Ignis (Book 2, Pure Series) (21 page)

           
I walked over to Charisse's side of the room.
 
GM pulled the curtain out further so that we were shielded completely.
 
I had a feeling that GM was actually more interested in talking to Mrs. Graebel herself, rather than in giving Charisse and me privacy.

           
They probably wanted to discuss how better to protect us.
 
Unfortunately, that was likely to mean decreased freedom for both of us.

           
I sat down in a chair next to Charisse's bed, and she gave me a wan smile.

           
"Hey, Katie."

           
"How are you feeling?" I asked.

           
Charisse shifted a little and yawned.
 
"Honestly, I'm fine.
 
I'm just really, really tired.
 
I don't seem to be able to shake off this sluggish feeling."

           
"When did you wake up?"

           
"I was here in the hospital when I woke up.
 
I don't know when it was exactly."

           
"What happened back at the house?
 
How did Joshua put you guys out?"

           
Charisse frowned.
 
"I don't know.
 
I don't remember being put out.
 
The last twenty-four hours are kind of a blur.
 
The last thing I remember clearly is dropping you off yesterday and then driving home.
 
Then it's all a blank.
 
I only know Joshua was involved in the whole thing because the police told me."

           
She made an effort to focus on me.
 
"The police told me you and Simon came to check on me, and then there was a fire.
 
Are you guys okay?"

           
"Simon and I are fine.
 
It looks like I should have believed you.
 
Joshua really was trouble."

           
Charisse shook her head.
 
"It's not your fault.
 
You know, I was actually starting to believe that Joshua had powers—like he was superhuman or something.
 
But he was really just a run-of-the-mill psycho.
 
I shouldn't have let my imagination run wild like I did."

           
I sighed inwardly.
 
Charisse's instincts had been right, of course, but there was no way I could tell her that.

           
"How is your mom?" I asked.

           
Charisse turned her head involuntarily toward her mother, even though the curtain blocked her from view.
 
She took a deep breath, and then turned back to me.
 
"I think she's okay at the moment, but she's still pretty groggy.
 
When she's more herself, and she realizes what almost happened, I think it's going to hit her pretty hard."

           
Charisse gave me an agonized look.
 
"Katie, I didn't like Joshua, and I didn't like having him around, but I never wanted my mom to be hurt.
 
I never wanted anything like this to happen."

           
"I know you didn't," I said. "And your mom knows that, too."

           
I could see tears welling up in Charisse's eyes, and I came over to sit beside her on the bed.

           
"Don't think about it," I said.
 
"You're both safe now.
 
This wasn't your fault, and it wasn't your mother's either.
 
People like Joshua are really good at what they do."
 
Unfortunately, I knew from personal experience that this was true.
 
"Plenty of smart people have been tricked by him—trust me.
 
Your mom didn't really have a chance against him."

           
Charisse looked down at her hands.
 
"He's still out there, isn't he?
 
He wasn't caught."

           
"No, he wasn't."

           
"We aren't safe then, are we?" Charisse said.
 
"He could come back for us."

           
"I don't think he will," I said.
 
"I think he's wise enough to stay away from you and your mother."

           
Whether or not he would come back for me was a different matter.

           
"I hope you're right," Charisse said.
 
She frowned.
 
"You know, I really
don't
remember what happened, but I have a feeling that there was something important I needed to tell you—something you needed to know."

           
I already knew that Joshua had set up the whole thing to trap me, so I wasn't too concerned about any details Charisse might remember.

           
"Don't upset yourself," I said.
 
"I'm sure if there's anything I need to know the police will tell me."

           
"No—it's important—it really is.
 
Give me a minute.
 
I'll think of it."

           
Charisse closed her eyes.
 
In the silence I could hear GM and Mrs. Graebel murmuring on the other side of the curtain.

           
Charisse remained still for such a long time that I thought she had fallen asleep.
 
Then her eyes flew open.

           
"Someone else was there."

           
"What was that?" I asked.

           
"That's what I needed to tell you," Charisse said.
 
"I knew it was important.
 
Someone else was there with Joshua—someone who had a connection to you."

           
"Are you sure you actually remember that?" I asked.
 
"You said you didn't even remember Joshua.
 
And Simon and I didn't see anyone else."

           
"I'm sure of it, Katie.
 
