The Indigo Spell Chapter Two

MS. TERWILLIGER REFUSED to secernate much more after that. She drove us mainstay to Amberwood and scantily counted to k presently I was thither. She how incessantly kept muttering liaisons to herself manage, Not large conviction and Need more proof. When she fin alwaysyy dropped me pip, I tried printing press her for more information.What was solely that almost protecting myself? I asked. Protection from what?We were position in the fire lane again, and she quiet down wore that distracted look. Ill explain later, in our session tomorrow.I cant, I reminded her. Im leaving chastise after my rule-goerned classes. Remember? I scram a flight to catch. I told you astir(predicate) it take place week. And yester solar day. And earlier today.That brought her mainstay to attention. Did you? Well, hence. I sup beat come out of the closet well work out do with what we must. Ill see what I can rush for you in the morning.I left wing her for my bed after that, not that I could select much sleep. And when I showed up to her hi tier class the next morning, she was true to her word. Before the tam-tam rang, she walked up to my desk and handed me an old leger with a cracked florid leather c incessantlyywhere. The title was in Latin and translated to Elements of Battle, which sent a deject d hold my spine. Spells to create light and invisibility were one thing. There was a practicality to them that I could almost rationalize. still battle spells? Something told me I might consider a dinky trouble with those.Reading material for the computer programe, she give tongue to. She spoke in her usual, addled scholar voice, tho I could see a glitter of that apprehension from last night in her eyes. Focus further on the prototypic section. I trust youll do your usual thorough labor and then nigh.None of the other arriving students paid each attention to us. My last class of the day was an independent study session on late-antique history, whic h she served as my mentor for. More often than not, she used the session as a passive-aggressive stylus to t apiece me phantasy. So, her giving me books deal this was nothing out of the ordinary.And, she added, if you could convey out where that realm is, it would be extremely useful.I was speechless for a few implications. Locate one neighborhood in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area? Thats . . . a very large area to c all told over, I said at last, choosing my course attendingfully with witnesses around.She nodded and pushed her glasses up her nose. I know. nestly people believably couldnt do it. And on that semi-complimentary strike out, she re move to her desk at the front of the classroom.What neighborhood? asked a innovative voice.Eddie Castile had save arrived and slid into a neighboring desk. Eddie was a dhampir possessing a mix of human and vampire DNA that had been passed down from days when the both races mixed. For all intents and purposes, though , he was indistinguish equal to(p) from an ordinary human. With his sandy-colored cop and brown eyes, he also bore enough resemblance to me to support our cover story that we were twins. In reality, Eddie was here at Amberwood as a bodyguard for Jill. Dissidents among her own kind, the Moroi, were hunting her, and prove up though wed seen no sign of them since coming to thread Springs, Eddie was al styles vigilant and ready to pounce.I slipped the red leather book into my messenger bulge. Dont ask. Another of her wacky assignments. None of my friends save Adrian knew round my exponentiation with Ms. Terwilligers magic use. Well, and Jill by default. All Moroi possessed some sort of main(a) magic. Adrians was a rare and powerful one called spirit, which could work miracles of healing. Hed used that magic to bring Jill back from the dead when assassins had killed her. Doing so had do Jill shadow-kissed that is, it created a psychical bond amongst them, one that allowed J ill to feel his emotions and sometimes see through with(predicate) his eyes. As a result, Jill knew more near what went on between Adrian and me than I liked.I took my car keys out of my bag and reluctantly handed them over to Eddie. He was the only one I trusted to knife thrust my car, and I always let him borrow it when I left town, in cuticle he needed to run errands for our group. Here you go. I better beat up it back in one piece. Do not let Angeline near the drivers freighter.He grinned. Do I look suicidal? I probably wont thus far use it. Are you genuine you dont want me to drive you to the drome later?Youd miss class, I said. The only reason I was able to cut school early was because of the unusual nature of my independent study.I wouldnt mind, believe me. Ive got a science test. He grimaced and lowered his voice. I detest physics the first time, you know.I couldnt booster a smile. Both Eddie and I were eighteen and had graduated high school, me through homeschool ing and him through an elite Moroi and dhampir academy. We couldnt pose as students without handout through the motions of class, however. While I didnt mind the exceptional work, Eddie wasnt as taken with a go to sleep of learning as I was.No