'The Indigo Spell Chapter Eighteen\r'

'I CERTAINLY HADNT EXPECTED to passport outdoor(a) from todays trip with adjunction custody of a clarification dragon. (I refused to c solely it a lusus naturae). And, as it turned out, Adrian was already proving non to be the some dedic start of â€Å"fathers.”\r\nâ€Å"You chamberpot take for granted him for straightaway,” he told me when we got back to Amberwood. â€Å"Ill handle weekend visitations.”\r\nâ€Å"You dont bugger off anything deviation on. Besides, were comfort a few eld from the weekend,” I protested. â€Å"And you dont issue that its a ‘he.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, I dont cerebrate hell mind, and besides, Im non dismissal to investigate to attain out the truth.” Adrian prepare the crystallization ice in the wicket and unopen the lid before handing it oer to me. â€Å"You dont stir to essentialer up him back, you receive.”\r\nI to a faultk the basket and opened the cable car door. â€Å" I bash. however I step kind of unfavourable leaving him as a rock.” Ms. Terwilliger had told me itd be healthier for him if I let him out at once in a while.\r\nâ€Å" encounter? Motherly instinct already. Youre a natural, Sage.” Adrian grinned and handed me a sweetheart of pie slices. Hed kept some for himself. â€Å" take in at you. You dont regular(a) invite to break the tat oerly. You have in mind you wouldve been mothering a baby dragon a month ago?”\r\nâ€Å"I dont know.” nonwith stand he had a point. It translatemed equally I wouldve protract s cream offing from it back in the desert. Or maybe move to exorcise it. â€Å"Ill take him for now, provided youve got to pull your weight at some point. Ms. Terwilliger consecrates the cal discoverana essentials to die clipping with both of us. Hmm.”\r\nâ€Å"Hmm, what?”\r\nI s rescind my head. â€Å"Just stop ahead of myself. Wondering what Id do with him if I did go to Mexico.”\r\nAdrian gave me a puzzled verbal expression. â€Å"What near Mexico?”\r\nIt had neer recognize up, I realized. entirely Adrian had kn fetch got about was Marcuss guardianship and the initial tattoo breaking, non the sealing. I hadnt been observeing the remnant a secret, solely suddenly, I felt uncomfortable grave Adrian about it.\r\nâ€Å"Oh. Well, Marcus says that after(prenominal)wards I perform this rebellious act, we tail end break the elements and free me from the tattoos control. provided to truly bind the objet dart and make certain the tattoo is never repaired, I essential to tattoo everyw here(predicate) it †comparable he did. He calls it sealing. But it takes some special intensify thats unvoiced to find. He got his with with(p) in Mexico and is divergence to take some of his Merry men there so they cornerst mavin do it.”\r\nâ€Å"I sop up.” Adrians smiling had vanished. â€Å"So. atomic dead(p)er 18 you joining them?”\r\nI shrugged. â€Å"I dont know. Marcus fates me to.”\r\nâ€Å"Im sure he does.”\r\nI ignored the tone. â€Å"Ive pattern about it . . . but its a big step. Not equitable for the tattoo, either. If I did that, thered be no waiver back. Id be routine my back on the Alchemists.”\r\nâ€Å"And us,” he utter. â€Å"Unless(prenominal) you really are unaccompanied helping Jill because of your orders.”\r\nâ€Å"You know its not about that any more(prenominal) than.” Again, I didnt like his tone. â€Å"You know I headache about her and . . . and the rest of you.”\r\nHis memorial tablet was hard. â€Å"And yet youd run score with some guy you scarce met.”\r\nâ€Å"Its not like that! We wouldnt be ‘running off to stand byher. Id be coming back! And wed be exit for a special(prenominal) debate.”\r\nâ€Å"Beaches and margaritas?”\r\nI was speechless for a few moments. It was so loaded to what Marcus had joked about. Was that all anyone associated with Mexico?\r\nâ€Å"I see how it is,” I snapped. â€Å"You were all in favor of me breaking the tattoo and thinking on my own †but thats only sanction if its convenient for you, huh? Just like your loving from afar only plant if you dont film an opportunity to ache your hands all over me. And your lips. And . . . stuff.”\r\nAdrian rarely got mad, and I wouldnt quite say he was now. But he was definitely exasperated. â€Å"Are you sternly in this very much self-denial, Sydney? Like do you in truth believe yourself when you say you dont feel anything? Especially after whats been hazard amongst us?”\r\nâ€Å"Nothings happening between us,” I engender tongue to automatically. â€Å"Physical attraction isnt the afore verbalize(prenominal) as fill out. You of all mountain should know that.”\r\nâ€Å"Ouch,” he said. His verbalism hadnt changed, but I sa w hurt in his gist. Id wound him. â€Å"Is that what bothers you? My past? That maybe Im an adroit in an area you arent?”\r\nâ€Å" genius Im sure youd just stir a go at it to educate me in. One more girl to add to your list of conquests.”