Elemental Air (Paranormal Public Series) (4 page)

Dacer frowned at Lough. “You know
who this is, right?” he said, thumbing at Caid. “He’s the president of the
Paranormals, not exactly a man you order around.”

Caid chuckled again. “Let’s not
keep the boy from his food. We got to know each other pretty well over the past
semester. I’m more than happy to return to the fire.”

We followed the president at a
leisurely pace around to the other side of the house. When he saw the panorama
spread out in front of him, Dacer let out a little gasp and clapped his hands
over his mouth. Caid gave him a sidelong grin.

“Didn’t expect a paranormal who
only cared about his studying and girls to have such a nice view?” Caid sounded
very pleased that his old friend liked his summer home.

Dacer smiled. “I always knew
you’d clean up well. Even before you won the election in a landslide I knew you
were more than just a hopeless nerd.”

“I was never much with the
ladies,” said Caid with a wink. Sip and Lisabelle had gone ahead with Lough,
arguably because roasting marshmallows was not a process that should be
interrupted, but I had stayed behind, feeling a need to spend a couple of
minutes talking to our host. His security team had blended back into the night
before I had a chance to get a good look at any of them, not that I would have
recognized the faces in any case. They were elite, presumably almost on the
scale of Vital. In fact, by rights Vital should be working for Caid, but he had
declined that option - and all others - in favor of looking after Queen Lanca.

Dacer was right, the view was
gorgeous. The clear water of Lake Timarity stretched out in front of us as far
as I could see. On either side were trees, the few other houses that dotted the
lakeshore invisible behind thick green branches. Caid’s house was on a gentle
slope that flowed nicely into a sandy beach and then into the water. Caid had
placed lots of colorful wooden chairs right at the water’s edge, and I could
picture everyone in our group hiking up their pants and enjoying the sand and
sunshine. Except for Lisabelle, of course.

The back of the house, or the
patio, as Caid called it, was made entirely of stone. It was beautifully laid,
with a sloping path that led to a circular area for chairs, tables, and a fire
pit. At the pit now were my friends, each holding sticks with marshmallows
attached to them. Lisabelle had already burnt hers to a crisp and was teasing
Sip with it.

“Stop it,” my werewolf friend
scolded, her purple eyes turning to flames from the fire.

“I thought you wanted a second
marshmallow,” said Lisabelle innocently, her voice filled with amusement.

“I did. A marshmallow, not piece
of black tar courtesy of your warped idea of amusement,” said Sip coldly. “Why
don’t you go play with the cat? The two of you were made for each other.”

“There’s a cat?” I asked
excitedly. Ricky was allergic to animals, so we had never been able to have
pets when I was living at home. I had a feeling my stepdad would have refused
to have pets anyway.

“Yes,” said Lough sadly. “At
least, they claim he’s a cat. I think he’s a demon in miniature.”

“He does have a mind all his
own,” said Caid easily, not sounding particularly fond of the animal. He took
his place in a chair that was set a little way back from the fire, but facing
the perfect view of the water.

“He’s contrary,” said Sip. “But
most cats are, so I don’t know why everyone holds it against him.”

“Lisabelle likes him?” Dacer
asked gently, sitting down next to Caid.

“Yes,” said Lough, frowning at
the professor. Normally none of us, including Lough, thought much about the
fact that we spent a lot of time with adults in a way that other students
didn’t. But Dacer always made him nervous. It was probably the eye makeup.

“Well then, there must be
something wrong with it,” said Dacer, smiling slightly at his own joke. Sip
guffawed.

“Bartholem is just
misunderstood,” said Lisabelle forlornly. “He isn’t all bad.”

“Just ninety-nine percent,” said
Lough. “The thing is scary. It’s a cat, yet look how it behaves!”

“He’s a sweetheart on the
inside,” Lisabelle insisted.

“Stop pretending you have
feelings,” said Sip. “It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Fine,” said Lisabelle
churlishly.

With a yowl, as if on cue,
something shot out of the trees that led up the slope from the water. I jumped,
taken by surprise at the sudden loud noise and movement, but Lough was
downright frightened. With a cry he flung his stick, marshmallow and all, into
the air and darted for the water. Only after a large white cat - who I could
only assume was the misunderstood Bartholem - had hopped onto the seat that
Lough had just vacated did Lough slowly return. Caid was nearly falling out of
his chair laughing, and the rest of us were chuckling as Bartholem started to
wash his paws, pretending for all the world that nothing had happened. Lough
gave the cat a dark look. If cats could smile, I had a very good idea that
right then that’s what Bartholem would have been doing.

“You’re scared of a little cat?”
Lisabelle teased. Bartholem was ignoring everyone, but from the flashes of his
eyes I could see that they were a bright blue. He was a beautiful cat.

“He doesn’t look demonic,” I
commented, taking a chair between Sip and Lisabelle. Lough’s chair, on Sip’s
right, was now occupied by the animal, so Lough was forced to perch awkwardly
on the edge of the pit. He glared at the cat.

“This is ridiculous. Where did
cats get the idea that they ran everything?” he asked hotly.

Caid chuckled. “They are smart
beasts.”

We settled back for a night of
laughter. Caid had lots of other friends at the house, and it turned out that
we were sitting around the campfire with several very powerful paranormals. At
one point late in the evening, Lisabelle threw not only her marshmallow but
also her roasting stick into the fire and watched them burn. Everyone ignored
her outburst except the cat; through the entire evening it was the only time
the animal acknowledged that there was any other living thing present besides
himself.

Right before we students retired
to our sleeping quarters, which just happened to be in a small guest house that
was entirely separate from the main lodge, Dacer leaned over to me and
whispered. “You are sitting with the movers and shakers of the paranormals.
When we go to war against the Nocturns, at least half of those who will make
the decision to fight are sitting around this table. Maybe you don’t realize
it, and maybe I shouldn’t tell you, but it is not because of me that you are
here.”

