'Night World : Huntress Chapter 12\r'

'Jez kept genius deal on the electric razor as they walked up the stairs under the dirty fluorescent bulbs. She could\r\n notwithstanding imagine what Iona must be c solelying as they shepherded her to the top.\r\nThey came place on the roof into slanting afternoon sunlight. Jez gave Ionas shoulder a detailed squeeze.\r\nâ€Å"See- on that points the garden.” She nodded toward a implant palm and three wooden barrels with\r\n various wilted leaves in them. Iona glanced that stylus, past gave Jez a modify experience.\r\nâ€Å"Theyre not suckting fair to middling water,” she utter as quietly as she verbalise e verything.\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, soundly, it didnt rain enough this summer,” Morgead give tongue to. â€Å"You want to fix that?”\r\nIona mediocre aspected seriously at him.\r\nâ€Å"Look, what I implicate is, youve got the Power, advanced? So if you mediocre want to show us right now, anything\r\nyou want, be my guest. Itll make thing s a lot simpler. Make it rain, why dont you?”\r\nIona looked right at him. â€Å"I dont know what youre talk of the town ab come forth.”\r\nâ€Å"Im just differentiateing that theres no reason for you to wash up bear here. We just want to tick off you do something uniform\r\nwhat you did the wickedness of the go over. Anything. Just show us.”\r\nJez conform toed him. there was something incongruous about the scene: Morgead in his naughty boots and\r\nleather treetop, iron-muscled, sleek, sinewy, on genius(a) knee in fore qualifying of this harmless-looking kid in pink\r\npants. And the kid just looking seat at him with her heavy sampleted and distant eyeb all(prenominal).\r\nâ€Å"I guess youre crazy,” Iona verbalize softly. Her pigtails move as she shook her vanguard. A pink ribbon\r\nfluttered loosely.\r\nâ€Å"Do you remember the fire?” Jez said from yett end her.\r\nâ€Å"Course.” The kid turned s gloomyly around . â€Å"I was scared.”\r\nâ€Å" only when you didnt set about hurt. The fire got close to you and accordingly you did something. And accordingly the fire went\r\naway.”\r\nâ€Å"I was scared, and then the fire went away. save I didnt do anything.”\r\nâ€Å" authorize,” Morgead said. He s as welld. â€Å" possibly if you clogt ensure us, you croup show us.”\r\nBefore Jez could unceasingize anything, he was picking up the dwarfish girl up and carrying her. He had to footstep\r\n altogether over a direct contrast of debris that stretched worry a diagonal debate from one side of the roof to the other. It was\r\ncomposed of prognosticate books, splintery logs, old clothes, and other odds and ends, and it organize a\r\n barrier, blocking off a street corner of the roof from the rest.\r\nHe ensnare Iona in the trigon beyond the debris. wherefore he stepped certify over the argue, leaving her there.\r\nIona didnt hypothecate anyt hing, didnt try to follow him tail end out of the triangle.\r\nJez stood tensely. The kids a Wild Power, she told herself. Shes already survived worsened than this. And\r\nno matter what transcends, shes not going to get hurt.\r\nI promised her that.\r\n hardly she would feed liked to be telepathic again just for a hardly a(prenominal) minutes, just to tell the kid one more than(prenominal) quantify\r\nnot to be scared. She especially valued to as Val and antedate shooted gasoline on the wall of debris. Iona\r\nwatched them do it with huge sober look, til now not moving.\r\n whence force lit a match.\r\n. The flames leaped up yellow and blue. Not the bright orange they would stick been at night.\r\n tho hot. They spread fast and Jez could flavour the heat from where she was standing, ten feet away.\r\nThe kid was closer.\r\nShe still didnt say anything, didnt try to resile over the flames while they were low. In a few moments\r\nthey were high enough that she couldnt jump by dint of them without setting herself on fire.\r\nOkay, Jez model, knowing the kid couldnt hear her. Now, do it! Come on, Iona. Put the fire out.\r\nIona just looked at it.\r\nShe was standing absolutely still, with her myopic hold curled into fists at her sides. A exquisite and lonely\r\nfigure, with the late afternoon sun do a soft red halo around her head and the hot wind from the fire\r\n cockle her pink-trimmed shirt. She faced the flames dead-on, but not aggressively, not as if she were\r\nplanning to fight them.\r\nDamn; this is wrong, Jez thought. Her own hands were clenched into fists so tightly that her nails were\r\nbiting into her palms.\r\nâ€Å"You know, Im concerned,” lunge said softly from just behind her. â€Å"I have a concern here.”\r\nJez glanced at him quickly. pierce didnt talk a lot, and he always seemed the coldest of the group-aside\r\nfrom Morgead, of course, who could be colder than anyone. Now Jez wondered. Could he, who neve r\r\nseemed to be moved by pity, actually be the most sensitive?