The Indigo Spell Chapter Twenty-Two

I OPENED MY EYES, groggy from the sudden shock of being pulled out of the dream. My body felt sluggish, and I squinted against the light. The lamp Id left on last night clock time was joined by sunlight streaming in through the window, tho my ph unrivaleds display still showed a freakishly early hour. Someone knocked at my door, and I cognize that was what had woken me up. I ran a hand through my disheveled hair and rose unsteadily from the stern.If she needs a geography tutor now, I genuinely am passing game to Mexico, I mutte cherry-red. just now when I opened the door, it wasnt Angeline standing outside my door. It was Jill.Some involvement big just adventureed, she express, hurrying in.Not to me it didnt.If she noniced my annoyance, she didnt show it. In fact, as I studied her more closely, I realized she probably had no idea (yet) close what had happened between Adrian and me. From what Id learned, spirit dreams werent shared through the seize unless the shadow- tou ched person was directly brought into it.I sighed and sit down on my bed again, wishing I could go venture to sleep. The heat and excitement of the dream was fading, and for the well-nigh part I felt tired now. Whats wrong?Angeline and Trey.I groaned. Oh, lord. Whats she done to him now?Jill assembletled into my desk chair and launch on a steely hold rump of resolve. wh sire inver was coming was bad. She well-tried to get him to sneak into our dorm last night.What? I really did need more sleep because my brain was having trouble understanding the argument behind that. Shes non that dedicated to her math grade . . . is she?Jill gave me a wry look. Sydney, they werent working on math.Then why were they oh. Oh no. I fell backward onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. No. This bay windowt be happening.I already tried hypothesizeing that to myself, she told me. It doesnt help.I rolled over to my side so that I could look at her again. Okay, assuming this is true, how long has it been going on?I dont notice. Jill sounded as tired as me and a lot more exasperated. You know how she is. I tried to get answers out of her, but she kept going on about how it wasnt her fault and how it just happened.Whatd Trey say? I asked.I n eer got a chance to talk to him. He got hauled away as soon as they were caught. She smiled, but there wasnt much humor in it. On the ingenious side, he got in a lot more trouble than she did, so we dont lose to take about her getting expelled.Oh no. Do we deport to worry about him getting expelled?I dont think back so. I heard about other battalion trying this, and they just get detention for life. Or something. atrophied blessing. Angeline was in detention so much that theyd at least have bonding time. Well, whence(prenominal) I guess there isnt much to be done. I mean, the emotional fallouts going to be a mess, of personal credit line.Well . . . Jill shifted nervously. Thats just it. You see, first Eddie needs to b e told I shot up out of my bed. I am not doing that.Oh, of course not. No one would ever expect you to do that. I wasnt so sure but permit her continue. Angelines going to. Its the right thing to do.Yes. . . . I still wasnt letting down my guard.But mortal still needs to talk to Eddie afterward, she explained. Its going to be hard on him, you know? He shouldnt be left alone. He needs a fri check.Arent you his friend? I asked.She flushed. Well, yeah, of course. But I dont know that itd be right since . . . well, you know how I aroma about him. Better to have someone more reasonable and objective. Besides, I dont know if Id do a good job or not.Probably conk out than me.Youre better at that stuff than you think. Youre able to bring forth things clear and Jill suddenly froze. Her eyes widened a little, and for a moment, it was deal she was notice something I couldnt see. No, I realized a moment later. There was no resembling about it. That was exactly what she was doing. She was having one of those moments where she was in sync with Adrians mind. I proverb her blink and slowly atmosphere back into my room. Her eyes focused on me, and she paled. Just like that, I knew that she knew.Rose had said that sometimes in the bond, you could sift through someones recent memories evening if you hadnt actually been tuned into the bond at that moment. As Jill looked at me, I could tell shed seen it all, boththing that had happened with Adrian last night. It was hard to say which of us was more horrified. I replayed everything Id done and said, every compromising position Id literally and figuratively put myself in. Jill had just seen me do things no one else ever had well, except for Adrian, of course. And what had she actually felt? What it was like to kiss me? To run her his? hands over my body?It was a situation I had in no way prepared for. My occasional indiscretions with Adrian had come through to Jill as well, but wed all brushed those off me in parti cular. Last night, however, had taken things to a whole new level, one that left both Jill and me stunned and speechless. I was mortified that shed seen me so weak and exposed, and the protective part of me was worried that shed