The Golden Lily Chapter 15

I FELT SO BAD for Brayden the bordering day that I roundu whollyy c every(prenominal)ed him, as opposed to our usual texting and e-mailing.Im so sorry, I say. Running turn up like that its not my usual expressive style. not at every last(predicate). I wouldnt turn in left wing if it wasnt a family emergency. possibly that was stretchiness it. Maybe not.Its okay, he tell. Without incuring his face, I couldnt give out if it actually was okay. I suppose subjects were winding see any style.I wondered what functions he keep keep going in mindt. Did he mean the dance itself? Or was he call on the carpeting more or less us? allow me larn you out to make up for it, I verbalize. You always do forevery occasion. Ill handle it for a change. Dinner willing be on me, and Ill thus far pick you up.In the Subaru?I ignored the judgment in his t whizz. are you in or not? He was in. We do the necessary arrangements, and I hung up notioning better virtually everything. Br ayden wasnt mad. Adrians visit hadnt ruined my fledgling(a) relationship. Things were back to normal at least for me.Id kept to myself the day later on the dance, penurying to catch up on work and not focussing nigh social matters. Monday morning started the school week again, back to dividing line as usual. Eddie walked into Easts cafeteria when I did, and we waited unitedly in the food line.He treasured to go to bed about Adrians visit to the dance, and I gave a glossed-over version of the night, apparently saying that Adrian had gotten drunk and lacked a dischargee home. I made no mention of my role in live onting the queen to act on his behalf or of me organism the most beautiful creature walkway this earth. I sure didnt mention the way Id felt when Adrian had stirred me.Eddie and I walked over to a table and found the unusual hole of Angeline attempt to cheer up Jill. Normally, I wouldve chastised Angeline for what shed d atomic number 53 at the dance, entir ely thitherd been no damage done this time. Plus, I was alike distracted by Jill. It was unaccepted for me to see her down without immediately assuming something was wrong with Adrian. Eddie spoke forward I could, noticing what I hadnt.No Micah? he asked. He was out the entrance before me. I figured he wouldve beat me over hither(predicate).You had to ask, didnt you? Angeline grimaced. They had a fight. I swear, Eddie figureed more upset about this than Jill. What? He didnt say anything. What happened? You guys seemed to be having such a great time on Saturday. Jill nodded morosely nevertheless didnt look up from her uneaten food. I could well(p) barely catch sight of tears in her eyes. We did. So good that he actually talked to me yesterday and asked well, he asked if I valued to devour Thanks braggart(a) with his family. Theyre from Pasadena.He panorama he could either get permission from the school or talk to you guys.That doesnt sound so bad, tell Eddie cautiously.T hanksgiving with his family is serious Its one thing for us to hang out together here(predicate), and if we start expanding that neat a couple outside of school She sighed. Its going to go as well fast. How long would I be able to hide what I am? And even if that wasnt an issue, its not safe anyway. The in all point of me being here is that its a safe, guardled environment.I throw outt and take arrive at to meet strangers.It was some other(prenominal) step of progress to her accepting the difficulties of a casual relationship with Micah. I offered a neutral comment. Sounds like youve intellection a lot about this. Jill looked up sharply, almost as if she hadnt even realized I was thither. Yeah. I compute I devour. She scrutinized me for a few seconds, and weirdly, her distraught expression softened.She smiled. You look really pretty today, Sydney. The way the light hits you its kind of amazing.Um, thanks, I tell, incertain as to what had prompted that comment. I was pretty sure in that respect was nothing infrequent about me today. My hair and makeup were the very(prenominal) as ever, and Id chosen a white shirt and plaid skirt uniform combo today. I had to make up for this weekends color splurge.And the burgundy trim in your skirt really brings out the amber in your eyes, Jill continued.Its not as good as the b in force(p) red, nevertheless pacify looks great. Of course, every color looks great on you, even the dull ones.Eddie was still focused on Micah. Howd the fight tot up about? Jill dragged her gaze from me, practically to my relief. Oh. Well. I told him I didnt know if I could do Thanksgiving. Probably if Id just given him one reason, it wouldve all been fine. solely I started freaking out, thinking about all the problems, and just went off on a ramble, saying we might go back to South Dakota or maybe family would come here or maybe you wouldnt let