The Indigo Spell Chapter Six

I FOLLOWED MS. TERWILLIGERS instructions diligently. I n ever so took the garnet morose, non even when I slept or exhibitionered. When school started the positioning by lieu(p) morning, I wore it below my shirt to evacuate whatever questions. It didnt on the sole(prenominal) ifton scream delusional amulet, precisely it was certainly conspicuous. To my surprise, Ms. Terwilliger wasnt in her prototypical-period history class, making me wonder if she was doing or sowhat investigating of her own.Ms. T on somewhat secret mission?I flinched and complete Id been lost in my own thoughts. I turned and tack unneurotic Trey Juarez kneeling by my desk. Class hadnt started yet, and a conf utilize- feelinging substitute t separatelyer was trying to take up maven of the chaos of Ms. Terwilligers desk. Trey grinned at my surprise.Wh-what? I asked. Had he somehow rig show up about veronica? I act to keep cool. What films you verbalize that?I was just joking, he verbalise. Th is is the second year Ive had her, and shes neer lose a day. He gave me a puzzled prospect. Unless you re solelyy do spang some involvement I dont?No, I said quickly. Im just as move as you are.Trey scrutinized me a few mos. We were good friends here at Amberwood, with yet star teeny-tiny problem hanging surrounded by us.His family was tied to the Warriors of Light.Last month, the Warriors had tried to kill Sonya in a barbaric execution ritual. Trey had been one and only(a) of the contenders for the honor of killing her, though hed thrown the match at the defy minute. Id tried to appeal to the Warriors to release Sonya, nevertheless they hadnt listened. She and I were both save when a ruptureing party of dhampirs showed up and defeated the Warriors. Stanton had helped orchestrate that raid tho hadnt bothered to fill me in that I was being used as a distraction. It was part of what had fueled my distrust of her and the Alchemists.Trey had been deuced for getting me i nvolved with the ritual, and the Warriors had ostracized his father and him. Just as I had been pres acceptedd by the Alchemists, Trey had had Warrior doctrine drilled into him his whole life. His father was so shamed of the fallout that he would barely speak to Trey now. I knew how frequently Trey fateed his fathers approval, so this silence was more(prenominal) painful to him than the Warriors treatment.Our allegiances make things knockout. When Id once tentatively hinted to Trey that we still had un respondd issues between us, hed responded with a bitter laugh. You defy nothing to worry about anymore, hed told me. Im not privateness any secret conceptions from you because I dont agnize any. They wont tell us anything. Im not one of them, as far as theyre concerned. Ive been cut off forever, and itd stockpile a miracle for them to ever take us back. Thered been something in his dark life that told me if he ever could take in that miracle, hed jump on it. Id tried i nquire about that, further he wouldnt discuss it any further. I sine qua non to be your friend, Melbourne, he had said. I homogeneous you. Were never going to resolve our differences. Might as well ignore them since we have to be together e genuinely day.Amazingly, our friendship had managed to survive all that drama. The tension was al tracks there, lurking between us, but we tried to ignore it. Although he knew about my involvement in the vampiric world, he had no idea I was taking hindquarters-the-scenes magic lessons with our history teacher, of course.If he thought I was lying about Ms. Terwilligers absence seizure today, he didnt push the national. He nodded toward the sub. This is going to be a blow-off day.I dragged my brain external from magical intrigue. later on being homeschooled for most of my life, some parts of the normal school world were a mystery. Whats that mean, exactly?normally teachers leave subs a lesson plan, telling them what to do. I saw the one Ms . Terwilliger left. It said, trouble oneself them. Trey shook his head in mock sympathy. I entrust you can handle the wasted academic duration. I mean, shell probably study something alike, Work on homework. But no one will.He was right. I wasnt sure if I could handle this. Why wouldnt they?This seeed to amuse him immensely. Melbourne, some propagation youre the solo reason I come to class. I saw her sub plan for your independent study, by the way. It said you didnt even have to stick around. Youre issue to run wild.Eddie, sitting nearby, overheard and scoffed. To the library?This made both of them laugh, but my mind was already spinning with possibilities. If I really didnt have to stay for my eventually class, Id be free to leave campus early. I could go into Los Angeles to look for Veronica and no. Adrian wasnt back. For a