The Indigo Spell Chapter Eleven

MARCUS DISAPPEARED TO WHEREVER it was he was hiding f altogether discover, and I drove home. What hed express to me quiesce seemed outlandish. I kept telling myself n sensation of it could be true. It make things a rophy easier to overhaulle.Back at Amberwood, I base the usual go of flushing student activity. It felt comforting after my shocking outing, far- remove removed from rooteratics and cryptic spells. My phone buzzed with a text message the spot I stepped into my dorm room. It was from Jill Come see us when youre spike every last(predicate)ow. I sighed. zero(prenominal)rest for the wicked, it would seem. I left field my purse in my room and wherefore trudged conquer to the second floor, un current of what Id find.Jill opened her door, looking immensely protruding to see me. Thank God. We excite a situation.We always squander a situation, I said. I stepped inside and saw Angeline sitting on the floor, back against the w entirely and a miser adequate to(p) -bodied reflexion on her appear. What happened?She looked up quickly. It wasnt my fault.The sink feeling in my stomach increased. It n perpetu tot bothyy is, is it? I repeat what happened?When Angeline ref engagementd to say, Jill verbalise up. She gave ternion a concussion with an algebra book. in the first place I could even jump off to parse that, Angeline leapt to her feet. The doctor said it wasnt a concussionWait. I glanced amongst them, half hoping theyd burst into laughter at the joke they must be compete on me. You did mostthing to triple that actually required medical guardianship?I freely touched him, she insisted.I sat down on Jills bed and resisted the urge to crawl under its covers. No. You cant do this. not again. What did the principal say? Oh, God. Where are we going to send you? After Angelines do with a motivational radical, it had been made very clear that further battle would view her expelled.Eddie in additionk the blame, said Jill. A small gri nning crossed her face as she spoke. There werent really many witnesses, so Eddie said they were playing close to in the library and tossing the book back and forth. He claimed he got railroad careless and threw the book too large(p) . . . and that it accidentally move out Trey on the passing game.Angeline nodded. Thats kind of what really happened with us.No, it wasnt, protested Jill. I saw it. You got mad when Trey t old you it shouldnt be that hard to understand that x always has a divers(prenominal) value.He implied that I was stupidVari fits didnt seem the like too hard a c one timept to me, nevertheless I could tell under Angelines rodomontade that she really was flustered. I always had the impression that back among the Keepers, Angeline had been a moreovert among her peers. Here she was constantly assay to keep up academically and socially adrift in a world very variant from the one shed grown up in. That would make anyone insecure. And period I questioned if T rey had ever said she was stupid, I could understand how some of his snarky commentary could be comprehend that way.Did Eddie sire in any serious trouble? I asked. I doubted hed get expelled for something like this, only it would be beneficial my luck that hed get the punishment hed saved Angeline from.Detention, said Jill.He accepted it very bravely, tote uped Angeline.Im sure he did, I said, wondering if either fille knew they were wearing reflect expressions of adoration. Look, Angeline, I get the tutoring process must be frustrating, unless you ask to watch your temper, okay? Treys however trying to help.She looked skeptical. Hes got kind of an attitude some sentences.I know, simply people arent exactly lining up to fill his position. We occupy you here. Jill needs you here. Eddie needs you here. I saw some of her indignation lead at the mention of her friends and duty. Please try to work with Trey.She gave a woebegone nod, and I stood up to leave. Jill hurried after me into the hallway. Hey, Sydney? How was your outing with Marcus?It was fine, I said, for sure not some to dredge up Marcuss alarming revelations. Informative. And I knowledgeable how to play Skee-Ball.Jill almost looked offended. You played Skee-Ball? I thought you were supposed to be learning near the Alchemists secret history.We multitasked, I said, not liking her tone.I left before she could comment further and texted Eddie when I r all(prenominal)ed my room. I hear what happened. Sorry. And thanks. His response was quick At least it wasnt a concussion.I brace myself for snark when I went to meet Adrian the next day. Jill had in all probability told him about my arcade trip, which would probably elicit a comment like, Nice to know youre so sacred to crack the Alchemists. Way to keep your eye on the ball.When I pulled up in front of Adrians apartment building, he was already requireing out front for me. As soon as I saw his grungy face, my heart dispense withpe d. I jumped out of the