A Place in This World
Disclaimer: Hurray, that crazy person is here!
Dedication All my wonderful reviewers who are so very patient, you guys are great. Oh and Spy46 for being my unofficial beta reader until I get a real one.
Chapter Eleven: Nowhere To Go No Way to Get There
Isilee woke up on the Monday after the sleep over with both pillows over her head. The magenta haired witch had started sleeping that way Friday night to ignore the noise Minerva and Samara were making over the movie actors. She continued the practice over the weekend because Lilith had suddenly become a loud sleeper and was talking incessantly while Isilee was trying to sleep. Isilee had tried throwing things at her roommate and shaking her, she'd even tried a few minor sound wave spells. But Lilith was as heavy a sleeper as she was a loud talker.
So Isilee stretched in her bed then placed her feet on the floor contemplating her next move to getting her roommate to sleep quieter. She considered trying to do some research in the library after school that day which brought about the realization that she'd never finished her paper for magical defense class.
"Crap." Isilee muttered. "Well, I can just finish that before breakfast." She shrugged and walked over to boot up the shared computer, in her defense it was just a fluff piece on preferred barrier spells and only needed to be two pages long. By the time Isilee had finished her conclusive paragraph Lilith had roused herself from her bed and made her way to the communal bathroom and back.
"Oh good, you have the computer on." The burgundy haired witch commented, as she came over where Isilee was finishing her homework. "Can you print off my assignment too please? I forgot to do that this weekend. And I've just been so tired."
The assignment in question was the one Lilith'd been working on Friday night before the sleep over so it was still on the shared desktop instead of her new turned around in the chair looking at her roommate in shock.
"You've been tired?" She demanded hitting save then print on the screen. "I'm the one who's been listing to you blather on in her sleep all weekend. You talk more than Aurora."
Lilith flushed. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize I was talking in my sleep. I've never done it before."
"Even if you have you wouldn't know because you do it in your sleep." Isilee replied sounding apologetic. Pulling her assignment from the printer she went into Lilith's files and printed off her paper too. "So, what are you dreaming about? It sounds pretty wild from my side of the room."
"Trust me it is." Lilith assured her roommate as she stepped behind the dressing screen to get changed for breakfast and classes. "Well, more like they are. It's so jumbled together I don't know what to tackle first and which pieces of which dreams fit where."
"What do you mean?" Isilee asked as Lilith came out from behind the dressing screen wearing a dark green wrap dress that reached her knees and a simple black cord choker with a clear crystal hanging from it.
"I mean I'm confused and I blame that stupid book my mom sent." Lilith replied as Isilee took her clothes and went behind the dressing screen to change. "I'm hoping Jayden could help or maybe Minerva."
"Minerva?" Isilee choked out not bothering to hide the shock from her voice. "That girl doesn't even know what her powers are yet, and you want her to figure out strange dreams for you?"
"I believe in giving people a chance. Who knows, maybe dream interpretation is in her cards."
"But still, Minerva, you'd be better off asking my brother for advice."
"Maybe I'll go to Red Fountain first then if Jayden can't help me, I'll try someone or something else another day." Lilith offered as she and Isilee made their way down to the dining hall for breakfast.
During last period in her herbology class Serafina felt herself drifting off during professor Belladonna's explanation of the different types of plants used in various hallucination spells. The brunette third year was already upset that the book she'd found in a second hand store in Magix wasn't the book of shadows her coven was searching for, and now for the past three nights Lantis and Selia had been texting her until two in the morning causing her to lose sleep.
'Sweet blackness, that's all I need.' Serafina thought to herself as the professor turned her back to the class to begin drawing pictures of some roots she wanted the students to find for a field exercise. Serafina closed her eyes for what she thought was a second; the next thing she knew someone was poking her with a stylus.
"Huh?" She asked looking in the direction of where she'd been from Solaria shot Serafina a quick grin and went back to copying the pictures professor Belladonna was still drawing onto her laptop's screen.
"You need a coffee." The silver eyed witch commented offhandedly. "Oh, and to pay attention better or I'll ask to switch lab partners."
"Uh huh." Serafina replied with a glare in her desk partner's direction... "And I may do the same if you don't stop poking at me."
Artemisia shrugged, she could care less what Serafina did as long as it didn't affect her grade. "You wouldn't- you need me so the illustrations to our lab notes don't look like a drunk, sight impaired troll did them." She whispered. "Just stop spending more time with your boyfriend and start spending it on our joint assignments."
