The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2)(92)

"Vaguely, but yeah. It kind of all got brushed aside, and I never thought much about it." He frowned, troubled by the memory. "I was out of it from the bite."

"Well, it wasn't some freak accident. It was... magic." I gestured toward Ms. Terwilliger.

"And I made it happen."

His eyes widened. "Are you some kind of mutant human? Like a fire user? And I use mutant as a compliment, you know. I wouldn't think less of you."

"It's not like vampire magic," I said. Some part of me supposed I should be pleased that Adrian would still be friendly with a "mutant." "It's not some internal connection to the elements.

According to her, some humans can work magic by pulling it from the world. It sounds crazy, but... well. I did set a Strigoi on fire."

I could see Adrian taking all of this in as Ms. Terwilliger returned to us. She set down a book with a red leather cover and flipped through the pages before finding what she wanted.

We all peered at it.

"That's not English," said Adrian helpfully.

"It's just Greek," I said, skimming the ingredient list. "It doesn't seem to require much."

"That's because a huge part of it is mental focus," explained Ms. Terwilliger. "It's more complicated than it looks. It'll take you a few hours at least." I took in the time on an ornate grandfather clock. "I don't have a few hours. Too close to curfew."

"Easily remedied," said Ms. Terwilliger. She picked up her cell phone from the table and dialed a number from memory. "Hello, Desiree? This is Jaclyn. Yes, fine. Thank you. I have Sydney Melrose out here right now, helping me on a very crucial project." I nearly rolled my eyes. She was perfectly aware of my last name when she needed to be, apparently. "I'm afraid she might be out past the dorm curfew, and I was wondering if you'd be kind enough to allow an extension. Yes... yes, I know. But it's very important for my work, and I think we can all agree that with her exemplary record, she's hardly the type we need to worry about abusing such privileges. She's certainly one of the most trustworthy students I know." That got a small smirk from Adrian.

Thirty more seconds, and I was free of curfew. "Who's Desiree?" I asked, once Ms. Terwilliger hung up.

"Your dorm matron. Weathers."

"Really?" I thought of stout, motherly Mrs. Weathers. I never would've guessed her first name was Desiree. It was the kind of name I would associate with someone sultry and seductive.

Maybe she had some scandalous life outside of school we didn't know about. "So, do I have an all-night pass?"

"Not sure I'd push it that far," said Ms. Terwilliger. "But we certainly have enough time for this spell. I can't make it for you, but I can help you with the ingredients and supplies." I tapped the book, forgetting about my fear as I scanned the lengthy list. Details like this put me back in my comfort zone. "You have all of these?"

"Of course."

Ms. Terwilliger led us down a hall that branched off from the kitchen, where I'd expect to find bedrooms. One room did indeed give us a glimpse of a bed as we walked by, but our eventual destination was something else altogether: a workshop. It was kind of what you'd get if you crossed a wizard's lair with a mad scientist's lab. Part of the room had very modern equipment: beakers, a sink, burners, etc. The rest was from a different era, vials of oils and dried herbs, along with scrolls and honest-to-goodness cauldrons. Plants and herbs lined the sill of a dark window. There were two more cats in here, and I was pretty sure they weren't the same ones I'd seen in the living room.

"It looks chaotic," said Ms. Terwilliger. "But I daresay it's organized enough, even for you." Upon closer inspection, I saw she was right. All of the plants and little vials were labeled and in alphabetical order. All of the various tools were equally identified, enumerated by size and material. The room's center was a large, smooth stone table, and I set the book down on it, careful to stay on the page I needed.

"What now?" I asked.

"Now, you construct it," she said. "The more of it you do on your own, the stronger your connection will be to the spell. Certainly come and get me if you have trouble with the ingredients or the directions. Otherwise, the more of your focus and concentration that goes into this, the better."

"Where are you going to be?" I asked, startled. As much as I disliked the thought of working with her in a creepy, arcane lab, I disliked the thought of being alone here even more.

She gestured toward where we'd come from. "Oh, just out there. I'll entertain your 'brother'

too since you really do need to do this alone."

My anxiety increased. I'd protested Adrian's original request to come here, but now I wanted him around. "Can I at least get some coffee?"

She chuckled. "Normally, I'd say yes - particularly if you were just doing grunt work to build an amulet or potion. Because you'll be using your mind, the magic will work much better if your thoughts are free and clear of any substances that affect your mental state."

"Boy, that sounds familiar," muttered Adrian.

"Okay, then," I said, resolving to be strong. "I need to get started. Sonya's waiting." Provided she was still alive to wait.