car, just barely pausing to grab the keys as I went.Whats wrong? I exclaimed, jogging up to him.He be a hand on my shoulder, but I was too hard put to care about the touch. Sydney, I dont expect you to freak out. Theres no constant damage.I looked him over. Are you okay? Were you hurt?For a moment, his somber expression turned puzzled. Then, he understood. Oh, you think its me? No, Im fine. Come on.He led me nearly the back of his building, to the private parking lot used by residents. I came to a halt, my jaw dropping as I took in the terrible, pale scene. A couple other residents were milling around, and a jurisprudence policeman stood nearby taking notes. Around us, seven parked cars had their tires slashed.Including the Mustang.NoI ran over to its side, kneeling and examining the damage. I felt like I was in the middle of a war, kneeling by a fallen pal on the battlefield. I was practically on the verge of shouting, Dont you die on meAdrian crouch ed beside me. The tires can be replaced. I think my insurance will even cover it.I was still horrified. Who did this?He shrugged. Some kids, I guess. They hit a few cars one block over yesterday.And you didnt think that was charge mentioning to me? s hygienic, I didnt know they were going to tell apart here too. Besides, I knew youd cast out and extremity to fixate up twenty-four-hour surveillance on this place.Thats not a bad mind. I glanced up at his building. You should talk to the landlord about it.Adrian didnt seem nearly as concerned as he should have been. I dont know that hed go for it. I mean, this isnt really a redoubted neighborhood.I demonstrateed at the Mustang. Then how come this happened? unconstipated though we could employ Latte to Los Angeles, we still had to wait around to finish up with the police and then get a tow truck. I made sure the tow truck driver knew that he better not get a scratch on the car, and then I watched mournfully as it was hauled awa y. Once that sunny splash of yellow disappeared around a corner, I turned to Adrian.Ready to go?Do we have enough time?I looked at my cell phone and groaned. Wed burned up a lot of time handling the vandalism aftermath. And yet, I hated to wait until tomorrow, seeing as Id already lost time yesterday while dealing with Marcus. I called Ms. Terwilliger and asked if shed cover for me if I came in after curfew.Yes, yes, of fertilize, she said, in a tone that suggested she couldnt understand why Id even bothered life history her. Just talk to more of those girls.Ms. Terwilliger had given me six names. Wed already interpreted care of Wendy Stone. triad of the girls lived relatively close together, and they were our goal tonight. The last ii were closer to the coast, and we hoped to reach them tomorrow. Adrian tried qualification conversation with me finishedout the drive, but my mind was still on the Mustang.God, Im an idiot, I said, once wed almost reached our destination.Thats ne ver a term Id use to describe you, he said promptly. Articulate. Well dressed. Smart. Organized. Beautiful. Id use those terms, but never idiot.I nearly asked why sightly had come after organized and then remembered the actual concern. Im obsessing about that car when girls lives are on the line. Its stupid. My priori draw offs are messed up.My eyes were on the road, but I could tell he was smiling. If your priorities were really messed up, you wouldve followed that tow truck. Yet here you are, off to help perfect strangers. Thats a noble thing, Sage.Dont rule yourself out, I said. Youre sanely noble too, going on all these outings with me.Well, its not the same as Skee-Ball, but itll have to do. How was that anyway? Did you really learn anything?I learned a lot some pretty unbelievable stuff, actually. Im still time lag to get some proof, though.Luck was with us initially. The scratch two girls were home, though their reactions were similar to Wendy Stones. This time, Id had t he foresight to bring the newspaper article, in the hopes it would make a stronger impression. That ghastly picture at least gave them pause, but I left not knowing if theyd really take me seriously or use the agate charms.Our good fortune ran out when we reached the last name. She too was a college student, consequence we had another campus visit. Her name was Lynne Titus, and she lived in a sorority house. I admit, as I knocked on the door, I was fully prepared to find a group of girls dressed in pink, having a pillow fight in their reenforcement room. and when we were shown in, we discovered an orderly home not all that different from Wendys building. Some girls were coming and going, while others sat around with textbooks and papers.Lynne? asked the girl whod let us inside. You just missed her.I knew this shouldnt be a surprise. These girls had lives. They wouldnt all be waiting around for me to come by and talk to them. I glanced uneasily at a window, taking note of the purp ling sky. Any idea when shell be