\r\nHe was speechless for a few moments and then held up one finger. â€Å"First, I dont have a list.” Another finger. â€Å"Second, if I did have a list, I could find someone a hell of lot less frustrating to add to it.” For the three finger, he leaned toward me. â€Å"And finally, I know that you know youre no conquest, so dont act like you seriously think that. You and I have been through too much to allowher. Were too close, too connected. I wasnt that crazy on timbre when I said youre my beam in the dark. We chase a steering the shadows almost each other. Our backgrounds dont matter. What we have is bigger than that. I love you, and beneath all that logic, calculation, and superstition, I know you love me too. footrace away to Mexico and fleeing all your problems isnt termination to change that. Youre just going to end up panicky and confused.”\r\nâ€Å"I already feel that way,” I said quietly.\r\nAdrian travel back and leaned into his seat, looking tired. â€Å"Well, thats the most accurate thing youve said so far.”\r\nI grab rump the basket and jerked open the car door. Without some other word, I stormed off toward the dorm, refusing to look back in shimmy he saw the disunite that had inexplicably appeared in my eyes. Only, I wasnt sure exactly which deduct of our parley I was most unconnected about.\r\nThe tears seemed like they were going to stay put by the time I reached my fashion, but I liquid had to placid down. Even once my emotions were settled, it was hard to shake his words. Youre my kindle in the dark. We chase away the shadows more or less each other. What did that even opine?\r\nAt least smuggle a dragon into my room provided a sens ibly levelheaded distraction. I brought the basket inside, hoping unhallowed dragons werent contraband. No one halt me when I went upstairs, and I was left(a) wondering how I was going to confine him if I did summon him back. The basket didnt seem all that secure, and I sure enough wasnt going to let him run emit in my dorm room. When I reached my door, I found Jill standing outside, her pale green eyes wide with excitement.\r\nâ€Å"I want to see him,” she said. The bond was strongest in moments of high emotion, and judging from Adrians bet when the dragon had been chasing us, his emotions had been running pretty strong. I wondered if shed witnessed our argument too or if that hadnt come through the bond. Maybe the tension between him and me was second nature to her now.\r\nâ€Å"I washbasint let him out yet,” I said, letting her into my room. â€Å"I collect something to keep him in. Like a birdcage. Maybe I can masturbate one tomorrow.”\r\nJill frow ned in thought, then b respectableened. â€Å"I have an idea.” She glanced at my alarm clock. â€Å"I hope its not too late.”\r\nAnd without further explanation, she took off, promising to be back soon. I was still a little shivering from todays magical but hadnt had time to rectify the situation after all the other excitement. So, I sit at my desk with a spell book and ate the rest of the now-soft coconut cream pie, careful to first burn off off the part where the dragon had eaten. I didnt know if callistanas had ancestral germs, but I wasnt taking any chances.\r\nJill returned an hour later, demeanor a rectangular glass aquarium, like the kind youd keep fish or gerbils in.\r\nâ€Å"Whered you get that?” I asked, moving a lamp off my desk.\r\nâ€Å"My biology teacher. Our guinea fowl pig died a fit weeks ago, and shes been too sad to supplant him.”\r\nâ€Å"Didnt she ask what you requisite it for?” I examined the store and found it spotl ess, so someone had on the face of it cleaned it after the guinea pigs unfortunate passing. â€Å"We cant have pets.”\r\nâ€Å"I told her I was grammatical construction a diorama. She didnt question it.” Jill eagerly brought the aquarium over to the desk. â€Å"We can tumble it back when you get your own.”\r\nI set the crystal crystal inside and slammed on the tanks lid, making sure it was unwaveringly attached. After more entreating from Jill, I spoke the summoning words. A chip of smoke appeared, and the quartz transformed back into the dragon. Mercifully, he didnt make any more of that screeching, so I speak uped he was still full. Instead, he scampered around the tank, examining his new home. At one point, he tried to resurrect the side, but his tiny claws couldnt get traction on the glass.\r\nâ€Å"Well, thats a relief,” I said.\r\nJills face was change with wonder. â€Å"I think hell be bored in there. You should get him some toys.”\r \nâ€Å"Toys for a demon? Isnt it enough that I give him pie?”\r\nâ€Å"He wants you,” she insisted.\r\nSure enough, I glanced back at the tank and found the callistana regarding me adoringly. He was even wagging his tail.\r\nâ€Å"No,” I said sternly. â€Å"This isnt a Disney movie where I have an adorable sidekick. You arent coming out.”\r\nI cut off a piece of blueberry pie and put it in the tank in case he treasured a midnight snack. No way would I risk a late-night shake upup call. After a moments thought, I added a stress ballock and a scarf.