by D. R. Perry
“Yeah. Blaine was spectacularly jealous. I watched him fuming outside the dining hall for almost twenty minutes straight, the night they met.” Maddie’s laugh rang out in the blandly decorated dorm foyer.
“Same night she met Bobby?” I wondered how she’d sound in the superior acoustic environment of the Nocturnal Lounge. Then I remembered that place was a total mess now and frowned. We pushed through the door to head for the library.
“Yup. And we know how that went.” She sighed. “Cornily romantic, but it’s nice to see people happy. Way too much of the opposite lately, you know?”
“Sometimes I think it’s all I see. The downside. The clouds.” I didn’t dare tell her how much just being in her presence turned all that around for me. I’d sound like a psycho vampire instead of a psychic one. Bad news in the romance department.
“Means you’ll be the first to recognize the silver lining when it shows up.” She turned at the top of the library steps, standing at exactly my height. If the steps hadn’t been so wide, I might have run right into her.
“Yeah. I think I will.” I stepped around Maddie and opened the door to let her into the library.
Maddie gasped, then smiled as I held the door like she was savoring a piece of gourmet chocolate. Any chivalric gestures must be just as novel for her to receive as they were for me to give. Had I compared her smile to the moon before? Something other girls might roll their eyes at made her face glow like the last sunrise I’d seen. I didn’t need to make another impression of Maddie May, but I did it anyway. Vampires like me had to take light where we could find it because we never knew when we’d see any again. At least my ability meant I’d never forget the singular beauty of that moment for the rest of my existence. The fact that a Summoner wanted me dead made any connection I could get that much more precious.
Chapter Four
Maddie
I’d had no one besides my mom and dad deliberately hold a door open for me. No one remembered to. As soon as their backs turned, people forgot. Blaming them would’ve been like holding a grudge against fish for swimming. In one of my many recaps with Lynn on this subject, she said I was too easygoing, and that I deserved better and should stand up for myself. I’d nodded and smiled, understanding that that was what worked for Lynn. It wouldn’t for me. But that’d be different with everyone for the next few weeks, at least. And Henry would remember me forever.
I glanced back, a hot flush taking over my face. It was like having the flu last year, except my stomach felt fluttery instead of queasy. I’d read enough of Mom’s corny romance novels to know what that was. I finally had my first crush. On a Psychic vampire who couldn’t forget me. I’d talk to Lynn later about it, maybe more than once. For now, I headed toward the back of the library’s ground floor, where my roommate usually studied.
A cloud of whitish smoke hung over the large table where they sat, a sign that we had a dragon. Lynn leaned against a sleepy-looking Bobby on a bench with a book in front of her. Tony sat on a backward chair with his arms crossed on top of the backrest. Smoke-rings wafted over Blaine’s head as his fingers tapped out staccato beats on his laptop’s keyboard. None of them looked up until Henry cleared his throat behind me.
“Henry?” Tony looked narrowed his eyes. “Why did you bring a random chick?”
I explained, resigned to an evening of recaps. But then I pressed pause and smiled so hard my face hurt. There’s an amulet for that. It’d be worth using to stop a Grim from wreaking shadowy havoc on campus. I put my hand in my shirt, without a second thought for the raised eyebrows around the table.
“Ex umbra in solem,” I said. Then I sat down in a seat and pulled out a notebook.
“Excuse me?” Blaine peered over his screen, raising an eyebrow. Then he blinked and shook his head as though trying to clear it. “Woah. Trippy. Psychomagic.”
“Huh.” Henry peered at me too. “Yeah, the effect is a little odd, and I only see the psychic stuff.”
“Lynn, why didn’t you tell us your roommate could be a movie star?” Blaine might have had a sense of déjà vu, but likely no other indication he was repeating himself.
“I dunno. Maybe because she’s fun and a more decent person than scaly playboys.” Lynn rolled her eyes at Blaine, then stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry in his general direction. Bobby laughed so hard he almost choked.
