Chapter 18
“The Purple Flame?” Aislin pulls a face at the paper. She’s still sitting on the floor of the living room with the laptop opened up on the coffee table and the note I found in my room in her hand. “I think it’s a Foreseer term.”
“Does anyone know what it is?” I take the note from her hand and read it over again, pondering whose handwriting it could be.
“No,” Alex says, absentmindedly playing with my hair as he sits next to me, mulling it over. “We’re all just as lost as you.”
“Well, does anyone know how to find out what it is?” I ask, knowing I should go sit somewhere else, but I can’t seem to will myself to give up the comfort he’s instilling in me. And after the thing with my mom, I really need some comfort. “Is there a book or something? Or can we search it out on the Internet?”
Alex and Aislin exchange a look of inquiry. “What do you think?” Alex asks her. “Would it say anything about it?”
“I don’t know…maybe,” Aislin deliberates as she clicks a few keys on the computer and then shuts it down. “But it would be extremely risky, especially if he’s at our house.”
My eyes blink incredulously. “You want to go to your house—to Stephan’s house?”
“Maybe. I mean he has a book.” Aislin scoots the laptop to the side and crosses her arms on the table.
“A history book,” Alex adds. “That outlines the history of the Foreseers. And it’s probably our best bet on figuring this out since we don’t have a Foreseer around to help us anymore.”
My stomach churns as I think of Nicholas and the floral scent I detected only moments ago when I looked outside my window. But there’s no way… Nicholas was dead.
“I’ll go get it,” Alex announces, getting up to head to the foyer. “My father was never home anyway, so I doubt he’ll be hanging around now, but if he is, I can handle it.”
I want to grab him and refuse to let him go, but deep down I know someone has to do it and I’ve already talked him into letting me do things by myself once before, when I was going to the castle, and since it didn’t turn out so great, I know convincing him of such again would be even more difficult. “At least let me foresee us there.”
He shakes his head, lingering in the doorway. “You can’t. There’s Praesidium everywhere in the yard and basement, and besides, you don’t know what my place looks like.”
I motion at Aislin. “Well, let her transport you …”
“No one can use magic in the house,” he explains, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded.
“Why?”
He shrugs. “Since we knew about all the things that go bump in the night, we wanted to be protected.”
“So you’re just going to drive there?” It seems like such a normal thing to do which makes it seem odd.
“Basically, yeah. But don’t worry, I’ll be okay,” he promises. “There’s like a one percent chance he’ll be there. He was never even there while we were growing up—he never was anywhere we were unless it was convenient for him.”
“Can you at least wait until dark, so he doesn’t see you coming if he’s there? Plus, there’ll be lights on in the house if someone’s home so you’ll know,” I point out, walking toward him.
He winks at me. “Alright, but only because you asked me to.”
Unsure how to respond to his composed demeanor, I smile tightly. But it feels wrong because I’m afraid. Afraid of getting hurt. Of not being able to fix the world’s outcome. And the scariest one of all, losing him.
***
For the rest of the day, we keep to ourselves, getting lost in our own worry. Aleesa comes downstairs eventually, looking better than when I first met her. Her tangles are tamed, her skin isn’t so pale, and she has on clean clothes. Aislin takes her into the kitchen to feed her. She’s almost like a child, unable to take care of herself and I feel sorry for her, realizing that there are so many people’s lives that have been ruined by Stephan and I wonder how many more there are.
I’m sitting on the couch, trying to watch the television and not think about all the danger I’m faced with, but all I can do is focus on Alex and think about how I don’t want him to go. He seems content, however, humming a song under his breath as he laces his boots.
“I don’t think you should go alone,” I finally say, turning off the television. “I should go with you. I’m a Keeper now, so I’m not completely useless.”
He puts a knife into the pocket of his jeans and rolls up the sleeves of his long-sleeve shirt, giving me a good glimpse of his lean muscles. “No way.”
“You didn’t see me at the castle.” I position myself in front of him as he’s walking out of the room. “I kicked some major Death Walker ass.”
He eyes me over from head to toe. “You know what, you can go if you want. You’re a Keeper now, and this will be good practice for you. You can be my lookout, even though I’m sure my father won’t show up. But better safe than sorry, right? And besides, I want you near me at all times. I’m not sure I’ll have a clear head if you’re not there.”
“You’re always saying that,” I tell him, fighting the urge to kiss him. It’s been almost four days since I was graced with his mouth and being this close to him is causing the sparks to attack me and make me want to attack him.
“That’s because it’s true.” He reaches out to touch me, but pulls away. I’ve been noticing how much easier it is for him not to touch me. Ever since the mark showed up, he seems to have regained some control over his emotions. Maybe they’ve fizzled or something.
The sparks however, have not. I can feel them dancing across my skin, taunting me. “Is there something wrong?”
“Why would there be something wrong?”
“I don’t know…” I feel embarrassed to ask him if he’s lost interest in me and even more embarrassed that it’s so important to me. “Nothing. Never mind.”
“Gemma, just say it. You don’t need to sensor yourself with me.”
“Are you about ready to go?” Aislin announces as she enters the room, stopping our conversation, probably for the better. “Because it’s getting late.”
“Gemma’s going with me.” Alex picks up a slender sword from off the table, tosses it to me, and I surprisingly catch it effortlessly.