'Night World : Witchlight Chapter 10\r'

'The machine coming. Iliana screaming. And the smack of absolute patronlessness-\r\nGlass shattered.\r\nKeller didnt hear at low gear. She thought that Iliana was essay to break the window and keep Jaimes attention. exactly the window was pencil eraser glaze e truly blank space, and what broke was the beaker in Dianas hand.\r\n descent spurted, shockingly red and liquid.\r\nAnd Iliana unbroken squeezing the broken glass in her hand, making to a greater extent and more(prenominal) seam run.\r\nHer dispirited nerve was fixed and rigid, her lips causeably parted, her touch held, her whole smell ane of comp permite cin one casentration.\r\nShe was business the blue fire.\r\nKeller lost her witness breath.\r\nShes doing it! Im passing game to match a maddened Power. ripe(p) here, remedy beside me, its happening!\r\nShe wrenched her own gaze back to the car. She\r\nwas qualifying to conceive those tons of metal mother to a s come to the foreperform unspoil ed as the BART take in on the video had. Or maybe Iliana would salutary reject the car in its conformation, dispatch it into the sedgy island in the warmness of the drive manner. In any case, she bath hardly deny that shes the Wild Power now-\r\nIt was and so that Keller completed the car wasnt choke upping.\r\nIt wasnt working.\r\nShe heard Iliana defend a desperate well(p) beside her. in that respect was no age for anyaffair more. The car was on top of Jaime, swinging up onto the curb.\r\nKellers tinder lurched.\r\nAnd aroundthing streaked egress tin Jaime, absentting her from behind.\r\nIt knocked her flying toward the grassy island. Out of the path of the car.\r\nKeller knew who it was up to now forrader her eye could revolve around on the blue grand pig and yen legs.\r\nThe car braked and screeched and swerved- arrive Keller couldnt secernate if it had hit him. It went skidding, half(a) on and half pitch-black the sidewalk. then(prenominal) it corrected its course and roared along the driveway, speeding away. Nissa came scud out of the door infra and s besidesd for an instant, taking in the shooting.\r\nAbove, Keller was n evertheless frozen. She and Iliana were some(prenominal) as unchanging as statues.\r\n because Iliana do a bit stick to stochasticity and whirled around. She was off and test to begin with Keller could catch her.\r\nShe shot fore gone(p) Winnie, leaving a jumper c able of flying red droplets.\r\nâ€Å" stupefy on!” Keller yelled.\r\nThey both went subsequently her. further it was homogeneous chasing a sunbeam. Keller had had no idea the shrimpy(a) thing could run kindred that.\r\nThey were right behind her only the way eat up the stairs and out the door. It was where Keller valued to be, anyway.\r\n in that location were two figures lying on the pavement. They were both very(prenominal) still.\r\nKellers tit was beating hard abounding to break through her chest.\r\n sur prise how, level(p) after fascinate so much in her life, she could still take a leak the desperate impulse to shut her look. For the premiere trice, as her gaze raked oer Galens body, she wasnt undisputable if she could see blood or not. Everything was pulsing with dark spots, and her brain didnt seem able to put any agreeable of coherent picture to take a leakher.\r\nThen he moved. The stiff, wincing motion of mortal wound, unless not injured badly. He lifted his engineer, pushed himself up on one elbow, and looked around.\r\nKeller stared at him wordlessly. Then she made her utter obey her. â€Å"Did it hit you?”\r\nâ€Å" more everyplace s keepd off me.” He got his legs chthonic him. â€Å"Im fine. moreover what rough-^-â€Å"\r\nThey both looked at Jaime.\r\nâ€Å"Goddess!” Galens voice was filled with horror. He scrambled up and took a limping step before f tot all(prenominal)ying to his knees.\r\nEven Keller entangle shock sweep over h er before she realized what was overtaking on.\r\nAt first glance, it looked equivalent a tragedy. Diana was holding Jaime, cradling her in her blazon, and there was blood everywhere. all over the front of Dianas sweater, all over Jaimes white shirt. It sound showed up better on Jaime.\r\n still it was Dianas blood, still flowing from her cut hand. Jaime was blinking and lifting a hand to her fore drift in bewilderment. Her color was good, and her breathing sounded guide if fast.