I laughed, too. That was my reaction whenever Blaine met me for the first time, so it did just fine this time. He shocked me by winking at Henry. The last time, he’d asked me on a date, then promptly forgot doing any such thing, which was fine by me. Blaine might be a dragon shifter, but he was more interested in the Extrahuman equivalent of Antiques Roadshow than breathing fire.
“So, Maddie here saw the Grim’s energy.” Henry’s tone was all business. He’d leaned against one of the Reference shelves, hanging back from the others at the table.
“Makes sense.” Lynn stuck a neon green flag to the page she’d been speed-reading. “I’ve got a book here that says they’re Umbral creatures.”
“If only we had a book on Umbral Affinity.” Tony lifted the top book off the pile in front of him. “I thought I saw one around before, but can’t remember where. Definitely not listed in the library.”
“Nocturnal Lounge.” Bobby stretched. “It hit Henry in the head the night I got my amulet last semester.”
“Sounds right.” Henry nodded. “Nice memory. Are you sure you’re not a bit Psychic, Bobby? Most people just rationalize away the ghostly phenomena.”
“I think some on my mom’s side of the family. We get dreams about our…um, life changes.” Bobby tucked a stray strand of hair behind Lynn’s ear. She leaned her head on his shoulder and kept right on reading.
“Go look for it then, Cat Man.” Blaine made a shooing gesture with one hand at Tony. “It’s not like you’re actually doing any reading.”
“Nothing doing. I ain’t going back there alone.” Tony’s voice lapsed back toward his classically nasal Rhode Island accent. He’d never remember telling me how he only did that when he was spooked. “What if it comes back?”
“It can’t.” I, at least, knew a thing or two about Grims. “They get summoned, kill, then vanish. They can’t come back until the summoning magus calls them up again.”
“Yeah and said Magus only gets to summon a Grim three times.” Lynn probably knew a thing or three about Grims by now herself. “I’m still shaky on exactly how or with what. Everything I’m reading says ‘unspecified anchor material’ and a bunch of jargon about Summoners. Summoning’s Ph.D. material, you know.”
“Well, if you’re safe for the rest of the night, why not head on back to the Lounge and find that Umbral Affinity book?” Blaine waved his hand in Tony’s general direction again. Tony homed in on it like a house-cat on a laser pointer.
“You don’t have to be so bourgeoisie about it, Trogdor.” Lynn rolled her eyes. “Jeez, I’ll go.”
“Nope. We need you here speed-reading.” Henry turned, and I finally got a good look at the minimalist image in white paint on the back of his black leather jacket. I’d know that logo anywhere. “I’ll go.”
“Me too.” I stood up. “If there’s anything magic going on there, I’ll sense it.”
“It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this.” Lynn glanced up at me over the top of her book. She tossed me a pocket-sized notebook with a pencil stuck through the spiral binding.
“I love danger.” I caught the dead tree parts and put them in my handbag. Even though she used computers like everyone else, Lynn believed in the power of tangible backup. I agreed. “I’ll be sure and take plenty of notes if I see anything.”
I trotted to catch up to Henry, who held the door again. That was so awesome! I slid down the rickety banister, almost twisting my ankle on a patch of black ice. I got a bit ahead of him, then turned around and started walking backward. I didn’t care about the ice. The risk just made things more interesting. And I was about to kick risky business up anoth
er notch and flirt with a vampire. What was a little ice compared to that?
“Bauhaus, huh?” I gave him my biggest smile. “You paint that jacket yourself?”
“Yup.” Henry covered his mouth with his hand, laughing behind it. “The foibles of youth. That’s a lie. I repaint it every year or two.”
“At least it’s not The Cure.” I stuck out my tongue, then winked. “I love them both.”
“Only reason it’s not is that I’m a lousy painter.” Henry rolled his eyes at his self-deprecation. “Thanks for coming with me. Tony’s.” He shrugged.
“He seems more like a chicken shifter than a cat shifter tonight.” I wondered whether cat shifters like Tony Gitano were the origin of the term “scaredy cat.”
“Maybe, maybe not. A Grim’s like a Great Dane on Umbral steroids. Can you blame him for being scared of one?”