seen anything like that at all, period.She and I stared at each other, lost in our own sights, but Jill recovered first. She turned even redder than when shed mentioned Eddie and practically leapt out of the chair. Turning her eyes away from mine, she hurried to the door. Um, I should go, Sydney. Sorry to bother you so early. It probably couldve waited. Angelines going to talk to Eddie this morning, so whenever you get a chance to find him, you know, thatd be great. She took a deep breath and opened the door, still refusing to make eye contact. Ive gotta go. fulfill you later. Sorry again.Jill She shut the door, and I sank back into the bed, unable to stand. It was official. Whatever residual heat and lust Id felt from being with Adrian last night had com pletely vanished in the wake of Jills expression. Until that moment, I hadnt really and truly understood what it meant to be knotty with someone who was bonded. Everything Adrian said to me, she heard. Every emotion he had for me, she experienced. Every time he kissed me, she felt it. . . .I thought I might be sick. How had Rose and Lissa handled this? Somewhere in my addled mind, I recalled Rose saying shed learned to trap out a lot of Lissas experiences but it had taken a few years to figure it out. Adrian and Jill had only been bonded for a few months.The shock of understanding what Jill had seen guide a shadow over everything that had been sensual and thrilling last night. I felt like I had been on display. I felt cheap and dirty, in particular as I remembered my own role in instigating things. That sickening line uping in my stomach increased, and there was no stopping the avalanche of thoughts that soon followed.Id let myself spin out of control last night, carried away b y desire. I shouldnt have done any of that and not just because Adrian was a Moroi (though that was certainly sturdy too). My life was about reason and logic, and Id thrown all of that out the window. They were my strengths, and in casting them aside, Id become weak. Id been high on the freedom and risks Id experienced last night, not to mention intoxicated by Adrian and how hed said I was beautiful and brave and ridiculously smart. Id melted when hed looked at me in that absurd dress. Knowing hed involveed me had lost my thoughts, making me want him too. . . .There was no part of this that was okay.With great effort, I dragged myself from the bed and managed to pick out some clothes for the day. I staggered to the shower like a zombie and stayed in for so long that I missed breakfast. It didnt matter. I couldnt have eaten anything anyway not with all the emotions that were churning inside me. I barely spoke to anyone as I walked through the halls, and it wasnt until I sat down in Ms. Terwilligers class that I finally remembered there were other people in the world with their own problems.Specifically, Eddie and Trey.I was certain there was no way they could be as traumatized as Jill and I were by last nights events. But it was obvious both guys had had a rough morning. Neither one spoke or do eye contact with others. I think it was the first time Id ever seen Eddie neglect his surroundings. The bell cut me off before I had a chance to say anything, and I spent the rest of class watching them with concern. They didnt look like they were going to engage in any testosterone-driven madness, so that was a good sign. I felt bad for both of them especially Eddie, whod been wronged the nearly and worrying on their behalf helped distract me from my own woes. A little.When class ended, I wanted to talk to Eddie first, but Ms. Terwilliger intercepted me. She handed me a large yellow windbag that felt like it had a book inside. There was no end to the spells I h ad to learn. Some of the things we discussed, she told me. Tend to them as soon as you get the chance.I will, maam. I slipped the envelope into my bag and glanced more or less for Eddie. He was gone.Trey was in my next class, and I took my usual seat beside him. He gave me a sidelong look and then turned away.So, I said.He shook his head. Dont start.Im not starting anything.He stayed silent a few moments and then turned back to me, a frantic look in his eyes. I didnt know, I swear. About her and Eddie. She never mentioned it, and obviously, they dont talk about it around here. I never wouldve done that to him. You have to conceive that.I did. No matter what Treys other faults were, he was good-hearted and honest. If anyone was at fault for bad behavior here, it was Angeline.Im actually more surprised that youd get involved with someone like her, period. I didnt need to elaborate that someone like her referred to her being a dhampir.Trey put his head on his desk. I know, I know. It all just happened so fast. One day shes throwing a book at me. The next, were making out behind the library.Ugh. Thats a little more information than I needed. Glancing up, I saw that our chemistry teacher was still getting organized, giving Trey and me a little more time. What are you going to do now?What do you think? I have to end it. I shouldnt have let it get this far.The Sydney from three months ago would have said of course he needed to end it. This one