Elemental Earth (Paranormal Public) (32 page)

“Why Lisabelle?” I sobbed. “Why?”

Lisabelle’s eyes were black pools
I couldn’t read.

“They agreed to let Sip go,” she
said quietly. “Sip had to be safe. I couldn’t do this if you weren’t both safe.
They promised they wouldn’t kill you tonight, so I said okay. There was no
other way to get her back. I know she thinks she can take care of herself, and
normally she can, but they weren’t going to let her go. They were going to kill
her.”

“SAID OKAY TO WHAT?” I screamed
and stamped my foot. I wanted to grab ahold of Lisabelle and never let her.
“What did you agree to?”

“A trade,” said Lisabelle. “They
let Sip go. They take me instead. You would do it for Ricky. Sip is like my
sister. She’s like my Ricky. I can’t let them have her, not if there’s another
way. It kills me that she’s even been in there clutches for a few hours. I
won’t stay in the light without her anyway. So there wasn’t even really a
choice.”

I stared at my best friend.

Darkness calls to darkness and
Lisabelle had been called home. Now I was truly alone.

I stumbled into Public, having no
idea what to expect and headed for Oliva’s small house on the outskirts of
campus. It was bathed in light and I was relieved beyond words when Dacer
rushed out of the front door to meet me. He wore less makeup than usual and was
dressed in a dark blue shirt and gray slacks, like the grandness of the evil
that had just taken place made him tamper down his wardrobe.

“I hear your name’s Luc,” my
voice held no emotion. I didn’t know what else to say. I had nothing left.
Keller and Lisabelle were gone. Marcus and Kia, not to mention Dove, were dead.
I was left breathless by the destruction of this semester.

Dacer’s face was lined with pain.
“You’d better come inside,” he said. “Unfortunately, there’s more you need to
hear.”

Vital was there, along with Queen
Lanca. I was horrified at how beaten up both my friends looked. Oliva sat in a
chair, his head in his hands. I nearly collapsed in relief at the fact that
Lough and Trafton were sitting on a couch near the fire, sipping what I knew
would be a vile concoction that Dacer had made to help them feel better.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to the
room at large. I felt like I had failed. We had all failed. In that moment I
hated President Caid, I hated Mound, I hated any paranormal who hadn’t helped
us, more than I’d ever be able to put into words. But one thing was sure. I
would make them pay.

Instead of successfully fighting
darkness we had handed them everything. Absolutely everything.

I knew what had happened. There
was only one reason Queen Lanca would be here and not at Vampire Locke. The
Nocturns now had a home, they had a place to focus their power and become
stronger. They had overtaken the Blood Throne. My eyes met Lanca’s. She was
sitting in a finely carved chair, her back razor straight and her mouth set in
a determined line.

“Do you hear the name of that
mountain?” Lanca whispered dangerously. “Vampire.” It is mine. I will get it
back.”

“No,” said Dacer firmly, “we will
get it back. Together.”

“Together,” everyone chorused in
unison.

I wasn’t sure I could stand
anymore heartbreak. Let the summer begin.

The End

~

Also by Maddy
Edwards:

One Black Rose Series

One Black Rose

August

Autumn

Susan’s Summer

Paranormal Public Series

Paranormal Public

Elemental Rising

Elemental Shining

Elemental Dawn

Elemental Fire

Elemental Air

Spiral Series

Spiral