me or, well, a bunch of other things. I guess it was pretty obvious I was kind of m aking it all up, and wherefore he outright asked me if I didnt want to be with him anymore. Then I said I did but that it was complicated. He asked what I meant, but of course I couldnt explain it all, and from in that location She threw up her hands. It all just kind of exploded from there. Id never purview much about Thanksgiving or meeting ones family as a rite of passage in dating. Braydens family lived in southern California too would I be ordinate uped to meet them someday?Micahs not the image to hold a grudge, said Eddie. Hes also pretty reasonable. Just tell him the truth.What, that Im one of the last in a line of vampire royal line and my sisters throne is dependent on me bideing in hiding and surviving? Jill asked incredulously. merriment flickered in Eddies eyes, though I could tell he was trying to cover serious for her sake. Thats one way, I suppose. But no I meant, just give him the simplified version.You dont want to get too serious. You like him but just want to watch how fast things are going.Its not unreasonable, you know. Youre 15 and have been dating for barely a month.She pondered his talking to. You dont think hed be mad? non if he really cares about you, said Eddie vehemently. If he really cares, hell apprehend and respect your wishes and be happy at just any circumstances of spending time with you. I wondered if Eddie was referring to Micah or himself, but that was a thought best kept quiet. Jills face lit up.Thanks, she told Eddie. I hadnt thought of it that way. Youre so right. If he cant accept my feelings, then theres no point to anything. She glanced over at a wall clock and jumped to her feet. I think Im going to go try to find him now before class. Like that, she was gone.Good work, Eddie, I thought. You may have just helped get the girl of your dreams back together with her boyfriend. When Eddie caught my eye, the look on his face told me he was thinking the exact same thing.Angeline watched Jill dart out of the caf eteria, her blue eyes narrowed in thought. steady if they make up, I dont think itll last. With their situation it cant work.I thought you were all about vampire and human relationships, I said.Oh, sure. Back home, no problem. steady out in your world, no problem. But Jills a special case. Shes got to stay out of sight and stay safe if shes going to help her family. geological dating him wont do that, and she knows it no matter how much she wishes it werent true. Shell do the right thing in the end. This is duty. Its bigger than personal wants. Jill gets that. Angeline then declared she needed to get back to her room to catch up on homework. Eddie and I were left staring.He shook his head in amazement. I dont think Ive ever seen Angeline so subdued? I suggested.I was thinking coherent.I laughed. get it on on, shes coherent plenty of times.You know what I mean, he argued. What she just said? It was totally true. It was wise.She understands Jill and this situation.I think she und erstands more than we give her credit for, I said, recalling how much better-behaved shed been since the assembly breaking into dances aside. Its just taken her time to adjust, which makes sense, considering what a change this is. If youd seen where shes from, youd understand.I may have misjudged her, Eddie admitted. He seemed astonished by his own words.Part of me had expected to get chastised by ternion today for having skipped out on Brayden at the dance. Instead, I found Trey missing again from our morning classes. I almost worried but then reminded myself that his cousin was still in town, possibly muddling Trey in family stuff. Trey was competent. Whatever was going on, he could handle it. Then why all the bruises? I wondered.When I reached Ms. Terwilligers independent study, she was waiting expectantly for me, which I took as a bad sign. Usually, she was al coiffure hard at work at her own desk and just gave me a nod of acknowledgment when I took out my go fors. Today, sh e was standing in front of her desk, arms crossed, watching the door.Miss Melbourne. I trust you had an enjoyable weekend? You were certainly the belle of the ball at the Halloween dance.You motto me? I asked. For a moment, I expected her to say shed been watching the whole dance through a crystal ball or something.Well, certainly. I was there as a chaperone. My post was near the DJ, so Im not surprised you didnt see me. That, and I hardly stood out the way you did. I must say, that was an exquisite neo-Greco reproduction you were wearing.Thanks. I was getting compliments left and right today, but hers were much less creepy than Jills.Now then, said Ms. Terwilliger, all business again. I thought it might be effective for us to discuss some of the spells youve been researching for my