“Not when you put it that way. Anyway, I didn’t mean to insult your friend like some kind of nearly invisible mean girl. Sorry.” I felt like a giant jerk, realizing I’d been running my mouth because I was nervous. Being alone with the only guy who’d actually be able to remember me was more than a little crazy-making.
“That’s okay. Thanks for coming with me. I’m not used to having help, but there’s a lot of that going around tonight for some reason.” Henry glanced at me, his eyes meeting mine. I tried not to blush. It was probably nothing personal, anyway.
“Want to know a secret?” I glanced to either side, breaking eye contact while pretending to make sure no one else was listening.
“Always.” Henry’s voice was low and soft, not at all what I’d expected.
“You should get used to it. Bobby and Lynn are both convinced your wakefulness amulet saved her life last semester.” I sighed. “If he hadn’t had it, she’d be dead, and he’d have flunked out.
“Wait, what?” Henry stopped walking.
“You didn’t know he used it when all that ice fell off the library and buried her?” I stepped in front of him, looking up at his face even though it was back-lit by the street light. “They’re mated now. That’s why he didn’t hibernate. I thought you knew.”
“No. I did not know that.” He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Did you hear about Blaine’s theory?”
“Which one? He’s got about seven at any given time.” I smirked. “Lynn loves discussing Blaine’s crazy theories. I’ve heard about them at least five times since I got here this afternoon.”
“I’m talking about the one where he thinks some Magus manipulated the weather to make Bobby flunk out.” Henry stepped to the side, then continued down Thayer Street.
“That’d be an Extramagus. Those are super-rare.” I turned and trotted along to catch up to him. “And Bobby stayed awake, anyway. He passed.”
“I know. But that’s only half of Blaine’s theory. He thinks the Magus wants to shut down PPC.” Henry put his hands in his pockets, shivering a little even though vampires don’t really feel the cold. “That’d be an insane Extramagus.”
“Uh-huh.” I shrugged. “More likely Blaine’s dragon is showing off a little paranoia. They’re known for that, after all.”
“Maybe. But there’ve been some powerfully insane and insanely powerful Extramagi in Providence before. Partly because of all the Faerie gates in proximity to each other. One Extramagus got taken down when I was your age before the Big Reveal.”
“Don’t they all have to register now?” Everyone knew what the new laws said, even though plenty of people bent and broke them.
“Not all. Some got turned, went into hiding, or left the country. A few others went missing, presumed dead. Anyway, we’re here.” Henry turned a corner off Thayer Street.
The rounded entrance to the Trolley Tunnel framed a dark passageway. I faced forward and walked on eagerly. I never met a shadow I didn’t like. My Umbral Affinity gave me a bit of night vision. Not as good as a nocturnal shifter’s or a vampire’s, but better than most people. The heels of Henry’s boots struck pavement behind me as he trotted to catch up this time.
“Wait up, you’ll go too far.” He tugged at the sleeve of my jacket, stopping my advance. “The door’s here.” Henry’s fist tapped hollowly against what looked like concrete but sounded like wood.
“Petrified?”
“Just so.” After Henry finished knocking, a portion of the wall swung away from us. I saw stairs leading up. “It will be a mess in there, especially where that book kept falling on my head. The Grim annihilated that corner. But still it’s worth a shot if it has information we need.”
“Okay.” I followed Henry up the stairs. The mezzanine was half full of splintered wood and torn up books. There were more stairs leading down to an area with old broken furniture. Broken was too kind a word for the state of those tables and chairs. Maybe they could be recycled into matches.
“Hi.” A female voice came up from down in the mess we surveyed. “The Lounge is closed, I’m afraid. I should have put up a sign, but the ghosts needed me.”
“That’s okay, Bianca.” Henry knew this lady. “Are they all right?”
“Mostly.” A frazzled looking blonde woman with pink streaks in her hair stepped out from under one of the overhangs. If she was checking on the ghosts, she had to be a Psychic Medium. “I’ve still got a lot to do here, but I’m exhausted.”
