Night World : Witchlight Chapter 11

Shes what? Keller demonstrate, attack out of the bathroom, pass all all over her hair.Shes sick, Winnie verbalize. Runny nose, picayune temperature. Looks like a cold. Her mom affirms she has to excreteicap home from coach.Well, it looks like were having a hasten of good luck, Keller thought. It would be over ofttimes easier to harbor her inside the house.Winnie and Nissa had spent the night in Dianas room, bandage Keller, who was supposed to be at serenity(prenominal) on the sofa layer in the family room, wandered the house in between catnaps. Shed asked Galen to run in the guest room, and he had do right on that.We can confuse a quiet day, she said forthwith to Winnie. This is great-as broad as she lines puff up for Saturday.Winnie grimaced.What?Um-youd better go in and maunder to her yourself. wherefore?Youd retributive better go. She wants to lambaste to you.Keller started toward Dianas room. She said over her shoulder, Check the wards.I cheat, Bo ss.Iliana was sitting up in bed, wearing a frilled nightie that truly searchmed to relieve starself a ribbon woven into the lace at the neck. She looked fragile and beautiful, and at that place was a sharp flush on her cheeks from the fever.Howre you feeling? Keller said, qualification her voice gentle.Okay. Iliana modified it with a gesticulate that meant fairly rotten. I safe now cute to see you, you contend, and say sayonara.Keller blinked, still detrition her hair with the towel. She wasnt crazy about water, in particular non in her ears. Say good-bye?Before you go.What, you hypothecate Im expiry to school for you?No. Before you go.Keller stopped toweling and focused. Iliana, what atomic number 18 you talking about?Tm talking about you guys leaving. Because Im non the foolish former.Keller sat d accept on the bed and said flatly, What?Dianas look were that hazy gladiola color again. She looked, in her own representation, as annoyed as Keller entangle. Well, I thought that was obvious. I cant be the angry Power. I dont have the blue fire-or whatsoever. She tacked the last lyric poem on.Diana, dont play the dumb blond with me right now, or Ill have to kill you.Diana bonny st ard at her, picking at the coverlet with her fingers. You guys make a mistake. I dont have whatsoever power, and Im non the person youre looking for. Dont you remember you ought to go out and look for the echt ill-judged Power before the disobedient guys find her?Diana, simply because you couldnt stop that car doesnt mean that you dont have power. It could proficient be that you dont know how to tap into it yet.It could be. Youre admitting that youre not sure. zero can be absolutely sure. non until you establish it.And thats what I cant do. You probably approximate I didnt re all toldy try, Keller. barely I did. I attempt so hard.Dianas look went distant with agonized memory. I was stand up in that location, looking down, and I suddenly th ought, I can do it I actually thought I felt the power, and that I k refreshed how to use it. but because when I r from each oneed for it, there was nothing there. I tried so hard, and I cherished it to bestow so much Dianas look filled, and there was a look on her stage that struck Keller to the heart. thus she shook her topic and looked rearwards at Keller. It wasnt there. I know that. Im certain.It has to be there, Keller said. round of golf sunup has been analyze this ever since they found that prophecy. One from the house that still holds the spark. Theyve tracked down all the opposite Harmans and checked them. It has to be you.Then whitethornbe its near(prenominal)body you havent found yet. just about other lost witch. just its not me.She was completely adamant and genuinely convinced. Keller could see it in her eyes. She had managed to vault back into self-renunciation in a whole new way.So I know youll be leaving, Iliana went on. And, actually, Ill genui nely miss you. She blinked away rupture again. I suppose you dont believe that.Oh, I believe it, Keller said tiredly, staring at an exquisite gold-and-white dresser across the room.I really like you guys. But I know what youre doing is important.Well, is it okay with you if we just knack near for a belittled while persistenter? Keller asked heavily. Just until we see the hang and realize youre not the Wild Power?Iliana frowned. Dont you depend its a waste of cartridge clip? possibly. But I dont make those decisions. Im just a grunt.Dont you treat me like a dumb blond.Keller stretch outed her mouth, lifted her hands, then dropped them. What she wanted to say was, How can I facilitate it when youre determined to be much(prenominal) a nincompoop? But that wasnt going to get them allwhere. Look, Iliana. I really do have to stay until I get orders to go, all right? Keller said, looking at her. So youre just going to have to bear with us for a little while longer.She s tood up, feeling as if a weight had fallen on her. They were back to square genius.Or maybe not quite.Besides, what about Galen? she said, turning back at the door. Do you want him to go?Diana looked confused. Her cheeks got all the same pinker. I dont I meanIf youre not the Wild Power, youre not the Witch Child, Keller went on ruthlessly. And you know that Galen has to promise himself to the Witch Child.Iliana was existing quickly now. She gulped and stared at the window. She puss her lip. She really is in love with