creepy hollow 05 - a faerie's revenge (28 page)

“
What?
”

“Oh! You’re still here,” Gemma says, her eyes searching the air where I’m standing.

Carefully, I let go of the illusion and close up the barrier around my mind. I watch their eyes widen as I come into view. “What do you mean you
knew
?”

“Well, we didn’t
know
know,” Perry says. “but we always suspected. I mean, when you put all the stories together, it’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?”

“It … it is?”

“Yes. Well, it’s obvious to anyone with more than half a brain,” he says. “All those other dumb-asses came up with stories about Unseelie magic and dark spells.” He shrugs. “We figured there was probably a much more sensible explanation.”

“Yeah,” Gemma says. “I don’t know why the Council didn’t figure it out ages ago.”

I think I know. Something to do with Dad bribing certain people to keep quiet. “And … it doesn’t bother you?” I ask carefully.

“Why would it?” Perry asks. “I don’t have anything against Griffin Abilities.”

“Me neither,” Gemma says. “One of my extended family members is Gifted. I’m not supposed to know, but I’ve overheard things. And seen things. Those Griffin discs …” She shakes her head in wonder. “There were only six of them, but they sure did get around.”

I hesitate, looking back and forth between the two of them. “So we’re all good? You’re not about to follow your guardian training and hand over the criminal you just found?”

“Of course not,” Gemma says with a quiet chuckle. Then she skips over to me and gives me a hug. “I’m so happy you got away safely.”

“I’m so happy you’re
alive
,” I say as her hair tickles my cheek.

“Group hug!” Perry throws his arms around both of us.

“Shh,” Gemma tells him. “The healers will hear us.”

“Thanks for that cure, by the way,” Perry adds as the two of them step back. They immediately put some distance between each other, and I realize now that they haven’t made eye contact once. I wonder if something happened between them. “The rest of the Guild seems to view it as confirmation that you were responsible for the dragon disease,” Perry continues, “but there are some of us who are very grateful you went looking for it.”

“Me,” Gemma says, sticking her hand in the air. “I’m one of those grateful people.”

“Thank
you
for getting that key away from Councilor Merrydale,” I say to Perry. “I never would have got the tracker spell off otherwise.”

“Well, you know, he just happened to fall down during the big fight in the foyer, and then my pickpocketing fingers just happened to find that key inside his jacket.”

“Pickpocketing? How impressive,” I say with a grin.

“Thank you. My next mission is to figure out who killed Saskia and framed you for it.”

“Wait, hang on.” My smile fades. “What exactly are you doing to figure that out, because you could wind up in serious trouble if you’re found sticking your nose where it shouldn’t be.”

“My nose is perfectly fine,” Perry says, rubbing it. “We’ve just done a little digging in Olive’s office so far. We found scrolls with non-Guild seals on them.”

“Are you
insane
?”

“We haven’t managed to open any yet,” he continues, ignoring my question, “but they look suspicious. Like she’s receiving instructions from outside the Guild. And she didn’t like you or Saskia, so she had motive to get rid of both of you.”

The thought crossed my mind too, but I don’t want Perry and Gemma trying to prove it on their own. “Seriously, Perry, you do not want to be caught looking through Olive’s stuff.”

“Don’t you want to know if she’s the one who did it?” Gemma says. “Don’t you think
everyone
should know?”

“If she is the one who did it and she finds out you’re trying to prove it, the two of you could wind up dead.”

“Possibly,” Perry says, looking unconcerned. “Well, the three of us. Ned’s obviously in on it too.”

“This isn’t a joke, Perry.”

“We know that,” Gemma says gently. “We’re being careful. But isn’t this the kind of thing we’re training for? As guardians, we’re all about justice and truth and finding the real criminals. Whoever the real criminal is in this case, he or she needs to be found.”

“Okay, but since you don’t have permission to work on this case, you should take your suspicions to someone higher up. A mentor you trust, or my brother. He’ll listen to you.”

