Elemental Light (Paranormal Public Book 9) (43 page)

The vampires slammed into the demons from one side, and the ghosts and remaining paranormals slammed into them from the other. The vampires attacked with what could only
be that deadly weapon, the Blood Light.

I saw Lisabelle leave the vicinity of the Power of Five with a flying leap, billowed by black power and making for Premier Erikson. I saw Lanca fly forward in the same terrifying motion, intent on Cynthia Malle. Then I felt something gooey and cold slam into my back, and when I turned around to see what it was, there was a ghost who was surely an elemental. He was
thin and old and waving a cane around like a wild banshee. His grin stretched from ear to ear as he whooped, “Let’s kill some demons. Move out of the way, girl!” With that he flowed around me, shooting headfirst into the masses of fighters.

“We’re winning!” Saferous, who had looked defeated only minutes before, raised his hands in triumph. Looking past him, I saw things I had never imagined before in the clashes that went on all around me now. But all I cared about was getting to Ricky. Summoning every last bit of strength I had, I staggered forward. The others had let go of their Objects now, their jobs done. Ricky stood between Dacer and Keller, who had closed ranks around him.

Ricky saw me coming and started forward, but Dacer placed a hand on his shoulder, making him wait until I reached them. My little brother looked wobbly on his feet as it was. When I got there I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him as if my life depended on it, and he hugged me back. As my mentor stood guard with my again-boyfriend (that’s what he was whether he liked it or not), I got to give my little brother what I hoped would be the first of many hugs over the years to come.

Chapter Forty-One

Lisabelle didn’t kill Premier Erikson, she took her captive, but Lanca did kill Cynthia Malle. The woman was too weak to survive anyway. Once the battle was mostly over I surveyed the damage. Lough had taken Ricky away, while Lisabelle and Sip were talking quietly to each other. I got down off the wooden platform and started walking over the field that was now covered with bodies and ash: so much death and so much destruction. The smell of burning hung heavy in the air.

I was shaking, but I didn’t know whether it was from fear or exhaustion. None of this felt real. Was I really walking through the remains of our victory?

Keller grabbed me and spun me around and around and around.

“Oh, hello, my heartsweet,” he whispered. “My aunt mentioned to me that you wanted to get married.”

I blushed crimson, hid my face in his shoulder, and mumbled something about how I had just been trying to goad her.

“Well, harassing paranormals has consequences,” mused Keller.

I pulled far enough away to look into his eyes and uttered a cry of indignation. He grinned. “I just might ask you.”

I placed my hands on either side of his face and kissed him hard. Now I knew our battle was truly over.

Here was the accounting: Cale imprisoned Camilla. Really, he saved her life. There were enough pixies still on the side of light to enact the Power of Five, which was a good thing, because the extra magic from the Wheel wore out and the ghosts disappeared back to the cemetery where they had come from. There were many dead: Mrs. Swan, President Caid, President Oliva, Nolan, Evan, Gargoile, Halston, Malle, Michael Mound, Lester, and Professor Marie.

Also among the dead: Zervos.

“What was it with Professor Zervos?” I asked. “He was always so nasty, but still so firmly on our side?”

Dacer sighed
. “His parents made him promise to fight for paranormal cooperation. He hated it, but then they were murdered by the same band of pixies that killed Cynthia Malle’s family. He, unlike Cynthia, took that as a sign that darkness was not the answer, and he never wavered from that belief. Unfortunately it got him killed, but I suspect he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Trafton, Rake, and all the others were okay, if battered. Trafton was actually unconscious with a concussion, but Sip had talked to his healers and found out that he was going to be just fine. He’d gotten hurt protecting Suze, who was now busy taking care of him.

The oggles were planning to live at Public for a while, whether Martha liked it or not. In all the chaos, it took me until the next day to realize that Lacy, Peds, and Jett were nowhere to be seen. But I couldn’t worry about them right then, and anyhow, they seemed perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.