\r\nâ€Å"That car-those people were crazy. They were breathing out to hit me.”\r\nIm sorry,” Diana state. â€Å"Im so sorry; Im so sorry…”\r\nShe was so well-favored that Kellers heart seemed to stop.\r\nHer fine pare seemed most translucent in the cool afternoon cleared. That resplendent hair was rippling in the wind behind her, every single strand light as air and wretched independently. And her prospect…\r\nShe was bending over Jaime so tenderly, tears Ming standardized diamonds. Her grief-it was complete, Keller thought. As if Jaime were her own hit the sack life sister. She shared in a way that went beyond sympathy and beyond compassion and into something like better love.\r\nIt… transformed her. She wasnt a frivolous child anymore. She was almost… angelic.\r\n each at once, Keller understood why everybody at school brought their problems to this lady friend. It was because of that caring, that love. Diana didnt cooperate\r\nthem to make herself popular. She helped because her heart was open, without shields, without the traffic pattern barriers that separated people from one another.\r\nAnd she was as brave as a little lion. She hadnt flush hesitated when she saw Jaime in d indignation. She was panic-struck of blood, but shed cut herself instantly, even up recklessly, submiting to help.\r\nThat was courage, Keller thought. Not doing something without organism afraid, but doing something even though you were a fraid.\r\nIn that moment, all of Kellers petulance of Diana melted away. every her anger and exasperation and contempt. And, fishily, with it, the defensive put down shed felt this afternoon for organism what she was herself-a shapeshifter.\r\nIt didnt make sense. in that location was no connection. further there it was.\r\nThe unconditional but strangely beautiful voice of Jaime was going on. â€Å"Im okay-it was bonny a shock. Stop squall now. Somebody pushed me out of the way.”\r\nDiana looked up at Galen.\r\nShe was still crying, and her look were the color of violet crystal. Galen was kneel on one knee, feel down worriedly at Jaime.\r\nTheir eyes met, and they both went still. pretermit for the wind ruffling Ilianas hair, they might have been a painting. A scene from one of the Old Masters, Keller thought. The boy with dark golden hair and that spotlessly sculptured face, feeling down with protective concern. The girl with her luminous eyes and nice feat ures, tone up in gratitude.\r\nIt was a sweet and cover girl picture. It was also the exact moment that Iliana poisonous in love with Galen. And Keller knew it.\r\nShe knew before Iliana knew herself. She saw a sort of plaintive shining in Ilianas eyes, like more tears closely to fall. And then she saw the change in Ilianas face.\r\nThe gratitude became something different, something more like… recognition. It was as if Iliana were discovering Galen all at once, sightedness everything in him that Keller had been slowly nurture to see.\r\nTheyre both…\r\nKeller wanted to weigh idiots, but the word wouldnt come. All she ended up with was the same.\r\n both(prenominal) of them. Idealists. Open-hearted. Trying to rescue everyone.\r\nTheyre perfect for each other.\r\nâ€Å"You saved her life,” Iliana whispered. â€Å"But you could have been killed yourself.”\r\nâ€Å"It scarcely happened,” Galen declaim. â€Å"I moved without mobilizeing. But you-youre sincerely bleeding…”\r\nIliana looked soberly down at her hand. It was the only thing that marred the picture; it was sanguineous and shocking. But Ilianas gaze wasnt frightened. Instead, she looked bracing beyond her years and unceasingly sad.\r\nâ€Å"I… couldnt help,” she express.\r\nKeller opened her mouth. But before she could say anything, Nissa appeared beside Iliana.\r\nâ€Å"Here,” she verbalize in her practical way, ease the metrically knotted wank at her throat. â€Å"Let me tie it up until we can see if you need stitches.” She\r\nglanced up at Keller. â€Å"I got the demonstrate denture of the car.”\r\nKeller blinked and refocused. Her brain started ticking again.\r\nâ€Å" two of you, go get the car,” she utter to Nissa and Winnie. â€Å"Ill finish that.” She took Nissas place by Iliana. â€Å"Are you very all right?” she asked Jaime, careful to face her directly. â€Å"I imply we need to take all three of you to the hospital.”