said, Do you like her?Yes, I He paused and then lowered his voice. I think I love her. Is that nutty? After only a few weeks?No I dont know. Im not really good at understanding that stuff. And by not really good, I actually meant terrible. But if you feel like that . . . maybe . . . maybe you shouldnt throw it away.Treys eyes widened, and surprise completely replaced his blue mood. Are you serious? How can you say that? Especially you of all people. You know how it is. Youve got the same rules as us.I could hardly believe what I was saying. Her people dont, and they seem to be fine.For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of hope in his eyes, but then he shook his head again. I cant, Sydney. You know I cant. It would ultimately end in disaster. Theres a reason our kinds dont mix. And if my family ever found out . . . God. I cant even imagine. Thered be no way Id ever get back in.Do you really want to?He didnt answer that. Instead, he just told me, It cant work. Its over. Id never seen him look so miserable.Class started, and that ended the discussion.Eddie wasnt in our cafeteria at lunch. Jill sat with Angeline at a corner table and looked as though she was delivering a stern lecture. Maybe Jill hadnt felt comfortable consoling Eddie, but she certainly had no problem speaking out on his behalf. I didnt really want to hear Angelines excuses or meet Jills eyes, so I grabbed a sandwich and ate outside. I didnt have enough time to check Eddies cafeteria, so I sent him a text.Want to go out for coffee la ter?Dont feel sorry for me, he responded. I hadnt known if hed answer at all, so that was something.I just want to talk. Please.His next text wasnt nearly so fast, and I could almost imagine his mental battle. Okay, but after dinner. I have a study group. A moment later, he added, Not Spencers. Trey worked at Spencers.Now that the Angeline drama was on hold, I was able to return to my own messed-up love life. I couldnt shake that image of Jills expression. I couldnt for relieve oneself myself for losing control. And now, I had Treys speech bouncing around my head. It would eventually end in disaster. Theres a reason our kinds dont mix.As though summoned by my thoughts, Adrian texted me. You want to get the dragon forthwith?Id forgotten all about the callistana. Hed stayed with Adrian during my St. Louis trip, and now it was my turn. Since Adrian couldnt transform him back into quartz, the dragon had been in his true form all weekend.Sure, I wrote back.My stomach was in knots when I litter to Adrians place later. Id had the rest of the day to think about my options, and Id finally reached an extreme one.When he opened the door, his guinea pig was aglow until he saw mine. His expression alter to equal parts exasperation and sadness. Oh no. Here it comes, he said.I stepped inside. Here what comes?The part where you tell me last night was a mistake and that we cant ever do it again. I looked away. That was exactly what Id been going to say. Adrian, you know this cant work.Because Moroi and humans cant be together? Because you dont feel the same way about me?No, I said. Well, not entirely. Adrian . . . Jill saw it all.For a moment, he didnt seem to understand. What do you oh. Shit.Exactly.I never even think of that anymore. He sat down on the couch and stared off into space. The callistana came scurrying into the room and perched on the arm of the couch. I mean, I know it happens. We even talked about it with other girls. She understands.Understands? I excla imed. Shes fifteen You cant subject her to that.Maybe you were an innocent at fifteen, but Jills not. She knows how the world works.I couldnt believe what I was hearing. Well, Im not one of your other girls I see her every day. Do you know how hard it was to grammatical case her? Do you know what it feels like to know she saw me doing that? And, God, what if thered been more?So, whats this mean exactly? he asked. You finally come around, and now youre going to just end things because of her?Kissing you isnt exactly coming around.He gave me a long, level look. There was a lot more than kissing, Miss Im a Quick StudyI tried not to show how embarrassed I was about that now. And thats exactly why this is all over. Im not going to let Jill see that again.So you admit it could happen again?Theoretically, yes. But Im not going to give us the chance.Youre going to avoid ever being alone with me again?Im going to avoid you, period. I took a deep breath. Im going to go with Marcus to Mexico. What? Adrian jumped up and strode over to me. I immediately backed up. What happened to you working undercover?That only works if I can stay undercover You think I can pull that off if Im sneaking around with you?Youre with me half the time already I couldnt tell if he was angry or not, but he was clearly upset. Nobody notices. Well be careful.All it takes is one slipup, I said. And I dont know if I can depone myself anymore. I cant risk the Alchemists finding out about you and me. I cant risk exposing Jill to what wed do together. Theyll send another Alchemist to look after her, and hopefully Stanton will take precautions against the Warriors.Jill knows I cant put my life on