Elysium (22 page)

I felt like we had been walking for miles, and although I wasn’t breaking a sweat, I was breathing heavily. Nik and Violet, on the other hand, showed no signs of exertion. As I wove my way through the trees, a flash of white caught my attention. I looked to my side, but just as quickly as I had seen it, it was gone. I paid no mind to it as I trekked through the rocky
Colorado terrain. Even though snow littered the ground, the rocks still protruded, as if they were trying to escape. Violet and Nik suddenly stopped, their bodies tense as their heads turned to the side at the same time. I followed their gaze, my eyes growing wide.

Where we were standing angled downward, so what I was looking at was higher up, ascending towards the mountains. At least twenty bodies walked up the steep incline, all of them in white robes, their hoods concealing their features. Even though the land was a milky white, it was easy enough to see them against the inky backdrop. No one moved or spoke, and I wondered if they were making sure we weren’t caught. Once the ghostly bodies disappeared behind an outcropping, Violet turned towards me and breathed a sigh of relief. Nik still had his attention towards the mountains. I didn’t need to ask what we had just seen, because Violet spoke up before I could utter a word.

“That was the Witch and Warlock coven.”

“Coven?” I don’t know why I was surprised. I mean I was staying in a school filled with supernatural creatures.

“They practice their magic up there.” Violet pointed to the mountains, like I would know exactly where she was talking about.

“Like black magic?”

Violet shook her head immediately, both Nik and her looking at each other at the same time. “No, their magic is white. They help the school by creating wards and spells to protect the students and faculty. Not a lot is known about them. Once a magic user graduates, they have a choice to join the coven.”

“Oh.” We started walking again and kept looking where the white robed people disappeared. I should have been used to the whole idea of covens and anything supernatural, but I wasn’t.

“We’re almost there. I can see the firelight and hear the music.” Violet spoke quietly as we made our way down a steep hill. We stopped at the bottom of what appeared to be a ravine, and a large bonfire roared at the center, the heat reaching out and warming my bones. My nose ran and my ears were like ice, even with my hood on. Several kegs stood away from the fire, along with a beat-up pickup truck off to the side, music blaring out of it.

“I’m getting something to drink.
Do you guys want anything?” Nik looked at Violet, her curls bouncing as she nodded. He looked at me next and waited.

“You mean like alcohol?” He smiled, but it wasn’t patronizing. I probably seemed like an adolescent child, but I had never had alcohol before.

“They have pop if you don’t want a beer.”

I shook my head, knowing that Marie would have killed me, if she had known what I was up to. I didn’t want to look like the “kid” of the bunch, but I also wanted to just let loose, forget everything and just enjoy myself. “No, I’ll have whatever you guys are having.” He eyed me suspiciously before nodding and heading over to the kegs.

I looked at the pickup truck, wondering where it had come from. “Whose truck is that?” It didn’t look like anyone at Arcane Manor would have driven it, not with their Louis Vuitton handbags and Chanel perfume.

Violet’s attention moved over to the rusted truck. “Some townies. Some of the students pay the guy to drive out here with wood and booze. They let him stay to drink and hang out, but he keeps to himself.” She looked around, shrugging after a minute. “I don’t see him though. Normally he hangs out by the kegs.” Violet lifted her hand and waved at Xander, and then looked over at me.

“I was wondering if I could ask you something,” she said.

“Sure.”

Violet’s gaze flickered between me and a large group of students, off to the side. “What
is
Xander?” She looked at me as if I had grown horns, and I blushed with embarrassment.

“You can’t tell?” She wasn’t being a smartass, her expression one of utter shock. She started giggling, most likely seeing my red face. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh at you. I forget everyone has different powers. Xander’s a shifter.” She sighed, one of those pathetically adoring ones making me want to puke. She looked back over to the group of students. “Will you be okay for a sec? I just want to talk to him.”

“I’ll be fine.” She practically sprinted over there, and I couldn’t help smiling. Nik came back balancing three plastic cups, filled to the brim, in his hands.