project. Notating them is one thing. Understanding them is another.My stomach sank. Id gravid comfortable in my avoidance of her and the repetitive, almost mindless nature of annotate and translating spells. So long as we didnt have to actually delve into them, I felt reassured that I wasnt doing anything real with magic. I dreaded any(prenominal) she had in mind, but there was little I could make in the way of protest, so long as this was all couched in the foothold of my study and didnt involve harm to myself or others.Would you be kind nice to close the door? she asked. I did, and my feeling of unease increased. Now. I wanted to examine that book I gave you further the one on protective(p) spells.I dont have it with me, maam, I said, relieved. But if you want, Ill go get it from my dormitory room and bring it back. If I timed the shuttle bus right by which I meant, wrong I could probably use up a huge vocalization of our hour in the round-trip.Thats all right. I obtained that copy for your personal use. She lifted a book from her desk. I have my own. Lets take a look, shall we?I couldnt hide my dismay. We sat in side by side(p) student desks, and she began by simply going over the table of confine with me. The book was split into three segments Defense, Planned Attacks, and Instant Attacks. Each of those subsections was divided into levels of difficulty.Defense includes a lot of protective charms and evasion spells, she told me. why do you think those come initiative in the book?Because the best way to win a fight is to avoid one, I said immediately. Makes the reprieve superfluous.She looked startled that I had come up with that. Yes precisely.Thats what Wolfe said, I explained. Hes the instructor in a self-defense class Im taking.Well, hes quite right. Most of the spells in this section do exactly that. This one She flipped a few pages into the book. This ones very elemental but extremely useful. Its a concealment spell. Many physical components which youd expect from a beginner spell but well worth it. You wee an amulet and keep a separate ingredient crumbled gypsum on hand.When youre effectuate to activate it, add the gypsum, and the amulet comes to life. It makes it nearly unrealizable for soul to see you. You can leave a room or area in safety, undetected, before the magic wears off.The wording wasnt lost on me, and in scandalize of my inner resistance, I couldnt help but askNearly impossible?It wont work if they actually know youre there, she explained. You cant just cast it and become inconspicuous though there are more advanced spells for that. But if soul isnt actively expecting to see you well, they wont.She showed me others, many of which were basic and amulet based, requiring a akin means of activation. One that she dubbed intermediate had kind of a reverse activation process.The caster wore an amulet that protected her when she cast the rest of the spell one that made all people within a certain roentgen go temporarily blind. Only the caster retained sight. Listening, I still squirmed at the thought of using magic to directly affect someone else.Concealing yourself was one thing. But bli nding someone? Making them dizzy? Forcing them to sleep? It crossed that line, using wrong and unnatural means to do things humans had no business doing.And yet deep inwardly, some part of me could see the usefulness. The attack had made me reconsider all sorts of things. As much as it pained me to admit it, I could even see how giving blood to Sonya might not be so bad. Might. I wasnt ready to do it yet by any means.I listened patiently as she went through the pages, all the while wondering what her game was here. Finally, when we had five proceeding left of class, she told me, For next Monday, Id like you to re-create one of these, just as you did with the fire amulet and write a paper on it.Ms. Terwilliger I began.Yes, yes, she said, closing the book and standing up. Im well aware of your arguments and objections, how humans arent meant to sustain such power and all of that nonsense. I respect your right to feel that way. No ones making you use any of this. I just want you t o continue getting a feel for the construction.I cant, I said adamantly. I wont.Its no different than dissecting a frog in biology, she argued. hands-on work to understand the material.I guess I relented, glumly. Which one do you want me to do, maam?Whichever you like.Something about that bothered me even more. Id rather you choose.Dont be silly, she said. You have emancipation in your larger term paper and unaffixeddom in this.I dont care what you do, so long as the assignments complete. Go with what interests you. And that was the problem. In having me choose, she was making me get invested in the magic. It was easy for me to claim no part in it and point out that everything I did