Braving the Elements (Darkness #2)(22)

“No. They seemed disgruntled from their last class.”

The silence hung on the line for a moment. “Fine. Keep tabs on her.

Figure out where she goes when she isn’t in class. Figure out where she’s sleeping. Most importantly, get close to her. Get her to trust you.”

“She’s the Boss’ pet. He’s not going to let any harm come to her; and if it does, and he catches me, he’ll kill me. I need a guarantee I’ll be taken care of.”

“You received the packet?”

Jessiah squeezed the phone. A packet of money had awaited him in his room. Tucked into the bills was an organizational chart of the Eastern Territory’s guard. His name had appeared in the upper echelon. It was privileged information. Not even the boss had that layout, or the names attached. He was in. Thoroughly in. All he had to do was deliver the girl.

Easier said than done, especially with her high-powered friends guarding her.

“Yeah, I got it.” He scanned the trees, making sure he was alone.

“Good. Then you know what waits for you. Just deliver the goods, alive and in one piece, and we’ll bring you over.”

“How’m I supposed to get her out of here without her guards?” He cleared his throat, trying to erase the whine from his voice.

“You’re attractive and good with the ladies, I hear. Get creative.”

The line clicked off. Jessiah kicked a rock into orbit. How the hell was he going to get her off the grounds?



*****

Iwalked into the secret room in the middle of the mansion via a door that looked like just another part of the wall. I’d had to use my inner guide to find the secret entrance and open it. As soon as the door clicked shut, pitch black dousing me, I heaved a relieved sigh and let magic fill me. The colors in the wall swirled to life, the gamut of power forming a complex protective ward embedded into the fiber of the mansion.

Alone time. I sighed again, just for good measure.

I’d ditched Charles after dinner—eating “dinner” at five o’clock in the morning still felt wrong—ducked away from the chatty, handsome Jessiah, and bowed my head through the halls of staring eyes. I needed to disappear.

To have time to reflect without Charles yapping in my ear. I loved the guy, but after a while, he could be a little much.

I’d been at this magic gig for over two weeks so far. Each class had people who snubbed, sneered at, or ignored me, and each night ended with another torture session from Darla, who hated me more than most people hate the dentist. I was struggling, and that was putting it mildly. Depression from my inability to learn and fit in dragged at me. The only highs I got seemed to be driving fast, but lately that just bordered on recklessness—the forced joy receding shortly after reality seeped back in. I just couldn’t get it. I couldn’t find my groove.

The desperate thought constantly squeezed me: what if I didn’t have a groove? What if I could never fit in? If this had all been a mistake, and I didn’t have any way to bounce back, what then?

Forlorn, I walked through the small corridor until it emptied into a medium sized room, the furniture standing out as black spots among the swirls of the rainbow. There wasn’t much. A couple couches in the middle of the room, facing each other, a desk in the corner, books, and a rug. I couldn’t remember if knickknacks lined the available surfaces, but I suspected not. I wasn’t even sure what the room was used for. Nor did I care. It was secret, safe, and empty. Hooray.

The couch welcomed my butt into its embrace, the kush loud in the silent room. And there I sat. Staring. Mind empty. Body filled with magic.

I could hold more magic for longer, now. I pushed down the euphoric feeling, took comfort in the vibrant pinging within my skin, and relaxed with it. Jessiah said I shouldn’t have magic always at my disposal, that it could burn me out, so I tried to force it away as often as I remembered. The thing was, though, it seeped in naturally. It lingered happily. I just kept forgetting to push it away again.

Today, though, I didn’t feel like stressing about it. I wanted to relax. I wanted to forget about school. I actually wanted to hang out with Jared. I no longer had the same feelings for him, but he’d been a friend. He’d been someone to laugh with and hang out with. He’d been a big part of my life, and I still missed his presence.

I hoped he was happy. I hoped he found a good gal to go with his awesome job. He was smart, he would land on his feet if given half a chance.

And Stefan had given him just such a chance. I owed Stefan a thanks for that.

Trying to find peace, I blanked my mind and just felt. Just let my magic run through me, gushing within me like blood.

A half-hour into my induced state of paralysis, I heard a distant door click, the magic in the walls swirling like ants confronted with a boot. The closing click sounded a minute later, leaving silence in its wake. Another thirty seconds and light bathed my solitude in a soft glow.

Stefan appeared from a corridor on the right, a faded black T-shirt hugging his deliciously defined body. His hair had grown, the tamed messy giving his chiseled face a rogue look—bad boy meets professional model with a trip through the computer for some airbrush. His expressive dark eyes studied my pose as he walked near, noting my slouch and lack of interest in how my limbs spilled over the leather cushions.

He settled on the couch opposite me, eyes still studying.

“Lights.” I nodded, not bothering to look around since my head weighed too much. “That makes seeing the details easier.”