Dobrov and his mother left quickly, as hybrids were not exactly appreciated around Public
right then, and his family needed time to grieve the loss of a sister and daughter.

“What about all the demons who are still trying to kill us?” I asked.

We were sitting in Astra, because despite the fact that all of Public was now supposedly safe, I personally still felt safe only at Astra. Plus, it was the only clean place left on campus.

“Lisabelle had to leash them,” said Sip grimly. “She’s the only one with enough power to hold them. If she hadn’t had enough power to dominate them, we would still have wild demons and hellhounds running around killing everything in sight. That wouldn’t have been so different from what Premier Erikson was doing, now that I think about it,
so thank the paranormals those days are gone.”

The darkness mage, also sitting at the island in the kitchen, looked sapped and as white as the tiles that lined the walls and floors of the big room.

“What about a cure for Lisabelle?” I asked.

“I thought I had something,” the werewolf whispered, “but I didn’t know she’d have to use her powers to leash the darkness.”

“You can figure it out,” I assured her.

“I can’t,” Sip sobbed. “I can’t figure it out. I’ve tried and I’ve tried and I just can’t do it.” Sip sobbed for several more minutes before looking up at Lisabelle. “Why aren’t you freaking out?” Sip demanded.

“I’m freaking out on the inside,” said Lisabelle.

“I failed,” said Sip. “I never fail.”

“Look,” said Lisabelle. “I believe you in. It’s my job as your friend. I have complete faith that you can do it. I’ll never waiver.”

“Aren’t you listening?” Sip yelled. “It’s over! I can’t fix it.”

“I believe you can,” said Lisabelle. “I believe in you.”

“Lisabelle, I don’t know what reality you live in, but it’s not a rational one.”

“Think it through,” said Lisabelle, her voice still calm.

Lisabelle’s calm was contagious
, and I could see some of the pent-up tension easing out of Sip. And then she started to analyze the situation out loud. “You have too much darkness,” said Sip. “Like anyone’s ever heard of such a thing. The Black Ring is warring with your wand arm. The wand arm is eating the power from the Black Ring and growing all over your body. I bet you look ridiculous. Anyway. Mom was right. Tattoo parlors are not the answer . . . unless they are. To each her own.”

“Sip,” said Lisabelle, pulling her back on track.

“You can’t remove the wand, because tattoos are permanent. Again, Mom was right. You can’t remove the Black Ring, because you’ll die. Both are eating your life.”

Lisabelle nodded.

“Actually, I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long. It must be because you’re so stubborn.”

“Okay, that’s enough honesty now,” said Lisabelle, smiling a little.

“I mean, fine, but you should have died weeks ago,” said Sip.

“Okay,” said Lisabelle.

Sip frowned.

“Lisabelle,” she said slowly.

“Yes?”

“Why didn’t you die?”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but what are you talking about?” Lisabelle gave me a bewildered look.

“Yeah, Sip, it might be better if you stayed on track,” I said. “Her life does hang in the balance, after all.”

“I am on track,” said Sip. She stood up and started to pace. It was the most energy I’d seen from her since we got back from Locke.

“Go on,” said Lisabelle.

“See, you’re doing something to keep yourself alive,” she said. “You have too much power. WAY too much. All we have to do is figure out what you’re doing.”

“Sip,” said Lisabelle, rubbing her forehead. “It’s not like I’m eating ginger and everything will be fine.”

“No,” said Sip. “Obviously I know that. It’s something else. Something you’re doing with your power. It’s going somewhere, or you're using it for something, so that it doesn’t consume you.”

Lisabelle nodded. She looked like she was starting to understand, but I still had no idea what was going on.

“Think,” said Sip, turning to Lisabelle. “Let me see the tattoo. Do you ever take the ring off?”

Lisabelle snorted. “I’d be dead the second it left my finger. No, I don’t take the ring off.”