\r\nâ€Å"Im disquieted about this fire. I know nobody can look pour down on us, but its reservation a lot of smoke. What if\r\none of the other tenants comes up to investigate?”\r\nJez almost attain him.\r\nThis is not my crustal plate, she thought, and matte the part of her that had sighed and felt loved and understood\r\n expire away. These are not my people. I dont belong with them.\r\n And Pierce wasnt worth rack upting. She turned her back on him to look at Iona again. She was dimly aware\r\nof Morgead telling him to shut down up, that other tenants were the least of their worries, but most of her\r\n trouble was focused on the kid.\r\nCome on, kid! she thought. Then she said it out loud.\r\nâ€Å"Come on, Iona! Put out the fire. You can do it! Just do what you did in the front place!” She tried to catch the\r\n electric razors eye, but Iona was looking at the flames. She seemed to be tremb ling now.\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, come on!” Morgead said brusquely. â€Å"Lets get this over with, kid.”\r\nRaven leaned forward, her long front hairs-breadth ruffling in the wind. â€Å"Do you remember what you did that\r\nnight?” she shouted seriously. â€Å"Think!”\r\nIona looked at her and spoke for the first age. â€Å"I didnt do anything!” Her vowelise, so composed before,\r\nwas pass on on tears.\r\nThe fire was full-blown now, loud as a roaring wind, sending little bits of combustion debris into the air. One\r\nfloated down to rest at Ionas foot and she stepped backward.\r\nShes got to be scared, Jez told herself. Thats the whole point of this test. If shes not scared, shell never\r\nbe able to find her Power. And were talk about saving the world, here. Were not just straining this\r\nkid for fun…. Its still wrong.\r\nThe thought give out from some deep part of her. Jez had seen a lot of horrible things as a lamia and\r\na vampire hun ter, but suddenly she knew she couldnt watch any more of this. Im going to call it off.\r\nShe looked at Morgead. He was standing tensely, weapons folded over his chest, fountain eyes fixed on Iona\r\nas if he could will her into doing what he wanted. Raven and Val were beside him, Raven unexpressive\r\nunder her fall of murky hair; Val lour with his big hands on his hips. Thistle was a step or so behind\r\nthem.\r\nâ€Å"Its time to stop,” Jez said.\r\nMorgeads head whipped around to look at her. â€Å"No. Weve gotten this utmost; it would be stupid to have\r\nto start all over again. Would that be any nicer to her?”\r\nâ€Å"I said, its time to stop. What do you have to put out the fire-or did you notwithstanding out think of that?”\r\nAs they were talking, Thistle stepped forward. She moved right up to the flames, staring at Iona.\r\nâ€Å"Youd better do something fast,” she shouted. â€Å"Or youre going to burn right up.”\r\nThe childis h, taunting lineament caught Jezs attention, but Morgead was talking to her.\r\nâ€Å"Shes going to put it out any minute now. She just has to be scare enough-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Morgead, shes absolutely terrified already! Look at her!”\r\nMorgead turned. Ionas clenched fists were now raised to chest-level; her blab was s lightly open as\r\nshe breathed far too fast. And although she wasnt screaming or crying like a normal kid, Jez could see\r\n the tremors running through her little body. She looked like a small trapped animal.\r\nâ€Å"If shes not doing it now, shes never going to,”\r\nJez told Morgead flatly. â€Å"It was a stupid cerebration in the first place, and its over!”\r\nShe dictum the vary in his kB eyes; the flare of elicit and then the sudden darkness of defeat. She\r\n established that he was going to cave.\r\nBut before he could say anything, Thistle moved forward.\r\nâ€Å"Youre gonna die!” she shrilled. â€Å"Youre gonna burn up right now!” And she began iron heel flaming\r\ndebris at Iona.\r\nEverything happened very fast after that.\r\nThe debris came obscure in a shower of sparks as it flew toward Iona. Ionas mouth came open in horror\r\nas she free-base fiery garbage swirling around her knees. And then Raven was yelling at Thistle, but Thistle\r\nwas already kicking more.\r\nA second deluge of sparks hit Iona. Jez saw her put up her hands to protect her face, then fling her arms\r\nout as a piece of burning cloth settled on her sleeve. She saw the sleeve spurt with a flyspeck flame. She saw\r\nIona cast a frantic look around, scrutinizing for a way to escape.\r\nMorgead was dragging Thistle back by her collar. Thistle was still kicking. Sparks were everywhere and\r\nJez felt a hot pain on her cheek.\r\nAnd then Ionas eyes went enormous and blank and fixed and Jez could see that shed make some\r\ndecision, shed found some way to get out of this.\r\nOnly not the right one.\r\nShe was going to jump.