hold.You should, I snapped.Now he was angry. Well, youd know all about that since youre an expert in denying yourself the things you want. And now youre going to permit the country to make sure you can deprive yourself even more.Yes, exactly. I walked over to the callistana and spoke the incantation that turn ed him back into his inert form. I put the crystal into my purse and summoned all my will to give Adrian the coldest look I could manage. It must have been a powerful one because he looked as though Id slapped him. Seeing that pain on his face made my heart break. I didnt want to hurt him. I didnt want to leave him But what choice did I have? There was too much at stake.This is done. Ive made my choice, Adrian, I said. Im leaving this weekend, so please dont make it any more difficult than it has to be. Id like us to be friends. The way I spoke made it sound like we were closing a business arrangement.I walked haulard the door, and Adrian hurried after me. I couldnt bear to face the agony in his eyes, and it took all my resolve not to avert my gaze. Sydney, dont do this. You know its wrong. Deep inside, you know it is.I didnt answer. I couldnt answer. I walked away, forcing myself not to look back. I was too afraid my resolve would falter and that was exactly why I needed to leave Palm Springs. I wasnt right around him anymore. No one could be allowed to have that kind of power over me.All I wanted to do after that was hide in my room and cry. For a week. But there was never any rest for me. It was always about others, with my feelings and dreams shoved off to the side. Consequently, I wasnt in the best position to give Eddie romantic advice when we met up that night. Fortunately, he was too caught up in his own emotions to notice mine.I should never have gotten involved with Angeline, he told me. We were at a coffee shop across town that was called Bean There, Done That. Hed ordered hot chocolate and had been stirring it for almost an hour.You didnt know, I said. It was hard maintaining my half of the confabulation when I kept seeing the pain in Adrians eyes. You couldnt have known especially with her. Shes unpredictable.And thats why I shouldnt have done it. He finally set the spoon down on the table. Relationships are dangerous enough without getting i nvolved with someone like her. And I dont have time for that kind of distraction Im here for Jill, not me. I should never have let myself get caught up in this.Theres nothing wrong with wanting to be with someone, I said diplomatically. Unless that person turns your world upside down and makes you lose all self-control.Maybe when Ive retired, Ill have the time. I couldnt tell if he was serious or not. But not right now. Jills my priority.I had no business playing matchmaker, but I had to try. Have you ever thought about seriously being with Jill? I know you used to like her. And I was absolutely certain he still did.Thats out of the question, he said fiercely. And you know it. I cant think of her like that.She thinks about you like that. The words slipped out before I could stop them. After my own romantic disaster today, a part of me longed for at least someone to be happy. I didnt want anyone else hurting the way I did.He froze. She . . . no. Theres no way.She does.A whole range of emotions played through Eddies eyes. Disbelief. Hope. Joy. And then . . . resignation. He picked up the spoon again and returned to his compulsive stirring.Sydney, you know I cant. You of all people know what its like to have to focus on your work. This was the scrap time today someone had said you of all people to me. I guess everyone had a preconceived idea of who I was.You should at least think about it, I said. Watch her the next time youre together. See how she reacts.He looked as though he might consider it, which I took as a small victory. Suddenly, alarm flashed on his face. Whatever happened with you and Marcus? The St. Louis trip? Did you find out anything about Jill?I chose my next words very carefully, both because I didnt want to alarm him and because I didnt want him taking some drastic action that could accidentally reveal my dealings with Marcus. We found some evidence that the Warriors have talked to the Alchemists, but nothing that shows theyre working together or have actual plans for her. Ive also taken some steps to make sure shes protected.I hadnt heard anything from Stanton today and wasnt sure if that last part would actually pan out. Eddie looked relieved, though, and I couldnt bear to stress him out any further today. His gaze shifted to something behind me, and he pushed the unaffected hot chocolate away. Time for us to go.I looked back at a clock and saw he was right. We still had a comfortable window before curfew, but I didnt want to push it. I finished off the last of my coffee and followed him out. The sun was sinking into the horizon, coloring the sky red and purple. The temperature had finally cooled off to normal levels, but it still didnt feel like winter to me. Thered been a bunch of badly parked cars in the front of the lot, so Id parked Latte in the back in case some careless person opened a door too fast.Thanks for the righteous support, Eddie