The Vaga (12 page)

My eyes move towards the back door where I can sense Julian’s energy. It’s powerful and strong, drawing me to him.

‘He likes you,’ Aunt Lily says.

‘Who, Julian?’

She nods.

‘Oh I don’t know about that, he’s…’

‘He does. I can see it now. I can see why you’d be drawn to him, Ellie. He has a magnetism about him. An interesting sort of allure.’

I chuckle. ‘I suppose. I mean, I don’t even know him.’

‘You have a couple of hours before your exam, so why not get to know him?’ She moves away from the table and walks towards me. Cupping my cheek she says, ‘Any man who’s willing to risk his life for yours has already proven himself worthy of getting to know you in my book.’

‘But Uncle Jo?’

‘You uncle will get over it. He and Julian are more alike than he would care to admit right now. They’ll find their feet. But right now you need to find yours.’ She kisses my forehead and walks out.

A warm flush spreads through me. She’s right, I do need time to find my feet. Mum would be saying the same thing to me if she were here. An ache fills my chest.
I wish I could see you again, Mum
.
Where are you
?

For the millionth time I get no response on the other end of the spirit line. I always wait in hope that she’ll reveal herself again, just like she did in Egypt when she was helping me find the light. But ever since then there has been nothing. No spell, or pleading, or praying is going to bring her back, and I know that, but it still hurts like hell every single day.

Shaking myself from my longing, I move down the hallway to my room and quickly get dressed. Grabbing my bag, I head towards the back door, my hand pausing against the screen as I see Julian pacing up and down the garden, talking to someone on his phone. I catch part of the conversation.

‘Yes, sir. I know. She’s fine. No, sir. I understand. I will.’ He hangs up and puts the phone in his back pocket.

Who was he talking to? It was obviously about me, but who else would know? My body stiffens as I realise that he must have been talking to the Puritan, or Dominus, or whatever the hell he’s called.

I reach for the screen door and push my way outside, automatically inhaling the fresh air as it washes over me with its whispered breath. Heightening my senses, I hear bees buzzing through the flowers, the rustling of leaves high in the trees, and butterflies fluttering their way across the garden in an array of colour. It rejuvenates me.

I walk towards Julian, a little shy and unsure, but willing to give this whole mixed-up thing a chance.

A smile plays on his lips.

‘What?’ I ask.

‘You always do that,’ he says.

I frown. ‘Do what?’

He shrugs and puts his hands in his pockets. ‘Breathe it all in.’

‘You’ve been watching me?’

The corners of his mouth lift. ‘Only for the last few years.’

He makes a move towards the campus. My feet automatically move with him. ‘I don’t know if I should be flattered or weirded out by that.’

He glances at me curiously as we make our way across the yard and through the warding. ‘What? The watching part?’

I nod as Magi appears out of nowhere and takes up her place beside me, her energy on alert.

Julian looks down at Magi and then back to me. ‘I suppose it would be pretty weird knowing that I’ve been out there keeping an eye on you all this time. But there are things you don’t know. Things you should know.’

I wait for him to continue but he remains quiet. An odd silence follows and I focus my attention on what’s going on around us. Feeling slightly exposed out here with him, I think of Phoebe. What if she sees me with him? How will she react?
You know damn well how she’ll react
,
like a lunatic let loose out of the asylum
!

I groan silently. She is not going to be happy.

‘What are you thinking?’ he asks.

I peer at him from the corner of my eye, and as I watch the sun’s rays beam down onto his face, highlighting his features, my stomach does a flip.

I shrug, trying to pull myself together. ‘Umm…just that Phoebe would kill me if she saw us together.’

He winces. ‘I suppose I could understand that. She would have every right to hate me after what I did.’

Letting out a sigh I say, ‘No one hates you, Julian.’

He scoffs. ‘Yeah, right.’

What can I say to that? Telling him that Karma’s a bitch doesn’t seem appropriate after what we’ve just been through. Surely with him saving me from the Crocotta this morning and warning about the Vaga some of that Karma has been paid back?

Once we reach the campus border he stops walking and faces me. Magi looks between us with interest.

I look up into his eyes and a few seconds pass before I find my voice. ‘What’s wrong?’