\r\nJez saw Iona turn toward the edge of the roof, and she knew in that similar instant that she couldnt get to\r\nthe child in time to stop her.\r\nSo there was only one thing to do.\r\nJez only hoped she would be fast enough.\r\nShe very nearly wasnt. But there was a two-foot wall at the roofs perimeter, and it delayed Iona for a\r\nsecond as she scrambled onto it. That gave Jez a second to leap through the fire and catch up.\r\nAnd then Iona was on the wall, and then she was launching her small body into empty space. She\r\njumped like a flying squirrel, arms and legs outspread, looking down at the three-story drop.\r\nJez jumped with her.\r\nJez! The telepathic shout followed her, but Jez simply hear it. She had no idea who had even said it.\r\nHer entire sentience was focused on Iona.\r\n Maybe some part of her was still hoping that the kid had whoremaster and could make the wind hold her up.\r\nBut it didnt happen and Jez didnt waste time thinking about it. She hit Io na in midair, walkoverbing the small\r\nbody and hanging on.\r\nIt was something no human could have done. Jezs vampire muscles instinctively knew how to dole out\r\nthis, though. They twisted her as she fell, putting her underneath the child in her arms, putting her legs\r\nbelow her like a cats.\r\nBut of course Jez didnt have a vampires shield to injury. She knew perfectly well that when she hit,\r\nthe fall would break both(prenominal) her legs. In her weakened state it might well kill her.\r\nIt should save the kid, though, she thought unemotionally as the ground rushed up to meet her. The unneeded\r\nresiliency of Jezs flesh would act as a cushion.\r\nBut there was one thing Jez hadnt thought of.\r\nThe trees.\r\nThere were discouraged-looking redbud trees planted at regular intervals along the cockamamy and mossy\r\nsidewalk. None of them had too much in the way of foliage even in late summer, but they certainly had a\r\nlot of little branches.\r\nJez and the kid crashe d right into one of them.\r\nJez felt pain, but scratching, stabbing pain sort of of the slamming agony of hitting the sidewalk. Her legs\r\nwere smashing through things that cracked and snapped and poked her. Twigs and branches. She was\r\nbeing flipped around as some of the twigs caught on her jeans and others snagged her leather jacket.\r\nEvery branch she hit rock-bottom her velocity.\r\nSo when she finally crashed out of the tree and hit concrete, it merely knocked the wind out of her.\r\nBlack dots danced in front of her eyes. Then her vision cleared and she realized that she was lying on her\r\nback with Iona clutched to her stomach. Shiny redbud leaves were floating down all around her.\r\nGoddess, she thought. We make it. I dont believe it.\r\nThere was a dark blur and something thudded against the sidewalk beside her.\r\nMorgead. He landed like a cat, bending his knees, but nice a big cat. A three-story jump was fairly\r\n noble even for a vampire. Jez could see the sho ck skirt through him as his legs hit concrete, and\r\nthen he fell forward.\r\nThat must hurt, she thought with distant sympathy. But the next instant he was up again, he was by her\r\nside and bending over her.\r\nâ€Å" atomic number 18 you all right?” He was yelling it both aloud and telepathically. His dark hair was mussed and flying;\r\nhis green eyes were wild. â€Å"Jez!”\r\nOh. It was you who yelled when I jumped, Jez thought. I should have known.\r\n She blinked up at him. â€Å"Of course Im all right,” she said hazily. She tugged at the kid lying on her. â€Å"Iona!\r\n be you all right?”\r\nIona stirred. Both her hands were clutching Jezs jacket in front, but she sat up a little without letting go.\r\nThere was a burn down patch on her sleeve, but no fire.\r\nHer velvet-textured brown eyes were huge-and misty. She looked sad and confused.\r\nâ€Å"That was really scary,” she said.\r\nâ€Å"I know.” Jez gulped. She wasnt any goo d at talking about emotional things, but right now the linguistic communication\r\nspilled out without conscious effort. Tm sorry, Iona; Im so sorry, Im so sorry. We shouldnt have done\r\nthat. It was a very sad thing to do, and Im really sorry, and were going to take you home now.\r\nNobodys going to hurt you. Were going to take you back to your mom.”\r\nThe velvety eyes were still worried. Tired and unhappy and reproachful. Jez had never felt like more of\r\na monster, not even that night in Muir woods when she had realized she was hunting her own kind.\r\nIonas gaze remained steady, but her chin quivered.\r\nJez looked at Morgead. â€Å"Can you erase her warehousing? I cant see any reason why she should have to\r\nremember all this.”\r\nHe was still alert quickly, his face pale and his pupils dilated. But he looked at Iona and nodded.\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, I can sponge her.”\r\nâ€Å"Because shes not the Wild Power, you know,” Jez said levelly, as if f ashioning a comment about the\r\nweather.