Elemental Fire (22 page)

Chapter Eighteen

I spent the day studying. It was
the last thing I wanted to do, but there was no choice, since the professors
were overloading us with work this semester. Even Sip, who normally
accomplished all her own work and some of Lisabelle’s with a flourish, was
drowning under the long list of papers, tests, and reading assignments we were
being given.

Professor Korba, the pixie
professor, was teaching Decorating 101 and would reluctantly give us such
homework assignments as arranging rows of candles using nothing but magic. It
was surprisingly hard. Lisabelle had explained that large blasts of magical
power, not clearly directed, were easy, but controlling small blasts of that
much magic was far more difficult.

I also spent the day wishing I
could see Sip and Lisabelle. We still knew nothing of the Ultimate Tactical,
but we had been ordered to stay in our dorms all day, so seeing my friends was
out. Luckily, Lough decided to pay me a visit.

“Can I see the Mirror?” he asked
when he showed up. Unsure what he wanted, I nodded and took him over to the
glass case.

“This room is incredible,” he murmured.
“The thrones look like someone sat in them just yesterday.”

I nodded happily. “I love this
room too.”

“It’s brilliant to hide the
Mirror in plain view,” said Lough, examining the glass case.

“I don’t trust it anywhere else,”
I explained. “The case can only be opened with a key or the touch of an
elemental.”

“Where’s the key?” Lough asked.

Keller had had the key during my
first semester at Public, then Mrs. Swan had it after I moved in to Astra. I
shrugged. “I hate to think.”

He nodded. “Mrs. Swan is missing
and you think the Baxters killed her and took the key?”

“I really hope they didn’t kill
her,” I murmured, my chest tightening at the thought. “If they have her maybe
they think she’ll be useful for something. Or maybe she’s in hiding because she
believes that the Mirror Arcane exists and it’s somewhere in Astra.”

“Do you think the Globe White is
somewhere in Aurum?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.
The only reason the Mirror is here is probably because all the elementals are
gone. But with all the other paranormal types still strong, the Globe could be
anywhere.”

“Right,” said Lough, chewing on
his lower lip. “Have I told you lately how much I miss you?”

I grinned and gave my friend a
hug around his thick shoulders. “Thanks, Lough. We miss you too.”

“I’ll bet Trafton’s having a
field day,” said Lough darkly.

My grin got wider. “Whatever do
you mean, Lough?”

“I mean Lisabelle, obviously,”
said Lough. “By the way, Keller’s gone.”

I felt like I’d been punched in
the stomach. I tried to fight the feeling, but I couldn’t make it go away.
“Wh-what?”

“Sorry,” said Lough, seeing my
stricken face. “I shouldn’t’ve said it like that. His parents asked him to go
back home for a time, so he did, but he told me to give you this.”

He handed me a piece of folded
brown paper. Frowning, I took it, but I didn’t want to open it in front of
Lough.

“How’s
your
family?” I said, turning the
paper over and over in my hands.

“Good,” he said. “My sister Kair
is trying to rally the government to help Public. She’s using me as a good
example, arguing that since Vale wouldn’t let me back on campus I’m missing out
on a semester’s education.”

“Which means what?” I asked.
Lough rolled his eyes. “Technically nothing. Dacer’s been helping me a lot and
thinks that with a little ‘creative’ grading he can get me a couple of credits.
The whole real life experience bit.”

My dream giver friend shrugged.
“I’m going to find a way to watch tonight,” he said. “What’s the point of
knowing paranormals who can fly if you don’t take advantage of it?”

“Just be careful,” I said.

Lough scoffed. “I’ve been
sneaking into Public all semester.”

“You’re braver than we give you
credit for, but Lough?” I put my hands on his forearms. “None of us could live
with ourselves if something happened to you, so . . . be careful.”

He smiled and gave me a hug.
“Always,” he murmured. “Thanks for caring.”

Before he left he also gave me
something from Dacer. It was a large key.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“He said you’d know,” said Lough.
“Don’t forget, Caid should arrive Monday. You shouldn’t have to hang on much
longer,” he reminded me before he disappeared.

I stared at the key, puzzled at
first. But Lough was right: I did know. It was the key to the Museum of Masks.
The cold and ornate metal felt heavy and comforting in my hands as I tucked it
away in my pocket. Now all the masks in the Museum would recognize me as the
curator of the place, so it would be easier to bring them to life and to use
them. Dacer had given me the best weapon he had. He had given me hundreds of them.

After Lough left I unwrapped the
gift from Keller. My heart warmed when I saw a pressed silver rose. A sweet and
tangy fragrance wafted from it, enveloping me in comfort and warmth, just as
Keller had said. One way or another he’d always be there. Fallen angels grew
silver roses specially. No one else could. I knew what it meant, because I had
always admired them when I saw them in Aurum. It meant: “Miss you.”

It wasn’t as good as having
Keller nearby, but I wasn’t going to complain.

I hurried up to the library to
get Sigil, praying that he hadn’t chickened out or disappeared. I went as early
as I thought was prudent in case I had to argue with him.

It turned out to be just the
opposite.

He was dressed for battle. I
don’t know where a ghost finds armor, or a helmet, but he had both. He also had
a short sword. He reminded me of a nerdy dwarf. Fighting to contain myself, I
stifled a laugh. I didn’t want to offend him.

“How do I look?” he asked. I
adjusted the helmet so that it didn’t cover his eyes, then beamed at him.
“Wonderful.”

“Thank you,” he said, adjusting
his grip on the sword. “Come along. Onward and forward, as they say.” He led me
out of the tower and down the stairs. He seemed to know where to go, so I let
him lead.

Once we were in the ballroom he
went right over to one of the long drapes and wrapped himself up in it, only
poking his eyes and nose out to talk to me.

