As we searched the downstairs for Laylen and Aislin, I casually mentioned to Alex that maybe he should apologize to Laylen for accusing him of biting me, because I figured it would make things easier if the two of them weren’t fighting. He ignored my casual suggestion, though, so I decided I would drop it….For now, anyway.
We found Laylen and Aislin in one of the bedrooms upstairs. Aislin was sitting cross-legged on the bed, still wearing her plaid pajamas. Laylen was sitting in a corner chair, and I could tell he was still all worked up over the fight. But I also got the impression that Alex and I might have interrupted a very serious conversation going on between the two of them, like we might have shattered a private moment they had been having.
Alex gave both of them a quick rundown of our plan.
After he had finished, Aislin sat on the bed, a shocked look frozen on her face. Laylen secretly gave me an I-told-you-so look because he had guessed that Alex would know how to get into to The Underworld.
Something occurred to me as I stood there staring at the maroon walls of the bedroom, with my hand pressed to my bitten neck. Had it really been necessary to go speak to Vladislav? I mean, if Alex knew a way to get to The Underworld, maybe he knew another way to find out if she was alive. Of course, I’d had to use what Vladislav had told us about my mother being the Queen’s slave for Alex to admit he knew a way. But still …maybe our little trip could have been avoided.
Well, I guess we had really messed up on that one.
And now Laylen might end up getting hunted down by a bunch of revengeful vampires.
“Jocelyn’s still alive…in The Underworld…” Aislin said. “For all these years?”
Well, according to Vladislav, she is” Alex replied, shooting Laylen a glare.
“He wasn’t lying,” Laylen assured him, standing up from his chair. “I could feel that he wasn’t.”
“I already said we’d go try to rescue her,” Alex said sharply. “I don’t need you to try and convince me.”
“I wasn’t trying to convince you,” Laylen said. “I was just pointing out the fact that, despite what you believe, vampires do tell the truth sometimes.”
“That might be true,” Alex replied. “But your little trip out there also backed up my theory that vampires can’t control their need to bite.”
“Well, I can control my need.” Laylen took a threatening step toward Alex.
“Yeah, but for how long?” Alex asked, taking a step toward Laylen. “How long do you think you’ll be able to keep it under control before you lose it?”
“Can you two just stop arguing,” I cried out, startling myself and everyone else in the room. All their eyes were on me. “The longer we stand around here arguing, the longer my mom has to be down there suffering. And the more time we waste not trying to figure out what the heck Stephan is trying to do with me and the star.”
They were all speechless for a minute, which almost always happens when I make a big speech like that.
“But how do we get Nicholas here?” Aislin asked, fidgeting with one of her diamond earrings. “Isn’t going to the City of Crystal the only way to find him?
And to do that don’t we need another special kind of crystal ball that is hard to come by. I mean, the only other alternative I can think of is to go to the Kingdom of Fey, and see if he’s there. But he doesn’t spend much time there. At least I don’t think he does.”
“Besides,” Laylen added. “Whether we end up finding a way to enter the City of Crystal, or if we decide to go to the Kingdom of Fey, both places are not very accepting of unwelcomed visitors.”
“Kingdom of Fey?” I asked.
“It’s where the Fey live,” Aislin explained. “And since Nicholas is part Fey, he goes there sometimes.
But I don’t think he’s very fond of it because…well, because the fey can be…”
“Everything’s a joke to them,” Alex interrupted.
“Which means there’s a lot of running around in circles. And it doesn’t matter because I’m not planning on going to either one of those places.” Alex caught my eye. “Gemma’s going to bring him here.”
“What…” I gaped at him. “I’m going to bring him here? How am I…Oh…” I stopped as it dawned on me what he was referring to. I was going to use a good old normal crystal ball, which in turn would allow the Foreseers to know that I was using a crystal ball again, something I’d been forbidden to do until I’d been trained, and something Alex had promised Dyvinius I wouldn’t use until I had. So if I used the power of the crystal, Nicholas would show up here to collect on Alex’s promise.
“But if I bring him here that way then you’ll have to
—” I started to say.
Alex shook his head at me, trying to get me to stop talking.
“Have to what?” Aislin asked curiously.
I gave Alex a funny look, wondering why I couldn’t say anything to Ailsin and Laylen about the promise he’d made to Dyvinius.
“Then he’ll be super annoying, just like he always is,” Alex said quickly, taking me by the hand, which threw me completely off guard. “Look, I have to talk to Gemma for a minute about what’s going to happen when Nicholas gets here, so excuse us for just a second.”
Before anyone could respond to this, Alex was pulling me toward the door. Laylen and Ailsin exchanged a perplexed look, which I’m sure matched the look on my own face.
“What’s wrong with you?” I pulled my hand from his grip after we’d made it out of the room. “Why can’t I say anything about the promise you made to Dyvinius.”
“Because...” he glanced back at Ailsin and Laylen, and then shut the door. “Ailsin will freak out if she finds out about it.”
“Why? How bad is it?”
“I told you that's for me to worry about.” He backed away toward the stairs. “We need to get that bite cleaned up before we bring Nicholas here. The less he knows about what’s going on, the better.” And with that, he headed down the stairs.
I sighed, trotting down the stairs after him. “But what happens when he gets here?” I asked, following Alex into the kitchen. “Are we just supposed to ask him for the Ira crystal ball and hope that’ll he’ll give it to us.” Alex started opening up the top cupboards that surrounded the cooking area of the kitchen. “No.
You’re probably going to have to do that.”
“Why would I have to?” I asked, wondering what he was looking for.
“Because…” he bent down and opened the cupboard below the sink. “I probably won’t be here.”
“Huh….Why won’t you…Alex what the heck is going to happen to you when I use the crystal ball.” He reached inside the cupboard and pulled out a first aid kit. “I told you—”
I cut him off. “Just tell me, please.” He looked at me, and I looked back at him, the electricity coursing all around.
“I’m just going to be gone for a little while,” he finally said with a shrug. “It’s nothing major.”
“But you’ll come back, right?” I asked, suddenly worried I’d never see him again. Hmm…That was weird.
He paused, considering what I’d asked him.
“Eventually, yeah.”
Chapter 8
As Alex patched the bite on my neck, his words lingered in my head. Eventually. Eventually, he’d be back, but when? Did he even know?
I was sitting on the kitchen table, with my feet up on one of the chairs, as Alex stood in front of me, patting my neck with a cotton ball.
“What exactly do you mean by eventually?” I asked him, flinching from the pain. “’Just how long are you talking about? And why will you be gone? Can’t you just break the promise?” I mean he was good at breaking promises to me, so why not to Dyvinius.
He gave me a funny look. “You know, you ask more questions than anyone I’ve ever known.” I rolled my eyes. “Well, if you’d just tell me things, then I wouldn’t have to ask the questions.” He shook his head, trying not to smile. “Well, I’m not sure when I’ll be back—there’s no time frame for what I’ll be doing. And I won’t break the promise because I can’t. It’s binding because I made it in the City of Crystal. It’s how things work—promises are unbreakable when made there.”