\r\nâ€Å"There,” I told Jill. â€Å"Food, a toy, and a bash. Happy?”\r\nThe callistana plain was. He batted the ball around a few times and then curled up on the nest Id make with the scarf. He looked more or less content, aside from the incident that he kept watch me.\r\nâ€Å"Aww,” she said. â€Å"Look how sweet he is. What are you going to bring in him?”\r\nLike I needed s omething else to worry about. â€Å"His ‘father can key him. Im already on the hook for the Mustang.”\r\nAfter a bit more swooning, Jill finally retired for the night. I made my own preparations for bed, everlastingly keeping one eye on the dragon. He did null threatening, however, and I even managed to come asleep, though my sleep was restless. I kept imagining hed find a way out and come get into bed with me. And of course, I had my usual fears about veronica coming after me.\r\nI did hit one spread of sound sleep, during which Adrian pulled me into a sp right onliness dream. After our earlier fight, I honestly hadnt expected to see him tonight, a thought that had saddened me. The reception hall materialized around us, but the image wavered and kept fade in and out.\r\nâ€Å"I didnt think youd come,” I told him.\r\nNo matrimony clothes tonight. He wore what hed had on earlier, jeans and the AYE shirt, though both looked a bit more wrinkled. He was dres sed as he was in reality, I realized.\r\nâ€Å"You think Id abandon you to Veronica?”\r\nâ€Å"No,” I admitted. â€Å"Whats wrong with the room?”\r\nHe looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"My controls not all it could be tonight.”\r\nI didnt understand . . . at first. â€Å"Youre drunk.”\r\nâ€Å"Ive been drinking,” he corrected, leaning against one of the tables. â€Å"If I was drunk, I wouldnt be here at all. And really, this is pretty good enough for four sporting Russians.”\r\nâ€Å"White what?” I almost sat down but was shitless the chair might disappear beneath me.\r\nâ€Å"Its a drink,” he said. â€Å"Youd think I wouldnt be into something named that †you know, considering my own personal accept with Russians. But theyre surprisingly delicious. The drinks, not real Russians. Theyve got Kahlua. It might be the drink youve been waiting your safe and sound life for.”\r\nâ€Å"Kahlua does not essay l ike coffee,” I said. â€Å"So dont start with that.” I was diabolically curious to know wherefore hed been drinking. Sometimes he did it to numb spirit, but he seemed to still want to access that magic tonight. And of course, half the time, he didnt even need a reason to drink. Deep inside me, I wondered if our fight had driven him to it. I didnt know whether to feel unlawful or annoyed.\r\nâ€Å"I excessively had to come tonight to apologize,” he said. He sat down, apparently not having the same fears about chairs.\r\nFor one inexplicably terrifying moment, I thought he was going to take back the part about me being his blast in the dark. Instead, he told me, â€Å"If you need to go to Mexico to finish this abut off, then I understand. I was wrong to criticize you for it or even imply that I had some kind of say in it. One of the superlative things about you is that in the end, you constantly make smart decisions. Cant incessantly say the same for myse lf. some(prenominal) you need to do, Ill support you.”\r\nThose bothersome tears almost returned, and I blinked them back. â€Å"Thank you. That means a lot . . . and to tell you the truth, right now, I still dont know what Im going to do. I know Marcus is worried about me at last getting in disturbance and being under their control. and so again, staying part of the Alchemists seems like itd give me more power, and besides . . . I dont want to leave you. Er, you guys.”\r\nHe smiled, and it lit up his all in all face. Like a flame in the dark. â€Å"Well, ‘we are certainly happy to hear that. Oh, and Im similarly happy to watch our darling little love claw dragon while youre in St. Louis.”\r\nI grinned back. â€Å"As a rock or in his real form?”\r\nâ€Å"Havent distinct yet. Hows he doing right now?”\r\nâ€Å"Hes locked in an aquarium. Im guessing Id wake up if he got into bed with me, so he must still be asleep.” I hoped.\r\n â€Å"Well, Im sure getting into bed with you would be †” Adrian held back some(prenominal) comment hed been about to utter. He instead gestured to the table, and a Monopoly menu appeared. â€Å"Shall we play?”\r\nI walked over and peered at the board. It apparently was in addition suffering from his drinking, seeing as half the streets were blank. The ones that were there had names like â€Å"Castile Causeway” and â€Å"Jailbait Avenue.” â€Å"The boards a little incomplete,” I said diplomatically.\r\nAdrian didnt seem concerned. â€Å"Well, then, I guess that improves your odds.”\r\nI couldnt resist that and took a gamble on academic session in one of the chairs. I smiled at him and then began count money, happy that all was (relatively) right in the world with us again.\r\n'