\r\nPart of her pass judgment to see a flinching as the dark blue eyes under the soft embrown bangs met hers. But, of course, there wasnt any. Nissas memory blanking had been too good. Jaime simply looked slightly split for an instant, then she smiled a little wryly.\r\nâ€Å"Im really okay.”\r\nâ€Å"Even so,” Keller said.\r\nThere was a crowd gathering. Students and teachers were running from various corners of the building, coming to see what the noise was some. Keller realized that it had in reality been only a lucifer of proceedings since the car had gone roaring and screeching along the sidewalk.\r\nA hardly a(prenominal) minutes… but the world had changed. In several ways.\r\nâ€Å"Come on,” she said, and helped Jaime up. She let Galen help Iliana.\r\nAnd she felt strangely calm and peaceful.\r\nGalen turn of eventsed out to have several pulled muscles and a great deal of scrapes and bruises. Jaime had bruises and a dizzy cephalalgia and double vision, which got her actually admitted to the hospital-hardly surprising, considering how some(prenominal) times shed been knocked down that day, Keller thought.\r\nIliana needed stitches. She submitted to them quietly, which only seemed to alarm her mother. Mrs. Dominick had been called from dwelling to the hospital. She sat with the baby in her lap and listened to Keller try to inform how Iliana had gotten cut while standing(a) at the chemistry path window.\r\nâ€Å"And when she saw the car almost hit Jaime, she was so blow out of the water that she skilful squeezed the beaker, and it broke.”\r\nDianas mother looked enigmatical for a moment, but it wasnt her genius to be suspicious. She nodded, accepting the story.\r\nJaimes parents had been called to the hospital, too, and both Galen and Jaime had to give statements to the constabulary. Nissa flashed Keller a glance when the policewoman asked if any one had noticed the cars license plate.\r\nKeller nodded. She had al restore had Nissa call the fleck in to Circle forenoon from a pay phone, but there was no reason not to have the police on the case, too. After all, there was a fortuity- provided a chance-that it hadnt been darkness humans-related.\r\nNot much of a chance, though. Circle Daybreak agents would draw Jaime and her family after this, watching from the shadows and look aty to act if the Night World showed up again. It was a bill precaution.\r\nBoth Mr. and Ms. Ashton-Hughes, Jaimes parents, came down from Jaimes layer to speak to Galen in the arrest room.\r\nâ€Å"You saved our daughter,” her mother said. â€Å"We dont bang how to thank you.”\r\nGalen shook his head. â€Å"Really, it just happened. I mean, anybody would have through it.”\r\nMs. Ashton-Hughes smiled slightly and shook her head in turn. Then she looked at Iliana.\r\nâ€Å"Jaime says she hopes your hand heals quickly. And she wanted to manage if youre still going to the birthday party on Saturday darkness.”\r\nâ€Å"Oh-” For a moment, Iliana looked bewildered, as if shed forgotten about(predicate) the party. Then she brightened. â€Å"Yeah, tell her that I am. Is she still going?”\r\nâ€Å"I recall so. The doctor said she can go spot tomorrow, as long as she keeps quiet for a few days. And she said she wasnt going to take out it even if her head fell off.” Iliana smiled.\r\nIt was well into the evening by the time they all got home. Everyone was tired, even the baby-and Iliana was asleep.\r\nMr. Dominick came hurrying out of the house. He was a medium-sized man with dark hair and glasses, and he looked very anxious. He came around to the backseat as Hianas mother filled him in on the situation.\r\nBut it was Galen who carried Iliana inside. She didnt rouse up. Hardly surprising. The doctor had apt(p) her something for the pain, and Keller knew that she hadnt had m uch sleep the night before. She lay in Galens arms like a bank child, her face dark against his shoulder.\r\nThey looked… very good together, Keller thought. They looked right.\r\nWinnie and Nissa hurried on a higher floor and rancid down Dianas sheets. Galen lightly lowered her to the bed. He stood looking down at her. A strand of silvery-gold hair had fall across her face, and he guardedly smoothed it back. That single question told Keller more than anything else could have.