Dancing With Raven (The Young Shakespeareans Series) (29 page)

Raven’s eyebrows rose. “Good to know.”

Mime cleared his throat. “I’d have to create a portal to the underworld within some existing structure. The only challenge would be luring the demons.”

“Not a problem,” Ian said. “They respond to mention of the Scottish play.”

“A lot,” Raven added.

“You don’t understand,” Mime said. “A Nephilim must act as bait or the demons won’t pass through the portal.”

“I’ll do it,” Felicia, Fletcher, Raven, and Chase all spoke at once.

“Your bravery does you credit, but it’s unnecessary,” Ian said. “I’ll lure the demons into the portal when the time comes.”

“No!” Raven exclaimed.

His father gave him the look he always used to shut him down. “End of discussion.”

Despite that, Raven wouldn’t let it go. “Mr. Mime, if a human passes through the portal into the underworld, can he get out again?”

The warlock frowned. “Few people pass into the underworld and live to talk about it. It should be considered a one-way trip.”

“Do you have everything you need to create the portal?” Ian asked.

“Mmm…yes, but I only have enough ingredients to cast the spell one time.”

“Right now, our plan is to take the Leap Day child out of the city a day before March first.”

“So you’ve discovered the child’s identity?” Mime asked.

“It’s a closely guarded secret, so we can’t say the name out loud,” Chase said. “No offense.”

Mime cocked his head, seemingly puzzled. “None taken.”

“Once we know the child is safely out of reach, we’ll set the trap and rid L.A. of its demons,” Ian said.

“I’ll be ready,” Mime said. “Just say the word.”

Chapter Seventeen

L.A. on Fire

A
FTER
S
HE
F
INISHED
H
ER
H
OMEWORK
, Tori pulled out an old duffle bag and assembled some things to take with her to Blackfriars the following afternoon. Replenishing her wardrobe was just a short drive home, but she wanted enough clothes to last at least until the weekend. As she was debating whether or not to pack extra leotards and tights for pointe class or just rinse out the ones in her dance bag, she heard piano music coming from downstairs. Moments later, Misty began to sing.

Tori hastened to the living room and curled up on the sofa to listen to her foster mother play and sing her signature hit—a hard hitting pop-rock ballad which had gone platinum long before she was born. The tune was catchy, and Tori found herself humming along. Suddenly, she flashed back to when her parents were alive. The three of them would sit in this living room, listening and singing along as Misty played. Sometimes she and her mother would dance together…until her father cut in to dance with them both. A feeling of nostalgia for those times hit her so forcefully that tears filled her eyes and spilled over.

As the song came to a close, Tori blotted her face and mustered a smile. “That was beautiful.”

Before Misty could respond, a substantial tremor shook the house and sent the hanging light fixtures swaying. Her foster mother lowered the fall over the keyboard, and beckoned Tori to join her in the doorway of the living room for safety. As the quake continued, the statuette of Venus de Milo fell from the mantle and shattered on the hearth below.

“Oh, no!” Tori said.

“It’s all right. It wasn’t important.” Misty winced when the tinkling of glass from the kitchen indicated another loss. “I hope that wasn’t one of the fluorescent light bulbs over the sink.”

“I’m guessing from the sound it was the flower vase on the ledge.”

“Good. I hate that vase.” Although Misty’s attempt at humor was contradicted by the tension in her face, as soon as the shaking stopped she smiled. “It’s over.”

“That was at least a four point five, don’t you think?” Tori said.

“Maybe even a five. You know, I’ve lived through many major quakes in California, and can tell you exactly what I was doing when each one hit. I used to think about moving, but this is where the work was.”

“Any regrets?”

“Not a one. In fact, I wish I could do it all over again. Perhaps I will, in my next lifetime.”

Tori laughed. “Thanks for the song. It brought back some good memories.”

She turned to go, but Misty stopped her.

“Hold on a moment. I want you to have something.” The older woman tugged a cocktail ring off her finger and pressed it into Tori’s hand. “A very wealthy lover gave this to me when I was young and glamorous. Don’t lose it, it’s worth a fortune.”

Taken aback, Tori gaped at the exquisite square-cut Tanzanite and diamond platinum ring which still retained the warmth from Misty’s hand. “I can’t possibly accept this.”

“Early birthday present.”

A lump formed in Tori’s throat and she gave Misty a hug. “You’re the best foster mother anyone could ever have, but it’s too much.”

Misty sighed and slid it back onto her finger. “All right, I’ll wait a bit and give it to you when the time is right.”

Although Tori smiled, she couldn’t imagine when it would be appropriate for Misty to give her such an expensive gift. What had prompted her foster mother’s generous impulse?

“You’re not worried about the surgery, are you?” she asked.