With a dramatic sigh, Perry says, “Fine. We’ll take your thoughts into consideration. But when we prove your innocence, I hope you’ll say thank you.”

I chuckle. “Of course.” I look down at Mom’s sleeping form, wondering if there’s any way she can hear all of this. Then something occurs to me. I turn back to Perry and Gemma with a frown. “How did you know I was here?”

“Gemma’s a genius, that’s how,” Perry says. Gemma’s cheeks turn pink as she smiles, but she’s still refusing to look at him. I decide that something has definitely happened between the two of them. “We knew you must be communicating with your family somehow, but all our houses are being monitored, and they’ve got Guild people following us everywhere.”

“Seriously,” Gemma says. “That’s not an exaggeration. I went shopping last night and this Guild woman followed me the entire time. She did a terrible job blending in with everyone else.”

“So we were going down to the dining hall when your dad passed us on the stairs, and Gemma said—”

“
That’s
how you’ve been meeting up with them, right here inside the Guild, where no one would think to look.”

“So we waited until your dad left, and then we ran in here when the healers weren’t looking.”

“It was so—”

“Shh,” I say as footsteps move closer. A shadow passes by Mom’s curtain, then stops. “Don’t make a sound,” I whisper as the person walks closer. The curtains move and a healer’s face looks in. He frowns at Mom, then shakes his head and leaves.

A wide grin stretches Gemma’s lips. “He didn’t see us,” she whispers.

“Nope. I imagined we were invisible and made him see that instead.”

“Amazing,” Perry murmurs.

“We need to go before we all wind up in trouble,” I tell them. The three of us shuffle toward the curtain and Gemma peeps out. “I can conceal all of us until we’re out of the healing wing,” I say.

“That is
so cool
,” Gemma says, barely managing to keep her voice below a squeal. “Please can we be friends forever.”

I can’t help smiling at that. It’s a smile that remains on my face the whole way back to the lakeside house. And it’s a smile that turns thoughtful as I walk through the faerie door to the mountain. How many friends would I have kept in the past if I’d simply told them the truth instead of allowing them to believe horrible rumors? Or, conversely, how much sooner would I have wound up on the Griffin List?

It doesn’t matter. I only care that I’ve finally found the right kind of friends. Friends who not only accept me as Gifted, but who love me for it.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

“Are you moving in permanently?” Gaius asks three days later as I walk up the stairs with several boxes floating behind me. I look up, expecting to find him annoyed or confused. After all, I didn’t mention this to him before I left for Raven and Flint’s house this morning. Instead, I find him looking pleased.

“Not exactly,” I say, drawing the words out, hoping he isn’t too disappointed. “I just thought it would be nice to have some of my things here for now. You know, until I figure out what my next move is.”

“Ah, I see.”

I climb the remaining stairs, making sure to concentrate on the boxes so they don’t bump into each other. Inside my temporary bedroom, I lower them to the floor. Then I open one, take Chase’s coat out—the one he put around my shoulders after Ryn and Vi’s wedding—and walk to his room with it. I find him in the same condition as when I left this morning. After hanging his coat over the back of the desk chair, I fetch the sketchpad I’ve been using and sit on the edge of the bed. This is what I do these days when I’m not arranging to visit my family in secret. I sit in here and draw. Or I practice projecting my illusions, seeing how detailed I can make them or how quickly I can change from one to the next. Or I read through the information Gaius found on various distant art schools. Lumethon says she doesn’t think Chase is aware of whether anyone is in this room with him, but I hate thinking of him lying here alone in his distressed, nightmare-consumed state.