I had no idea what he was talking
about. I stared hard into the flames, concentrating. Finally, I said, “What do
you mean?”

Dacer shrugged, his eyes filled
with concern. “I hope you never have to find out.”

The next morning I sprang out of
bed. Usually when I stayed with my friends, Lisabelle and Sip woke me up. But
this time I was determined to have some quiet time before they got up. I shared
a room with both of them, and creeping out without waking them up took some
work. Right at the door I glanced back at Lisabelle, who was hard to see in the
sea of black into which she had converted her bed. Curled up next to her was
something white; clearly Bartholem had really taken a liking to my friend. As I
inched the door open, the cat’s startling blue eyes sprang open as well.

Carefully, he picked himself up
from his spot next to Lisabelle and followed me out. I raised my eyebrows, but
Bartholem did not dignify me with a look, he just stalked out the door in front
of me.

“Well, excuse me for existing,” I
muttered. He and Lisabelle would get along perfectly.

I thought I’d been clever, but
Lough was already downstairs, sitting in a chair and reading a very thin book.
When he saw me he grinned.

“I’ve been helping my parents on the
little farm all summer,” he explained, “getting up at the crack of dawn.” He
closed the book and nodded at Bartholem.

“Don’t tell me that thing slept
with you,” he said, scrunching up his face in distaste.

“Nope,” I said, grinning. “He
slept with Lisabelle.”

Lough groaned and covered his
face with his hands. We all knew that Lough was in love with Lisabelle. He had
been since our first year at Public. She had no idea how he felt, but all of
us, including Lough, were cure that she didn’t return his affection.
Undeterred, Lough seemed to think that eventually she would come around.

I perched on the edge of the sofa
facing Lough’s dark blue rocking chair. The cabin had a wood theme, with
beautiful pine floors and dark comforting rugs. Covering the walls were lots of
pictures of famous paranormals hanging out in nature.

“How was your summer?” I asked.

Lough shrugged. He was more
suntanned than I had ever seen him, and it was clear that he had spent his days
outside in the fresh air. But his cheeks were as ruddy as ever and his eyes had
their usual sparkle.

“It was decent,” he said. “I
don’t think the Police Academy is for me, but I’m glad I spent some time there
and I’m even more glad it wasn’t for the whole summer. I liked being at home
with my family. My sister is head over heels in love with Sip’s brother. It
wouldn’t surprise me if they got married.”

“That’s awesome,” I said. “Does
she get along with the other brothers as well?”

Sip was the youngest of six, and
the rest were boys. They were massively protective of their little sister,
which was almost funny, because Sip did not tolerate nonsense from anyone.

“Oh, they love her,” Lough
gushed. But before he could say more, Bartholem took the opportunity to claw at
his chair. Lough yelped. Bartholem turned his bottom to face Lough and raised
his tail before sauntering into the kitchen area.

Lough shook his head. “I like it
here, but I can’t wait to leave. Get me away from that thing.”

I just shook my head. Bartholem
obviously knew he annoyed Lough and just as obviously reveled in it.

“Why are you up so early?” Lough
asked, eyeing me suspiciously, as if he thought I was about to sneak out of the
house. Of course, I
had
been about to sneak out of the
house, and it served me right that I had thought I’d get away with it when I
was staying with my best friends.

“I thought I’d go for a walk,” I
said. “See more of Caid’s property.”

Lough sighed and glanced around
the well-furnished living room.

“I’ll say this for Caid,” he
said. “He keeps this place comfortable.”

I looked around at the plush
chairs and the sofa that looked like you’d sink almost to the floor as soon as
you sat down. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Of course it’s comfortable. It’s a
summer house.”

Lough snorted. “My aunt’s summer
house is like a museum of her life. We’re all afraid to visit her there in case
we break something. It’s not really livable. This place is nice. It makes me
like Caid more.” His eyes suddenly brightened. “Can I go for a walk with you?”

“What, you don’t want to stay
here with Bartholem?” I teased. Lough’s face instantly clouded and he rolled
his eyes.

“For no amount of money,” he
muttered, glaring at the cat.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll grab my
coat.”

I dashed back upstairs and
grabbed my thin fleece off the peg outside my room. Even from indoors it was
clear that the heat of yesterday was slipping into the early fall cool of
today. I was in jean shorts, which I thought would be okay, but I knew that if
I went out in a t-shirt I’d be cold.

When I got back downstairs Lough
was waiting for me. He had already slipped his sneakers on, doing the best he
could to avoid the white cat, who was sprawled in the center of the green and
blue living room rug.

Lough pulled the heavy wooden
door open for me and we stepped outside. It turned out that Caid owned several
buildings, including the main house we’d driven up to last night. He had four
small guest lodges, and we’d been stuck in the one that was furthest from the
main house. Dacer had chuckled and told us to stay out of trouble, to which Sip
had responded that we never intentionally got into trouble. Dacer, when he’d
stopped laughing at his own joke, had explained that that’s why he thought it
was funny.

“Gosh, it’s nice here in the
morning,” said Lough, admiring the sun glinting off the lake and the large
trees swaying gently in the surrounding sea of green. I left my fleece
unbuttoned, but I was glad to have my arms covered. Fall, and the time to
return to Public, had definitely arrived.

“Yeah,” I said. “Caid picked a
nice spot.”

“Oh, he didn’t pick it,” said
Lough. “He said it’s been in his family for generations. He shares ownership
with his sister.”

“I guess that makes sense,” I
said. “It’s good for a president to have such a protected spot.” I only noticed
Lough’s grimace because I happened to be looking at him when I said it.