Serafina bit back a remark as professor Belladonna turned back towards the class glaring straight at her and Artemisia as if she knew they'd been talking.
"Class, this week's independent field exercise is to find and correctly classify ten different plants used in location spells." Professor Belladonna announced. "I'd also like you to find a location spell and demonstrate it for the class next week. There will also be a test in two weeks on the spells and plants we've covered so far." The blue haired professor paused and took a long drink from the water bottle at her desk. "That is all, you're dismissed. Ms. Serafina I'd suggest sleeping in longer and going to bed sooner if you don't want to get a failing mark in this class."
"Sounds like she's got your number." Artemisia teased as she and Serafina walked down the hall towards the exits. She wasn't sure what to make of her lab partner's scatterbrained persona and sporadic moodiness, but for the most part the darker haired girl seemed to be a hard worker. However there seemed to be some shadows in Serafina that wouldn't go away and that bothered her.
"Hah, funny." Serafina replied rolling her eyes. "Would you mind if we started on our project separately? I've something to do right now over at Red Fountain." The something was Lantis' most recent text which he'd sent during lunch.
Now it was Artemisia's turn to roll her eyes. "This is an individual field exercise, we do our own thing."
"Ah, okay. In that case I'll see you later." Serafina then rushed out to the shuttle stop leaving Artemisia to just stare after her.
Meanwhile over at Alfea, Felicity was doing a little rushing of her own. It seems that the resource librarian at Red Fountain had finally decided that he wanted his book on magical items back and contacted Headmistress Faraganda who in turn had called the reluctant nature fairy to her office during lunch and ordered her to return the book back to Red Fountain or face disciplinary action. So that's how Felicity found herself on the shuttle that took the students of Alfea and Cloud Tower to Red Fountain sitting next to Lilith and getting strange looks from Serafina.
"So what are you coming here for?" Lilith finally asked as she and Felicity followed Serafina and a few other students off the shuttle and on to the grounds of Red Fountain.
Felicity's face colored under her tan skin. "Over due library book, what about you?"
"I have to talk to Jayden about that book I got from our mom. And these weird dreams I've been having." Lilith explained as they walked up the steps into the school.
"Jayden can figure out things like that?" Felicity asked intrigued."Not usually, but I think talking to him may help it usually does."
Felicity nodded her head not quite understanding what Lilith was saying, she was an only child herself and only had her mom growing up so having a sibling or even a close cousin to confide in was beyond Felicity's comprehension."Okay, well I'll see you later then." Felicity finally said giving the other girl a wave and heading off to find the library yet again.
Lilith waved back and headed towards the second year dorms to find Jayden, she didn't have to go far because he was coming her way texting on his mobile phone. "Jay!" She shouted.
The brown haired boy looked up from his phone to see who was calling him and grinned when he saw his sister. "Lili, I didn't think you'd come over til after dad left."
"He left yesterday. Look I have a problem; can we talk in your room privately?"
"I guess so, what's your problem?"
"If I could tell you in the hallway I wouldn't need to tell you in your room privately." Lilith replied tartly.
Jayden nodded, "True enough. Come with me."
Meanwhile in a room a few doors down from Jayden's Lantis and Serafina were having a pow wow of their own. In private of course and as quietly as they could, but both parties had enough icy stares and harsh words to make up for the lack of volume.
"This wild goose chase you have my sisters and I on is proving fruitless." Serafina stated angrily as she examined a torn cuticle. "And aside from finding out that Samara of Domino doesn't have the sword we need and that necklace of Felicity's is the first key we've nothing to show for our efforts."
"I'm trying my best Fina." Lantis countered his voice hard. "I did some research about where we may be able to find the mirror."
"Let's hope it's better than your last bit of research."
"If you can be bothered to pull your eyes away from your manicure, you can find out for yourself."
Serafina scowled at Lantis, but got up off the chair she'd been sitting on and came over to look at Lantis' computer. "You're kidding right, the Forest of Lights?"
"I don't kid about things like this." Lantis replied smoothly as he turned to face Serafina. "When the Black Root coven finished sealing away my ancestor, Melisande was very adamant that the tools that could be used to find where she was placed would never be found."
"That's for sure." Serafina agreed. "No one can even figure out if the Forest of Lights exists in this dimension."
"We'll find a way. Don't you have that assignment for your class about a potion to find something?"
Serafina's pale complexion became a slight rose shade. "You know I really don't appreciate how you keep constant tabs on me Lantis." She snapped.
"And you know I really don't care." Lantis returned sounding haughty. "We're done here."