back?The girl shook her head. No, sorry. I dont know where she went.Adrian and I exchanged looks. Youre free from your curfew, he reminded me.I know. But that doesnt mean I want to spend all night waiting for Lynne. I did some mental calculations. I suppose we could wait a couple of hours. Three at most.Adrian seemed supremely delighted by this, and I couldnt help but wonder if he was more excited at hanging out on a college campus . . . or at spending time with me. Whats playfulness to do around here? he asked our hostess. He glanced around at the quiet academic environment. No raging parties here, huh?The girl put on a disapproving expression. Were a very serious sorority. If youre looking for parties, I guarantee theres one going on just down the channel. Those girls have one every night. Adrian shot me a hopeful look.Oh, come on, I said. toilettet we find some nice museum?We want to stay close, in subject area Lynne comes back, Adrian said. S omething told me if the party had been all the way across campus, he still wouldve pushed for it. Besides, if you want to go to college so badly, you should see the full scope of what it has to offer. And arent you a fan of Greek stuff?That was hardly what I had in mind, and he knew it. I reluctantly agreed but warned him he couldnt drink. I was sporting the brown wig and presumed he was using spirit to mask us further. inebriantic drink would diminish his ability to pull it all off. Plus, I just didnt want to see him drunk.It was easy to find the party house because we could hear the medicine blasting from it. A guy and a girl openly deglutition beer from plastic cups challenged us at the door. This is Greek only, the girl said. She looked as though she might fall off her stool. Who are you with?I pointed vaguely toward Lynnes sorority. Um, them. important Yam Ergo, said Adrian, without hesitation. I expected the door squad to point out that most of those werent even Greek lette rs. Maybe it was because Adrian spoke so confidently or because theyd had too ofttimes beer but the guy waved us inside.It was almost like organism back at the arcade, an overwhelming submerge of stimuli. The house was crowded and loud, with smoke hanging in the air and alcohol flowing freely. Several people offered us drinks, and some girl invited us three times to play beer pong, forgetting that shed already spoken to us. I regarded it all in amazement, trying to keep the disgust off my face. What a foul up of tuition. This is ruining all my collegiate dreams, I shouted to Adrian. Isnt there anything to do thats not drinking or being stupid?He scanned around, able to see more of the room from his greater height. He brightened. That looks promising. He caught coincide of my hand. Come on.In a surprisingly nice and spacious kitchen, we found several girls sitting on the floor createing blank jerseys. opinion from the sloppy job and paint spills, they too had been indulging in alcohol. oneness girl had a cup of beer next to an identical cup of paint, and I hoped she wouldnt mix them up.What are you doing? I asked.One of the girls glanced up and grinned. Making shirts for the spend carnival. You want to help?Before I could say no, Adrian was already on the ground with them. Do I ever. He helped himself to a white T-shirt and a brush with down in the mouth paint on it. What are we position on these? The girls shoddy work made that a valid question.Our names, said one girl.Winter stuff, said another.That was good enough for Adrian. He set to work painting snowflakes on the shirt. Unable to help myself, I knelt down to get a better look. Whatever his faults, Adrian was a decent artist. He mixed in a few other wiles, making the snowflakes mingled and stylized. At one point, he paused to light a clove cigarette, overlap one of the girls ashtrays. It was a habit I didnt really like, but at least the rest of the smoke in this place masked his. As he wa s finishing up the shirt and writing out the sororitys name, I noticed that all the other girls had burstped to stare.Thats amazing, said one, her eyes wide. Can I have it?I want it, insisted another.Ill make each of you one, he assured them. The way they looked at him was an unwelcome reminder of the breadth of his companionship with other women. I shifted a little closer to him, just so they wouldnt get any ideas.He pass the white shirt to the low girl and then set to work on a blue shirt. Once he fulfilled his promise to each girl, he sifted done the T-shirt stack until he found a mens-size opaque one. Gotta recompense tribute to my fraternity.Right, I scoffed. Alpha Yam Ergo.Adrian nodded solemnly. A very old and prestigious societyIve never heard of them, said the girl whod claimed the first shirt.They dont let many people in, he said. In white paint, he wrote his fake fraternitys initials AYE.Isnt that what pirates say? asked one of the other girls.Well, the Alpha Yams h ave marine origins, he explained. To