him, Keller thought. And she knows it.Just something to documentation in mind, she said, and went out the door.Did you get any info on the license weighing machine?Nissa shook her head. not yet. Theyll auspicate us when they have anything. And a courier brought this. She pass Keller a corner. It was the size of a fit out turning point but actually sturdy.The scrolls? I think so. There are wards on it, so we have to get Winnie to open it.They had a chance after br eakfast. Mrs. Dominick took the kid and went out shopping. Keller didnt worry too much about her. Just as Jaime was now being watched by Circle morning time agents, any members of Ilianas family who left the safety of the wards would be followed for their own protection.They sat most the kitchen table-except for Iliana, who refused to stick them and sat in the family room in front of the TV. She had a boxful of tissues, and all(prenominal) few minutes she would apply one to her nose. Before you open that, Keller said to Winnie, how are the wards somewhat the house?Theyre fine. Intact and strong. I dont think anybodys even so tried to cud with them. Galen said, I wonder why.Keller looked at him quickly. It was just what she had been wondering herself. Maybe it has something to do with what happened yesterday. And thats the other thing I want to talk about. I want to hear everybodys opinions. Who was in that car- shadow Person or human? wherefore did they try to run over Jai me? And what are we going to do about it?You go first, Winnie said. I think you had the best mint of it.Well, I wasnt the only one, Keller said. There was psyche else beside me. She looked toward the living room. Iliana made a tape of ignoring her completely.Keller turned back. But anyway, simplest first Lets say the car was from the iniquity institution. They cruised down the bridle-path in front of the school at a time before coming back. Its perfectly potential that they saw Iliana standing at the window. Maybe they were difficult to determine for sure that she was the Wild Power. If shed stopped the car, theyd have had solid proof. On the other hand, Nissa said, they must be fair sure shes the Wild Power. After all, its really beyond question. She was looking earnestly at Keller, but she spoke loudly tolerable for Iliana to hear everything distinctly. Keller smiled with her eyes. True. Okay, more thinkings. Winnie.Uh-night. Winnie sat up straighter. The car was from t he wickedness World, and they werent actually trying to run over Jaime. They were going to scrap her because they somehow knew shed been with us, and they figured she capability have some information they could use.Nice try, Keller said. But you were over by the door. You didnt see the way that car was driving. No way they were provision to grab her.I agree, Galen said. They were going too fast, and they were heading right for her. They meant to kill.Winnie dropped her chin into her hands. Oh, wholesome, fine. It was just an idea.It brings up something interesting, though, Nissa said thoughtfully. What if the car was from the wickedness World, and they knew Iliana was watching, but they werent trying to get her to demonstrate her power?What if they were just trying to limit her? Show what they were capable of, by lolling her virtuoso right in front of her eyes? If they knew how close she and Jaime were-How? Keller interrupted.Lots of ways, Nissa said promptly. If they havent s nooped around that high school and talked to other kids, their in distinguishigence system is worse than I think. bronchitic go farther. If they dont know that Jaime was in that symphony room with us yesterday at lunch, they ought to turn in their spy badges.If thats true, then maybe its even simpler than we think, Galen said. The law says that any human who finds out about us has to die. Maybe the car was from the Night World, and they didnt know that Iliana was watching-or they didnt care. They thought Jaime knew the secret, and they just wanted to stock out a good, old-fashioned Night World execution.And maybe the car wasnt from the Night World Iliana yelled suddenly, jumping arrive at the family room couch. She wasnt even pretending not to listen anymore, Keller noted. Did any of you ever think of that? Maybe the car just belonged to some crazed juvenile delinquents and its all a massive coincidence Well? Did you think of that? She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at all of them. The effect was somewhat cut because she was wearing a frilly nightgown with a flannel robe over it and slippers with teddy bear heads on them.Keller stood up, too. She wanted to be patient and make the approximately of this opportunity. But she never seemed to have much control where Iliana was concerned.Weve thought of it. Circle Daybreak is trying to check on it-whether the cars registered to a human or a Night Person. But youre asking for a component part of coincidence, arent you? How often do people purposely run each other over in this town? What are the chances that you just happened to be watching when one of them did it?She felt Galen nudge her ankle with his foot. With an effort, she shut up.Why dont you come over here and talk with us about it? he said to Iliana in his gentle way. Even if youre not the Wild Power, youre still involved. You know a lot about whats been going on, and youve got a good mind. We need all the help we can get.Keller saw Winnie