moment, I toyed with the idea of investigation without his spirit magic, but Ms. Terwilligers warnings echoed through my mind. The hunt would have to wait.But I could still look for Marcus Finch.Santa Barbara was two hours away. That meant I had bountiful time to drive up there, do some investigating of Marcus, and still comfortablenessably make it back by the schools curfew. I hadnt intended to go look for him until this weekend but realized now that I shouldnt waste this opportunity. Ms. Terwilligers task weighed heavily on me as well, but I couldnt do anything about it until Adrian returned tonight.Marcus Finch had been a mystery to me since the moment Id discovered he was an ex-Alchemist. Realizing that I top executive really get some answers today made my heart pound in overtime. It was one thing to suspect the Alchemists had been conciliateing out on me. It was an entirely different matter to accept that I competency be on the verge of having those suspicions confirmed. It was actually kind of terrifying.As the day progressed, I became more and more dogged to make the drive. I had to suit this sooner or later, a nd I king as well get it over with. For all I knew, Marcus had solely been sightseeing in Santa Barbara and could be gone already. I didnt want to resort the scrying spell if I could help it.Sure enough, when I showed up for what would normally be my independent study at the end of the day, the sub (looking super worn out after a day of following in Ms. Terwilligers footsteps) told me I was free to go. I thanked her and hurried off to my dorm room, informed of the c silence that was now ticking. I didnt know exactly what Id be confront in Santa Barbara, but I planned to be prepared for anything.I changed out of my Amberwood uniform, opting for jeans and a plain black blouse. Kneeling by my bed, I pulled out a large metal box from underneath it. At first glance, the box looked like a makeup kit. However, it had an intricate lock that required both a key and combination. Inside was my Alchemist chemistry set, a collection of chemicals that would probably get me kicked out of scho ol if found since it looked like it was capable of manufacturing illegal drugs. And really, some of the compounds probably were pretty questionable.I selected some basics. One was a formula that was usually used to dissolve Strigoi bodies. I didnt expect to encounter any Strigoi in Santa Barbara, but the compound could as well as be used to disintegrate metal pretty handily. I chose a distich other mixtures like one that could create a spy-worthy bum screen and carefully wrapped them all up before move them into my messenger bag. Then I locked the box again and slid it back under the bed.After a little consideration, I took a deep snorkel and produced another hidden box. This was a new one in my collection. It contained unhomogeneous ch implements of war and potions Id made under Ms. Terwilligers instruction. Staring at its contents, I felt my venter twist. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined Id have such a kit. When wed first met, Id yet created ch blazonry under du ress. outright I had several that Id willingly made, and if what shed said about her sister was true, Id need to start making more. With great reluctance, I picked a variety of these as well and packed them up with the Alchemist chemicals. After a moments consideration, I induct a duad in my chemise for quick access.The drive to Santa Barbara was easy this time of day December had cooled off some of southern Californias weather, but the sun was still out, making it seem warmer than it really was. And, as I drove up the coast, the cast off gave way to more temperate conditions. Rain increased in the heart and northern parts of the state this time of year, making the landscape succulent and green. I really did love Palm Springs and Amberwood, but there were times I wouldnt have minded if Jills as signalizement had taken us up here.Finding the Old Mission Santa Barbara wasnt difficult. It was a well-known tourist devotion and pretty easy to spot once you were nearby. The sprawl ing church looked exactly as it had in my vision save that it was lit by mid-afternoon cheerfulness rather than twilight. I pulled off to the side of the road in a residential livehood and gazed up at the beautiful stucco and terra-cotta masterpiece. I wished I had the time to go on a tour, but, as they so often did, my personal desires had to take a backseat to a larger goal.Now came the more difficult part having to figure out where the studio apartment Id seen might be. The neighborhood I parked in provided a view that was akin(predicate) to the one Id observed in the spell. The angles werent exact, however, and this street only contained houses. I was close certain the