He peers over his shoulder and thrusts his hands deep into his pockets. ‘I just think it might be better if I stay back from here on in. I don’t want to draw unwanted attention.’

Feeling a little disappointed I say, ‘Oh…well I thought we could…’

My phone tings, interrupting me before I could potentially say something stupid. I grab it from my pocket.

‘Crap!’

He takes a step towards me. ‘What is it?’

‘Phoebe needs me to come to her dorm. She thinks there’s something wrong with Sam.’

His shoulders tense. ‘Tall guy Sam?’

I nod.

‘I’ll come with you,’ he says.

Come with me? Phoebe will go insane, but…

‘Elena, stop thinking and let’s go. It will be alright,’ he says as if reading my mind.

My phone tings again. ‘She’s really flipping out. I’ve gotta go. Listen, I don’t think it’s a great idea that you come. I just don’t think Phoebe will handle it right now. Can we meet up later?’

His eyes darken for a moment and I hold my breath, waiting for his response. Maybe he doesn’t want to catch up later. Maybe he was only helping you because he feels guilty about trying to kill you? Maybe he…

He moves forward, closing the distance between us and my stomach does a flip. ‘I’m coming with you. We have to get this over and done with at some point.’

Shaking my head I move away from him. ‘Ah, you don’t know Phoebe.’

‘I beg to differ.’

My back stiffens. ‘Watching from the shadows doesn’t give you a deep insight into who we are, Julian.’

I scowl and then realise that what I just said came out a bit harsh.

He puts his hands up submissively, and the action reminds me so strongly of Uncle Jo that a shudder runs through me. Maybe Aunt Lily was right. Maybe they are more alike than they think.

‘You’re right. It doesn’t. But I’m here now and I want to get to know you and the people you care about. I don’t want to be hiding in the shadows any longer. I’m tired of it.’

He moves closer until we are only inches apart. The air charges and I hold my breath.

‘I want you to trust me. I
need
you to trust me.’

His eyes waver with mixed emotions and I wish I could hear his thoughts.

Magi’s low growl brings me back to the present and I look down to see her eyes trained on Julian with intensity.

He sees it too and backs away slowly. ‘Sorry, Mags.’

My head whips up. ‘You don’t get to call her that,’ I say angrily before shaking my head and storming towards the dorm.

Magi lifts her furry chin and walks beside me, as if satisfied that I defended her honour. A small smirk crosses my lips and I quicken my pace, sensing Julian is not far behind me.

Keep walking
,
Ellie
.
Don’t you dare look back
.
Don’t you dare
.

We reach the building and I make my way up to the
fourth floor. I’ve lost sight of Julian and breathe a sigh of relief, knowing he’s pulled back. I just couldn’t face Phoebe about that right now. Too much, too soon.

I round the corner to the long corridor, and a few doors down I see Phoebe circling the floor outside Sam’s room. I quickly make my way towards her, noticing that her brown eyes are wide and frantic looking.

‘Phoebs, what’s going on?’

She grabs my arm roughly. ‘E, where have you been? Something’s wrong with Sam.’

‘What do you mean? Where is he?’

She lifts a shaky finger to the door as her eyes dart around the empty corridor with suspicion.

‘He’s in his room?’ I ask, puzzled as to what the problem is.

She rolls her eyes. ‘Yes, but it’s not just that. He won’t answer my texts or calls and when I came to check on him I could hear whimpering. Please, you have to go in and look.’

‘Phoebs, maybe he just wants to be left alone. Did you think of that?’

Her face threatens to crumble and her bottom lip quivers. ‘You don’t know us. He wouldn’t do that, he wouldn’t just…ignore me. I can’t expect you to understand.’ She turns her head away from me.

Her words hurt. Of course I wouldn’t understand. I’m just a happily single witch who wouldn’t know what love is…right?

‘What do you want me to do?’ I ask, forcing my feelings down into the dark little pit inside me.

She lowers her voice. ‘I want you to teleport in there and check on him.’

My eyes widen. ‘Are you serious? Do you have any idea how many things could go wrong with that? Geez, Phoebs.’

‘I don’t care.’ She crosses her arms across her chest and waits for my response.

My eyes find hers and I realise she really doesn’t care. She would risk my identity so easily just to find out what’s going on with her boyfriend? My heart plummets inside my chest.