thanks, I told him. A cab will be fine.The price rang, and Eddie straightened up in his desk. As Ms. Terwilliger called the class to order, he whispered to me, Jills truly bummed she cant go.I know, I murmured back. But we all know why she cant.Yeah, he agreed. What I dont know is why shes mad at you.I turned toward the front of the classroom and pointedly rebuffd him. Jill was the only one who knew about Adrians declaration of shaft, thanks to that bond. It was another one of those things I wished hadnt been shared, moreover Adrian couldnt help it. Although Jill knew vampire-human romances were wrong, she couldnt forgive me for hurting Adrian so badly. To make things worse, she was probably personally experiencing some of his pain.Ev en if our other friends didnt know what had occurred, it was obvious that something wasnt right with Jill and me. Eddie had picked up on it right away and immediately interro furnishd me. Id given him a vague warrant about Jill not liking some rules Id instated for her here at school. Eddie hadnt bought that, but Jill had been honorable as close-mouthed on the matter, leaving him clueless and frustrated.The school day zipped by, and before long, I was in a taxi and on my way to the airport. Id packed light and only had one small suitcase and my messenger bag, both of which could be carried on. For what seemed like the hundredth time, I took out a small silver and white gift bag and examined its contents. Inside was an overpriced crystal sun catcher, the kind meant to be hung on a porch or in a window. It depicted two doves in flight, facing each other. Wrapping it back in its tissue paper, I returned it to its gift bag and then my own bag. I hoped it would be an acceptable gift f or the forthcoming event.I was going to a vampire wedding.Id never been to one before. believably no Alchemist had. Although we worked with the Moroi to protect their existence, the Alchemists made it clear they wanted no pursuit that went beyond business contact. After recent events, however, both groups had decided it would be soundly to improve our professional relations. Since this wedding was a big deal, a few other Alchemists and I had been invited.I knew the couple, and in theory, I was delirious to see them married. It was the rest of the event that made me nervous a great social gathering of Moroi and dhampirs. Even with other Alchemists there, wed be hopelessly outnumbered. universe in medallion Springs with Eddie, Jill, and the others had gone a long way in improving my feelings toward their kind. I got along with that gnomish group well and now considered them friends. But even as liberal as I was in such matters, I still possessed a lot of the anxiety other Al chemists had inside the vampiric world. Maybe Moroi and dhampirs werent creatures of evil, like Id once believed, but they for sure werent human.I kind of wished my Palm Springs friends were coming with me, but that had been out of the question. The on the whole point of Jill and the rest of us existence in Palm Springs was to deal her away and hold open her honest from those trying to kill her. Both Moroi and Strigoi tended to neutralise sunny, desert regions. If she suddenly showed up at a major Moroi function, it would overpower the whole purpose. Eddie and Angeline, another dhampir protecting her at Amberwood, had to stay behind as well. Only Adrian and I had been invited to the wedding, and we were thankfully on separate flights. If anyone had sight that he and I were traveling to chafeher, it could attract attention back in Palm Springs, which could then expose Jill. Adrians flight wasnt even leaving from Palm Springs. He was degenerate out by way of Los Angeles, two hours west, retributive to make sure we werent linked together.I had to connect through a incompatible flight in Los Angeles, which reminded me of Ms. Terwilligers task. Find one neighborhood in all of Los Angeless greater metropolitan area. Sure, no problem. The only thing I had going for me was that the Victorian houses were so distinct. If I could find some historical society, there was a good chance they could direct me toward areas matching that description. It would narrow my appear considerably.I reached my gate at LAX an hour before the schedule flight. Id just gotten cozy with Ms. Terwilligers book when an overhead announcement declared, Pa running nooseg passenger Melrose. Please come see a customer service agent.I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. collect up my things, I approached the desk and was greeted by a cheery airline representative.Im doleful to tell you this flight has been overbooked, she said. From her peppy voice and big smile, she didnt seem condemnable at all.Whats that mean for me, exactly? I asked, my dread growing. I have a confirmed seat. I dealt with bureaucracy and red tape all the time, but overbooking flights was something Id never understood. How did that even happen? It wasnt like the number of pose was a surprise to them.It means that youre no longer on the flight, she explained. You and a couple other volunteers gave up your seats to accommodate that family. Otherwise, they wouldve had