studio Id seen had been in an apartment building. Keeping the mission in view, I drove a few more streets over and found what Id hoped for several blocks containing apartment complexes.One looked too nice to have what Id seen. The studio had seemed pretty bare bones and run down. The other two buildings on the street looked like more presumable candidates. I drove to each one and walked around their grounds, trying to imagine what the angle might be when viewed from a higher window. I wished Id had a chance to actually look down to the pose lot in the vision. It would have given me a better idea of the cut down. After untold thought, I in conclusion deduced the studio had been on the third or fourth floor. Since one of the buildings only had two floors, that gave me a pretty positive hit on the correct place.Stepping in spite of appearance the building made me glad Id packed hand sanitizer in my bag. The halls looked like they hadnt been swept in over a year. The walls were dirty, their paint chipped. Bits of trash sit on the floor. Cobwebs hung in some of the corners, and I prayed wanderers were the only creepy-crawly inhabitants. If I saw a roach, I was probably going to bolt. The building had no front desk I could make inquiries at, so I flagged down a middle-aged woman as s he was leaving. She paused, regarding me warily.Hi, I said, hoping I looked non-threatening. Im trying to find a friend of mine, but I dont know which apartment he lives in. Maybe you know him? His name is Marcus. He has a blue stain on his face. Seeing her blank look, I repeated the question in Spanish. Comprehension showed in her expression, but once shed heard my entire question, her only response was a brief headshake. I didnt even have time to show her Marcuss picture.I spent the next half hour doing the same thing whenever I saw residents going in or out. I stayed outside this time, preferring a brightly lit public area to the blue interior. Some of the people I talked to were a little sketchy, and a couple of guys looked me over in a way I definitely didnt like. I was about to give up when a younger son approached me. He appeared to be about ten and had been playing in the parking lot.I know the guy youre looking for, he told me in English. But his names not Marcus. Its D ave.Considering how difficult Marcus had been to find, I wasnt entirely surprised hed been using another name. Youre sure? I asked the boy. I showed him the picture. This is the guy?He nodded eagerly. Thats the one. Hes real quiet. My mom says hes probably doing bad things.Great. Just what I needed. Do you know where he lives?The boy pointed upward. At the top. 407.I thanked him and went back within, heading up to the fourth floor on stairs that creaked the entire way. The apartment was near the end of the hall, next to one that was b closinging obnoxious music. I knocked on 407 and didnt get a response. Not sure if the occupant had heard me, I knocked more loud and received the same result.I eyed the doorknob, considering melting it with my Alchemist chemicals. Immediately, I brush aside the thought. Even in a disreputable building like this, a neighbor might be concerned to see me breaking into an apartment. I didnt want to attract any attention. This situation was getting incr easingly frustrating, and I couldnt throw all day here.I ran through my choices. Everyone said I was so smart. Surely there was some solution here that would work? hold around in the hall wasnt an option. There was no telling how foresightful it could take for Marcus or Dave to show up. And honestly, the less time spent in the dirty hall, the better. If only there was some way to get inside that didnt involve actually destroying Thats when the solution came to me. I groaned. It wasnt one I liked, but it would get the job done.I went back outside and waved hello to the boy as he practiced jumping off the steps. Was Dave home? he asked.No.The boy nodded. He usually isnt.That, at least, would be subservient for this next crazy plan. I left the boy and walked around the side of the building, which was mercifully deserted. There, clinging to the outer wall, was the most rickety fire escape Id ever seen. Considering how rigid California safety standards were, I was astonished that thi s hadnt been reported. Of course, if it had, it didnt seem likely this buildings owner wouldve been quick to act, judging from the rest of the conditions Id seen.Double checking that no one was around, I stood in the fire escapes shadow, hoping it more or less out of sight me. From the messenger bag, I produced one of my charms a necklace made of agate and crow feathers. I slipped it over my head and recited a Greek incantation. I felt the heat energy of magic run through me but saw no ostensive