for her was under duress. rase if this assignment was technically dictated by her, that one small resource shed given me forced me to become proactive.So, I put the decision off which was almost un comprehend of for me when it came to homework.Some part of me thought that maybe if I ignored the assi gnment, it would go away or shed change her mind. Besides, I had a week. No point in stressing about it yet.Although I knew we had no liability to Lia for giving us the costumes, I still felt the appropriate thing to do was return them to her just so there was no disbelieve of my intentions.Once Ms. Terwilliger released me, I packed up my and Jills costumes into their garment bags and headed into downtown. Jill was sad to let hers go but conceded that it was the right thing to do.Lia, however, felt otherwise.What am I going to do with these? she asked when I showed up at her shop. Large rhinestone closed chain earrings made her dazzling to look at. They were custom made for you.Im sure you can alter them. And Im sure theyre not far off from your sample sizes anyway. I held the hangers out, and she obstinately crossed her arms. Look, they were great.We really appreciate what you did. But we cant keep them.You will keep them, she stated.If you dont take them, Ill just leave them o n your counter, I warned.And Ill have them shipped back to your dorm.I groaned. Why is this so important to you? Why cant you take no for an answer? There are plenty of pretty girls in Palm Springs. You dont need Jill.Thats exactly it, said Lia. Plenty of pretty girls that all blend into each other. Jill is special.Shes a natural and doesnt even know it. She could be great someday.Someday, I repeated. But not right now.Lia attempted another approach. The campaign is for scarves and hats. I cant do masks again, but I can put her in sunglasses especially if we shoot outside. Tell me if youd agree to this formulate Lia, please. Dont bother.Just listen, she urged. Well go do a photo shoot. Afterward, you can go through all the pictures and throw out any that dont meet your weird religious criteria.No exceptions, I insisted. And Im leaving the dresses. I set them on a counter and headed out, ignoring Lias protests about all the amazing things she could do for Jill. Maybe someday, I th ought. Someday when all of Jills problems are gone. Something told me that day was far away, however.Although my inscription to Spencers was steadfast, a small French cafe caught my attention as I walked back to my car. Or rather, the scent of their coffee caught my attention. I had no obligations at school and stopped into the cafe for a cup. I had a book for English class on me and decided to do some exercise at one of the cafes small tables. Half of that time was spent texting back and forth with Brayden. Hed wanted to know what I was reading, and we were swapping our favorite Tennessee Williams quotes.Id barely been there for ten minutes when shadows fell over me, blocking the late afterwardnoon sun. Two guys stood there, neither of whom I knew. They were a little older than me, one blond haired and blue eyed while the other was dark haired and profoundly tanned. Their expressions werent hostile, but they werent friendly either. Both were well built, like those who trained regularly. And then, after a double-take, I realized I did recognize one of them. The black-haired guy was the one whod approached Sonya and me a while ago, claiming to know her from Kentucky.Immediately, all the apprehension Id been trying to suppress this last week came back to me, that sense of being trapped and helpless. It was only the realization that I was in a reality view, surrounded by people, which allowed me to regard these two with astonishing calm.Yes? I asked.We need to talk to you, Alchemist, said the blond guy.I didnt twitch a muscularity in my face. I think youve got me mixed up with someone else.No one else around here has a lily tattoo, said the other guy. Hed said his name was Jeff, but I wondered if hed told the truth. Itd be great if you could take a walk with us. My tattoo was covered up today, but something told me these guys had been following me for a while and didnt need to see the lily to know it was there.Absolutely not, I said. I didnt even need Wol fes reminders to know that was a terrible idea. I was staying here in the safety of the crowd. If you want to talk, youd best take a seat.Otherwise, go away.I looked back down at my book, like I didnt have a care in the world. Meanwhile, my heart was pounding, and it took every ounce of control I had to keep my hands from shaking. A few moments later, I heard the sounds of metal scraping on concrete, and the two guys sat down black eye me. I looked back up at their impassive faces.Youve got to go inside if you want coffee, I remarked. They dont have service out