my horror he began painting a pirate physical body riding a motorcycle.Oh, no, I groaned. Not the tattoo.Its our logo, he said. Adrian and I had once had to investigate a tattoo parlor, and to distract the owner, hed gone in and fictive to be interested in a tattoo that sounded very much like what he was drawing now. At least, I assumed hed been pretending. Isnt it badass?Badass wasnt kinda the word I wouldve used, but despite it being such a ridiculous image, he actually did a good job. I made myself comfortable, drawing my knees up to me and leaning against the wall. He soon stopped with his ride and grew completely absorbed in his work, meticulously painting the skeletons bones as well as that of a skeleton parrot sitting on the pirates shoulder. I studied his features as he worked, fascinated by the pleasure in his eyes. Art was one of the few things that seemed to anchor him and drive that repulsiveness in him away. He seemed to glow with an inner light, one that enhanced his already handsome features. It was another rare and beautiful glimpse of the intense, passionate genius lying beneath the jokes. It came through in his art. It had come through when he kissed me.Adrian suddenly glanced up at me. Our gazes locked, and I felt like he could read my mind. How often did he think about that kiss? And if he really was crazy about me, did he imagine more than just kissing? Did he fantasize about me? What kinds of things did he think about? His lips on my neck? His hand on my leg? And was that leg bare . . . ?I was afraid of what my eyes might betray and quickly looked away. Desperately, I groped for some witty and nonsentimental comment. Dont forget the ninja throwing stars.Right. I could feel Adrians gaze on me a few moments longer. There was something tangible to it, a warmth that enveloped me. I didnt look back until I was certain his attention was again on the shirt. He added the stars and then sat back triumph antly. Pretty cool, huh?Its not bad, I said. In truth, it was kind of amazing.You want one too? The smile he gave me stirred up those warm feelings again. I couldnt help but smile back.We dont have the time, I managed to say. Weve got to check on Lynne.Ill make you a dissolute one.Not the pirate, I warned. He found a small discolour shirt and began painting on it in smooth. Purple?Its your color, he insisted. A thrill ran through me at his quarrel. Adrian could see auras, the light that surrounded all people and was tied into their psychealities. Hed told me that mine was yellow, a color most intellectuals had. But hed also said I had flares of purple, which indicated a passionate and spiritual nature. Those werent qualities I usually thought I possessed . . . but sometimes, I wished I did.I watched, en thraldomed, as he painted a large silver heart with ardors edging one side. The whole design was Celtic in style. It was beautiful.Where did you get that from? I asked in awe. Id seen a lot of his work but never anything like this.His eyes were on his heart, completely caught up in his work. Just something kicking around in my head. Reminds me of you. Fiery and sweet, all at the same time. A flame in the dark, lighting my way. His voice . . . his words . . . I recognized one of his spirit-driven moments. It shouldve unnerved me, but there was something unspiritual about the way he spoke, something that made my breath catch. A flame in the dark.He swapped out the silver paintbrush for a black one. Before I could stop him, he wrote over the heart AYE. Underneath it, in smaller letters, he added HONORARY MEMBER.What are you doing? I cried. The spell had shattered. You done for(p) itAdrian regarded me with a mischievous look. I figured youd be flattered at being accepted as an honorary member.How can I get in? asked one of the girls.In spite of my outrage, I took the shirt when he offered it to me. I held it up gingerly, careful not to mess up the paint job . Even through the ridiculous words, the fiery heart was still stunning. It shone through, and I couldnt stop admiring it. How could someone so irreverent create something so beautiful? When I finally looked up again, I found Adrian watching me. That earlier thrall seized me, and I found myself unable to move.You havent painted anything, he said softly.Thats because I have zero creativity, I told him.Everyones got some creativity, he insisted. He handed me the silver brush and slid over to join me against the wall. Our legs and arms touched. He determined out his own AYE shirt across his lap. Go ahead. Add something, anything.I shook my head in protest and tried to hand him the brush. I cant draw or paint. Ill ruin it.Sydney. He pushed the brush back into my hand. Its a pirate skeleton, not the Mona Lisa. Youre not going to decrease its value.Maybe not, but I had a hard time imagining what I could possibly add to this. I could do a lot of things, but this was out of my unify espe cially compared to his skill. Something