.
“Wait, that’s your Mom’s car?” I ask in awe. I hadn’t seen that coming. The engine revs and Ian tugs on my arm.
“Yup, Come on, she only does that when she’s getting impatient.”
I shake my head, moving around to the passenger side. Jared grabs the door and opens it with a half bow.
“Ladies in the front,” he winks. I look at the distance from the ground to the passenger seat. Grabbing the handle, I tentatively step on the running board.
“Up you go,” Jared says, his hands suddenly on my ass, giving me a boost up into the cab. I whip my head around just in time to catch his smirk as he closes the door. I can feel the heat in my cheeks as I put on my seat belt, then stare determinedly out the windshield. I can’t bring myself to look as the guys clamber noisily into the back seat.
Less than 10 minutes later, Mrs. Stewart pulls up right to the cottage and my door flies open before the Hummer has stopped rolling. Clayton reaches across me to unbuckle my seatbelt, and then lifts me out of the car.
“Thanks again, Mrs. Stewart.” I call, wondering what she’s thinking.
“Any time, Dear. Now you kids get inside and lock up. Your father and I will take care of the rest. Emily, you just relax tonight.” Clayton carries me inside, the twins trailing behind us. Samil and Sebastian are waiting in the main room, and they both jump to their feet as we enter. Someone’s already moved around the furniture and set up a nest of pillows and blankets in front of the TV.
“God you scared me, Trouble,” Clayton murmurs, holding me close before passing me to Samil. The way they pass me around, makes me feel both fragile and protected at the same time.
Samil intently examines my face and body, like he’s looking for hidden injuries.
“I’m so sorry, Em,” he says softly, his hazel eyes locked with mine. “I should have been th
ere.”
“What? No!” I protest, reaching out to stroke his cheek. “You had no way of knowing that was going to happen. None of us did. Ms. Blackmore is crazier than we realized. But everything turned out ok. I’m fine. We’re all fine.” I comfort him. “Well, my phone might not be fine, but Ian’s going to check it out for me.”
“Let’s settle in, and you can tell us exactly what happened,” Ian says reasonably.
Sebastian steps forward for a hug, but Samil keeps a tight grip on me. When it becomes clear that Samil isn’t going to pass me over, Sebastian laughs and shakes his head, then moves in to hug us both. I can’t help but giggle at the ridiculousness of it.
“Glad to have you back, Sprite.” Sebastian whispers, dropping a kiss on my cheek.
He finally lets go and grabs a seat on the floor near Clayton. Jared and Ian are already settled, a mirror image of each other as they lean back against the couch.
Samil keeps a tight grip on me as he sits down in his favorite chair, with me on his lap.
We stay up late into the night, as I go through everything that happened. Once they’re finally satisfied that they’ve heard every possible detail, I change the subject by requesting we make some popcorn and watch a mystery movie.
I’m sure there are things we should be talking about, plans to be made. Clearly Ms. Blackmore is more formidable than we ever imagined. And at this point, I don’t even know what to think of E. Is he really a friend? I want to believe that, but now that I know he’s also a Magi… Well I’m just not sure.
But at the moment, I’m exhausted. I just want to zone out with my guys and a movie. Tomorrow we can figure out our next move, whatever that might be.
Because no matter what it takes, we must find a way to make this stop, permanently.
Sebastian
∞
As soon as Sprite falls asleep, Samil signals for us to meet in the kitchen. Damn it, I’d rather stay where I am, with her curled up against me.
Wave of Truth (The Magic Catalyst Chronicles Book 4) Page 11