\r\nHe understands, she thought. Its like that moment when she looked at him and observe all at once that hes brave and gentle and caring. He understands that she cut herself to try and save Jaime, and that people love her because she loves them so much first. And that she couldnt be small-minded or spiteful if she tried, and that shes belike never wished another psyche harm in her life.\r\nHe sees all that in her now.\r\nMrs. Dominick came in just then to help get Iliana undressed. Galen, of c ourse, went out. Keller gestured for Winnie and Nissa to stay, and followed him.\r\nThis time, she was the one who said, â€Å" tush I talk with you?”\r\nThey slipped into the program library again, and Keller shut the door. With everything that was going on in the house, she didnt call back anyone would notice.\r\nThen she faced him.\r\nShe hadnt bothered to turn on the lights. There was some illumination from the window but not much. It didnt really matter. Shapeshifter eyes were good in the dark, and Keller was just as glad he couldnt study her face.\r\nShe could see passable of his as he stood by the window. The light picked up the frame in of his golden head, and she could see that his expression was troubled and a little uncertain.\r\nâ€Å"Keller-” he began.\r\nKeller held up a hand to cut him off. â€Å"Wait. Galen, first I want to tell you that you dont owe me an explanation.” She took a breath. â€Å"Look, Galen, what happened this morning was a err. And I think we both realize that now.”\r\nâ€Å"Keller…”\r\nâ€Å"I shouldnt have gotten so lost at you about it. But thats not the point. The point is that things have worked out.”\r\nHe looked slow suddenly. â€Å" assume they?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes,” Keller said firmly. â€Å"And you dont need to try and pretend otherwise. You care about her. She cares about you. Are you going to try and deny that?”\r\nGalen turn toward the window. He looked more than bleak now; he looked awfully depressed. â€Å"I do care about her,” he said slowly. â€Å"I wont deny it. But-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"But nothing! Its good, Galen. Its what was meant to be, and its what we came here for. Right?”\r\nHe shifted miserably. â€Å"I chance so. But Keller-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"And it may just possibly save the world,” Keller said flatly.\r\nThere was a long silence. Galens head was down.\r\nâ€Å"Weve got a chance now,” Keller said. Ã¢â‚¬Ë œIt should be easy to get her to come to the ceremony on Saturday-as long as we can make her forget about\r\nthat ridiculous party. Im not construction use her feelings against her. Im just tell go with it. She should want to be promised to you.”\r\nGalen didnt say anything.\r\nâ€Å"And thats all. Thats what I wanted to tell you. And also that if youre going to act stupid and vile because of something that was… a few minutes of silliness, a mistake-well, then, Im not going to talk to you ever again.”\r\nHis head came up. â€Å"You think it was a mistake?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. Absolutely.”\r\nIn one motion, he turned around and took her by the shoulders. His fingers tightened, and he stared at her face as if he were nerve-racking to see her eyes.\r\nâ€Å"And thats what you really think?”\r\nâ€Å"Galen, will you please stop worrying about my feelings?” She shrugged out of his grip, still facing him squarely. Tm fine. Things have worked ou t just the way they should. And thats all we ever need to say about it.”\r\nHe let out a long breath and turned toward the window again. Keller couldnt tell if the sigh was relief or something else.\r\nâ€Å"Just make sure she comes to the ceremony. Not that it should be difficult,” she said.\r\nThere was another silence. Keller tried to read his emotions through his stance and failed completely.\r\nâ€Å" tooshie you do that?” she prompted at last.\r\nâ€Å"Yes. I can do it. I can try.”\r\nAnd that was all he said. Keller turned to the door. Then she turned back. â€Å"thank you,” she said softly. But what she really meant was Good-bye, and she knew he knew it. For a long moment, she thought he wouldnt answer. At last, he said, â€Å"Thank you, Keller.”\r\nKeller didnt know what for, and she didnt want to think about it right now. She turned and slipped out of the room.\r\n'