“No, not at all. Actually, I’m looking forward to it more than I can say.”

“Good. I’ll get the dustpan and whisk broom and clean up the mess.”

“You’ve always been such a good girl,” Misty said. “I can always count on you to do the right thing.”

Since Misty was preparing for her trip, Monday morning was hectic. Anya had already been told to take time off, so Tori got her own breakfast, gave her foster mother a quick hug, and lugged her dance bag, backpack, laptop, and duffle bag out the door. Outside, she recoiled from the acrid scent of burning wood and her eyes stung. The sky overhead was tinted an unhealthy brownish orange color from lingering smoke, and it was difficult to breathe. A layer of white ash coated her car, obscuring its color.
Yeesh! That can’t be good for the paint.
When she drew closer, her heart leaped into her throat. “666” had been drawn into the ash on the hood.
Must have been the work of a roving imp, feeling mischievous.
As soon as she set the car in motion, most of the ash slid off, and she tried to put the Mark of the Beast out of her mind. With clots of demons on every street corner, however, it was impossible.

As the school morning wore on, several students went to the nurse’s office with asthma attacks. Then, in the middle of Tori’s math class, school administrators announced over the public address system that school was closed until the ash and smog subsided. Assignments could be accessed via the school’s website. The ebullience that would usually accompany a school closure announcement was replaced by sheer relief. Students, drooping from the effects of the smoke, stood up and began to file out into the hallway. Flanked by George and Jenny, Tori joined them.

“In other parts of the country, school is canceled for snow. Here, it’s for riots, mudslides, earthquakes, and smog,” George joked.

“I’d cheer if I could breathe,” Jenny said. “Tori, do you think Madame Martine will cancel dance classes too?”

“Probably, but let me check.” Tori accessed the studio blog on her phone. “Yes, the studio is closed until further notice.’”

“I’m going straight home to take a shower.” George’s eyes were bloodshot. “I feel like the inside of an ashtray.”

Raven was pacing near Tori’s locker when she arrived. “If you’ve got your clothes and things in your trunk, you can follow us back to Blackfriars,” he said.

“Us?”

“I drove Fletcher and Felicia to school in my father’s car this morning. None of us relished the idea of ash in our teeth.”

She studied him a moment. His face looked drawn.

“You look like you didn’t get any sleep.”

“I didn’t.” His mouth turned down at the corners and he shook his head. “Let’s not talk about it here.”

A nod. “Okay.”

After she’d retrieved what she needed from her locker and zipped up her book bag, Raven automatically took it from her.

“I can carry it,” she said. “You’ve already got yours.”

He didn’t appear to be listening. “Come on. Fletcher and Felicia are waiting in the car.”

Traffic was light on the way to Blackfriars, and Tori supposed people were choosing to stay indoors. She followed Raven up the driveway to the castle. To her surprise, Chase was standing at the top of a stepladder, helping Mr. Cassidy install a security camera. Raven offered to help, but his father waved him inside.

“Thanks, but we’re going to finish this one and knock off for the day. It’s just too hard to breathe out here. Tori, welcome to Blackfriars.”

Quigley, Raven, and Fletcher carried Tori’s things to her room. After she freshened up, she joined Raven in the den. As they relaxed on the couch, he detailed what had transpired since the party Saturday night and how Chase agreed to move to Blackfriars. When he described the meeting with Mr. Mime and the plan to lure the city’s demons into a portal to the underworld, she became alarmed.

“That’s just crazy. We need to get rid of the demons, but not at the cost of your father’s life! We’ll just have to figure something else out.”

“I’d be very grateful if you could convince him. My father and I have had our disagreements in the past, but I don’t want to lose him—particularly not to the underworld.”

She took Raven’s hand. “Is that why you can’t sleep?”

“Yes.” He sighed and pulled her into his arms. “I feel so frustrated, like a rat in a maze. I can’t see where I’m running and I keep hitting dead ends.”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought we could trust Lord Birmingham, and now it looks like we can’t. We were hoping to forge an alliance with the vampires, but Fairchild wasn’t interested. I can’t help but think we’re missing something.” He nuzzled her hair with his lips. “The only thing that feels right is you.”

Her body melted against him, and as she closed her eyes a feeling of joy filled her center and spread warmth through her veins.
It’s a miracle I could be so happy in the midst of a crisis. Despite all the tragedy I’ve experienced, right now I’m the luckiest girl in the world.
Her parents had always been so affectionate with one another. Perhaps even though they’d lived a life of subterfuge, they’d been contented too in their own way.

“You’ve made me very happy.” She raised her head until she could see his eyes. “Just in case anything happens to me, I wanted you to know that.”

“Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I guarantee it.”

His lips caressed hers in a way that made Tori feel she’d been thoroughly kissed. She did her level best to return the favor.