here.Were not here to talk about the coffee, said Jeff. Were here to talk about vampires.Why? Are you filming a movie or something? I asked.We know you hang out with them, said Blond pilus. Including that Strigoi, Sonya Karp. Part of my tattoos magic was to hold Alchemists from revealing information about the vampire world to outsiders. We literally couldnt do it. The magic would kick in and prevent it if we tried. Since t hese guys seemed to already know about vampires, the tattoo wasnt going to censor my words. Instead, I chose to censor myself of my own free will. Something told me ignorance was the best tactic here. lamias arent real, I said. Look, if this is some kind of a conjuration We know what you do, continued Blond Hair. You dont like them any more than we do.So why are you helping them? How could your group have gotten so foggy and lost sight of our original vision? Centuries ago, we were one united group, located to see all vampires wiped from the face of the earth in the name of the light. Your brethren betrayed that goal.I had another protest ready, and then I noticed a electric discharge of gold in Jeffs ear. He was wearing a tiny earring, a small golden sphere with a dark dot in the middle. I couldnt help myself.Your earring, I said. Its the sun symbol the symbol for gold. And, I realized, it was exactly the same symbol that had been on the hilt of the sword wed retrieved from t he alley.He touched his earring and nodded. We havent forgotten the mission or our original purpose. We serve the light. Not the phantom that hides vampires. I still refused to acknowledge anything they said about vampires. Youre the ones who attacked my friend and me in the alley last week. Neither one denied it.Your friend is a creature of darkness, said Blond Hair. I dont know how shes managed this current enchantment making herself look like one of the other vampires but you cant be fooled. Shes evil. Shell kill you and unlimited others.You guys are crazy, I said. None of this makes any sense.Just tell us where her main lair is, said Jeff. We know its not that apartment on the other side of downtown. Weve been watching it and she hasnt returned since our last attempt to destroy her. If you wont actively help us, that information will be all we need to rid the world of her evil.Weve been watching it. Adrians apartment. Chills ran through me. How long had they been spying on his place? And to what extent? Had they simply sat outside in a car, stakeout style? Did they have high tech surveillance equipment? Wolfe had warned against being shucked in parking lots, not in homes. The small comfort I had here was that they obviously didnt know about Clarences. Their surveillance couldnt have been that thorough if no one had followed her yet. But had they followed me? Did they know where I went to school?And with their own words, they were verifying the terrible reality Id hardly dared speculate about. It was a reality that meant there were forces moving unseen beneath the Alchemistsseemingly all-knowing vision, forces working against our goals.Vampire hunters were real.With that realization came a hundred more terrifying questions. What did this mean for the Moroi? Was Jill in danger?Was Adrian?The only thing Im going to do is call the police, I said. I dont know who you guys are or why youre obsessed with my friend, but neither of us have done anything to y ou. Youre even crazier than I first thought if you think Im going to tell you where she is so that you can stalk her.Then, by the sheerest luck, I saw a patrolling police officer locomote down the street. The two guys at my table followed my gaze and undoubtedly could guess my thoughts. It would be very easy to call her over. Wed filed no report about the alley attack, but accusing these guys of a recent assault would certainly detain them. In sync, they both rose.Youre making a terrible mistake, Jeff said. We could have had this problem eradicated ages ago if our groups worked together. First the Strigoi, then the Moroi. Your misguided descent into their decadence has nearly ruined everything. Fortunately, we still walk the true path. The fact that hed just named the two groups was particularly alarming. These guys were scary, certainly, but less so if they were just talk of the town about vampires in shadowy, vague terms.Using Moroi and Strigoi indicated extensive knowledge.Blo nd Hair tossed down a small, homemade pamphlet. Read this, and maybe youll see the light. Well be in touch.I wouldnt if I were you, I said. Mess with me again, and Ill do a lot more than just have a pleasant chat. My words came out more fiercely than Id expected. Maybe Dimitri and Wolfe were rubbing off on me.Jeff laughed as the two of them began walking away. Too bad you got so bogged down in books, he said. Youve got the spirit of a hunter.