changes. Theoretically, I should be invisible for those who didnt know to look for me. Whether that had actually happened, I couldnt say. I supposed Id find out if someone came by and demanded to know why I was climbing into an apartment via the fire escape.Once I stepped onto it, I nearly terminated the plan. The entire fire escape squeaked and swayed. The staging was so rusty, I wouldnt have been surprised if it disintegrated beneath my feet. I stood nipping where I was, trying to wor k up the courage to go on. I reminded myself that this could be my one chance to find Marcus. The boy in the parking lot had confirmed he lived here. I couldnt waste this opportunity.I gulped and unbroken going, gingerly moving from floor to floor. When I reached the fourth, I stared down in amazement, unable to believe the fire escape was still intact. Now I had a new problem. Id figured out where Marcuss studio was, and it was one window over from the fire escapes landing. The distance wasnt that great, but on the narrow shelf between them would feel like miles. Equally daunting was the fact that Id have to get through the window. It was shut, which made sense if he was in hiding. I had a couple magical amulets capable of melting glass, but I didnt trust myself to be able to use them on the narrow ledge which meant I had to see just how good my aim had become in PE.Still conscious of the precarious fire escape, I took out a piffling pouch of powder from my messenger bag. Sizin g up the distance, I threw the pouch hard toward the window, reciting a spell and missed. The pouch hit the side of the building, throwing up a dusty cloud, and began eating away at the stucco. I winced as the wall dissolved. The spell eventually burned itself out but left a noticeable hole behind. It hadnt gone all the way through, and I supposed given the state of the building, no one would probably even notice.I had one pouch left and had to make it count. The dosage was fairly big, and there was no way I could miss this time. I threw hard and made contact. The powder smashed against the window. Immediately, a reaction splay out and began melting the glass. It dripped down like ice out in the sun. Now, watching anxiously, I wanted the reaction to go on for as long as possible. I needed a big enough hole to get through. Fortunately, when it stopped, I felt cocksure I could make it inside if I could get over there.I wasnt afraid of heights, but as I crept along the ledge, I f elt like I was on top of a skyscraper. My heart was in my throat, and I pondered the logistics of survive a four-floor vanish. My palms began to sweat, and I ordered them to stop. I wasnt going to come all this way just to have my hands slip at the last minute.As it turned out, it was my foot that slipped. The world spun, and I frantically flung my arms out, just barely viewbing the inside of the window. I pulled myself toward it, and with a surge of adrenaline-fueled thrust managed to hook my other leg inside. I took a deep breath and tried to quiet my pounding heart. I was secure. I was going to make it. A moment later, I was able to pull myself up and overlook my other leg around the ledge, tumbling into the room.I landed on the floor, my legs weak and shaky as I worked to steady my frantic breathing. That was close. If my reflexes had been a little slower, I wouldve found out exactly what four floors could do to the human body. While I loved science, I wasnt sure that was an audition I needed to try. Maybe being around dhampirs so much had helped improve my physical skills.Once Id recovered, I was able to assess my surroundings. present I was, in the exact same studio Id seen in my vision. Glancing behind me, I sized up the mission, verifying I had the same vantage. Yup. scarce the same. Inside, I recognized the mattress on the floor and the same meager belongings. crossways the room, the door leading out had a number of very new, very state-of-the-art locks. Dissolving the outer doorknob wouldnt have done any good.Now what? I muttered. Id made it inside. I didnt have Marcus, but I theoretically had his apartment. I was unsure what I was looking for but might as well start somewhere.First, I examined the mattress, not that I expect much. It couldnt hide belongings like mine could. It could, however, hide rats and God only knew what else underneath it. I gingerly lifted a corner, knowing I must be grimacing, but there was nothing underneath viva cious or otherwise. My next target was a small, disorderly pile of clothes. departure through someones dirty laundry (because I assumed it was dirty, if it was sitting on the floor) wasnt much better than looking at the mattress. A whiff of theoretical account softener told me that these clothes were, in fact, recently washed. They were ordinary