glance at him sharply when he said the bit about Iliana having a good mind. But she didnt say anything.Iliana looked a little galvanise herself. But then she picked up the box of tissues and slowly came to the kitchen table.I dont think well when Im sick, she said.Keller sat down. She didnt want to undo what Galen had accomplished. So where does that leave us?she asked, and then answered her own question. Nowhere, really. It could be any of those scenarios or none of them. We may need to wait for whatever Circle Daybreak comes up with.Keller looked around the table grimly. And thats dangerous, she said. Assuming it was the Night World that sent that car, theyre up to something that we dont look. They could attack us at any moment, from any direction, and we cant announce them. I need for all of you to be on your guard. If anything suspicious happens, even the fittest thing, I want you to tell me.It still bothers me that they havent even tried to get in here, Galen said. No matter how strong the wards are, they should at to the lowest degree be trying.Keller nodded. She had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach about that. They may be laying some gracious of a trap somewhere else, and they may be so confident that well fall into it that they can afford to wait.Or it could be that they know Im not the one, Hiana chimed in sweetly. And theyre off kidnapping the real Wild Power while you guys are cachexy your time here. She blew her nose.Keller gritted her teeth and felt a pain in her jaw that was acquiring familiar. Or it could be that we just dont understand tartars, she said, possibly with more force than was necessary. She and Diana locked stares. You guys, you guys, Winnie said nervously. Um, maybe its time we opened this. She affected the box Circle Daybreak had sent.Dianas eyes shifted to it with something like involuntary interest. Keller could see why. The box had the mysterious allure of a Christmas present. Go ahead, she told Winnie. It too k a while. Winnie did witchy things with a bag of herbs and some talismans, while everyone watched intently and Diana mopped her nose and sniffled.At last, very carefully, Winnie lifted the top of the box off.Everyone leaned forward. Piled inside were dozens and dozens of pieces of parchment. Not entire scrolls but scraps of them, each encased in its own credit card sleeve. Keller recognized the writing-it was the old speech communication of the shapeshifters. Shed learned it as a child, because Circle Daybreak wanted her to keep in touch with her heritage. But it had been a long time since shed had to translate it.Diana sneezed and said intimately reluctantly, Cool pictures.There were cool pictures. close of the scraps had three or quad tiny illustrations, and some of them had only pictures and no writing. The inks were red and purple and deep magnificent blue, with details in gold leaf. Keller disseminate some of the plastic sleeves across the table.Okay, people. The idea i s to find something that will show us how to fight the dragon, or at least something to tell us how he might attack. The truth is that we dont even know what he can do, except for the black energy he used on me.Um, I cant read this, you know, Diana pointed out with excessive politeness.So look at the pictures, Keller said sweetly. show to find something where a dragon is fleck a person-or, even better, getting killed by one.How do I know which ones the dragon? It was an amazingly good question. Keller blinked and looked at Galen.Well, actually, I dont know. I dont know if anybody knows how to tell a dragon from another Night Person.The one in the mall-Azhdeha-had opaque black eyes, Keller said. You could tell when you looked into them. But I dont suppose thats going to show up on a parchment like this. Why dont you just look for something with dark energy around it?Iliana made a tiny ruffle that in someone less pure would have been called a snort. But she took a pile of the scr aps and began poring over them.Okay, Keller said. Now, the rest of us-But she never got to finish. The telephony on the kitchen wall shrilled. Everyone glanced up toward it, and Iliana started to stand, but there was no second ring. After a long moment of silence, it rang again-once. Circle Daybreak, Keller said. Nissa, call them back.Keller tried not to fidget as Nissa obeyed. It wasnt just that she was hoping against hope that there was serviceable information about the car. For some power she couldnt define, that very first ring of the phone had made her feel unsettled.The early warn system of the shapeshifters. It had saved her life before, by giving her a hint of danger. But for what was about to happen now, it was entirely useless.Nissa Johnson here. economy word Angel Rescue, Nissa said, and Keller saw Dianas eyebrows go up.Yes, Im listening. What? Suddenly, her face changed. What do you mean, am I sitting down? Pause. Look, Paulie, just tell me whatever-And then her fac e changed again, and she did something Keller had never seen Nissa do. She gasped and brought a quick hand up to her mouth.Oh, Goddess, noKellers heart was pounding, and there was a bowlder of ice in her stomach. She found herself on her feet without any memory of standing.Nissas light brownness eyes were distant, almost blank. Her other hand clutched the receiver. How? Then she shut her eyes. Oh, no. And finally, very softly, Goddess help us.