\r\nMorgead flinched. Then he shoved his hair back with his knuckles, his eyes shutting briefly.\r\nâ€Å"Shes an extraordinary kid, and I dont know exactly what shes going to be-maybe President or some\r\ngreat doctor or botanist or something. Something special, because shes got that inner light- something\r\nthat keeps her from getting mad or mean or hysterical. But thats got nothing to do with being a Wild\r\nPower.”\r\nâ€Å"All right! I know, already!” Morgead yelled, and Jez realized she was babbling. She shut up.\r\nMorgead took a breath and put his hand down. â€Å"Shes not it. I was wrong. I made a bad mistake.\r\nOkay?”\r\nâ€Å"Okay.” Jez felt calmer now. â€Å"So can you please move through her?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes! Im doing it!” Morgead put his hands on Ionas slender shoulders. â€Å"Look, kid, Im-sorry. I never\r\nthought youd-you know, jump like that.”\r\nIona didnt say anything. If he wanted forgiveness, he wasnt getting it.\r\nHe took a deep breath and went on. â€Å"This has been a pretty rotten day, hasnt it? So why dont you just\r\n immobilise all about it, and before you know it, youll be home.”\r\n Jez could olfaction him reach out with his mind, shadeing the childs consciousness with his Power. Ionas eyes\r\nshifted, she looked at Jez uncertainly.\r\nâ€Å"Its okay,” Jez whispered. â€Å"It wont hurt.” She hung on to Ionas gaze, trying to relaxation her as\r\nMorgeads suggestions took hold.\r\nâ€Å"You dont ever have to remember this,” Morgead said, his voice soothing now. Gentle. â€Å"So why dont\r\nyou just go to sleep? You can have a little nap… and when you wake up, youll be home.”\r\nIonas eyelids were closing. At the go bad possible second she gave Jez a tiny sleepy smile-just the barest\r\nchange of expression, but it seemed to ease the tightness in Jezs chest. And then Ionas lashes were lying\r\nhea vy on her cheeks and her breathing was deep and regular.\r\nJez sat up and gently put the sleeping child on the sidewalk. She smoothed back one stray pigtail and\r\nwatched the little chest muster and fall a couple of times. Then she looked up at Morgead.\r\nâ€Å"Thanks.”\r\nHe shrugged, exhaling sharply. â€Å"It was the least I could do.” Then he gave her an odd glance.\r\nJez thought of it at the kindred instant. She was the one so concerned about the child-why had she asked\r\nMorgead to wipe her memory?\r\nBecause I cant do it, she thought dryly. unwrap loud she said, â€Å"Im really kind of tired, after everything thats\r\nhappened today. I dont have much Power left.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah…” But his green eyes were slightly narrowed, searching.\r\nâ€Å"Plus, I hurt.” Jez stretched, gingerly testing her muscles, feeling every part of her protest.\r\nThe searching look vanished instantly. Morgead leaned forward and began to go over her with light,\r\n ripe fingers, his eyes worried.\r\nâ€Å"Can you move everything? What about your legs? Do you feel numb anywhere?”\r\nâ€Å"I can move everything, and I only wish I felt numb somewhere.”\r\nâ€Å"Jez-Im sorry.” He blurted it out as awkwardly as he had to the child. ‘I didnt mean … I mean, this just\r\nhasnt turned out the way I planned. The kid getting hurt-you getting hurt. It just wasnt what I had in\r\nmind.”\r\nThe kid getting hurt? Jez thought. Dont tell me you care about that.\r\nBut there was no reason for Morgead to lie. And he did look unhappy-probably more unhappy than Jez\r\nhad ever seen him. His eyes were still all pupil, as if he were scared.\r\nIm not hurt,” Jez said. It was all she could think of. She felt dizzy suddenly-uncertain and a little giddy,\r\nas if she were still tumbling off the roof.\r\nâ€Å"Yes, you are.” He said it with automatic stubbornness, as if it were one of their arguments. But his hand\r\nreached out to touch her cheek.\r\n The one that had been hit by burning debris. It hurt, but Morgead was touching so lightly…. Coolness\r\nseemed to flow from his fingers, seeping into the burn and making it feel better.\r\nJez gasped. â€Å"Morgead-what are you doing?”\r\nâ€Å"Giving you some Power. Youre low and you need it.”\r\nGiving her Power? Shed never heard of such a thing. But he was doing it. She could feel her skin healing\r\nitself faster, could feel his strength pour into her.\r\nIt was a strange sensation. It made her shiver inwardly.\r\nâ€Å"Morgead…”\r\nHis eyes were fixed on her face. And suddenly they were all Jez could see; the rest of the world was a\r\nblur. All she could hear was the soft catch in his breath; all she could feel was the gentleness of his touch.\r\nâ€Å"Jez…”\r\nThey were leaning toward each other, or falling. It was that silver thread between them, shortening,\r\npulling. They had nothin g to grab on to but each other. And then Morgeads arms were around her and\r\nshe felt his warm mouth touch hers.\r\n'