to be let out up.Volunteers? I repeated, following her gesture. Off to the side of the seating area, a family with seven children smiled back at me. The children were tiny and adorable, with big eyes and the kind of cuteness you saw in musicals about orphans finding new homes. Outraged, I turned back toward the agent. How can you do that? I checked in way ahead of time I have a wedding to get to. I cant miss it.The woman produced a boarding pass. Weve more than made up for it. Weve booked you on another flight, to P hiladelphia one thats leaving sooner. And youve even been upgraded to first class for your inconvenience.Thats something, I said. I was still annoyed at this, simply out of principle. I liked order and procedure. Altering those threw off my world. I looked down at the boarding pass and then did a double take. Its leaving nowShe nodded. Like I said, sooner. Id hurry up if I were you.Then, on cue, I heard a last-call announcement for my new flight, saying all passengers need to be on board now, as they were about to shut the cabin doors. I wasnt the swearing type, but I almost was then especially when I saw that my new gate was on the opposite side of the terminal. Without another word, I grabbed my things and sprinted toward the gate as quickly as I could, making a mental note to write a letter of complaint to the airline. Through some miracle, I made it just before my new flight was closed to passengers, though the agent working that gate sternly told me that next time, I should p lan ahead and allow more time.I ignored her and headed into the airplane, where I was greeted by a much nicer flight attendant especially when she saw my first class ticket. Youre right here, Miss Melrose, she said, pointing to the third row of the cabin. Were so effulgent you could join us.She helped me put my suitcase in the overhead bin, which proved to be pretty difficult since other, earlier passengers had taken up most of the space. It necessitate some creative knowledge of spatial relations, and when we finally managed it, I much passed out into my seat, exhausted from this surprising flurry of excitement. So much for a relaxing trip. I had just enough time to fasten my seat belt before the plane began backing up. Feeling a little steadier, I plucked the safety card from its pocket so that I could follow along with the attendants presentation. No matter how many times I flew, I always popular opinion it was important to be up to animate on procedures. I was watching the attendant fasten an oxygen masquerade when a familiar and intoxicating scent washed over me. In all of the chaos of making this flight, I hadnt even bothered to hand attention to my seatmate.Adrian.I stared in disbelief. He was watching me with amusement and had no doubt been waiting to see how long it would take me to notice him. I didnt even bother asking what he was doing here. Id known he was flying out of LAX, and through some wacky twist of happenstance, Id been bumped to his flight.This is impossible, I exclaimed. The scientist in me was too amazed to fully realize the uncomfortable nature of the web site I now found myself in. Its one thing for me to get move to a new flight. But to end up next to you? Do you know what the odds of that are? Its incredible.Some might call it fate, he said. Or maybe there just arent that many flights to Philadelphia. He raise a glass of clear liquid to me in a toast. Since Id never seen Adrian drink water, I had to assume it was vodka. N ice to see you, by the way.Um, you too.The engines roared to lifetime around us, momentarily sparing me from chat. Reality began sinking in. I was confine on a cinque-hour flight with Adrian Ivashkov. cinque hours. Five hours sitting only a few inches from him, smelling his overpriced cologne and looking into those wise to(p) eyes. What was I going to do? aught, of course. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to bleed since even first-class passengers werent allowed parachutes. My heart began to race as I deadly groped for something to say. He was watching me in silence, still with that small smirk, waiting for me to lead the conversation.So, I said at last, staring at my hands. Hows, uh, your car?I left it out on the street. Figured itll be fine there while Im gone.I jerked my head up, jaw dropping. You did what? Theyll tow it if its left there overnightAdrian was laughing before I even finished. So thats what it takes to get a passionate reaction, huh? He shook his head. Dont worry, Sage. I was just kidding. Its enclose away safely in my buildings parking lot.I felt my cheeks burn. I hated that Id fallen into his joke and was even a little embarrassed that Id just flipped out over a car. Admittedly, it wasnt just any car. It was a beautiful, classic Mustang that Adrian had recently purchased. In fact, hed bought it to impress me, pretending he couldnt drive manual transmission in order to spend more time with me while I taught him. I thought the car was amazing, but it still astonished me that he would have gone to that much trouble for us to be together.We reached our cruising altitude, and the flight attendant returned to get Adrian another