guy clothes, probably a young guys clothes, which fit with Marcuss profile. Jeans. T-shirts. Boxers. As I sifted through the pile, I nearly started folding them and had to remind myself that I didnt want to leave any sign of my passing. Of course, the melted window was kind of a dead giveaway.A couple of personal items sat nearby, a toothbrush and deodorant with a curve inexplicably called as Ocean Fiesta. Aside from a rickety wooden chasten and the ancient TV, there was only one other form of comfort and entertainment in the barren room a battered reduplicate of The Catcher in the Rye. Great, I muttered, wondering what it said about a person who owned no other personal possessions. Marcus Finch is pretentious and self-entitled.The studios trick was claustrophobic and barely had enough space for a single shower stall, toilet, and dripping sink. Judging from the mildew on the floor, a good sleep with of water sprayed out when the shower was used. A large black spider scurried down the drain, and I hastily backed out.Defeated, I went to investigate a narrow insistence door. After all my work, Id found Marcus Finch but hadnt actually found him. My search had revealed nothing. I had limited time to wait for him, and honestly, if I were him and returned home to a melted window, I would promptly walk out the door and never return. If he ran, Id have no choice but to keep scrying and AhhSomething jumped out at me as I opened the insistence door and it wasnt a rat or a roach.It was a man.The closet was tiny, so it was a miracle he had even fit inside. I had no time to process the spatial logistics, however, because h is fist shot out and snip off me on the side of the face.In my life, Id been slammed up against brick walls and bitten by a Strigoi. Id never been punched, however, and it wasnt an experience I wanted to repeat. I stumbled backward, so surprised that I couldnt even react right away. The guy lunged after me, grabbing my upper arms and shaking me as he leaned close.How did you guys find me? he exclaimed. How many more are coming?Pain radiated through the side of my face, but somehow, I managed to gather my senses. Last month, Id taken a self-defense class with a slightly unstable Chihuahua breeder who looked like a pirate. Despite Malachi Wolfes unorthodox behavior, hed actually taught us some legitimate skills, and they came back to me now. I kneed my attacker in the stomach. His blue eyes went wide with shock as he released me and fell to the ground. It didnt keep him down for long, though. He scrambled back to his feet and came after me, but by then, Id grabbed the chair and was using it to keep him at speak the way a lion tamer would.Back off, I said. I just want to Ignoring my threats, the guy pushed forward and grabbed one of the chairs legs, pulling it away from me. He had me backed into a corner, and despite some tricks Eddie had taught me, I wasnt confident in my own ability to throw a punch. Nonetheless, I put up a good fight when my attacker tried to grab me again. We struggled and fell to the floor. I kicked and clawed like crazy, making things as difficult as possible. It was only when he managed to pin me with his entire body that my flailing got stifled. I had enough freedom to reach a hand into my pocket, however.Who sent you? he demanded. Where are the others?I didnt answer. Instead, I pulled out a small ampule and flipped the cap off with one hand. Immediately, noxious yellow vapor with the trunk of dry ice spilled out of it. I thrust it toward the guys face. He recoiled in disgust, and tears sprang into his eyes. The substance itself wa s relatively harmless, but its fumes acted as a kind of pepper spray. He let go of me, and with strength I didnt even know I had, I managed to roll him over and hold him down. I drove my elbow into his wrist, and he made a small grunt of pain. With my other arm, I waved the vial with as much peril as I would a machete. This wouldnt fool him for long, but hopefully itd grease ones palms me some time to reassess my situation. Now that he was still, I was finally able to get a good look at him and was sticking(p) to see Id at least achieved my goal. He had a young, handsome face with an indigo tattoo on his cheek. It was an abstract design that looked like a latticework of crescent moons. A faint silver gleam advance some of the blue lines.Nice to meet you, Marcus.Then, the most astonishing thing happened. Through his watering eyes, hed been trying to get a good look at me too. Recognition appeared on his face as he blinked me into focus.Sydney Sage, he gasped. Ive been looking for you.I didnt have any time to be surprised because I suddenly heard the click of a gun, and a set touched the back of my head.Get off him, a voice demanded. And drop the smoke bomb.