Part 11 (1/2)

She took an oath to darkness? I asked, shocked. Somehow I still felt like this was all a bad dream, like Id been hit in the head at Golden Falls, and any minute now wed all wake up safe and back at Public. But I was slowly facing the fact that going back for the semester and regular cla.s.ses without Lisabelle there would be a big wakeup call.

Ive found out a couple of things, said Sip, but before I tell you about them, you need to read this.

She handed me a Tabble and my relief was palpable. Until I saw the news wire, I hadnt fully realized how lost Id felt all summer without any links to the paranormal world.

Its an article by Mound, I groaned. This is bad.

Sip nodded. You have no idea. Hes advocating arresting Lisabelles parents.

I stared at Sip wide-eyed. No wonder theyve gone to ground.

It has come to my attention, in my esteemed position as a pixie, that Lisabelle Verlans is in contact with her mother and father. Do we not find it suspicious that they blithely continued to live their lives until suddenly disappearing? What could this mean other than their direct involvement in their daughters illegal activities? I advocate doing the only thing we paranormals can to protect ourselves. I advocate arresting the Verlans traitors.

I have two more orders of business. The first concerns Charlotte Rollins, the elemental who, in all honesty, started this whole mess in the first place. I advocate laying the blame at her feet, where it should have been from the beginning. All of this madness and carnage can be stopped, and it can be stopped simply. Just turn the elemental over to darkness. If we are on good terms with the demons, as we should be, we do not need the Power of Five, because we do not need protection. I would also like to point out, in the same vein, that if we truly had the Power of Five, if Charlotte Rollins was truly a good paranormal, so many of us would not already have died for nothing.

Lastly, I would like to commend Cynthia Malle on her continued talks with the paranormals. She is truly doing everything that she can to stop this madness. I also commend her on Keller Erikson, who is truly a talented fallen angel. He will fly far.

I made a face at Sip. Hes talking about Keller as if he knows him, I said bitterly. He doesnt.

Sip nodded. I know. Im sorry. Have you talked to him at all?

I sighed and told her I hadnt. We talked about Keller for a bit and wondered just how he was doing and where he was. I had a feeling he was at Vampire Locke, surrounded by demons, but the thought made me sick.

I cant believe his parents just gave him over to her, I said, shaking my head.

I know, Sip whispered. Im sorry.

Were at war and they gave him over to the enemy, I said, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes, as they tended to do now when I thought of Keller. I missed him. I missed him with a deep ache I was sure would never go away, and there didnt seem to be a thing I could do about it.

Sip reached out and patted my hand. Well get them back, she a.s.sured me. We will.

I hear a car, I said, watching Sips long driveway.

Probably Lough, said Sip with amus.e.m.e.nt. He and Bartholem were having trouble figuring out how to travel.

I looked at Sips gleeful face.

So, they arent getting along any better? I asked.

I dont know, she said. Bartholem loves Loughs family.

And Lough wanted to take care of him because he loves Lisabelle, of course, I said thoughtfully.

Sip nodded. We all do.

The taxi pulled up and Lough nearly tumbled out.

He walked briskly toward us, ignoring the driver in his haste to get away from the vehicle. The driver quietly moved to get Loughs luggage out of the trunk.

Hes in the back seat, he said to me. Can you get him?

I got up to do as he asked.

Oh, cheese! Lough could always be diverted by food, no matter what was going wrong.

I laughed and grabbed one more cracker before I went to get the cat.

Bartholem was in a carrier in the back seat. He started to purr happily once his purple eyes landed on me.

I grabbed the carrier, thanked the driver as Lough came back to take his suitcase, then returned to Sip, who had sprawled on the blanket and was reading the Tabble.

Hi Bartholem, she said, when I let him out of the carrier. He ignored her and darted off into the woods, prompting Sip to glare at Lough.

What if hes running away? she demanded. You scared him off!

Good riddance, said Lough, sitting down heavily and piling three pieces of cheese on one cracker. Hes just doing his business. Im sure h.e.l.l be back. Lucky us.

Sip sniffed disdainfully. Hed better be, or Lisabelle will be mad when she comes back.

Lough didnt answer her, he just sank into a dark silence.

We talked for most of the evening. Loughs parents, who ran a farm, were almost as out of the loop as I was, so he was eager to hear the latest news from Sip, and Sip was only too happy to rant about Mound and Caid. In the midst of all the bad news, though, she was at least happy with the progress of the Sign of Six.

They havent shut me down, she said with pride. And they have definitely tried.

Her members.h.i.+p has doubled over the summer, said Lough proudly.

Just then I saw something white out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to see what it was, there was Bartholem, making his leisurely way out of the woods and looking quite pleased with himself. He came to the edge of the blanket, plunked himself down, and proceeded to wash himself. Sip quirked an eyebrow at the cat, but she didnt say anything out loud.

Told you hed come back, Lough grumbled.

The light was fading and the breeze was starting to pick up. Clearly wanting to veer away from the subject of the cat, Sip peered into the teapot and observed, All the teas gone.

No sense in being outside anymore without tea, I said dryly.

Sip grinned at me, and we gathered our snack and rolled it up in the blanket, which Sip started to carry toward the house. I picked up Bartholem, who was one big ball of fluff, and carried him inside, since Lough didnt seem inclined to acknowledge his existence.

We made our way into the kitchen, and Sip set about brewing more tea.

So, tell us about your research this summer, said Lough, settling in at the big kitchen table.

Sip waited until she had set three piping hot cups of tea in front of us, then sat down and explained what she had found.

The demons want all the objects on the Wheel. They think that once they have them, theyll be able to bring all the paranormals under their control, Sip explained.

How can objects that were made by the founders of Public and filled with their purest and most powerful magic help demons? Lough asked. How do you know all of this?