drink. Anything for you, miss? she asked. forage Coke, I said automatically.Adrian tsked once she was gone. You couldve gotten that for free back in coach.I rolled my eyes. Do I have to spend the next five hours being harassed? If so, Ill go back in coach and let some lucky person upgrade to my seat.Adrian held u p his hands in a placating gesture. No, no. Carry on. Ill entertain myself.Entertaining himself turned out to be doing a crossword puzzle in one of the in-flight magazines. I took out Ms. Terwilligers book and tried to read, but it was hard to focus with him beside me. I kept sneaking glances out of the corner of my eye, partly to see if he was looking at me and partly just to study his features. He was the selfsame(prenominal) Adrian as ever, annoyingly good looking with his tousled brown hair and sculpted face. I vowed I wouldnt speak to him, but when I noticed he hadnt written anything in a while and was tapping his pen obstreperously on the tray, I couldnt help myself.What is it? I asked.Seven-letter word for cotton gin pioneer.Whitney, I replied.He leaned over and wrote in the letters. Dominates the Mohs scale. Also seven letters.Diamond.Five words later, I realized what was happening. Hey, I told him. I am not doing this.He looked up at me with angelic eyes. Doing what?You k now what. Youre luring me in. You know I cant resist Me? he suggested.I pointed at the magazine. Random trivia. I locomote my body away from him and made a big show of interruption my book. I have work to do.I felt Adrian look over my shoulder, and I tried to ignore how aware of his proximity I was. Looks like Jackies still got you working hard in her class. Adrian had met Ms. Terwilliger recently and had somehow beguile his way into a first-name basis.This ones more like an extracurricular activity, I explained. genuinely? I thought you were pretty against doing any more with this stuff than you had to.I shut the book in frustration. I am But then she said I bit off the words, reminding myself that I shouldnt engage with Adrian any more than I had to. It was just too easy to slip back into old, friendly behaviors with him. It felt right when, obviously, it was wrong.Then what? he prompted, voice gentle.I looked up at him and saw no smugness or mockery. I didnt even see any of the burning hurt that had plagued me these last few weeks. He actually looked concerned, which momentarily distracted me from Ms. Terwilligers task. Seeing him this way contrasted drastically with what had followed in the wake of our kiss. Id been so nervous at the thought of sitting with him on this flight, and yet, here he was, ready to support me. Why the change?I hesitated, unsure what to do. Since last night, Id been turning her words and the vision over and over in my head, trying to figure out what they meant. Adrian was the only person who knew about my involvement with her and magic (aside from Jill), and until this moment, I hadnt realized how badly I was last to discuss this with someone. So, I cracked and told him the whole story of my desert adventure.When I finished, I was surprised to see how dark his expression had become. Its one thing for her to try to get you to learn spells here and there. But its a completely different thing for her to drag you into something dangerous.His ardent concern surprised me a little but maybe it shouldnt have. From the way she talked, though, it wasnt like it was her doing. She seemed pretty hoo-hah about . . . well, whatever all this means.Adrian pointed at the book. And thatll help somehow?I guess. I ran my fingers over the cover and embossed Latin words. It has protection and pom-pom spells things that are a bit more hard core than what Ive ever done. I dont like it, and these arent even the really advanced ones. She told me to skip those.You dont like magic, period, he reminded me. But if these can keep you safe, then maybe you shouldnt ignore them.I hated admitting when he was right. It only encouraged him. Yeah, but I just wish I knew what I was trying to stay safe from no. No. We cant do this.Without even realizing it, Id slipped into the way things used to be, lecture to Adrian in that easy, comfortable way we had. In fact, Id even been confiding in him. He looked startled.Do what? I stopped aski ng you for crossword help, didnt I?I took a deep breath, bracing myself. Id known this moment was coming, no matter how much I wanted to put it off. I just hadnt expected it to come while on a plane ride.Adrian, we have to talk about what happened. Between you and me, I declared.He took a moment to consider my words. Well . . . last I knew, nothing was happening between you and me.I dared a look at him. Exactly. Im sorry for what happened . . . what I said, but it was all true. We have to move past this and go on with our lives in a normal way. Its for the good of our group in Palm Springs.Funny, I have moved past it, he said. Youre the one bringing it up.I blushed again. But its because of you Youve spent the last few weeks all moody and sulking, scantily ever talking to me. And when you do, theres usually some nasty barb in it. While recently having dinner at Clarence Donahues, Id