‘You can’t let her do that, Phoebe,’ Julian says, stepping out from the stairwell.

My stomach lurches violently.

Phoebe’s cherub-like face shifts from surprise to shock and then to absolute fear. She reels backwards, her face contorting with an array of emotions, and I can’t help but feel angry that Julian just revealed himself. Why couldn’t he have waited?

‘Phoebs, don’t freak out, please. He isn’t here to hurt us. He’s here to help.’ I reach out to touch her arm and she slaps my hand away, looking at me as if I’m some sort of stranger.

Her head swivels back and forth between us as she backs up against the door, her finger pointed towards Julian. ‘What the hell is he doing here?’

‘I know you’re upset, but please just—’

She throws daggers my way. ‘Please just what? Please just understand why you’d even talk to this asshole after what he did?’ she yells, unconsciously touching the invisible scar on her face.

‘Phoebs, let me explain, okay. Don’t jump to conclusions when you don’t know.’

‘Don’t know what? That you have feelings for this guy?’

I balk at her words, shocked that she would know about my true feelings. Julian’s eyes widen also, but he remains passive.

‘What? You don’t think I know how you feel about him? That letter you keep in your drawer is all but falling apart from the amount of times you’ve read it. And you
mumble
in your sleep!’ she spits.

‘Why…why didn’t you say anything?’ I whisper.

‘Because I was hoping I was wrong!’

A male student walking past stops at the head of the stairs, eyeballing us with curiosity.

Julian moves away from the wall and faces him. The guy quickly shuffles away, keeping his head down.

‘But it seems like I was right. And now you bring him here with you? How could you?’ Phoebe asks, her face a nice shade of pissed off.

‘I know you’re upset…’

‘No, I don’t think you do.’ She crosses her arms. ‘You have no idea how upset I am right now. My best friend is betraying me with the enemy.’

My back bristles. ‘I would never betray you.
Ever
.’

‘Yeah? Well what do you call this?’ she says, thrusting her arm out towards Julian.

‘I’m not here to cause you any more pain,’ Julian says.

Phoebe points a finger at him. ‘Hey! You don’t get to talk to me asshat! In fact…both of you just get out of here.’

Julian walks towards her slowly, his palms out wide and his voice soft and gentle. ‘I am only here to help. That’s all.’

‘Stay away from me or I swear to God…’

Julian keeps walking forward as if he’s trying to talk down a hungry lioness.

‘I mean it,’ she says. ‘Stay back!’

As if knowing what is about to happen Julian takes another step forward and before I can stop her Phoebe punches him right in the jaw.

His head whips to the side and I can see that the hit stings but he doesn’t react. It pains me to see her hurting like this, but a part of me is proud that the combat training has paid off. She punches him again and pulls her fist back into her chest, cradling it in pain.

‘Phoebs, stop!’ I grab her by the arm.

Her face crumbles and she turns on me. ‘You two are buddies now, is that it?’ she spits angrily. ‘The guy who tried to kill us is your new bestie! Seriously?’

Julian rubs his jaw but his eyes remain soft.

‘You don’t understand. I’ll explain it all to you but first let’s help Sam,’ I say, trying to diffuse the situation and distract her from inflicting more pain on him, and on me.

She shakes her blonde curls roughly. ‘No! You two need to get out of here. I don’t want your help. I don’t need your help.’ Her voice wavers and tears fall onto her cheeks.

I pull her into a hug and she resists at first, but then her body softens when I don’t let go. ‘You don’t know the whole story. Please, you need to trust me right now. I’ll explain everything but first let’s see if Sam is okay,’ I whisper into her ear.

She pulls away from me and wipes the tears from her eyes, avoiding my gaze. ‘Okay, but I’m only doing this for Sam. I’m not talking to
him
,’ she says, not looking back at Julian.

He nods lightly in my direction, agreeing to her terms, and then a faint whimper sounds out from behind the door.

‘Sam? Sam, can you hear me? Open up, please!’ Phoebe whispers into the door, rattling the handle desperately.

Magi whimpers beside me, letting me know that something is in fact wrong with Sam.

I search the corridor to find that it’s all clear and as if sensing what I’m about to do Julian steps forward. ‘No, Elena. You can’t teleport in there alone.’