“Calla?” I hear Lumethon’s voice out in the passage. “I think I found it,” she says, walking into the room with Gaius behind her. I leave the sketchpad on the bed and walk to her side so I can see the book she’s holding. She points to a page with a drawing of a cloud of smoke alongside a drawing that looks very much like the demon labyrinth creature. “It’s a morioraith. They’re only supposed to be found in the Dark North. First, in smoke form, it paralyzes its victim. Then it shifts into bodily form so it can bite and scratch. Its venom causes hallucinations based on any wrong you’ve ever caused anyone, which is exactly what it wants because then it shifts back to smoke form and feeds on its victim’s despair, guilt and shame. Once satiated, it leaves the victim to die from the poison.” She looks up. “Sounds like it’s one of the few things that can actually defeat Chase.”

“Morioraith,” I say, testing the word out. “Where did you find this book?”

“Underground. At the witches’ shop.”

My mouth drops open. “You went in there? Are you crazy?”

“I believe I asked her the same thing,” Gaius says, taking the book from Lumethon and paging through it.

“No, I’m not crazy.” She walks to the side of the bed and places her hand against Chase’s face. “The witches have no reason to hurt me. They don’t know who I am or who I’m connected to. I found a book that was for sale, so I bought it, and that was that.” She moves her hand to his brow. “I think his skin is cooler than before. Still warmer than normal, though.”

“Okay, so we know what this creature is called now,” I say, “but that doesn’t tell us why Chase isn’t awake yet. It’s been a
week
now since he was poisoned. His magic is far more powerful than mine, so why isn’t he healed already? This feels like it’s taking too long.”

“He was bitten far more than you were,” Gaius points out.

“I know, but … a
week
? A normal bite would heal within hours.”

“It isn’t just the physical effect of the poison,” Lumethon says. “I think his body has dealt with that already. It’s his mind that’s still fighting. We’re all aware of Chase’s past. If he’s facing the guilt of everything he’s ever done wrong, then he could be battling nightmares for some time still.”

I push my hands through my hair. “That’s so horrible to think of. I wish we could wake him up somehow.”

“I know,” Lumethon says. Then she asks, “What’s the time? I think I’m supposed to be downstairs now. Darius finally got the Terrendales out, and now he doesn’t know what to do with them.”

“Oh, yes, I found a location,” Gaius says. “I’ll give you the details.”

I wish I could ask them what they’re talking about, but I know it’s all part of that Downstairs Stuff I’m not supposed to know anything about. I’ve seen a few people coming and going—always down the stairs and through that door Chase opened with his handprint—but they never do more than nod in my direction and continue on their way.

“Um, I won’t be here for dinner,” I call to them as they turn to leave. “I’m meeting my dad and my brother.” Gaius waves to show me he’s heard, and he and Lumethon continue discussing the Terrendales, whoever they are, as the two of them leave the room.

I climb onto the bed, but I don’t open the sketchbook yet. I watch Chase for a while before my eyes fall, as they always do, on the telepathy ring sitting on the low table beside the bed. I’ve contemplated putting it on several times, but I know that accusing Angelica of sending Chase to his death inside the labyrinth wouldn’t exactly be helpful. Looking at it now, though, I’m filled with a sense of restlessness. The days are moving by, and I’ve made no effort to find the Seers because Chase hasn’t woken up yet. But why do I have to wait for him? Surely I could do something useful on my own.

I reach over Chase and pick up the ring. I place it on my palm and stare at it as I think. Angelica said she no longer had an access stone to give Chase, but perhaps she knows where I can find it. If I can get my hands on it, then Chase and I can easily go straight to the labyrinth chamber when he wakes up. Or I could go with Lumethon if Chase still hasn’t woken up in the next few days.

Before putting the ring on, I decide what my story will be. I need to know exactly what I’m going to tell Angelica so the wrong thoughts don’t end up coming to mind. When I’m clear on the details, I pick up the ring and slip it onto my left forefinger.

Hello?
I wait for an answer, but none comes. Louder, as if I’m shouting the word, I say it again.
Hello?

I count to six before—
Nathaniel! Why the hell did you stop communicating? Did you forget all about your prison break-out plan for me? Was your goal simply to use me to get information and then leave me here?