Elemental Shining (Paranormal Public Series) (40 page)

I realized too late that I didn’t want them to. I still had questions for him, like had he found any of the other artifacts for the demons.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Lisabelle later, when the three of us were in Astra and I was bemoaning my failure to think quickly enough. “The important thing is that he didn’t get the Mirror.”

I told my friends about our conversation. “He said he wasn’t Elam.”

“Elam is probably some great mythical creature,” said Sip. “Not anyone we will ever know.”

“Yeah,” I said, chewing my lip. “Maybe.”

“Don’t worry so much,” said Lisabelle. “Risper’s back now. He’s going to come see us tomorrow and make sure we’re okay. Like, you know, that’s necessary.”

“What’s bothering you?” Sip asked me, her purple eyes locked on my face.

“He realized something while we were talking. About Elam.”

“We don’t care who Elam is,” Lisabelle pointed out.

“Yes, we do,” I said, getting more comfortable under my blankets while my two friends sat at the end of the bed. “Elam is after the Mirror too. I have to protect it. The mirror belongs in Astra.”

I sat in silence for a long time while my friends talked about other things. That was fine with me. I was stiff and tired and content to enjoy the chance to rest quietly.

Keller had flipped out when he saw my injuries. Apparently I looked as bad as I felt, go figure. His aunt had tried to order him away from me, but he had refused to go. She couldn’t go into a rage at him in front of everyone, but I knew he would catch a lot of trouble later for defying her. As it was, he had helped heal the worst of my wounds and I was now comfortable, if not entirely free of pain. Sometimes she still had trouble pretending to like me.

Over and over again I replayed the conversation with Jenkins. Over and over again I thought about what Risper had said about my moving the mirror out of Astra “to a safe place.” Well, Risper and I disagreed. The safest place in the world for the Mirror Arcane was Astra, so what, then. . . .

OH.

I jumped to my feet, startling my friends. I nearly knocked over the lamp as they both looked at me in surprise.

“Come on,” I said, hurrying off.

“Where are we going?” Sip wondered as she and Lisabelle followed behind.

“To get the Map Silver,” I said grimly.

“Did that demon attack make you crazy?” Lisabelle asked as she followed me.

“Maybe hit your head too hard?” Sip asked worriedly.

“I’m fine,” I muttered. “Really.”

“Then why are you getting out of bed?” Mrs. Swan asked, her hands crossed serenely in front of her.

“I have something to do,” I said hurriedly. “I won’t be long.”

“Dacer would be furious at me if he knew I was letting you get out of bed.”

“He doesn’t have to know,” said Sip, grinning mischievously.

Mrs. Swan rolled her eyes, but she did let us pass.

It did not take long to get to Risper’s. I pounded on his door. We had never been to his house before; he had the place to himself instead of living in Airlee, and we had never had any reason to go there. He was not the friendly type, like Dacer, that wanted to have visitors.

“Why doesn’t he live in Airlee?” Sip wondered. “Like the other deans live in dorms.”

“Who in their right mind would want Risper supervising children?” Lisabelle asked.

“Fair point,” said Sip as she waited on the steps behind me.

“You think my uncle knows who Elam is?” Lisabelle asked. “Is that it? Is that why you dashed out of bed like a mad bat?”

“I think he knows exactly who Elam is,” I said. I pounded again.

“If he knew, why wouldn’t he have arrested him years ago?” Lisabelle asked, exasperated.

“Good question,” I said. I raised my hand to pound again.

“Just don’t mention Jenkins to him,” Lisabelle suggested.

Just then the man himself yanked the door open. When he saw who was standing there he raised his eyebrows, his face softening from a scowl to a mere frown.

He was shirtless. He wore black workout pants, with a black towel casually draped over one shoulder. Somehow I had never realized what good shape Risper was in. His chest rippled with sinewy muscle and water droplets dripped down his torso. His upper half was covered in scars.

Granted, he was in his forties, but even a man half his age would think twice about starting a fight with him if they saw him like this.

“Uncle R,” Lisabelle greeted him with a nod of her head. “Nice to see you aren’t dead.”

“Same to you. What can I do for you?” he asked, rubbing his hands dry on the towel.

“We came to talk to you about Elam,” said Lisabelle. “Well, Charlotte did, anyway. Go easy on her. She’s had a long night.”

Risper stood aside, his mouth crooked in a slight smile, and the three of us filed past him.

I was surprised at how beautifully his apartment was decorated.

“Drinks?” he offered. I had forgotten that Risper drank alcohol, something incredibly dangerous for paranormals, but Risper obviously lived dangerously in more ways than one.

“You really shouldn’t drink,” said Sip, folding her arms across her chest.