Sip nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, so maybe something inside you is blocking the interaction of power.”

“Maybe,” said Lisabelle, “but I don’t know what it could be.”

“Do you use your power often?”

Again Lisabelle snorted. “Only to throw demons into walls when they get in my way. Which is often, by the way.”

“That’s probably not enough power to make a difference,” said Sip, “not given how much you have. Could the Premier be sapping your power?”

Lisabelle glanced at me. “I don’t think so. There’d be no point. There’s nothing she could do with it. If they asked me, I’d tear Public down around Martha’s brick ears, so long as you weren’t in it. Materials mean nothing to me, especially now.”

Sip chewed her lip. “I feel better knowing we have a lead.”

“Oh, me too,” said Lisabelle. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to lie down. I’m tired.”

“Fine, but when you get up I want a detailed list of everything you eat every day,” said Sip. “We’ll start there.”

Lisabelle nodded and crawled under the covers. Sip and I left, leaving our friend to rest. She needed all the sleep she could get. We still had a lot of work to do.

Chapter
Forty-Two

We spent several days at Astra just resting. Ricky slept for nearly four days, so long that I was afraid something was wrong with him and went to Dacer for reassurance. My mentor could always be found checking over his beloved Museum of Masks, and he was always ready to welcome me and ease my fears, as he did on this occasion.

I had long talks with my friends about the future and what we hoped and dreamed. We were at least assured that there would be a wedding soon, and therefore another reason to travel to Vampire Locke to celebrate the marriage of the Rapier Queen.

The only difficulty was that Lisabelle kept disappearing. Both she and Sip were constantly called to meetings, as was I. Even in the middle of beautiful spring afternoons we had to sit in long discussions about paranormal relations. An entirely new order had to be established, given that we could no longer rely on the goodness of fallen angels.

One night, very late, after we’d all finished with meetings for the day, we returned to Astra’s kitchen. Sip, to my surprise, looked furious.

“They can’t ask you to do that!” she was saying to Lisabelle. Lough trailed behind them, looking worried.

“They didn’t,” she said. “I know it’s the only way.”

“I hate it,” said Sip “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. I was eating one of Martha’
s muffins, having given the tiny woman permission to continue to use Astra’s kitchens. I mean, come on. She bakes.

I knew Sip had big news, but I didn’t know Lisabelle did as well.

Lisabelle glanced at me and shrugged before heading for the fridge.

“I’m the Darkness Premier,” she said. “I can’t not be, because the demons would all get loose and wreck havoc, and we’re all tired of that, so tomorrow I depart for the demon holes.”

Sip’s face was bright red. “We fought all of this so that didn’t have to happen.”

Lisabelle gave her friend a bemused look. “We fought all of this to save the paranormal world. That I don’t get what I want is immaterial.”

“It’s material to me,” said Sip.

“It’s immaterial to any paranormal who matters,” Lisabelle corrected herself.

Sip looked like she was about to explode. “I’m not unimportant. I’m the president of the Sign of Six, and Saferous has proposed that MY organization run the new paranormal government.”

“He basically proposed that Sip be president of the paranormals once she graduates,” said Lisabelle. “Fresh blood and all. Well, actually vice president, because she isn’t old enough to be president yet.”

“I’ll be president someday, though,” Sip assured me, bracing her hands on her hips and glaring at Lisabelle.

I set back in my chair. I didn’t like that Lisabelle was doing this, but I knew she had to.

Lough, meanwhile, picked up a cookie and ate it. Then he did that three more times, stuffing his face so full that crumbs lined his mouth and he couldn’t close his teeth. When he realized we were all staring at him, he stopped and glared around the room. He mumbled something unintelligible, then swallowed. Sip got him a glass of milk. When he was finally ready to speak he said, “You better believe I’m going to eat. Girls. Queen Lanca, Queen Charlotte, Premier Verlans, and President Quest. What has the paranormal world come to?”