"On the contrary, we've only just begun." Serafina snarled as her eyes darkened. "Don't think that just because you're the descendant of a powerful witch means that you've authority over me."
"You know I don't think that."
"Then stop spying on me. My sisters and I are helping you now because we're almost family and there's something to be gained from it, but if you over step your bounds you'd better watch your back." With that speech, Serafina turned her back on Lantis and headed out the door.
Lantis breifly contemplated following Serafina, but thought better of it, if she got in into her head that he was a threat there was no telling what she could do with her shadow magic. So instead he made his way down to the library to see if he could find any more information on the Forest of Lights.
Down in the library Felicity was standing at the reference librarian's desk trying not to look bored as an elderly woman with the powder pink hair chastised her for taking a month to return a 'valuable text book' you'd've thought Felicity had kept the thing for a year and used it for a coloring book the way the lady was carrying on. She thought the lecture would never end and was looking for some sort of distraction when who should walk in like her own personal knight in tarnished armor but Gavin.
Gavin had to do a double take since the last time he's seen Felicity they'd been in the woods for two days and when they'd parted everyone looked pretty scruffy. This time though she looked more like the first time he'd had seen her, sans the beasties. "Hey, Fee!" he called in a loud voice causing the reference librarian to pause her tirade and glare at him instead.
"Young man, this is a library not a sport arena." The reference librarian scolded in a stern tone.
Gavin thought up a good lie quick. "Sorry Mrs. Nevada, but I was looking all over for my girlfriend and I was happy to finally find her."
Felicity grabbed the desk to stop from falling over in shock, but recovered quickly enough to play the part.
"Hey baby." She chirped walking over and giving Gavin a quick peck on the cheek. "I was just returning that book I'd borrowed, but I got held up. I hope we don't miss that movie."
The reference librarian just shook her head. "You may leave now, but no more late books is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am." Felicity replied as she grabbed Gavin's hand and dragged him out of the library. When they were finally in the hall Felicity dropped Gavin's hand and turned to face him, but before she could say anything she saw Lantis heading towards them and froze.
"Now what's wrong?" Gavin asked looking in the same direction Felicity was staring.
"That's the guy who attacked Samara and I back in Gardenia."
"Say what now?"
"Oh that's right, it was before you and the others came to help. The way I met Samara was I was in this park near my place and that guy was after her. Then he came after me. " Felicity explained quietly.
"You say this guy attacked both of you?" Gavin asked incredulously. "He doesn't look the part." He added as Lantis walked past the two of them into the library pausing long enough to get a good look at Felicity since he was getting a strange vibe from her too.
"Are you calling me a liar then?"
"No, I'm not. I'm just saying that maybe you have the wrong guy. You haven't seen him do anything since that day right?" Gavin reasoned.
"Well, no.""Then how are you certain he's the guy?"
"Because I don't forget faces, I have a photographic memory."
Gavin snorted at that comment. "Which is why you took a month to return a book?"
"No, I didn't return the book because I was avoiding you." Felicity replied honestly. "And that's something I don't want to get into right now."
"Lissie, you're still here?" Lilith asked breaking into the argument between Felicity and Gavin. "I'm glad, that means I'll have someone to talk to on the way back to Cloud Tower because Jay helped me a bit."
"That's good, I suppose." Felicity commented. "What did you need help with?"
"The book of shadows my mom sent and the dreams I've been having that've been keeping Isi up all night."
"Sounds wild," Gavin put in. "What'd Jayden have to say?"
"The book is from my mom's side of the family, the dreams are still sketchy." Lilith explained. "He suggested reading some of the book, and starting to record my dreams in a notebook."
"Is that all?"
"Well, no since Minerva seems to be picking up some kind of telepath skills to ask her."
"Min has wanted to try that new spell she's been practicing." Felicity allowed. "I bet she'd say yes."
"Great, then I'll ask her tomorrow. I've gotta get back to CT so I can gloat to Isi that Min might be able to help me. Are you coming?"
"Unless Gavin needs me to pretend to be his girlfriend for something I'm done." Catching the look of shock on Lilith's face Felicity quickly added, "I'll explain on the way back. Bye Gavin."
"Bye baby." Gavin replied just to get a rise from Felicity and Lilith. It worked like a charm.
"There's better be a good story behind this." Lilith remarked dryly looking from Gavin back to Felicity. "Because if there isn't all I have to say is, 'it's not nice to keep secrets from your friends'."
Whew glad that's done.
I usually don't beg for reviews, but I just went and manually fixed the loaded chapter so I deserve them!