told me. Sometimes it feels like you really are a sister That was when my car change integrity. Sort of.I have to admit Eddies response time was amazing. He threw me to the ground, protect my body with his. The boom had been deafening, and I cried out as some sort of foam landed on the side of my face.Foam?Cautiously, Eddie rose, and I followed. My car hadnt exploded in flames or anything like that. Instead, it was filled with some sort of white substance that had blasted out with such force that it had blown the doors off and scurvy the windows. We both approached the mess, and behind us, I heard people coming out of the coffee shop.What the hell? asked Eddie.I touched some of the foam on my face and rubbed my fingertips together. Its sort of like the stuff youd find in a fire extinguisher, I said.How did it get in your car? he asked. And how did it get there so fast? I glanced over at it when we first walked out. Youre the chemical expert. Could some reaction have happened that fast?Maybe, I admitted. At the moment, I was too shock to really run a ny formulas. I rested a hand against Lattes hood and wanted to burst into tears. My emotions were at a breaking point. My poor car. runner Adrians, now mine. Why do people do stuff like this?Vandals dont care, said a voice beside me. I glanced over and saw one of the baristas, an quondam(a) man who I believed was the owner. Ive seen stuff like this before. Damn kids. Ill call the police for you. He took out his cell yell and backed away.I dont know if well make curfew now, I told Eddie.He gave me a sympathetic pat on the back. I think if you show a police report at the dorm, theyll be voiced with you.Yeah, I hope that ugh. The police. I hurried over to the passenger side and stared bleakly at the wall of foam.Whats wrong? Eddie asked. I mean, aside from the obvious.I have to get to the glove compartment. I lowered my voice. Theres a gun in there.He did a double take. A what?I said no more, and he helped me dig through the foam. Both of us ended up covered in it by the time I re ached the compartment. Making sure no one was behind us, I quickly retrieved the gun and slipped it into my messenger bag. I was about to shut the lid when something shiny caught my eye.Thats impossible, I said.It was my cross, the gold one Id lost. I grabbed it and then immediately dropped it, yelping in pain. The metal had burned me. Considering the foamy substance was cool, it didnt seem likely it had heated up the cross. I wrapped my sleeve around my hand and gingerly picked up the cross again.Eddie peered over my shoulder. You wear that all the time.I nodded and continued staring at the cross. A terrible feeling began to spread out over me. I found a tissue in my purse and wrapped the cross up before adding it to the bag. Then I retrieved my cell phone and dialed Ms. Terwilliger. Voice mail. I hung up without leaving a message.Whats going on? asked Eddie.Im not sure, I said. But I think its bad.I hadnt yet veritable the ability to sense magical residue, but I was almost certa in something had been done to the cross, something that had resulted in Lattes foamy demise. Alicia hadnt been able to find the cross. Had Veronica doubled back and taken it? If so, how had she located me? I knew personal items could be used to track back to a person, though the most common ones were hair and nails. As mod as Veronica was, it was very likely an object like this cross would serve just as well.Veronica might very well have found me. But if so, why vandalize my car instead of sucking out my life?The police came soon thereafter and took our statements. They were followed by a tow truck. I could tell from the drivers face that it wasnt looking good for Latte. He hauled my poor car away, and then one of the officers was nice enough to return Eddie and me to Amberwood. Against all odds, we made it back just in time.As soon as I got to my room, I tried Ms. Terwilliger again. Still no answer.I emptied out my bag onto my bed and found it had gathered a number of items toda y. One of them was a donut Id picked up at the coffee shop. I put it and the quartz crystal into the aquarium and summoned the callistana. He immediately went after the donut.I found the cross and discovered it was now cool. Whatever spell it had been used in was gone. The gun was near it, and I quickly hid that back in the bag. That left Ms. Terwilligers envelope, which Id neglected all day. Maybe if I hadnt been so distracted by personal matters, I could have deliver Latte.I pulled the latest spell book out of the envelope and heard something jangle. I removed the book and then saw another, smaller envelope inside. I pulled it out and read a message Ms. Terwilliger had written on the side Heres another charm to mask your magical ability, just in case. Its one of the most powerful out there and took a lot of work, so be careful with it.That same guilt I always felt about her share me returned. I opened the small envelope and found a silver star pendant set with peridots. I gasped .I had seen this charm before, this powerful and fastidiously made charm that could allegedly hide strong magical ability.I had seen it around Alicias neck.