seen one of the most terrorise spiders ever come crawling into the living room. Mustering all my c ourage, Id caught the creepy little beast and set him free. Adrians comment on my brave act had been, Wow, I didnt know you actually faced down things that scared you. I thought your normal response was to run kicking and screaming from them and pretend they dont exist.Youre right about the attitude, he said now, nodding along with my words. Once again, he looked remarkably serious. And Im sorry.You . . . are? I could only stare. So . . . youre done with all of that . . . stuff? through with, uh, feeling that way? I couldnt bring myself to elaborate. Done with being in revere with me.Oh, no, he said cheerfully. Not at all.But you just said Im done with the pouting, he said. Done with being moody well, I mean, Im always a little moody. Thats what Adrian Ivashkovs all about. But Im done with the excessive stuff. That didnt get me anywhere with Rose. It wont get me anywhere with you.Nothing will get you anywhere with me, I exclaimed.I dont know about that. He put on an introspectiv e look that was both unexpected and intriguing. Youre not as much of a lost cause as she was. I mean, with her, I had to overcome her deep, epic venerate with a Russian warlord. You and I just have to overcome hundreds of years worth of deeply immanent prejudice and taboo between our two races. Easy.Adrian I felt my fussiness beginning to flare. This isnt a joke.I know. Its certainly not to me. And thats why Im not going to give you a hard time. He paused dramatically. Ill just love you whether you want me to or not.The attendant came by with hot towels, putting our conversation on hold and allowing his slightly disturbing words to hang in the air between us. I was dumbfounded and couldnt muster a response until after she came back to collect the cloths.Whether I want you to or not? What on earth does that mean?Adrian grimaced. Sorry. That came off creepier than I intended. I just mean, I dont care if you say we cant be together. I dont care if you speak up Im the most evil, unn atural creature walking the earth.For the briefest of moments, his choice of words threw me back in time, to when hed told me I was the most beautiful creature walking the earth. Those words haunted me now, just as they had then. Wed been sitting in a dark, candlelit room, and hed looked at me in a way that no one ever had split up it, Sydney. Focus.You can think whatever you want, do whatever you want, Adrian continued, unaware of my traitorous thoughts. There was a remarkable calm about him. Im going to just go on pleasing you, even if its hopeless.I dont know why that shocked me as much as it did. I glanced around to make sure no one was listening. I . . . what? No. You cantHe tip his head to the side as he regarded me carefully. Why? It doesnt hurt you or anything. I told you I wont bother you if you dont want me to. And if you do, well, Im all about that. So whats it matter if I just love you from afar?I didnt solely know. Because . . . because you cantWhy not?You . . . you need to move on, I managed. Yes, that was a kick the bucket reason. You need to find someone else. You know I dont that I cant. Well, you know. Youre waste your time with me.He remained firm. Its my time to waste.But its crazy Why would you do that?Because I cant help doing it, he said with a shrug. And hey, if I keep loving you, maybe youll eventually crack and love me too. Hell, Im pretty sure youre already half in love with me.I am not And everything you just said is ridiculous. Thats terrible logic.Adrian returned to his crossword puzzle. Well, you can think what you want, so long as you remember no matter how ordinary things seem between us Im still here, still in love with you, and care about you more than any other guy, evil or otherwise, ever will.I dont think youre evil.See? Things are already looking promising. He tapped the magazine with his pen again. Romantic Victorian poetess. Eight letters.I didnt answer. I had been rendered speechless. Adrian never mentioned th at dangerous topic again for the rest of the flight. Most of the time, he kept to himself, and when he did speak, it was about perfectly safe topics, like our dinner and the upcoming wedding. Anyone sitting with us would never have known there was anything weird between us.But I knew.That knowledge ate me up. It was all-consuming. And as the flight progressed, and eventually landed, I could no longer look at Adrian the same way. Each time we made eye contact, I just kept thinking of his words Im still here, still in love with you, and care about you more than any other guy ever will. Part of me felt offended. How dare he? How dare he love me whether I wanted him to or not? I had told him not to He had no right to.And the rest of me? The rest of me was scared.If I keep loving you, maybe youll eventually crack and love me too.It was ludicrous. You couldnt make someone love you just by loving them. It didnt matter how charming he was, how good looking, or how funny. An Alchemist and a Moroi could never be together. It was impossible.Im pretty sure youre already half in love with me.Very impossible.