“Hey, I see an intact coffee pot down there.” I pointed at the far end of the counter behind Bianca. I patted Henry’s arm. “Go look for the book.” I headed downstairs. “I’ll get you a cup of Joe, Bianca.”
“Oh, thanks.” Bianca’s dazed and weary smile spoke volumes. She’d thought only of the ghosts since she’d gotten here, not herself. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“Nope, but I have some of those in my bag if you want one.” I grinned, rummaging in a low cabinet for a paper cup. No cream or sugar remained in the rubble, so I poured her coffee black. “Thanks, by the way.”
“Horace here says I should be the one thanking you.” Bianca gestured at what most people would think was an empty space to her left. “He says my aura looks like I need caffeine.”
“You’re definitely welcome. If it wasn’t for Mediums like you, the poor ghosts would have some serious problems, especially after something like this. Do any of them know what happened here?”
“Not really. The sun got in, and the Skeleton Crew ghosts don’t like that.” Bianca sipped her coffee, then made a little smile.
“I still only know the most basic stuff about Mediumship.” I glanced to her left where the ghost was supposed to be. “This must be awful, though.”
“You still know more than a lot of other students here at PPC.” Bianca squinted at me and blinked a few times. “What’s that, Horace? Ah. A Magus. Most of you guys and many of the shifters don't understand what goes on with the ghosts here.”
“Both my parents are Psychics, so I’m used to taking their word for things I can’t see. But believe it or not, my roommate told me about the ghosts on staff here. She’s human.”
“Wow, far out.” Bianca held up one finger, then glanced to her left again. “Hold on a minute. Horace says there’s a problem—” A loud crash came from up in Henry’s general direction. “Upstairs! Go!”
Bianca dropped her coffee and took off up the steps, her long tie-dye broomstick skirt flapping behind her. I’d gotten there before her, wondering what kind of trouble Henry might be in up there. Once I got a good look, I realized trouble had found him instead.
“Dahlia, stop!” Bianca stepped carefully past me and over chunks of plaster and wood splinters the length of her feet. One of those hovered in the air, Henry’s heart directly in the path of the business end.
“Dahlia? You’re the one who’s been dropping books on me all semester? Please put the stake down.” His hands were out in front of him, flat and outstretched with the palms up. “I only want to help catch whoever did this.”
“What’s going on?” I stepped between the makeshift stake and the only guy capabl
e of noticing me for more than a few seconds. “Leave Henry alone.”
The cool factor of my wannabe daring rescue attempt got completely ruined when I tripped over a thick, old book. I plucked the offending volume off the floor and sprang up, brandishing it against the makeshift levitating stake.
“Oh!” Bianca put both hands up to her face, covering her cheeks like that painting The Scream. The jagged wooden pointy thing clattered among the rest of the rubble on the floor. “Dahlia finished her unfinished business, just like that.” Bianca snapped her fingers. “Last thing she said was, her grandma’s book is in the right hands now.”
I hefted the old tome, its canvas cover pitted and scarred by use and time. It had probably lost its dust jacket decades ago. I couldn’t make out the worn words on the spine, so I flipped it open, turning past the flyleaf. The pleasantly dry and musky aroma combined with indented type and crisp, matte pages filled my senses.
“Well, we found it. Umbral Affinity and You.” I turned around and held the book out to Henry.
“No. You keep it.” He stuck his hands in his pockets. Henry strode over all the mess on the floor as though it couldn’t trip him. "That's what she wanted."
“Who was Dahlia?” I scrambled after him, trying to walk where he did. Since he was taller, it was a lost cause.
“Another Umbral magus I knew a long time ago. We teamed up with some other Extrahumans to stop one of those powerfully insane people I mentioned.”
Henry picked up the piece of wood the ghost had almost staked him with. He pricked his finger with the tip, blinking. He dropped the huge splinter and his face twisted with pent up emotion.
“We got him, but she died. Her fiancé got sick, and I ended up like this.” He grimaced, showing his fangs. “Coincidence sucks. Stay away, or it might happen to you.” He hurried from what was left of the Nocturnal Lounge. I hesitated, glancing back at Bianca.