Lisabelle made a choking noise. Sip just couldn’t help herself sometimes.

Risper chuckled. “I was going to offer you apple cider. ’Tis the season, after all. What I do with my own time is none of your concern, little Quest.”

Sip blushed and ducked her head.

“Please sit while I get the drinks,” said Risper. It might have been my imagination, but I thought his eyes flicked to me.

“What is it I can do for you?” he asked, his back turned to us while he fussed with some glasses. “I’ve been gone a long time and I have a lot of work to catch up on.”

“Yeah, Charlotte, care to explain what we’re all doing here?” Lisabelle asked waspishly.

I took a deep breath. “I think I know who Elam is.”

Sip’s jaw dropped open. Lisabelle sat up straight and Risper paused mid-pour. All three of them stared at me.

“Definitely hit your head at some point,” said Lisabelle. “You think you’ve figured it out without tracking Elam at all, while my uncle has spent years tracking him and hasn’t caught him?”

I couldn’t even bring myself to look at Risper. I started to say something, but Risper interrupted. “I should probably put a shirt on for this explanation of yours,” he said. “I’ll be right back. He handed each of us a drink and disappeared into his bedroom. I twisted the glass in my hand while I waited nervously.

We waited in silence for a while, with Lisabelle just glaring at me. Finally she said, “I can’t believe you’re bothering him when he just got back, and you’ve just almost been killed. Again.”

“You don’t even like him,” Sip countered, raising her eyebrows at Lisabelle.

“He’s family,” Lisabelle shot back, throwing up her hands.

I cleared my throat nervously. Now that I was about to confront Dean Risper, I was less confident than I had been in the quiet of Astra. I was about to accuse a famous bounty hunter and universally renowned darkness mage of high treason. Not only that, but he was my best friend’s uncle.

Minutes passed and nothing happened. There was silence from the bedroom.

“Uncle Risper,” Lisabelle called, draining her glass and getting up.

Still no sound came from the bedroom, or anywhere else in the house. The three of us waited, straining to hear any sign from Risper.

Lisabelle, not patient, walked down the hallway and knocked politely on the door.

More silence.

“Uncle?” she called. Frowning, she put her hand at the bottom of the door.

“There’s a cold draft,” she murmured.

Sip and I stood behind her as she tried the doorknob. It twisted open easily.

A blast of cold air hit us as we entered. Risper’s bedroom was spare, just the bed, a nightstand, and a dresser, all in black wood and with black sheets. Above his bed was a window, which at the moment hung open, letting in the freezing air.

“He’s gone,” said Sip with wonder. “What the. . . ?”

Lisabelle stared at me, then looked at the window, back at me, and back to the window.

Then she started to smile.

Risper had left a note saying that he was going traveling over Christmas. I had to assume it was to chase after the other artifacts. I still couldn’t believe that I had one of the six artifacts on the Wheel of Power, but I did. Now I just had to protect it. What I now knew was that Risper had tried to get me to move the Mirror out of Astra, so that he could steal it. When I hadn’t done that he realized he would have to trust me to keep it safe, like Elam wanted.

I couldn’t wait for the semester to end. I missed Ricky and I was tired. Although Jenkins was under arrest, his treachery was still all that was discussed on campus. There was a funeral for Professor Lambros and Ulrik. Zervos gave the eulogy for Lambros. I hadn’t known it, but apparently they were friends. Keller’s aunt continued to be indifferent toward me, which was good, because I would be meeting his sister over winter break and I was nervous.

“It will be okay,” said Lisabelle.

We were sitting with Sip and Lough in the common room of Airlee, sipping hot chocolate, except for Sip, who insisted on having tea.

“Will it, though?” I asked skeptically.

“Yes,” said Lisabelle with assurance. “The Knights of Darkness won’t get you or all the artifacts on the wheel. You will get better than awful at Tactical and everything will be fine.”

“Thanks, Lisabelle,” I said. “What is everyone doing for the rest of the day?”

“I might visit the lake,” I said. It was where I felt closest to my mother, and I still hoped that one day she would reappear there.

“Want some company?” Sip offered.

“No,” I said. “This is one thing I have to do alone.”

“Just remember, though, you aren’t alone,” said Lough. “Never will be.”

I smiled around at my friends, knowing how lucky I was to have them. In the end, that’s all that mattered. I had wonderful people to love and I was even more lucky that they loved me back. I set my hot chocolate down and pushed myself out of the comfortable chair, looking forward to Christmas, and after that another semester at Public and whatever the school could throw at me. My dream at the start of the semester, of Lisabelle possessed, had faded, but remembering it still brought a sense of foreboding. Maybe I wasn’t ready for what might come, but that was okay. I had my friends. I wasn’t brave, but I wanted to be.

The End

~

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