in his expression drove me, however, and after a lot of thought, I gave my best shot at drawing a tie around the skeletons neck. Adrian frowned.Is that a noose?Its a tie I cried, trying not to feel offended.He laughed, clearly delighted at this. My mistake.He can go to a boardroom meeting, I added, feeling a need to defend my work. Hes very proper now.Adrian seemed to like that even more. Of course he is. Proper and dangerous. A little of his mirth faded, and he grew reflective as he studied me, holding me in his gaze. Just like you.Id been so worried about the artistic challenge that I wasnt sensitive of just how close hed moved to me until now. So many details came into focus. The set of his lips, the line of his neck. Im not dangerous, I breathed.He brought his face toward mine. You are to me.And somehow, against all reason, we were kissing. I closed my eyes, and the world around me faded. The noise, the smoke . . . it was gone. All that mattered was the degustation of his mouth, a mix of cloves and mints. There was a fierceness in his kiss, a desperation . . . and I answered, just as hungry for him. I didnt stop him when he pulled me closer, so that I almost sat on his lap. Id never been wrapped around someones body like that, and I was shocked at how eagerly mine responded. His arm went around my waist, pulling me onto him further, and his other hand slid up the back of my neck, getting entangled in my hair. Amazingly, the wig stayed on. He took his lips away from my mouth, gently trailing kisses down to my neck. I tipped my head back, gasping when the intensity returned to his mouth. There was an animalistic quality that sent shock waves through the rest of my body. Some Alchemist voice warned me that this was exactly how a vampire would feed, but I had no fear. Adrian wouldnt hurt me, and I needed to know just how hard he could kiss me and Oh my GodAdrian and I jerked apart as though someone had thrown cold wa ter on us, though our legs stayed entangled. I glanced around in a panic, half expecting to see an scandalize Stanton standing over us. Instead, I looked up into the terrified face of a girl I didnt know. She wasnt even looking at us.You guys wont believe what happened she exclaimed, guiding her words to our fellow artists. She pointed vaguely behind her. Over across the street at Kappa, they found one of their girls unconscious, and they cant wake her up. I dont know what happened, but it sounds like she was attacked. Theres police out front and everything.Adrian and I stared at each other for one shocked moment. Then, wordlessly, we both stood up. He held my hand to knockout me until my trembling legs strengthened. Im weak because of this news, I told myself. Not because I was just making out with a vampire.But those dangerous and intoxicating kisses faded almost instantly when we returned to Lynnes sorority. It was busy with frightened people, and campus security moved in and o ut, allowing us to step right inside the open door.What happened? I asked a dusky standing nearby.Its Lynne, she said, biting her lips. They just found her in an empty auditorium.Something in the way she spoke made me uneasy. Is she . . . alive?The girl nodded. I dont know . . . I think so, but they said theres something really wrong. Shes unconscious and looks . . . well . . . old.I met Adrians eyes and vaguely noticed he had silver paint in his hair. Id still been holding the brush when Id wrapped my arms around him. Damn, he murmured. Too late.I precious to scream in frustration. Wed been so close to warning her. Shed allegedly left just before wed arrived. What if wed come sooner? What if wed visited her before the other two girls? Id chosen the order randomly. Worse, what if wed been able to find her instead of having art time with the drunken sorority girls?What if I hadnt been all over Adrian? Or maybe hed been all over me. Whatever you wanted to call it, I hadnt exactly res isted.The more we learned, however, the more unlikely it seemed we wouldve been able to do anything if wed stuck around Lynnes house and investigated. Nobody knew where shed gone. Only one person had seen her leave, a girl with curly blond hair who frustrated the campus police with her vague answers.Im sorry, she kept saying. I just . . . I cant remember the girl she left with.Nothing? asked one of the officers. Height? Age? Hair color?The girl frowned, looking as though she was using every troy ounce of mental effort. At last, she sagged in defeat and shook her head. Im sorry.Did she have black hair? I suggested.The girl brightened a little. Maybe. Er, wait. It might have been brown. No. Red, maybe?Adrian and I stepped away, knowing we could do no more. That girl seems outrageously confused, I said as we walked back to my car.She certainly does, he agreed. phonate familiar?Very, I muttered, recognizing the signs of magic.No one could deny it. Veronica had been here. And wed been too late to stop her.