“You may go,” he said. “I’ll be
fine here.”

“Um, yeah okay,” I said. “I
should be back in a few hours.”

“Unless you die,” he reminded me.

“Right, well, if I do then you
should probably just go back to the library,” I said, rubbing the back of my
neck. Talking to ghosts was a strange business.

“Oh, I will,” said Sigil. “Don’t
die.”

“I’ll try not to,” I muttered,
but it was hard assignment when so many talented paranormals wanted me dead.

“Sigil,” I said. “Can you protect
this room?”

Sigil raised his eyebrows at me.
“You’ve come to the right ghost,” he said stoutly. “I’ll protect it with my
life.”

“But you’re dead,” I responded,
before I could stop myself.

“Details,” said Sigil. “I promise
when you return in the morning everything will be as it was when you left.”

“Thanks Sigil,” I said. I left
him staring out from behind the curtain.

Outside there was a light rain
coming down.
I
guess it’s better than snow
,
I thought worriedly. I didn’t like leaving Astra. I knew the Baxters or Vale or
someone would break in that night, and I felt like I was deserting the place. I
was the elemental, and I should take care of it. But I did trust Sigil. He was
a little nuts, but I knew he’d try to keep the ballroom safe, and that was
really all I could ask for. Besides, I needed to turn my attention to the
Tactical. Vale hadn’t told us anything about it, other than saying there were
only two teams. It was anyone’s guess what that woman would devise for us, but
if she was trying to “accidentally” get every paranormal on my team killed, I’d
have to be ready for anything.

We’d been ordered to meet between
the woods and the Long Building, about as far away from the rest of campus as
you could possibly get. I had taken so long with Lough and Sigil that I didn’t
end up being early. As I got closer I smelled smoke and figured there must be
large bonfires, but that realization was nothing compared to what I actually
saw in the open space of the field when I got closer.

The Dash field was now set up out
there by the woods. Since it was so far from campus we hadn’t seen it, but
there it was. The bleachers were filled with rows of silent students, waiting
and watching.

At one end of the field was
Dobrov’s team. My heart ached for my friend. Whatever flashes of life he’d
shown last semester were gone now. Almost every day when I saw him he had new
bruises on his body, and his head was always bowed. Most of the time Daisy wasn’t
far away. It made me hate her even more, and his mother as well, for treating
him so badly. Vale might have said that she was there for her children, but she
was really only there for Daisy.

Now, on the team known as the
Glories, Dobrov stood between Camilla and Faci, who almost appeared to be
holding him in place. Faci had a bruise blooming on his cheek, which gave me a
bit of satisfaction. Betsy Butter was also part of their team, but she stood a
little bit apart, looking fearful. Each of them was dressed in dark gray, and
each had two bands clamped to their wrists. I wondered what the bands were for,
but I was too busy looking toward my own team to worry about it right then.

Then I saw them, and flinched.
Lisabelle, Sip, Rake, Vanni, and Trafton, were standing on the opposite end of
the field: wearing pink. The girls were dressed in pink skirts and sweaters,
while Rake and Trafton wore pants and t-shirts. Cale and Evan had been chosen
as “alternates” by Vale, an arrangement which, she explained, would only be
relevant if one of the participants on either team died.

Cale and Evan wore very light
gray outfits, probably in a nod to supposed neutrality, but I didn’t at all
like what it implied that Vale supposed we’d need alternates. It meant that she
expected us to end up hurt, or worse. It confirmed our most pessimistic fears.

Our team had been named the
Verrmin. Lisabelle was incensed at the implications, but we weren’t going to
let the names goad us into a show of helplessness. Anyhow, forcing us to wear
pink uniforms, I mean . . . Sip probably didn’t mind, but Lisabelle looked like
she was in shock. It was just cruel.

The pixies were having a field
day. Many of them were zipping around on their tiny, delicate, green wings,
laughing and pointing, never staying in the Volans section for long.

The rest of the field looked like
we were at a circus. Colors were everywhere. I saw every shade of blue, green,
and purple, flapping on banners and covering tables laden with more food than
I’d seen all semester. Even the stands were draped in colors. From azure,
indigo, and cobalt to amethyst, lilac, and lavender, the field was an assault
on the eyes.

Vale stood at the center of
everything, dressed in silk and lace of a creamy color. She had brass buttons
down her front that were so polished they shone. As always, her dress was
long-sleeved and full-bodied. The Baxter brothers, wearing their usual black
leather jerkins, flanked her on either side, each with his hair combed back and
his eyes forward. On either side of them waited the lizards. There were lots of
them today, each with an orangish rusty glow.

Circling them all was a ring of
gold fire.

I gulped. The fire reflected in
Vale’s eyes and gave her a sickly glow. She looked eager. I felt sick. But when
her eyes met mine I held her gaze as she slowly lifted her arm high into the
air. With one wave of her wand I felt a tug on my arms and legs, my torso and
shoulders. Gasping, I looked down.

Now I was dressed in pink too.

A loud cheer went up from the
crowd. They’d seen me coming and, with the exception of the pixies, they were
all cheering. Many of the students were waving banners and looking on
excitedly. I saw with relief that some even had the marks of Astra: earth, air,
fire, and water. At least some of them wanted my team to win.

I increased my pace and trotted
over to my friends. Lisabelle looked like she was about to explode. Her eyes
were snapping, she was breathing hard, and her fists were clenched at her
sides. She had pulled her black hair back into a tight ponytail, which made her
look more severe than ever.

“If it looks like I might kill
someone, it’s because I’ve been having fantasies about it for the last ten
minutes.”

“What happened ten minutes ago?”
I asked, though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

“I got turned into a clown and
made a fool of,” said Lisabelle bitterly. Her gaze was trained upward, as if
she couldn’t even bring herself to look at the color of our uniforms.