“Where’s Violet?”

I took one of the cups and tilted my head in her direction. Nik glanced over there, his lips forming an “O” as he understood. I looked down at the foamy beer, taking a sip and hiding my distaste.

“Did you have fun tonight?”

“Oh, yeah.” I faked enthusiasm because I didn’t want Nik to know the truth. It started out being a wonderful night, but when things turned sour between Cadeon and me, it kind of sucked. I took another sip of my beer and smiled at Nik.

“You know, you don’t have to drink that, if you don’t want to.”

I took another sip. “I know, but I want to.” I wanted to forget my problems, okay, maybe not actually forget them, but make them a little fuzzy, so that I could smile and mean it. I finished the rest of the beer, Nik’s eyebrows rising as he watched me.

“Want another?”

I nodded and wiped some of the foam from my lips, knowing this was a bad idea, but not caring.

Two and a half beers later, I felt pretty good. The music flowed through me, and everything Nik and Violet said was hilarious. I wasn’t drunk, but I did have a good buzz going, and my problems seemed distant and not so bad. The townie, Cliff, left, and took the music. There was about twenty minutes of silence, but then one of the students had a battery operated stereo and the music resumed. “Forever”
,
by Drake, blasted through the speakers, and I watched as Porscha gave Dorian a lap dance.

“I would never have the nerve to do anything like that.” I was mainly talking to myself, but when you speak out loud, anybody overhearing was fair game.

Nik looked over at me, as he held his half empty cup of beer. “That’s trashy. It’s freakin’ cold outside, and your peers are watching as you grind your junk on your boyfriend’s crotch. Doesn’t sound like my kind of good time. Doesn’t she know the cold does bad things for boys?”

I couldn’t help but giggle. “Yeah, but if a girl were to be doing that to you right now, I know you wouldn’t be complaining.” He looked at me with a serious expression. I couldn’t tell what emotions he had, but they were strong.

“Maybe if it was the right girl.”

I had no idea how to respond to that, but luckily Violet spoke up and rescued me from my awkwardness.

“Uh oh, trouble’s coming this way.”

I peered around Nik’s shoulder to see Dorian striding our way. He had a dark bottle in one hand and a couple of shot glasses in the other.

“Hello, Meadow, the awesome piano player.”

I smiled, taking a sip of my warm beer, which wasn’t having the same appeal as it had earlier. I didn’t miss how Nik took a step in front of me in a protective gesture. Dorian was a big guy, but not as big as Nik.

“Calm down. I’m here with a peace offering.”

Dorian smiled, but I could tell it was completely forced and not at all pleasant. He held up the bottle and shot glasses, offering some to Nik and Violet, but both of them refused.

“I’m gonna go talk to Xander for a while. You guys okay?” Violet said.

I couldn’t help smile at the protectiveness in Violet’s voice. “Go ahead. We’ll be fine.” She gave a hesitant look at Nik and Dorian, and I wondered if she knew something I didn’t. I could tell Dorian was drunk, by the way he slurred slightly, and the way he talked about videogames and Crown Royal and how the two go together perfectly. It was also a good indication he was sloshed, because he was speaking to Nik, and ever since I came to Arcane Manor, I never saw him do that, not on a friendly basis anyway.

I saw Porscha leaning against a tree, her arms crossed and scowling. I noticed her eyes flickering our way, but when she noticed I was watching, she quickly looked away, not like her, so maybe she was drunk, as well. As I turned my attention back to Nik, I saw movement in the trees. It was fuzzy and out of focus, and I half wondered if I hadn’t imagined it. I shook my head and poured the rest of my beer on the ground, knowing I was done for the night.

A flash of movement sliced through the trees, and I blinked several times. None of the other students were aware of anything, and, if I hadn’t seen it again a second later, I might have brushed it away. It resembled mist and was tall while it moved through the trees and then ventured between the students. I expected someone to scream or at least make a comment about it, but they acted as though nothing was wrong. It was black and white, the colors mixing together in places to form a milky grey. As it stopped behind a student, I felt as if it were staring at me, although it had no face, just a swirl of color, and I had a strong feeling it could see right into my soul.