Something was pushing at the back of my mind—something that mattered so much that it pushed through whatever drug it was that Joshua gave me."

           
Charisse frowned again and struggled to remember.
 
GM stepped around the curtain and came to stand beside us.

           
"How are you, dear?" GM asked Charisse.
 
"You've had quite a trying time."

           
"I'm fine, Mrs. Rost.
 
I really am."
 
Charisse gave her a small smile, but her brow remained creased in thought.
 
"I don't really remember much, but I'm trying to remember something now.
 
Someone else was there with Joshua."

           
"Someone else?"
 
GM looked concerned.
 
"Who was it?"

           
Charisse rubbed her temples.
 
"I'm sure it has something to do with Katie."

           
Charisse paused for a long moment.

           
"It was William," she said suddenly.

           
GM blinked in surprise.
 
"What did you say?"

           
"William was there," Charisse said, staring at me defiantly.
 
"I'm sure of it."

           
"Charisse, that's crazy," I said.
 
"There's no way William was there.
 
If he had been, he would have stopped Joshua himself."

           
"Have you told the police about this?" GM asked sharply.

           
Charisse ignored what I'd said and addressed GM.
 
"Not yet.
 
It's only just come back to me.
 
But I will."

           
I was horrified.
 
"Charisse, you can't do that."

           
"Why not?"

           
"Because you never saw him.
 
You told me you didn't remember Joshua.
 
If you didn't remember him—and both Simon and I saw him—how can you possibly remember that William was there?
 
Neither one of us saw him.
 
And as I said, William would have helped you."

           
"I'm positive William was there," Charisse said.
 
"I told you William reminded me of Joshua.
 
That's probably because subconsciously I knew they were working together."

           
"You can't let your dislike of William cloud your judgment," I said angrily.
 
"You're imagining things now.
 
It would be irresponsible of you to tell the police you saw William at the scene.
 
You can't be sure."

           
"I'm sure," Charisse said stubbornly.

           
"Charisse, what's wrong?" Mrs. Graebel called out.

           
GM pulled the curtain back.
 
Mrs. Graebel was getting out of bed.

           
"I just remembered something that happened back at the house," Charisse said.

           
"Charisse, you didn't—"

           
Mrs. Graebel interrupted me gently.
 
"Katie, Anna, would you mind leaving us?
 
I think my daughter and I need to talk."

           
"Of course.
 
We will go."
 
GM put an arm around my shoulder.
 
"Come along, Katie."

           
I allowed myself to be steered out of the room and down the hallway.

           
"William was
not
at the house," I said to GM as we waited for the elevator.
 
"Charisse was unconscious when I found her.
 
I was wide awake.
 
She doesn't know what she's saying."

           
I was really worried that Charisse would actually go ahead and tell the police her ridiculous story.
 
From what Simon had said earlier in the day, William had already been questioned in connection with the attack on the second girl in the Old Grove.
 
If he were also identified as being present in Charisse's house, he really would be in trouble.

           
"We will need to talk," GM said firmly.

           
And talk we did.
 
By the time we reached home, it was established that I wasn't allowed to go anywhere in town alone—not even to school.
 
GM would be driving me to and from school just as she had back in October when people had begun disappearing.

           
And I was no longer permitted to see William.

           
I had argued and argued against that, but eventually I had to give up.
 
I realized that no amount of arguing on my part was going to change GM's mind—at least not at the moment.

           
I was worried about what William would say when he found out.
 
Would he want to abide by GM's rules and not see me?

           
He would certainly be worried by Joshua's attack.
 
Would he think that avoiding me was safer for me?

           
That was ridiculous, of course.
 
In fact, I realized now that I should have used William's call and summoned him to me.
 
William would have appeared in an instant, and he could have stopped Joshua and prevented the fire from ever happening.

           
Things would have been different if I had just called William.

           
But I had been so frozen both in body and mind that I had never even thought of calling him.

           
I was really lucky that Simon had shown up when he did.

           
I felt another pang of worry—this time for a new reason.
 
William hadn't shown up at school today—even though he'd promised to come—and he hadn't shown up at the hospital tonight either.
 
William often seemed to know when something was wrong, but he hadn't appeared.

           
Where was William?

           
When would I see him again?

           
I hoped that I would see him at school tomorrow—I needed to warn him that the police might be after him soon.