Then it moved into the student in front of it, the student’s eyes growing large slightly and then returning to normal. It jumped from one student to the next, moving into their bodies and then jumping to the next. No one noticed, but soon I was shaking with fear as it came closer. I opened my mouth to say something and then froze, when the milky apparition stood in front of me. I looked at Nik and then Dorian, neither of them noticing anything.

“Free me, Meadow.”

Just as the hushed words surrounded me, I saw a crystal clear image of a face with red eyes watching me—it was Rhyker Rulon staring at me. I stumbled backwards, as the mist disappeared. I gasped, hearing my cup scatter to the ground. I looked down, seeing the beer I had poured out earlier soaked into the ground, the snow swallowing it up like a thirsty man.

“Meadow? Are you okay?”

Nik was looking down at me with concern, but all I could do was stare at the empty air in front of me. “Yeah,” I wheezed. How could I tell anyone what I saw? Who would believe me? I was, after all, consuming alcohol and my hallucinations could be chalked up to drinking too much, but I knew that wasn’t what it was. Why was I seeing Rhyker Rulon in my dreams and now while I was awake?

“I know what she needs.” Dorian walked up to me and poured a shot, offering the small glass, as if it were liquid gold. I shook my head and thanked him. There was no way I was going to be drinking again. He took another step towards me, thrusting the shot glass in my face. “Here, take it. It’s the best you’ll ever have.”

His words sounded strongly pornographic, but then again Dorian seemed like the type of guy to say things like that. “No, really, I don’t want any.” His face became red, and my eyes widened. I could feel his anger and irritation. He thrust the glass at me for a third time, and the contents spilled over my jacket, the thick smell of liquor making my stomach turn.

“Back off.” Nik was immediately in front of me and blocked my view of Dorian. “She said she didn’t want any, but you kept pushing, don’t you.”

“I think you need to step back or things are going to get ugly.”

“Things are already ugly. You’re an asshole and don’t know when to stop. She said no, but you keep pushing.” Nik’s voice deepened and grew fierce, and I shivered. I had always heard the light and cheery voice of Nik, but now he frightened me.

There was a heartbeat of silence and then all hell broke loose. In the next moment, Nik and Dorian rolled on the ground, both of them throwing punches at the other, and blood seeped into the snow. I made a noise in the back of my throat. The students made a semi circle, one side rooting for Nik and the other for Dorian. I saw Porscha standing in front, a wicked looking smile on her face, as she gleefully watched the violence.

“We have to stop them.” Violet came running up to me, her eyes worried, as she watched the scene.

“This is my fault.” I was scared. Nik was getting hurt, and it was because of me. My whole body shook, my fingers and toes tinged, and my heart beat violently. I suddenly remembered Violet’s talent for calming people. I wondered if she could do it simultaneously to both Nik and Dorian. “Can you stop them? Use your powers or something to make the situation calmer?” I was speaking quickly, but she was already shaking her head before I even finished.

“I can’t. I can soothe
one
person, Meadow, not two at the same time and certainly not a fight where there is so much violence.”

“Well, can you calm down one of them?”

“And then what? If I calm down Nik, Dorian will sucker punch Nik. If I reverse it then Nik will do the same to Dorian, and even though that idea doesn’t sound too bad, I don’t want Nik getting in any more trouble than he already is.”

She was right, and I hated it.

Nik and Dorian sprung up from the ground, their breathing erratic. Nik had a nasty cut on his lip and a bruise around one of his eyes. Nik got a good punch in though and had Dorian’s nose bleeding profusely. It looked slightly crooked, and I knew Nik had broken it. I could smell the blood from where I was, and, although it smelled sweet and delicious, my fear overrode my desire to scoop up the blood soaked snow and shove it in my mouth.